Our Debt

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

     We had a very special week, missionaries departing and arriving, special visitors (former missionaries on vacation during semester break) and our Stake Christmas Concert.

     Our departure dinner Monday night went well, the highlight of course was our testimony meeting.  Each missionary shared a powerful testimony of the Savior and the Restoration.  The Warburtons (our Senior office couple) were also here.  They are so perfect for their calling, they love the missionaries and share their wisdom in such a sweet way.  They recently lost a grandbaby who lived just a few short days, it means so much to hear them testify of the blessings of eternal families.

     Tuesday morning seven great missionaries arrived.  It is so fun to wait for them at the airport. They are easy to spot as they come down the walkway from the plane.  This group had one extremely tall Elder (he is 6’ 7”) so the other Elders looked so small.  One of our newest Elders was born in Bulgaria and now lives in Tennesse, he is half gypsy and half Turkish and is about 4’10”. Mari was excited that we now have an Elder shorter than her :)  This group is strong and ready to get to work.  We need them, a lot of our missionaries finish their missions this transfer.

     We had seven of our former missionaries stop by the mission home for a quick visit.  It’s so fun to hear about their school, work and dating lives.  We love seeing the light still shining in their eyes and hearing them express how much they miss their missions.  We are blessed to be in California where we can stay in close contact with our family, friends and former missionaries.

     Yesterday was a great Sabbath day.  Our ward put a lot of effort into making our classes meaningful by focusing on the birth of our Savior.  The highlight of the day was a stake Christmas Concert.  There is so much talent in Southern California, the choirs were amazing and the musicians were so good.  The Spirit of the season was strong and we all left the concert feeling ready for Christmas.

     This is a special time of year to be serving the Lord.  When we think of all He has done for us our small sacrifice seems insignificant especially when we recognize how blessed we are.  We can never get even with our Savior, the more we try to pay Him back the more He blesses us and we are then even more indebted to Him. King Benjamin, in Mosiah 2 explains so well our debt to our Father and His Son:   

19 O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!

 20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

 21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

 22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

 23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

 25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.


We love our Savior, we love to serve Him and can never, ever repay Him for His many, many blessings to us!

We love you all,

The Long Beach Buberts