Not My Son

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

     This past week flew by – maybe because there were just four days of school but most likely because that is how time goes here in the mission.  Ben and Mari had a bit of a rough adjustment waking up again at 5:15 a.m. though they did so without much complaint.  They also seemed to have a lot of homework as they are preparing for finals which they will have in a couple of weeks. They made it through the week and had a very nice weekend.

     The weather has been picture perfect with above average temperatures and clear blue skies.  It seems impossible that it is the middle of “winter” since we actually need to turn on the AC in the car.  Ben said he was hoping it would cool off so their football practice wouldn’t be so miserable. Their season has ended but they continue to condition for next year.

Saturday Ben’s High School football team had their end of the season award banquet at a local reception center.  It was a great event, the food was delicious and every one of the more than one hundred players was honored. Ben and Mari’s High School certainly has a lot of traditions, so many parents, teachers, coaches, etc. put in a lot of effort to make their High School experience special.

     We had a great ZLC (Zone Leader Conference) this week.  Nearly half of our zone leaders finish this transfer.  It will be hard to see so many of our outstanding leaders complete their missions. We are really going to need our younger missionaries to move up quickly into those leadership roles, which I know they will do.

     Saturday afternoon I drove Ben to Long Beach to meet some friends at the Pike (similar to the Gateway in SLC) for a movie.  The sun was just beginning to set over the port and the sight was breathtaking. The bridges were lit with colorful lights, the water was golden and glowing, the harbor was full of sail boats and lined with quaint shops. It was one of those magical moments. We are blessed to be assigned to a beautiful, beautiful mission!

     I’m always so impressed with the support of the parents of our missionaries. This week we had to contact several parents about various health concerns for our missionaries. Each parent expressed tremendous support and encouragement for their missionary son or daughter.  They want their child to be successful and to complete their assignments here in Long Beach. The love between parents and their children is so inspiring!

     Last Sunday as we were leaving our Sunday meetings Ted accidently locked the keys in the trunk of his car. Fortunately the assistants were still in the parking lot and “volunteered” to drive over to the mission office and pick up a spare set of keys. We enjoyed the beautiful sunny day and visited with a few of the members who stayed around to keep us company. We started exchanging stories about locking keys in cars (one sister had to call AAA four times last year).  A brother related that he once closed his thumb into the door of his car which was also locked.  He eventually got someone to help him unlock the door all the time he was waiting he was in tremendous pain.  His thumb was pretty mangled but the brother who helped him was a two star general in the army and didn’t think it looked too bad compared to the many war injuries he had seen.  He gave him a little first aid and went on his way.

     I mentioned to our friends in the parking lot that one of Ben’s dreams is to be a military flight surgeon.  The brother with the smashed thumb said, “That is a very admirable aspiration.”  I answered, “Yes, someone needs to do it but not my son!”  This inspired brother’s answer brought immediate tears to my eyes when he said, “I’m glad that our Heavenly Father didn’t say – not my Son.”  I felt so humbled and grateful that our Father loved us enough to give His Son and allowed Him to sacrifice His life for us so we can return to live with Them one day.  The greatest lesson I learned that Sunday was not in sacrament meeting, or Sunday school but was taught in the parking lot by a wise brother who reminded me with very few words how much our Father loves us.

 We love you all,

The Long Beach Buberts