Rescuers

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

      It still feels very much like summer here in Long Beach but we have jumped back into school and today started early morning seminary. I just learned that the word seminary originally meant a plot where plants are grown from seeds. That certainly seems appropriate, Seminary is a great place to grow faith and testimonies. It makes a big difference in the lives of the youth of the church, especially when they are as outnumbered as they are here in Southern California. Even though 5:15 a.m. (when the alarm goes off for Ben and Mari) seems to come too early it really is such a great way to start the day. Ben and Mari are studying the New Testament this year. Their teacher is wonderful and I know they will be spiritually fed each day. Mari said that she overheard one of the girls in our ward telling a friend, “I don’t get why we need Church during the week.” I told Mari just like you need food everyday you need to be spiritually fed everyday as well. We are so grateful for wonderful seminary teachers who provide the much needed spiritual nourishment for Ben and Mari.

     Tuesday we had our “Tune Up” with our newest missionaries, their trainers and our sister missionaries (they always love an excuse to get together). We had Café Rio style burritos for lunch then they met for several hours of training. We have so many wonderful new missionaries!

     Ted was busy all week with many interviews including a lot of temple interviews. He has to make sure that the missionaries return home with a current recommend. As always there were several missionaries who needed some help “getting back up on their horse”. Even the best missionaries sometimes get discouraged, especially when they are being exactly obedient and working hard and are still not seeing the results they would hope to see. Ted shares his testimony, experience, great scriptures and his love to encourage them to keep going. It is so wonderful to see them press forward and to eventually feel the confirmation that the Lord is pleased with their work.

     Monday was Labor Day, Ben and Mari enjoyed a day off from school and were really content relaxing at home. Shelly and her boyfriend Ian decided to go to the beach and ended up at Laguna Beach. The waves were extra high and there had been some warnings over the weekend about rough surf conditions but they decided to get in the water anyway. Before they knew what had happened they found themselves far from the shore, they were caught in a riptide. Shelly said she was surprised at how calm she felt and how clearly she was thinking. She actually thought there was a chance she could lose her life. Shelly even imagined the news headline, “Mission President’s Daughter Drowns in California”. They knew they should swim parallel to the beach to get out of the riptide but they were so disoriented by the waves tossing them about that they couldn’t get their bearings. Shelly was wondering how much longer they could keep up the battle when she saw the famous Southern California lifeguards with their red floaters swimming towards them. They guided Shelly and Ian to safety. It was such a relief when their feet touched the sand and they knew they had been rescued.

     As Shelly shared this experience with me I was feeling so many emotions. I imagined the pain and grief I would have been feeling if the rescuers hadn’t been trained, prepared and willing to save her life. They put their own safety aside to bring our precious daughter to shore and I couldn’t be more grateful. I wished I could thank them for that amazing gift!

     President Hinckley said: “I know that all about us there are many who are in need of help and who are deserving of rescue. Our mission in life, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be a mission of saving. …”
     “If we are to build that Zion of which the prophets have spoken and of which the Lord has given mighty promise, we must set aside our consuming selfishness. We must rise above our love for comfort and ease, and in the very process of effort and struggle, even in our extremity, we shall become better acquainted with our God.”

     “Let us never forget that we have a marvelous heritage received from great and courageous people who endured unimaginable suffering and demonstrated unbelievable courage for the cause they loved. You and I know what we should do. God help us to do it when it needs to be done.”

     We are so blessed to serve alongside our amazing missionaries who have sacrificed to much to rescue our Father in Heaven’s children. I know how very grateful He must be for these valiant rescuers.

We love each of you,
The Long Beach Buberts