Dear Family and Loved Ones,
We just completed another amazing week in Long Beach even though we had record high temperatures for a few days this week. Yes, we are spoiled and not used to the thermometer going above 80 degrees :) We do worry about our missionaries when it gets hot but they are doing a good job staying hydrated. In fact we had a recent baptism that we contribute to our mission nurse encouraging the missionaries to “drink water constantly”. Two of our sister missionaries needed to find a bathroom quickly and remembered that a less active family lived nearby. They knocked on their door and asked to use the restroom. They had a chance to visit and found out that the family had a nine year old son who was not yet baptized. They were able to prepare him for baptism all because they followed the mission nurse’s advice to stay hydrated! Our mission nurse has a great blog that she said anyone is welcome to view www.mcombermm.blogspot.com It’s a lot of fun as well as inspiring. This wonderful Senior Couple is such a blessing to our mission!
Tuesday we had a great luncheon at the mission office to say goodbye to one of our local missionary couples. He was called to serve as the Bishop in his stake’s singles ward so they needed to be released from their mission assignment. We will really miss them! They are great with finances, the computer, caring for the missionaries, etc. They even prepared most of their own delicious going away lunch. We had a lasagna soup, salad, chips, salsa, cheesy bread and dessert. We had a great time visiting with all of our senior couples and decided we should have a pot luck lunch at least once a month at the mission office.
This past week Ted has started working on transfers and as always also had many interviews. He never really knows what each day will bring so he has to constantly be prepared. Ted says he really doesn’t go into his interviews with missionaries who are down or who are seeking guidance knowing what he will say but it is amazing how often the advice they need will be information he has learned as recently as that morning during his studies. The Lord knows beforehand what will help these special young men and young women and guides Ted to study according to the concerns of His missionaries.
Last night we were asked to speak at the adult session of Stake Conference in the Huntington Beach Stake. It was a great conference and of course we especially loved it because the overall theme of the conference was missionary work. Everyone gave great talks and as always the choir was incredible. A highlight was a talk by a recent convert. She said it was her first talk and that she was incredibly nervous but she was amazing. This sister has always been inclined to the things of the Spirit. She likened her search to find the true church to following a treasure map. She had studied the bible intensely and knew she needed baptism so she looked into many of the local churches and settled on being baptized in the Saddleback Church, she liked the band and the talks were uplifting but she still felt empty so she continued her search. She looked into many of the protestant churches and other non denominational churches. She took every Bible study class she could find, she found mentors who would teach her and she prayed for guidance but still didn’t find the treasure she was looking for.
A couple of years ago she needed a new babysitter and was referred to a member of the Church from Huntington Beach. She grew to love and admire her new babysitter and her family. She observed that they were good people and she began to be curious about their Mormon faith so she did what she had done in the past, she read, studied and prayed, first with the intent of disproving the Church but soon she was finding that everything was making perfect sense and was in agreement with her many years of Bible study. She told her Dad she was considering being baptized in the Mormon Church. He said I need to warn you that they don’t believe in the same Trinity that most other Christian faiths believe in. She said that the doctrine that each member of the Godhead was separate was easy for her to accept and that she recognized that the Bible confirmed this truth. She finally found that place on her treasure map that says X marks the spot, she concluded it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I’m sure the members of the Huntington Beach Stake left the conferece feeling like they want to help someone they know with their own treasure hunt and to help them to find the great treasure found in Christ’s true church.
We are looking forward to Ted’s birthday tomorrow and a busy week of Zone Conferences.
We love each of you,
The Long Beach Buberts
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