Some of the best of days . . .

Sleep, Tess, Little Angel--



My first Monday back from my trip to Ohio, I went to my weekly assignment at the Family History Center in Lindon Stake.

It was great to get back, and be missed by my co-workers. We had a short devotional and I offered the prayer. My plea was for us to be sensitive to the needs of those who came today, and to help those who needed it to progress with the work.

I went with no personal expectations.

Then, there was a new consultant who said, all her genealogy on her family had been done. I found out later she is the great-granddaughter of Karl G Maeser. She shared some very sacred moments while we worked together.

She had a stack of names that she had done the initial ordinances. Some of the ordinances that needed to be finished was sealing to parents. Her concern was to know if the parents had their own work done or in progress.

I showed her how to do that and she did about fourteen searches for her to get the gist of it when she came back next time. We were successful to get the answers she had and she was very pleased to have been involved in doing this kind of genealogy, which she claimed she was unable to do on her own family lines. These were from her husband's side, and who passed about in 2004. I told her that her husband was assisting her and he wanted her to succeed in gathering what she could to bring his family the blessings she enjoys.

She was enthusiastic and thankful to have taken up two hours with me. I told her it was my pleasure and I really meant that.

There was also a young sister missionary who had come in to check her weekly emails from her family at home, which was Alabama. She also has been assigned to our ward and attended testimony meeting in our ward this last Sunday. I recognized them both.

I noticed that she had an emotional break down after reading her mail from her mother. I gathered that someone's family had died whom she was acquainted with back home. The storms and tornadoes had taken its toll and several hundred people had perished near her home town, where her parents lived.

She said the tornado came within 3/4 of a mile to her parents home. That was close!

She was very upset about her friend and his family of five who lost their lives just days before. She was inconsolable. I noticed her and felt I needed to ask her if there was anything I could do for her under the circumstances. She was in such agony, she didn't know how to answer. So I asked her if I could give her a hug. She nodded yes. So, I did. Mother Anna was there with my arms around her giving her a hug that perhaps her own mother would have liked to give her.

I asked her several questions trying to get to some point where she would find comfort. Finally she said when I asked, that the Elders were coming to give her a blessing of comfort, after I suggested she talk to her mission president about her grief and how she was handling knowing about the loss of her former co-worker and his family. It just seemed like she needed some support and perhaps her president might allow her to call her family. However, the phone lines were not up yet, and they only had email for communicating. So, she went on her way, as I had to leave too.

It occurred to me, that my prayer was answered in that I was able to help others who needed that support. I am thankful to have been there and responded to know I was needed by others in that way.

My day continued as I went to take Jordyn, my granddaughter to her art class after school. I also went to visit my friend, Donaire at the care center. I spent three hours with her. She is so child-like and has a pure heart. I love her spirit and she is someone much like how I would care for my own mother if she were here, and alive. It felt good to forget myself and serve those around me.

I came home and had dinner with Aaron, Candice and their children. What a delight to have family to come home to often. After dinner we had family night about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The kids were asking questions and sang, "When He Comes Again," accompanied by Aislyn on the piano. It was one of her songs she learned in piano lessons a while ago.

The frosting of the cake for today, was to see on iChat, my newest granddaughter, Tess Rebecca. She is a cutie, and only three days old. She was sleepy, and looked so pretty with her pretty light brown hair, with golden high lights. She certainly looks a lot like her daddy, Matt when he was a newborn. I felt privilege to have the technology to see her and talk to Matt and see the boys too. Beth, he said is doing well.