An Update on the Fam

WOW!  It's been an incredibly LONG time since I updated this blog.  Lately, I've been thinking about all of the changes that have happened in the last year, and realized that I haven't recorded any of those life-altering changes anywhere!  So, I remembered this blog, and thought I'd hop back on and do an update!

First of all - in the last year, I've had some amazing opportunities.  Last January, right after my last post, I went to a Lifting Hearts (breast cancer support) meeting, and met a woman named Jan Paxman.  She is an R.N. and a health and weight loss coach for a company called Take Shape for Life.  She came to teach us about that company, and show us what it could do for us health-wise.  I was blown away, and signed up that night.  The program has 3 components: a food plan, a health program, and free support.  I'll write all about it in a different post.  For right now, it's enough to say that, in the 28 weeks following that meeting, I lost 87 pounds and 93 inches!!!!!!!  Seriously, this is the most exciting things that happened to me in a long time.  I feel so much better - almost ALL of the side effects from chemo have disappeared.  It's just a miracle.  Simple as that.  I'm now a coach with Take Shape For Life as well.  Over the last 10 months, I've helped over 50 people to lose weight and improve their health.  Together we've lost over 600 pounds! More later...

Another exciting thing that has happened:  Alex got his mission call in December to the Chile, Concepcion South Mission.  He left in January.  He's been in the MTC for almost 4 weeks now.  He is one of those 18 year old missionaries who took advantage of the age requirement change, and turned his papers in as soon as he finished filling them out!  More on that later as well...

Michael has about 6 months left in his mission - the time has flown by.  Matthew is in his first year of high school at Lone Peak.  And Grant is finishing up his last semester in Architecture school at the UofU.  He will graduate in April.  He was just accepted to and Ivy League - UPenn.  He is waiting to hear back from Utah and Berkeley as well.  Who know where he'll end up for Grad school??

Rick is pretty much the same - still works at L-3 Communications, still bikes with his friends.  He just turned 50!

That's it for now.  Let's see if I can continue to update this blog now. ;)

Missionary Moments - A Desire to be Baptized

Today we got an email from Michael. Michael is serving in the Mexico, Veracruz mission. He is proselyting in Posa Rica right now. It's going to be a busy month for him and his companion. They are working on 3-4 investigators who have all recently committed to baptism. The thing that frustrates Michael the most is that several of these people can't be baptized because they are waiting for someone else to do something first. For instance, one investigator isn't married to her partner. They've been living together for 20 years, but he is still married to his wife (in the temple!), and has been ex-communicated for years. All he needs to do is sign on the line of the divorce papers, and he refuses to do it. So, that is what's holding this woman back from her baptism. How do you even deal with something like that?

I feel Michael's frustration. Of course, he asked us to pray for her, and for all of his investigators. I know that Satan works extra hard against investigators and missionaries. I also know that prayers are powerful, and that Christ is stronger than Satan. I know that eventually these investigators will join the church and it will change their lives. Faith will be a big part of this process.

In 2 Nephi 26:13 we are reminded: "And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith."

Hopefully Elder Herron will be able to teach these investigators to search the Book of Mormon to find the answers to the problems they are having. For now, they are in our prayers, and in the hands of some of the Lord's choicest servants.