Thanksgiving Dinner

Nathan and JoAnn enjoy a quiet dinner at home in Spokane
surrounded by snow.

Everyone did there own thing this year.  Zane made a special meal for friends.  Heather went to a friend's parents.  Jess and Carlene's families were together.  Nathan and JoAnn were alone.

Thanksgiving Dinner in Guayaquil with the Temple
Missionaries on Sunday, Census Day, 86 degrees outside.

We were working, so we held Thanksgiving celebration on Sunday with all the temple missionaries.  It is Census Day. Everyone had to stay home all day, so we had a special Sacrament Meeting, and then we had dinner and celebrations, and then Ward Choir Practice.

Everybody Likes to Go Their Own Way

"Everybody likes to go their own way - to choose their own time and manner of devotion."

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist of romantic fiction

It has always been that way.  We can disagree, but if we complain about the choices, the real problems begin.

These mushrooms don't belong on the
temple grounds, but they are there...
so I created a scene where they
really look good with the temple.

For example, Lehi's big challenge in saving his family, was that everybody had a different idea about what to do and where to go.  Even his wife "had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness."  When she was finally consoled that her sons were safe, "she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons... and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them."

I felt like complaining about my
orchestra and the late arriving
musicians.  However, I said nothing,
and afterward received many
compliments about how wonderful
the music sounded.

Nephi was devoted to following his father, but shares with us his own ideas, not those of his father. "I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it in this work."

 Everyone likes to make their own choices, and we can't take away our children's agency.  We can teach them and bear witness.  When Lehi realized he had a son who did not complain, but did what he was told, he said, "go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.... I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded... And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord."

Lily is reading, because that is the
example she sees around her.

So, we are glad for this news from Jess: "We are in Chapter 5 of 2 Nephi and reading about 3-4 days a week.  Not perfect but much better than we ever have.  Even Lily gets in on the fun.  She get really excited when it is her turn to read and pronounces very well.  It is fun to have all the other kid's reading by themselves and helping each other out."  Everyone is having fun reading the same book.

I am going to read with them, and hope to get involved in their discussions on Skype (or here in the Blog).  We can disagree, but if we complain about each other, that is very destructive to relationships.

Tropical fruits in the Temple gardens

There is no evidence that Lehi's family disagreed on this point: "we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind."  I guess everyone likes to eat.

Gratitude in your heart

Flores del Templo de Guayaquil November, 2010 "Walk with gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. . . . Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way. "Thank the Lord for His goodness to you. Thank the Almighty for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who has done for you what none other in all this world could do. Thank Him for His great example, for His tremendous teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help.  Think about the meaning of His Atonement. . . . Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at it. You will find it will yield wonderful results" (Gordon B. Hinckley, Liahona, Apr 2001, p. 30).

The First Thanksgiving

Spanish settlers celebrate the
First Thanksgiving in Florida, 1565

It is traditional in America to imagine that our Thanksgiving Day celebrations are based on "the first Thanksgiving", or the one in which the Europeans celebrated thanks by holding a special dinner with the indigenous people.


September 8, 1565 Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and his 800 Spanish settlers founded the settlement of St. Augustine in La Florida, the landing party celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving, and, afterward, Menéndez laid out a meal to which he invited as guests the native Seloy tribe who occupied the site.

Juan de Oñate celebrates the first Thanksgiving in New Mexico, 1598 On April 30, 1598, Juan de Oñate's pioneers made camp along the Rio Grande and prepared to drink and eat their fill, for there they found fishes and waterfowl. Villagrá wrote, "We built a great bonfire and roasted meat and fish, and then sat down to a repast the like of which we had never enjoyed before." Before this bountiful meal, Don Juan de Oñate personally nailed a cross to a living tree and prayed, "Open the door to these heathens, establish the church altars where the body and blood of the Son of God may be offered, open to us the way to security and peace for their preservation and ours, and give to our king and to me in his royal name, peaceful possession of these kingdoms and provinces for His blessed glory. Amen." Samoset greets Pilgrims in  Massachussets, 1620 Surely the people of Plymouth Colony were astonished when Samoset strode into their village. It may have been his attire and his request that astonished them most. Samoset, clad only in a belt, in rather good English, welcomed the people of Plymouth, then requested a beer. The drink he was given, then he quickly disappeared. But this was not the last the Pilgrims would see of Samoset. A few days later Samoset returned to Plymouth. With him was a friend, the captive Squanto. It was Squanto who showed these would-be farmers some down-home Indian tricks for making crops grow. He showed them the Indian way of planting corn in hills and the trick of planting a dead fish with the seeds for fertilizer. Pesquantum teaches survival in America to the Pilgrims, 1621 The settlers didn’t actually get to Plymouth until the dead of winter on December 26, 1620. They had to find land and make shelter quickly before the winter weather got any worse. This winter was terrible and about half of the settlers died in the cold with very little food. What people did survive accredited the survival to John Carver, William Bradford, William Brewster, Edward Winslow, Myles Standish and a local Native named Squanto. This friendly Indian taught them where to fish and how to trap and later how to plant and grow corn. He also taught them how to hunt and what plants were safe to eat and what plants could cure illnesses.  They celebrated a special dinner in 1621 to celebrate their first harvest. President Lincoln establishes Thanksgiving Day in 1863 The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.... It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. This year we celebrate Thanksgiving in the tropical paradise of Guayaquil, Ecuador.  The temperature will drop down to 69 degrees from a high of 86.   We are surrounded by people who love and appreciate us, and are enjoying better health this year than last year.  We have all the abundance of guanábana, guineo, mango, papaya, seviche, camarón, arroz, pollo, hallacas, humitas, arepas, etc. that we can eat.   We are working on the ward Christmas program, teaching music lessons, working on quilts, and enjoying life, but we miss being with our children and grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles and aunts.  Be sure to call us.

Grateful to be of service

December Flores Navideñas in Guayaquil

 We are more grateful when we have experienced the opposite of what we have.  For example, we now have sufficient health to do much of what is required in the temple, whereas last year we were more limited, due to our health.

However, our gratitude is not selfish, as in, I am glad to have health.  We are grateful that the Lord has given us an opportunity to serve and qualified us for the work.




"But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come." Doctrine & Covenants 59:23

President Nash with Emy Gabriela Vera.

"In that spirit I invite the Latter-day Saints to look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of your membership. It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple. It would please the Lord if every adult member would be worthy of-and carry-a current temple recommend. The things that we must do and not do to be worthy of a temple recommend are the very things that ensure we will be happy as individuals and as families.

"Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the house of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing" (Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, November 1994, p. 8).

Show Gratitude

Details about Thanksgiving:

http://www.cantos.org/sermoncitos/thanksgiving.html

Turkey and the Corn

as told by Barb Begay

It is said that long, long ago all the Diné were starving.  All the wild vegetation was unyielding, causing the animals to starve as well.

Wild Turkey

One day Turkey, our hero, came upon the starving Diné.  The Diné said to Turkey, “please help us, there’s no one to help us.”

Turkey said, “I know you have been wasteful with the food you were blessed with.  You did not appreciate what was given you”.  

The Diné begged Turkey and admitted that generous food given them had not been appreciated.

Turkey told the Diné to sit in a circle and think about how wasteful they had been.  Turkey said, “this has to stop.  I will help you only this once.  If you are wasteful with what I am about to share, you will perish.

The Diné were happy with the offer and promised to never be wasteful again.

Turkey positioned himself in the center of the circle.  With head held up high and wings spread out, he danced his proudest dance.  He danced a beautiful dance.  Then he shook himself, and out dropped one black kernel.  He shook himself again, and out dropped a yellow kernel.  The third time he shook himself, a blue kernel dropped to the ground.  The fourth time, he dropped a white kernel.

The Diné people were so happy, they said to Turkey, “we will forever be thankful to you.  We will show our gratitude by forever regarding your feathers as a sacred symbol in our ceremonies.”  Turkey acknowledged the gesture and danced proudly away.

Turkeys in Ecuador

To this day, the Diné teach that one should not be wasteful, even in times of plenty.

Our community activist

Heather and Friends

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Heather is in the news again her good works in the community.

Motorcyclists from all over the region will hit the streets at 11 a.m. Saturday, taking different routes throughout the city without a police escort to let Lubbock know they exist in traffic. They’re scheduled to ride on just about every single major street in Lubbock between 11 a.m. and noon.

Other residents involved in the “See Us, Save Us” group include: Molly Harris, Kelly Jasper, Heather Cook, Rachel Cass, Tisha Crawford, Blair Dickerson, Teresa Deal Buehner, Carmen Fuller, Cecilia Thomasson Parks and Patricia Hart.


Lev. 25: 18-19
  18 ¶ Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
  19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

It is all relative

Yesterday was testimony meeting.  I was doing the simultaneous interpretation into English.  The members line up and take more than all the time alloted.  They are very enthused about their testimonies of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that obeying the commandments brings peace to their lives. "...for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John 18:37-38

This is quite different from the worldly view that all truth is relative to a person's cultural and personal experience and opinion.

Protagoras: Truth is relative. It is only a matter of opinion.

Socrates: You mean that truth is mere subjective opinion?

Protagoras: Exactly. What is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me, is true for me. Truth is subjective.

Socrates: Do you really mean that? That my opinion is true by virtue of its being my opinion?

Protagoras: Indeed I do.

Scorates: My opinion is: Truth is absolute, not opinion, and that you, Mr. Protagoras, are absolutely in error. Since this is my opinion, then you must grant that it is true according to your philosophy.

Protagoras: You are quite correct, Socrates.

However, some things are indeed relative.  For example, my brother, Pancho, told me that Spokane is having pleasant weather.  The people in Guayaquil are miserable in the early morning when the temperature dips below 70.

When we bear testimony, we declare the absolute truth of the gospel message. In a time when many perceive truth as relative, a declaration of absolute truth is not very popular, nor does it seem politically correct or opportune. Testimonies of things how “they really are” (Jacob 4:13) are bold, true, and vital because they have eternal consequences for mankind. Satan wouldn’t mind if we declared the message of our faith and gospel doctrine as negotiable according to circumstances. Our firm conviction of gospel truth is an anchor in our lives; it is steady and reliable as the North Star. A testimony is very personal and may be a little different for each of us, because everyone is a unique person. However, a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will always include these clear and simple truths:

• God lives. He is our loving Father in Heaven, and we are His children.

• Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and the Savior of the world.

• Joseph Smith is the prophet of God through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the latter days.

• The Book of Mormon is the word of God.

• President Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the prophets, seers, and revelators in our day.

As we acquire a deeper knowledge of these truths and of the plan of salvation by the power and the gift of the Holy Ghost, we can come to “know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5).
President Uchtdorf