Knowing what is important

Heather is grateful for the protection and blessings of Heavenly Father today.  Brandon layed his motorbike onto the road to avoid being hit by a fast car that did not stop or slow down at an intersection out in the country.  Covered with blood, he was taken to the Lubbock hospital with a concussion and shock.  However, he only has skin damage, and is expected to recover soon.  His home teachers will give him a blessing tomorrow.  Heather says, "everything is fine, we know it could have been much worse".

Heather is taking time off from work to stay with Brandon while it is so hard to walk and he is in so much pain.  "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

The "grim reality" of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has caught the attention of the people of Ecuador.  People who came to the temple seeking safety and peace were told by Security: "the temple is closed for maintenance, your home is the holy place where you should teach and protect your family".

Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen. (Doctrine and Covenants 87:8)

"The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean bhands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psalm 24:1-5).

Heather and Brandon are very happy with the nurses, physicians, physical therapists, and all who are taking care of him.  Spring Break just started, so he will not even miss school.

The bishops in Ecuador are reminding the people to listen to the prophets and have supplies on hand for emergencies, but not to value possessions.  There are other values much higher.  "If we are poor, and have not as much as our neighbor possesses, do not envy him, and do not worry about it.  As I said in the beginning of my remarks, there is an eternity before us, and we shall always be ourselves, and nobody else, and what we do not gain today we will gain tomorrow, or some other time" (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 131).

Like Brandon and the people of Japan, we are all at risk every moment of every day.  "We are all in it together, all of us, and we have a great work to do.  Every teacher can be a better teacher than he or she is today.  Every officer can be a better officer than he or she is today. Every father can be a better father, every mother a better mother, every husband can be a better husband, every wife a better wife, every child a better child.  We are on the road that leads to immortality and eternal life and today is a part of it.  Let us never forget it" (The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 582).

To us what is important is our family and our friends.  "For this cause we also . . . do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:9-11).

Grandma loves Annie

Heber J. Grant

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.  And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." Doctrine & Covenants 58:27-28

"Never be found among the number that try to see how little they can do; but always be found among the number that try to see how much they can do" (Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, p. 97).

Guayaquil Temple Steeple at sunset in March

Sister Howard loves to be of service to her family, friends, and everyone all over the world.  Her last assignment in the Gallup schools was to train and support families and parents.  The training included child care.  In this 2006 video we see her in action, soothing Annie by loving and talking and holding and shushing in her ear.  Another technique not demonstrated is swaddling.

Learn of Me

Carlene and Annie and happy to talk to Grandma and Grandpa on Skype

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29

"By learning of Him, by believing in Him, by following Him, there is the capacity to become like Him. The countenance can change, the heart can be softened, the step can be quickened, the outlook enhanced. Life becomes what it should become. Change is at times imperceptible, but it does take place." (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 1996, p. 51).

Fishing in the Rio Miguir is like fishing in the
California Coastal Range, except it is
almost 10,000 feet in altitude.

Countenance change, heart softened, step quickened, outlook enhanced, life what it should be... sounds like fishing trip.  Maybe going fishing is a way to be more like God... if you also learn, believe and follow as well.

Be Merciful to Others

Joseph Smith

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7

"The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs. . . . If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another" (History of the Church, 5:24).

Bishop Luis Correa

Bishop Luis Correa is an attorney.  Many of his clients are applying for divorce.  His teaching to them about love and marriage and mercy and forgiveness result in reduced income, and increased blessings to the families he restores.

Change can take place

Thomas S. Monson

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29

"By learning of Him, by believing in Him, by following Him, there is the capacity to become like Him. The countenance can change, the heart can be softened, the step can be quickened, the outlook enhanced. Life becomes what it should become. Change is at times imperceptible, but it does take place." (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 1996, p. 51).

Our view can change.  Don't judge yourself or anyone else 
until you have the opportunity to see the issue in a different light.

Live and Learn

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. Mahatma Gandhi

Peace on Earth

Jugo de Guanábana con amigos

Elder Howard con amigos músicos

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21

"The mission of the Church is to prepare the way for the final establishment of the kingdom of God on earth.  Its purpose is, first, to develop in men's lives Christlike attributes; and, second, to transform society so that the world may be a better and more peaceful place in which to live" (David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, p. 104).

Elder Howard con amigas

Me visitan los amigos en el hospital

Feliz Día de los Enamorados

California is a romantic place
just ask Zane and Sarah
Happy Valentines Day

Affliction

Sister Howard found a man on the beach who loves her.

If you live on this planet, you must be prepared for afflictions and sickness.  The best way to prepare is to love and be loved.

It is going to get worse before it gets better: "For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be." Mark 13:19

"We are the only animals that let our kids come back home." Bill Cosby.  We hope that our kids let us come back home.  In these troubled times, we must be close to those who love us.

"Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee." David Frost.  We tried as hard as we knew how to raise our kids with love and acceptance.  Now in our old age we are learning to love even more.

Our four kids get along with each other pretty well.

Tell us about acts of service

The night of February 4, on the anniversary of the departure of the Saints from Nauvoo (in 1846) I dreamed that I finally learned how to spend time with my wife by learning to follow my father’s example.

My father worked hard all his life to provide for the family, and in so doing, was gone from them most of the time.  He tried to magnify callings, study and learn, and try to be ever better qualified for the Lord’s service; but he had to be forced into early retirement in order to be available with his wife as missionaries in Chile.  Her serious health problems began after the mission, and my father spent fifteen of his last twenty five years learning to make his wife the first priority of his life, including dedicating four years to her full time care while she was completely helpless.  

Now the Lord is trying to help me understand that no success can compensate for failure in the home; that a man is not whole without a help meet and companion; that no other assignment or act of service is more important than fostering the love and trust of my wife.  When I left on my first mission, my father counseled me to allow folks to serve me, because that is how love grows in them, and their lives are blessed.  I hope I can learn to love and serve my wife now while we are young and healthy temple missionaries.  

In our old age we will need each other more and more, but we can’t wait for that day to come.  We must learn to need each other now.  As we serve each other selfishlessly, our love will begin to mature, and we will learn to be more like our Savior.

Better Keep in Touch!

Elder Howard back home on the ranch

Jake, the rancher, went one day


To fix a distant fence.


The wind was cold and gusty


And the clouds rolled gray and dense.





As he pounded the last staples in


And gathered tools to go,


The temperature had fallen,


The wind and snow began to blow.



When he finally reached his pickup,


He felt a heavy heart.


From the sound of that ignition


He knew it wouldn't start.



So Jake did what most of us


Would do if we had been there.


He humbly bowed his balding head


And sent aloft a prayer.



Michael Andrews
never feared the cold

As he turned the key for the last time,


He softly cursed his luck


They found him three days later,


Frozen stiff in that old truck.



Now Jake had been around in life


And done his share of roaming.


But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked --


It looked just like Wyoming !



Of all the saints in Heaven,


His favorite was St. Peter.


So they sat and talked a minute or two,
Or maybe it was three.


Nobody was keeping' score --
In Heaven, time is free.



I’ve always heard,' Jake said to Pete,
'

that God will answer prayer,


But one time I asked for help,


Well, he just plain wasn't there.'



'Does God answer prayers of some,


And ignore the prayers of others?


That don't seem exactly square --


I know all men are brothers.'

'

Or does he randomly reply,


Without good rhyme or reason?


Maybe, it's the time of day,


The weather or the season.'



'Now I ain't trying to act smart,


It's just the way I feel.


And I was wondering', could you tell me --


What the heck's the deal?!'



Peter listened very patiently


And when Jake was done,


There were smiles of recognition,


And he said, 'So, you're the one!!'



Troy knows how to stay in touch

That day your truck, it wouldn't start,


And you sent your prayer a flying,


You gave us all a real bad time,


With hundreds of us trying..'



'A thousand angels rushed,


To check the status of your file,


But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard


From you in quite a long while.'



'And though all prayers are answered,


And God ain't got no quota,


He didn't recognize your voice,


And started a truck in Minnesota '



BETTER KEEP IN TOUCH!

Filled with His Love

Stanlie Gail, fearless adventurer

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with his love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." Moroni 7:48

Joseph Fielding Smith

"We accept without reservation the scriptural teachings that Christ is the Son of God and that he came into the world to ransom men from the spiritual and temporal death brought into the world by the fall of Adam. . . . We must believe in Christ and pattern our lives after him. We must be baptized as he was baptized. We must worship the Father as he did. We must do the will of the Father as he did. We must seek to do good and work righteousness as he did. He is our Exemplar, the great Prototype of salvation" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Ensign, November 1971, p. 3).

Love and Happiness

"The world today speaks a great deal about love, and it is sought for by many.  But the pure love of Christ differs greatly from what the world thinks of love. Charity never seeks selfish gratification.  The pure love of Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 275).

"The world today speaks a great deal about love, and it is sought for by many.  But the pure love of Christ differs greatly from what the world thinks of love. Charity never seeks selfish gratification.  The pure love of Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 275). 

Cate and Julian stick together

Julian is teaching physics today

Cate learns from her big brother

World's greatest big brother

When there is love, it shows

"Where is happiness, real happiness? Nowhere but in God. By possessing the spirit of our holy religion, we are happy in the morning, we are happy at noon, we are happy in the evening; for the spirit of love and union is with us, and we rejoice in the spirit because, it is of God, and we rejoice in God, for he is the giver of every good thing. Every Latter-day Saint, who has experienced the love of God in his heart, after having received the remission of his sins, through baptism, and the laying on of hands, realizes that he is filled with joy, and happiness, and consolation. He may be in pain, in error, in poverty, or in prison, if necessity demands, still, he is joyful. This is our experience, and each and every Latter-day Saint can bear witness to it" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, p. 183).

Mingle

All together, singing in the kitchen with
Sister Howard and the Missionaries
of the Temple

"And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me." Doctrine and Covenants 38:24

Mingle for music and meriendas
A few of Elder Howard's Violin and
Viola students

"Mingle together as opportunity affords.  It is important that we do so.

We need others to talk with, to share our feelings with, with whom to share our faith.  Cultivate friends.

Begin by being a good friend to others" (The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 429).

Jesus Christ

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!  For we saw him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father." Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-23

"We know that salvation is in Christ; that he was the Firstborn Son of the Eternal Father; that he was chosen and foreordained in the councils of heaven to work out the infinite and eternal atonement; that he was born into the world as the Son of God; and that he has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. "We believe with perfect surety that Christ came to ransom men from the temporal and spiritual death brought into the world by the fall of Adam and that he took upon himself the sins of all men on condition of repentance. . . . and that building upon the foundation of the atonement of Christ, all men must work out their salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord. "We proclaim that to gain salvation men must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, be baptized by immersion by one who has authority, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and then press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, keeping the commandments and enduring to the end" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Ensign,June 1971, p. 3).http://mormon.org/jesus-christ/

A Voice of Gladness

Howards and Veras at Las Playas

"Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness!

Veras, Howards, Andrades,
Las Playas, Guayas, Ecuador

A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings from the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy.

We stayed at the home of
Margarita and Walter Andrade
for New Year weekend

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth!" (D&C 128:19)

We appreciate the smiles and
encouragement of Emy and José Vera

"We like enjoyment here. That is right. God designs that we should enjoy ourselves. I do not believe in a religion that makes people gloomy, melancholy, miserable and ascetic. . . .

Hermanas Vera, Howard, Andrade

I should not think there was anything great or good associated with that, while everything around, the trees, birds, flowers and green fields, were so pleasing, the insects and bees buzzing and fluttering, the lambs frolicking and playing

.

"While everything else enjoyed life, why should not we?

Sister and Elder Howard enjoyed their
time at the beach.

But we want to do it correctly and not pervert any of these principles that God has planted in the human family" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 97).

Happy New Year

el Hombre Viejo will be burned at Midnight

We celebrated the New Year with the Andrade and Vera families in Las Playas.

... put off  the old man...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Marvel not that a man must be born again (John 3:3-7).

The burning of the old year is a great
celebration...

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him (Colossians 3:8-10).

Celebrate a  New Year with a new
chance for a life of joy

 ...our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Romans 6:6).