Quote of the Day: “Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best-better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God’s purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable. Neil A. Maxfield
Snowy day in Park City. We love being at the condo when the snow is coming down- today just light flakes that the wind catches every now and then and swirls around. How lucky we feel to be inside in the warmth among family. Maggie is busy every moment running around or thinking up adventures. She loves to rearrange anything that she can get her hands on, so I am often missing items, that I discover later in a drawer or perhaps never. At 9 months, Kate happily babbles and scoots to every object she finds interesting. She lights up when she sees Maggie.
It’s conference weekend, which is also a favorite. I love to be filled with inspirational words and ideas. Today in President Dieter Uchtdorf’s talk he said that we, people on the earth, are the Lord’s hands and it is through us that prayers are answered. That’s why we’re here- to make life beautiful for other people. I have considered this for some time and feel so indebted to people who have “saved” my life. I’m certain that I have been “saved” many a time without have any knowledge of it. So, I’m going to start with one experience with the hopes that more will come into my memory so I can express my gratitude for those acts.
In 1976, I signed up for a study abroad program to Germany. I had studied German for 2 years in high school so that’s why I chose Germany. My friend, Mindy Adams, had spent a semester in Mexico and loved it so much that she really encouraged me to go. I was elated when I was accepted into the program and got ready to leave in August of my senior year. I would be home again in December, right before Christmas. Up to that time, it was the hardest thing I had ever done because I left my family and boyfriend, a culture that I was so embedded in, and would be expected to learn to communicate in a different language. The first 2 weeks of this program were spent in Brattleboro, Vermont at the School for International Living. I was homesick but quickly came to appreciate my companions, who looked so odd to me the first time I saw them. They didn’t look like people from my very generic high school. They didn’t wear clothes like my friends at home, they looked strange to me. There were five in our group heading to Germany, Theo, George, Katie and Caroline, and of course, me. I couldn’t imagine that I had anything in common with them. I certainly wouldn’t have sought them out back in Utah. But, together we would travel to Germany and live in a small town called Lubbecke. We would attend the gymnasium (high school) together, and would spend weeks traveling in Berlin, crossing the border for one day into East Berlin and then south to Munich and surrounding areas.
As I started to get to know them on a personal level, funny thing happened, they didn’t look that strange to me. In fact, I found we had a lot in common and surprise, I really liked them. We had some amazing experiences together. We all were placed with different families while we were in Lubbecke. But when the program ended, and time for us to head back home, we all went in different directions. I left my German family on December 14, 1976, my 18th birthday, and took a train alone into Brussels, Belgium where I would fly to Montreal. Theo must have sensed that I would need some help and offered to meet me at the train station in Brussels and get me to my hotel. Remember, I was all alone. I wasn’t too worried about it but when I got into Brussels, there were so many people and I didn’t speak Flemish or French and I would have had such a difficult time finding where I was suppose to go. Right away, I spotted Theo. He really had come for me. I was so relieved. He got me to my hotel and I never saw or spoke to him again. Thank you Theo. Many times in my life, I have thought back on him coming to help me and many times a flood of relief comes over me.
Kate- 9 months View today from front door of Park City Condo Me and my pals leaving Vermont- from left to right: Joanie, Katherine (teacher), Theo, Caroline, Katie (on ground).
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