As most of you know, I have lived in Utah just over a year. We moved into our apartment around February 11th last year, and have since gotten settled into a great home missionary church, situated thirty minutes away, in Ogden. Our town is Brigham City, and is beautiful, surrounded by mountains.
Although our church is still small in attendance, my husband has been named the Associate pastor, since our pastor says he has too much wisdom and experience to just be the assistant. It is not a paid job, but we are paid more by the satisfaction of doing the Lord's work. I am the music director, and am happy to do what I can, as well. I don't want to be like the man with the one man who buried his talent in the ground and got thrown into darkness for not at least trying to use it!
Our three children still live in Kentucky and of course we miss them like crazy, although we do hear from them, and see them from time to time. My son, Royden, who just got married in October is the only one who has not been able to visit us since we moved here...you know how it is, taking on a new wife, and she does not work outside the home.
But Bobbie, my eldest, came last summer, and we had a great time. Liza-Anne, the middle child, came to visit us in December, and as well as having a great visit with us, went out on a date with our pastor's son, Robert, thinking that he would be boring and too shy to be interesting, but when out of the company of others, he ended up having a lot to say, and needless to say, they hit it off. They kept up (seemingly endless) contact by phone and texting, and he flew out to see her over Valentine's. Then he sent her a ticket to visit him during her spring break (she is a middle school teacher) and proposed to her, and she accepted. So she is moving out here in June and they are getting married on July 11th!
Whew! Talk about a whirlwind romance! But when God is in something, there is no need to wait, and it will solve her housing situation as well, with her going straight from our place to her husband's apartment. Please pray that she will get a great job that she will be very happy in, in Ogden, where they will be living and going to church. She has a great singing voice, is starting to play the piano, and a great many talents to bring to the church, and we are excited to be having one of our children living close by, and in the future, our grandchildren!
We are going to try and fly our son and daughter out for the wedding, which will be simple ceremony in the Botanical Gardens. I hope their spouses and my parents get to come, but we will understand if they don't make it. He is inviting his biological family (he is an adopted son of our pastor's family) from far and wide, too, even if they don't make it. I am very excited but nervous as well, since there will be a lot of prep involved.
I ask that you all say a prayer for me in this regard as well. When my daughter got married, I just put money into the hands of capable, willing people who did everything, including the food for us, and this time, I will have to do most of the work myself. I pray for the help of the Lord and perhaps a good friend who knows how to decorate, to lend me a hand.
Anyway, as you see, I am attaching a photo of her beautiful ring, and of the newly engaged couple. I had to edit this to say, so sorry that her ring did not turn out clearly. It is beautiful marquis shaped champagne diamond with smaller diamonds all around it.
Love you all; will try to update more often.
random thoughts
