Today is Sunday. Thursday night, Emerson brought home pizza, and we all had a fun time watching a movie. On Friday Cassandra and I walked through the rose gardens with Lily. It was so beautiful! We also went to a candy store, but mostly we stayed home and I played with Lily. I babysat her Friday night so that Cassandra and Emerson could go on a date. We had lots of fun eating pizza and playing around. Saturday, Lily woke up on the wrong side of the crib, as Emerson observed, and was a bit grumpy most of the morning. We all went out to eat for brunch and it was delicious, but Lily hated it. She did better once we got home and, once again, I got to play with her lots. I also got to visit with Cassandra and Emerson quite a bit. They are sure fun to be around!
It seems like Lily sometimes sits a bit longer for stories than when I first came, especially when she’s tired. I remember having to train you guys to like being read to by reading just a tiny bit each time. Lily also loves to hold the book and “read” you her own story. It’s amazing that at the age of one, she likes books and understands what they are for. Saturday night we went shopping at the Mercado and bought dinner there. I had gorditas bistek and agua fresca pina. It was so delicious! Cassandra and I had fun talking till late-ish. I look forward to going to their ward today and meeting their ward family.
I love you, Matt. I am so proud of you for faithfully serving the Lord and his children. Your being on a mission is such a joy to me and the family. I also know that it can sometimes be discouraging when people choose other paths than the one that leads back to our Heavenly Father. I woke up in the night last night and had a bit of a hard time getting to sleep, so I read some scriptures. Everything I read seemed to be about agency—our freedom to choose. I read these verses in the D&C about agency.
“Behold, I gave unto him (Adam) that he should be an agent unto himself and I gave unto him commandment…And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me saying , Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency. And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet.” D&C 29:35-39
Our freedom to act and choose is so important to our Heavenly Father that he allowed one third of his children to follow Satan in rebellion and be cast out. This life is a test to see how we will use our agency. I know that you know all this, Matt, but reading it makes me re-commit to use my agency wisely, and to also accept when others don’t use their agency wisely. Still, when they don’t, it makes us deeply sorrowful. If it didn’t, we would be without love, and if we didn’t pray for them with all our souls, we would be without hope,
Matt, never stifle the pure love of Christ in order to avoid sorrow, “if ye have not charity ye are nothing, for charity never faileth,”(Moroni 7:46) and never give up hope, “If ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh of iniquity(Moroni 10:22).” I love Alma’s prayer for the wicked Zoramites in Alma 31 where he prays fervently that they will be brought to Christ and he also prays for strength to bear the sorrow that will come to him because of their iniquities and to be comforted in Christ. With Christ, we have comfort even in sorrow and hope even in disappointment.
Anyway, I hear that all is going well at home. Dad and the kids are faithfully taking care of Grandma. It is Grandma's birthday today. She is now 85 years old. They have a party planned for tonight, but Renee is sick and Alice and Earl can't make it, so that leaves Becky to come over, I think. She is so wonderful with Grandma, and I know that seeing her will help Grandma have a happy birthday.
I've hear a bit from Jon, and so has Cassandra. He is interviewing for a job on Monday and is happy about that. That's another nice thing about being here--Jon calls Cassandra often and it's nice to be here when he does. He says he got the packages we sent him with stuff from Disneyland, so that's good. I hope he's having a good Sunday!
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