August 2024, Week 1

 *Today we went to Sacrament Meeting in Utah with Grandma and Grandpa Roper and Scott and Kaitlyn (and Kaitlyn's mom, sister and brother, as we were all in town for their Open House).  It was Fast and Testimony Meeting, and the Bishop acknowledged that there were a lot of visitors, and invited everyone to participate in the meeting.  One brother said that he had grown up in the ward, so he hoped he wasn't considered a visitor, and he shared how the church was doing in the northeast, where his family is living.  Then Gracie decided to share her testimony about her excitement for sharing the gospel in Germany (and nervousness for doing it in German!), and helping people to come closer to Jesus Christ.  It was so moving as her mother to hear her faith expressed, and hear her desire to serve, and to remember the same feelings I had while preparing to go on my mission.  She will be a tremendous servant in a mission that will be difficult in some ways, but a blessing in many others.  

*The next brother to speak was Daniel K Judd.  He was the Stake President when Ben and I were engaged, and while my dad was a bishop in the stake, so he knew Ben growing up and me through my family, and we had some interviews with him.  He said that the first person who had shared his testimony was his son, who had served in the Hamburg Germany mission!  (PS--the mission had closed in the 90's, but reopened just in July of this year!)  He also said that he would love to be Gracie's mission president. ☺ He really wanted to share, however, about his testimony of the the Book of Mormon.  He had a copy with him that he received when he was eight in Primary.  His grandfather was an antagonistic atheist, and took opportunities to berate Bro. Judd for his growing beliefs.  He said that he would read the Book of Mormon at night in his room, and it helped him to learn to feel the Spirit, so that he was able to resist the words of his grandfather.  I can't imagine persecution coming from my own loved family members, so that must have been so difficult to live through, but probably so formative to his testimony.

*After the meeting, Gracie was able to speak with the "Junior Judd" about Hamburg, and he built up her excitement.  She's going to arrive in the country a week before Christmas, and he said that's when the people are the most friendly.  It's going to be amazing.  Then we headed outside for a couple pictures, and then we loaded up in our over-stuffed car and began our journey back to Texas (with an overnight stop in Santa Rosa, NM).

It was a delight!