Dear Family &
Friends, December 2015
I’m sitting here looking out over our
patio covered in a rich blanket of snow and thinking of Galway, Ireland one
year ago. There was no snow there, although they do have it in higher
elevations. But don’t be fooled by that, the winter weather on the west coast
of Ireland can be fierce and cold with wind and torrents of rain as gales come
in off the Atlantic Ocean. We always felt sorry for the Elders out riding their
bikes in such conditions. We had an emergency one day as an Elder called us out
on a rescue mission, his companion was drenched to the bone and suffering from
hypothermia.
When we tell people we spent 18
months in Ireland on a mission, the response is always the same. “Oh, it must
be so beautiful and green there.” Yes, it is beautiful with dazzling shades of
green, but the real beauty is in the Irish people themselves. We had the
opportunity to meet and come to love so many. To all our Irish friends and our
English friends too, we love and miss you. If you are ever this way come stay
with us!
Our mission ended the first of May, but
before we headed home, we spent 10 days in Plymouth, England visiting friends
we had made on our last mission. We stayed with our wonderful friends the
Morgan’s. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit
with them and were able to see many, many special people that we love.
When we arrived at the airport on May 12th,
we were greeted by all of our children and grandchildren. They even made a
welcome home poster for us. There were lots of hugs, kisses and tears. Our daughter Janice was there with her year-old
son, Tre, born while we were gone. What a little cutie. It was so wonderful to
be back home with our children and grandchildren.
We were immediately absorbed back into the
family and all the activities that go along with being a grandparent. May and June
turned out to be a whirlwind of activity. The weekend we arrived home Joseph and
Tanna came for a visit from Los Vegas. We were eager to see their boys – Bryson
3 and Logan 1 who is our 26th grandchild also born while we were in
Ireland. That Sunday we spoke in church and attended our grandson, Ammon’s
Eagle Scout court of honor.
The following weekend we traveled to Borger,
Texas to visit Ammon and Terie and family. We were at the airport with them
when our granddaughter, Cierra, arrived home from the Omaha, Nebraska mission.
What a wonderful reunion that turned out to be. A few days later we attended their
son Jarric’s High School graduation.
We were back in Utah again for our
grandson, Ammon’s, graduation, Ed and Krista’s son; and a week later their
youngest daughter, Rebecca, was baptized.
The middle of June we flew out to Hartford
to visit Ben, Tiziana and their 3 children. It was so wonderful to see them and
enjoy their company. We wish they lived closer. While there we drove up to
Maine to see our son Andrew who is going to school in Portland.
The business seems to continue. In
September Gary and I were called as ward missionaries, our favorite calling. We
have great affection for our ward family!
Gary and I love this season of the year
when we celebrate the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. A special
spirit seems to permeate the air.
I love this quote by President Boyd K
Packer, he says it perfectly ---
"I love
Christmas. There is a spirit at Christmastime. It descends upon the world—not
just to members of the Church but across the world—a testimony and a witness
that Jesus is the Christ. … As a servant of the Lord, as one of the
Twelve, I
know that Jesus is the Christ. …
“I love the
Lord. I love His work. I love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and bear witness of Him who is our
Master and our Friend.”
We too bear witness
that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and our Redeemer. His life and His sacrifice
for all mankind is the center of our lives. It is our source of strength
through all tribulations.
God be thanked for the
matchless gift of His divine Son.
Love to all of you – Gary & Karen Weber
