HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy New Year to each of you. What a good feeling to know we made it through another year and we are all "still standing". Life is a precious gift given by the "Great Giver", our Heavenly Father. We are truly blessed.

When the cleaning woman came into our office this morning, who is a member of the Church, I asked her how her Holidays went, she said " this holiday no family member died in terrible circumstances, the first time in many years". She was so happy and praised God for that great blessing in her family's lives. Life is cheap here and it's never easy for our brothers and sisters.

We have made some good New Year's resolutions this Jan 1 and plan on keeping them, they aren't earth moving resolutions but doable, as I understand it those are the best kind to make. It really is the time to take stock of our lives and look at where we are and where we are going, and how we plan to arrive there. Getting to our "Heavenly Home" does take some careful planning and a great deal of work, but if the blessings are even greater than we receive each day here in mortality, (which I can't imagine) it will be worth any sacrifice or struggle. I'm up for it, how about you?

We begin our travels again this month and are looking forward to doing our job and meeting more wonderful people and seeing some more of the "Real Africa", as Bob calls it. I have found that the "Real Africa" can only be taken in small bites, it makes me a bit sad to see the suffering and poverty. I know the gospel gives all hope and light that can only be found with the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ. When they have that I know that they can have joy in this life.

We hope you have enjoyed our blog thus far and remember if you would like to see more of one thing and not of another, please let us know and I will talk to the Editor personally and see what we can do. (smile)

Have a Great Year!