Beauty of the Scriptures

I've gained a real appreciation for the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. I've read it several times (or more if you count the piecemeal reading), but never really studied them until our mission. The reason for this new found joy in reading them is the study we do with our young Marines on Tuesday nights. The doors of understanding open wide and my testimony grows with each chapter and verse. I love the concept of likening the scriptures and I now use this to understand the trials of my own and my family's trials. The following are just a couple examples of stories from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, the ones that really touched my heart and soul.

Mary at the feet of the Savior at His crucifixion:

How blessed was she, the mother of the Savior of the world and oh, how she agonized at His death. As I've read the account of Mary and listened to Rob Gardner's Lamb of God (which if you haven't heard, you must do immediately), I'm filled to the brim with emotion, that any mother had to endure (or will have endure) what Mary did. What I've learned, though, is that Mary was always in the Father's hands and comforted with the knowledge that her Son was part of the grand Plan of Salvation.

As a mother, I've cried many, many tears for my children and grandchildren who've suffered pain and agony with the trials of this life. What I've learned from Mary is that all of us, regardless of standing, still remain in the encircling arms of our loving Father in Heaven and He is aware of our pain. If we can remember that this life is about learning, then each pain or trial can be met with joy; joy in the knowledge that we don't stand alone. HE is always with us!

Adam, Lehi, Mosiah and Alma:

These men were Prophets of God! How is it that they failed so miserably with their children? If they, as Prophets, couldn't control their children, what hope is there for us mear mortals? It's called free agency, one of God's eternal principles. We can't beat ourselves up for the things our children do (assuming we have done all we can to raise them with correct principles). They get to choose whether or not they want to partake of the fruit of the Gospel or not. One of the biggest things we learn from two of those men (Mosiah and Alma) is that petitioning the Lord in behalf of your children can be instrumental in the outcome; people can and do change! We can't EVER give up on our children, because the Holy Spirit has the power to heal and change lives. I've been witness to it here in the mission field. Someday, I'll tell of Ryan Hyde, our own Alma the Younger of sorts. It happened in my own life, again, another story for another time.

We've had the opportunity to watch many miracles unfold in the course of the last twelve months of our mission, here in North Carolina and at home. We will continue to see others unfold in the next six months.

I love the scriptures!

Praying For Daniel...

Daniel Allen "A Very Brave Soul"

Not too long ago in Heaven, there was a little soul who took wonder in observing the world. He especially enjoyed the love he saw there and often expressed this joy with God. One day, however, the little soul was sad, for on this day he saw suffering in the world. He approached God and sadly asked, "Why do bad things happen? Why is there suffering in the world?"

God paused for a moment and replied, "Little soul, do not be sad, for the suffering you see unlocks the love in people's hearts."

The little soul was confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

God replied, "Have you noticed the goodness and love that is the offspring of that suffering? Look at how people come together, drop their differences and show their love and compassion for those who suffer. All their other motivations disappear and they become motivated by love alone." The little soul began to understand and listened attentively as God continued, "The suffering soul unlocks the love in people's hearts much like the sun and the rain unlock the flower within the seed. I created everyone with endless love in their heart, but unfortunately most people keep it locked up and hardly share it with anyone. They are afraid to let their love shine freely because they are afraid of being hurt. But a suffering soul unlocks that love. I tell you this −it is the greatest miracle of all. Many souls have bravely chosen to go into the world and suffer−to unlock this love−to create this miracle−for the good of all humanity."

Just then the little soul got a wonderful idea and could hardly contain himself. With its wings fluttering, bouncing up and down, the little soul excitedly replied, "I am brave; let me go! I would like to go into the world and suffer so that I can unlock the goodness and love in people's hearts! I want to create that miracle!"

God smiled and said, "You are a brave soul, I know, and thus I will grant your request. But even though you are very brave, you will not be able to do this alone. I have known since the beginning of time that you would ask for this and so I have carefully selected many souls to care for you on your journey. Those souls will help you create your miracle; however, they will also share in your suffering. Two of these souls are most special and will care for you, help you and suffer along with you, far beyond the others. These people are your parents" God and the brave little soul shared a smile and then embraced.

In parting God said, "Do not forget, little soul that I will be with you always. Although you have agreed to bear the pain, you will do so through my strength. And if the time should come when you feel that you have suffered enough, just say the word, think the thought, and you will be healed." Thus at that moment the brave little soul was born into the world, and through his love and suffering and God's strength, he unlocked the goodness and love in people's hearts. For so many people dropped their differences and came together to show their love. Priorities became properly aligned. People gave from their hearts. Those that were always too busy found time. Many began new spiritual journeys−some regained lost faith−many came back to God. Parents hugged their children tighter. Friends and family grew closer. Old friends got together and new friendships were made. Distant family reunited, and every family spent more time together. Everyone prayed. Peace and love reigned. Lives changed forever. It was good. The world was a better place. The miracle had happened and God was pleased.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danielallen6/mystory

Best. Friend. Irita.

Eighth grade must have been a tough year for me. It certainly seems to have been my naughtiest! There was a set of Hawaiian twins, Irita and Lovita. Irita was one of my best friends. She and her sister couldn't have been more different from each other. Lovita was tall, slim and quiet. Irita was more of a tomboy and she was a large person. She wore muu muu's a lot. She was also really good at lots of sports that required strength. One of our favorite past time was having her pick us up by one arm and one leg and twirling us around. There wasn't anyone she couldn't lift!

In those days we got weighed and measured in class. They called your name and you went to the front where the teacher weighed and measured you in front of everyone. She recorded your information in a book and it wasn't public knowledge...unless you happen to see it while she was writing. Well...I did, see it! I have no idea what in the world I was thinking but as I walked back to my desk I whispered to a friend, "Wow, Irita weighs two hundred pounds!" Again, I don't know what I was thinking because, stupid me! Irita's desk was two desks behind mine and after I finished whispering I looked up to see her staring at me with the most sad look I'd ever seen...on anyone! She never said anything about it to me. She could have pummeled me but she NEVER said a word. In fact, she continued to be my friend.

It was another one of those moments from my past that cause me pain. Pain that I could have ever been so cruel to another human being. I often wonder and hope that Irita has had a good life because she certainly deserved it. She was kind, soft spoken, humble and forgiving; just the kind of qualities you would want in a mother.

I've spent my life sufficiently punished. For as long as I can remember I've battled the bulge and on many occasions been over the number that the teacher recorded for Irita in the book. Yup, life has a way of evening things up!

Mr. Applin. Letter.

I'm trying to keep going with my Three Word Journal so, with that in mind I decided to write about something I did in the eighth grade. It was really naughty and I've repented of it over and over all these years!

Mr. Applin was probably my favorite teacher, EVER! He and his little family moved into a small rental home down the street from ours in La Verne. Funny! Looking back, they probably weren't even out of their twenties. His wife, Marian, and their son, Kenny, were so cute. My parents took them under their wing (good grief, THEY probably weren't even out of their thirties!) and helped them any way they could to feel part of the community. They were from Michigan, I think and after a couple of years here, they went back.

Mrs. Michael was one of the other eighth grade teachers and she was a sour puss! I can't remember ANY time that she smiled! I wonder if I would have liked her now, knowing how hard it is to teach...especially unruly students.

We had a lesson on Benjamin Franklin and I remember vividly a quote from him that Mrs. Michael gave us. "It is impossible for an empty bag to stand alone!" I'm sure I thought what followed was a great idea at the time, not thinking that so much now. I wrote a note with the quote followed by, "How does Mrs. Michael do it?" I attempted to pass it to a friend at the same moment that Mrs. Michael turned around and I got caught! She told me to give her the note. I'm sure I was thinking something like, "No way Jose!" So, I did the only thing I could think of...I quickly put the note in my mouth and tried to chew it! She was quicker and made me spit it out into her hand. Gross! She read it and didn't say anything about it. Later that day, Mr. Applin called me into the classroom and told me Mrs. Michael had come to him really upset by the note. I was pretty sure that my parents would be receiving a call telling them to come and pick me up because I'd been suspended. My punishment was worse than that. Mr. Applin told me that he was so disappointed that I would hurt anyone like that and he didn't know if I could ever be his babysitter again. I WAS CRUSHED! I would rather have been suspended! Spanked, even! I was in tears, "Mr. Applin, what can I do?" He then told me it would be a good start if I apologized to Mrs. Michael. I would have done anything to make amends...but THAT was going to be tough! I dragged my feet, literally, to her room. It must have taken five minutes to go from his classroom to hers next door. It took less than five seconds to spit out my apology, "I'msorryIwrotethenoteaboutyoubeinganemptybagIwon'tdoitagainIpromise!" Out the door I flew! Truly, I would have rather been suspended!

Open Letter to my Grandson, Alex

Alex,

I remember, with fondness, the day you were born. Your grandparents, all four of them, were there. Your great-grandparents were there. Only a handful of our grandchildren can make that claim. Grandpa Morales died in 1996 and Grandma Alice in 1999. Needless to say, we were all beaming upon your entrance into our family.

Oh, how the years have flown by and we've watched as you've gone from boy to young man with style and pazazz. Do you know how blessed you've been? How many can claim trips to Australia, Costa Rica or a drive across the country to see such sites as Nauvoo, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore? Not many! You have your parents to thank for so much of that; their sacrifices were great.

You have a gift for making people feel special. That's why you have so many friends. You also have a wonderful talent for performing. I wish to let you know that you can thank me for that!

Now...you've graduated and entered the world of "adult" living. That's the longest stage of life just before "senior" living. Are you ready to live in an adult world? The joys are many but as with all things in this life, where much is given, much is expected.

Before we came to this life, we made promises that we would do all we could to return to our Father. We knew it would be a tough road. We knew we would be challenged every minute of everyday to make choices between "good, better or best". The question now is, have you paid attention to the lessons you were taught these past eighteen years? Are you ready to hold fast to those principles which bring true happiness?

Here is what you have going for you:

1) You were born to goodly parents! You notice I didn't say "perfect" parents because we still get to make our own choices. We do the best we can with our limited knowledge of how to raise children. After all, you don't come with instruction manuals! YOU, won the lottery, Alex. Your mother is a "one-in-a-million" mom. She has sacrificed countless hours to help you have such wonderful opportunities to learn and to grow; to see our big wide world. She's patient, kind and thoughtful. Have you ever noticed how much joy she brings to others through her service? She asks nothing in return.

2)You came to this earth with wonderful talents and you've used them to enrich the lives of others. You are funny, you can sing (again, you can thank me for that), you are smart! The question is, do YOU remember where those talents came from? You were given your talents by Father so you could bless the lives of others in the Gospel. Your talent is necessary to reach certain people at a point in their lives where they are looking for true happiness. How many lives do you have the potential to change because they came into contact with Alex Mortensen?

3) All through your life you've been given the tools you will need for success. You've been taught how to read the scriptures and how to pray. Were you listening? Were you paying attention to how much better things go when you do those two things?

So now, you're leaving the safe surrounding of a home filled with people who love you and entering a world where you will have, for the most part, charge of what you put into your life. Will you fill it with good things or worthless things, things that bring temporary happiness or eternal joy? That's the beauty of being an adult, it's now yours to choose.

Choose wisely, Alex, but if you make mistakes, learn from them and go on. THAT is the beauty of the Atonement of Jesus Christ! No mistake is too big or too bad to recover from. However, use the power wisely. Don't go into anything thinking, "Oh well, I'll do this or that because I can always repent tomorrow!" It's the adversary's biggest weapon and he will use it when you least expect it. As I've heard your mom say often, "Make good choices!" I echo that!

As you more seriously enter the dating world, I encourage you to treat ALL young ladies with the reverence you will treat the mother of your children. They are, each and every one, eternal daughters of God. Never take that which does not belong to you or let them give that which you have no rights to. The cost of things cheaply given or too loosely spoken is too high!

We love you more than words can describe. There is always and forever only one "first" grandchild. We are pleased with the young man you've become and can't wait to see where you are in the future.

I offer one last bit of counsel. Our mission has been such a blessing in our lives. I would not want you to feel like you are getting pushed to go on one. I can only testify that there is so much joy in being an instrument in the Lord's hands and helping people change their lives. YOU would be such a great missionary! Keep the dream alive...

Much love,

Sister Zollinger

(Grandma Vicki)

First Hand Account of the Tornado

This was written by Elder Farr. I used his account because he was there, this happened to him and he tells it so well...

(I left it entirely as it was written on his blog)

April 18, 2011

hey family, first off, today I am pretty tired.. the last two days have been crazy. and we only have two hours for preparation today because we are going to the temple this weekend on the 22 so I am really excited about all of that! I am glad everything is going great with everyone, so I am probably only write this once.. so if you could forward this and make sure everyone can read it in the family, that would be great! sorry I am not writing everyone. Well on Saturday we had tornado warnings but we get them often and paid them no heed. Our whole night just fell through.. so we had an appointment at 8 right down the street. so we grabbed our umbrellas and walked down, it was raining pretty hard. so we walk down the street look around the corner, he is not there, so we start walking back home. and it stopped raining, elder Phillips chuckles and says, the calm before the storm.... hah really funny I thought. so we walk in and the lightning is amazing~!! I recorded some of it. it's like a light was being turned on and off outside. so I was recording at the door right when we got in, I was recording for about a minute and I could hear the wind... and it quickly got louder and louder I could hear it coming across the street and roofs, they say it sounds like a train.. I heard that train coming.. and elder Phillips casually says, it's a tornado.. and starts walking to the bathroom.. and I then try to shut the door, but I couldn't... the wind was to strong, so I hurry and slammed the door shut and was standing there and I could feel the wind pushing the door in, and I felt the wind coming through the door... and lightning flashing behind it... so then I run to the bathroom, I slip on the floor and crawl in and slam the door shut.. the power is out and its black in there, we hear the wind howling all through the apartment, glass just shattering the whole time.. later I find out elder Phillips was clinging to our toilet.. ha well it stops and we turn on my camera for light.. we walk out an our front window is destroyed and leaves are plastered to the walls, garbage everywhere, we had tree limbs in the house, and so we start to clean it up and call the sisters, their place is totally fine. so we move the couch, put a blanket over the window to keep out the pouring rain. we find my flashlight, and people are outside checking on people. we couldn't get out the front door, the whole wall was blown off the foundation and pinched the door shut. then water is running in through the ventilation, and lights,. then the rough falls in and it was crazy. so we have to get out the back door to go and check on the sisters. we walk back there, and we had a lot of big trees back there, and they were all blown over.. up rooted. if the tornado was 5-10 feet closer to us, we would have died and our apartment would have been destroyed.. so we walk out, water, wood everywhere I walk around kick in our front door. The house is messed up but all apartments in our circle are standing.. so that's good. so the z are coming to pick us up but our whole area is down, and our corner is blocked off on the street from downed trees and power lines, that's what was told. so we packed up our essentials and walked out we came around this corner and it was terrible.. houses were completely gone.. brick houses blown to pieces you know those pictures you see of natural disasters. yeah we were walking though one.. so we walk out and people are crying and screaming looking for their families and crying where is my house. sirens were going, lights are flashing from the cars. I know I won't forget that night... so we walked through all the debris and met up with he zollingers. we stayed with the 2nd ward elders. it was a long night. So we wake up the next day go to church for a few minutes then get called that the sisters are cleaning our stuff out because of looters are coming in.. so we head over there, this great family packed all of our stuff, and put it in their car. so we walked in, more ceiling came down, insulation all over the place. so we move what we could out, my desk and the beds and a dresser is about all we had left.. our bikes were fine. so we finished up there, and went to work helping those whoms homes are gone.. we were in white shirts and ties and cleaning out this ladies pieces of house. we worked there then went and changed when the car came with our stuff. then we went to work on members home in the area, not to bad massive trees downed. a members trailer home was completely turned and torn apart.. so we worked there and then the members show up with chainsaws, so we clear trees and debris and then I walk around the moved trailer and its terrible back there... trailers cut in half by trees, cars smashed in, trailers look like shredded cheese... so we worked from nine to five out there cleaning and moving and cutting and just doing what we can. so at five we got our stuff and moved in with the 2nd ward elders, they have a nice place so I am now in a four man apartment out of my area by 6 miles plus on bikes. They said we will be there until they fix out apartment.... so who knows how long that will be probably 2 months, if they do it right... So we moved in, set up shop and this is where we are. my gps and my clothes are all fine nothing is lost. all is well. and we are planning to go back and help with all those people who now have nothing... WE were blessed in many ways. Well I think I got most of the story.. I hope. A four man missionary apartment in Raleigh was hit and its roof was blown off.. but they weren't home so that is good. i love you!

Well love you all! love elder Farr.

Where Has Time Gone?

We've been in Jacksonville, NC for almost six months now, seven in total for our mission. We love it here and the work is so rewarding. The schedule is hectic some days (daze) and relaxed on others. Sunday continues to be our favorite and our busiest. Here's the gist of it;

We are up at 6am, out the door by 7:30 for Ward Counsel (3rd Ward). Z attends a half hour of the 9:00 Sacrament meeting then leaves to pick up Marines from all of the areas of Camp Lejeune (Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson), I leave the meeting fifteen minutes later to attend another Ward Counsel (2nd Ward). Z gets back by the start of the next Sacrament (11:00) and we stay for the remainder of that ward's block of time. Afterwards, we reverse the route and take the Marine's home, unless we provide a "Break the Fast" on Fast Sunday. Total driving time for Z is almost three hours. Total gas used is half a tank. Having them all with us for Sacrament...PRICELESS! Later that evening we conduct Sacrament at the Camp Geiger chapel for those who are just coming in from 29 days of Marine Combat Training (MCT). They're totally exhausted but they come because they want to partake of the Sacrament. It's also a day we provide Priesthood blessings for those who need it. Our attendance ranges from none to seven. It IS our favorite event of our mission.

Mondays we hang out with the other missionaries for games of basketball or freedom ball (we watch, they play, we all laugh), later in the evening we have Family Home Evening with our YSA Marines. Usually they decide what they want to do and we facilitate.

On most Tuesdays we attend the MCT graduation of the Marines we met on Sunday and get all of their information so we can let their next training/duty station know they're coming. We've been really successful at doing this and it really helps the Marines know someone will be waiting for them. Tuesday nights we conduct Book of Mormon study. We love it and we've increased our own love of that book.

Wednesday is district meeting and we meet with the other Elders and Sisters to learn how to be effective missionaries. We spend the day planning on what we will do later in the week.

Thursday is our own Prep Day because we are old people and we need a full day to recuperate, however, sometimes we are called away to help someone out or make a visit.

Friday is usually pretty calm and we find ways to fill it. Sometimes we have a baptism.

Saturdays are the biggest day for baptisms and we've had opportunities to participate. Last Sunday Z got to confirm a young mom and it was quite a spiritual experience. It is ALWAYS a spiritual experience when Z gives a blessing. Sunday starts the week all over again.

We have Zone meetings in Wilmington or Kinston. We take missionaries to Raleigh and drop them off to go to other areas and we pick up the ones coming to Jacksonville. We love every minute of everyday and wish we could do this forever. We will, at least, do it again a few months after we get home.

I've noticed that when we are busy, the pain in my hip doesn't go away BUT I'm not really aware of it. I use the Jazzy (generously provided by my mother in law) when I know I'm going long distances. Otherwise I just use the cane when I'm out and about. It has improved greatly as I've been more diligent about exercise. Z was able to put my bike on stand that we bought so it's now functioning as a stationary bike. We both use it.

We know that the problems have been many at home and hope that people can realize how blessed they really are while we've been serving this mission. The sacrifices have been many for all of us. What son doesn't want to be at his mother's side when she is ailing? What grandma or grandpa can honestly say they don't miss their grandchildren? What grandparent doesn't want to hold an injured child or give a parent a break from a sick child so they can get a little rest but as we continue to serve we know we're exactly where we are meant to be. We know that our time spent here is precious and what little we spend with each of these young Marines is golden.

We only got to spend ten minutes with Lucas Pyeatt (see my FB posts) but it might have been the most important ten minutes we ever spent with anyone. He was killed two weeks after he left here to serve in Afghanistan but before he left he told Elder Zollinger that he would get active again when he got home. How prophetic were those words. He is most assuredly active now that he is HOME.

So, is what we do important? We believe that it is!

We love our family, each and every one and hope they can see how important the Gospel is in our lives. We pray for each of you and have you on our minds always. This Gospel is true and we love the part we play in it and hope to see our grandsons out here soon.

So, in a nutshell, that's what is going on in Jacksonville, NC!

Love to all,

Elder and Sister Zollinger

Biggest Loser

OK, I admit it! I love the Biggest Loser. I love it because while motivating me to get off of my behind, it usually ends up being a study in the psychology of man. Here's the latest example of how we (parents) become enablers to our children. On the latest episode two people were going to be sent packing; one who fell below the red line (smallest percentage of weight lost) was going home, instantly. The other would be voted off.

Most of these couples are moms/daughters, fathers/sons, father/daughters; you get the picture. Anyway, two moms and one dad decided to throw themselves under the bus to save their kids. To do that they had to GAIN weight so their kids wouldn't fall below the red line. Now I want you too think about this on a broader scope.

As parents we often throw ourselves under the bus for our kids. We stay up all night to help with a project that's due the next day, that they could have done earlier. We run things to school because they forgot them. We run a day and night taxi. You know what I'm talking about...

So here's my point. What if life was about letting our kids fail once in awhile to learn from their mistakes? What if the parents on this show let the kids take the responsibility for losing their own weight? Why didn't the parents begin to see themselves important enough to do for themselves.

In the end it doesn't matter how much you think you need to sacrifice for our kids. At some point they need to take control of their own destiny.

This was just a thought...

Too Many!

In our entire married life, I've never known this many deployed people...EVER! The wards that we serve have many active duty personnel and the comings and goings are never ending. Just recently, we lost a good number of key leadership people. We have many, MANY families who have only mom sitting in church with the family. Last Friday, we attended the farewell for our beloved Ward Mission Leader, Brother Cale. Brother Gallegos and Brother Littlefield are now in Japan and Bahrain. Sister Corey and Sister Birk left a couple of weeks ago. Next Monday, we will say farewell to three more; Brother Stone, Brother Friel (whose wife is expecting their first child in June) and Brother Horrock. And those are just the ones leaving soon. In the next few months we will lose Brother Webb, Brother Kehr and Brother Rogers...that we know of! We have another from the YSA Ward in Wilmington; Brother Phippen. Who knows how many more are leaving that we've been unable to locate or meet yet.

On a brighter note; we had the opportunity to be witnesses for one of our YSA Marines as he and his wife were married on Monday.They are a great couple...and he deploys soon!

Our mission is going well, but we never feel like we're doing enough. So, after some careful consideration, we've added a Sacrament meeting to our Sunday schedule. We'll now go to Courthouse Bay after our Sunday meetings with the Jacksonville wards. We don't mind the miles we've traveled to make pickups there but we think... NO! We FEEL that we will better serve those kids if we take the meeting to them. As students, they have little time to travel back and forth to the traditional meetings. Some of them don't even try because they have to jump through so many hoops to leave the area. We just feel that if even one or two more members can partake of the Sacrament, their chances of staying strong in the Gospel are made greater.

The time is going too fast and we've already been out for almost seven months. We've witnessed many miracles and know that many more are waiting to unfold. We continue to have challenges with our YSA programs and attendance but we know we're on the right track. We've seen lives begin to change as our YSA members take hold of the principle of repentance and take full advantage of the Atonement. It's exciting stuff!

I'll post pictures later in the day.

Much love,

VZ

P.S. I realized there's an error in the comment about not knowing so many deployed military people...I completely forgot our own 144th Evac Hospital in Desert Storm; 400 plus!

Joey. At. Temple

Josephine Elizabeth Mortensen is the luckiest little girl in the whole wide world. Her life has been blessed from the very beginning by two wonderful

women; Jana and Jana's sister, Amy. But that's another story for another time.

Joey's adoption into the Mortensen family happened around the age of one. Following her adoption, Amy and Duane proceeded to get their family ready so they could go to the new Oquirrh Temple to be sealed. You see, in our faith, we believe that families can be together forever. That can only happen in a Temple by men who have Priesthood authority. (see mormon.org)

Anyway, the whole family was excited for this event. Amy made sure all the family had white clothing. It's one of those rare instances where the whole family can be in the Temple as a family so it's a pretty special thing. Joey had been learning about the Temple for quite some time and she was excited to get "married" (sealed) to her family.

The sealing room was full of most cherished friends and family. They brought the family in and Joey was beaming from ear to ear. She kept whispering, "I getting married in the Temple!" She was so excited...until they told her to come and kneel at the altar by her mom and dad. She was quite emphatic about it. THAT was NOT going to happen! First they coaxed, then they held, it went from bad to worse. Joey was just not having any of that. She screamed, she kicked, she squirmed and used every muscle she could to stay away from her mom. In fact, she grabbed Amy by the hair and rammed her head into the altar. I honestly didn't know a two year old had that much strength!

The Matron left the room for a moment and did something I've never seen and will likely never see again in my lifetime. She brought Joey ANIMAL COOKIES! AND IT DIDN'T WORK! Joey was not going to participate in the ordinance. Our dear friend, President Ron Henline was officiating and he chuckled and said, "Well, some people will likely be dragged kicking and screaming into the Celestial Kingdom!"

The Matron finally just had to wrap herself around Joey and hold her tight. Bless that woman. I'm sure she needed a long nap after that.

After the sealing was done, they released Joey and she said through gulping sobs, "I married in the Temple!"

I love that little girl. She's spunky, she's charming, she's smart...and she knows what she wants. Somewhere in this world there is a little boy being prepared for her...he better take Karate!

Family Service Projects 2010

Copied from the letter the Nagel's sent at Christmas.

The hardest thing about living in Utah is dealing with the climate, especially the snow. We've learned that good coats, gloves and hats make all the difference. So it made sense that when we asked the boys to pray about what we should donate to the Christmas Box House (a charitable safe house for displaced children), they both felt impressed t say, "Coats."

We had some "groupons" for Nordstrom's Rack, so Miles, Owen and Harper each picked out a coat that would fit himself and we took them to the Christmas Box House. The receptionist took the coats and gave each boy a candy cane.

On the way home we talked about how we did this service for the sake of the kids who needed the coats and not for the candy canes. We also talked about why it's nice to do service anonymously.

MTN

Included is the following letter. I've tried to keep the integrity of the writing/punctuation/spelling intact.

Dear Grandma & Grandpa,

For our service project this year, we bought coats for the c.b.h. (christmas box house.) It was fun and exiting! But it all started with the praying. Our mom sent us in diffrent sections of the house. She told us that we would get a warm feeling of what we S (the "s" was scribbled out and (Sorry, lol) was written in parenthesis) should do. We had a warm filling we should do coats. Instantly I knew it was the holy ghost.

Miles

On the bottom of the page he wrote, "Flip it over!" and there was a wonderful drawing of a dragon.

From Amy I received the following.

Dear Mom and Dad,

What an amazing year we have had as a family. We're blessed to have a home, our jobs and each other. We have all six of our children in school...with Alex in his senior year and Joey in preschool...we are as busy as ever. But we wanted to continue our special gift to you, our gift of service.

This year we had hoped to do a sub for Santa for someone outside of our group. Unfortunately, we had a friend that found herself a single mom, after twenty plus years of marriage, at the end of November. So we scrambled to assist Santa once again for our friend that we truly love. We went about it the same way; emails, texting and of course, Facebook. We each parceled out bits and pieces of the wish lists and managed to fit in a wrapping party to finish it off. I don't know where I would be without this amazing group of women.

As a family we made two fleece blankets. Nothing fancy, nothing to show off...but warm. Our plan is to drive around and let the Holy Ghost tell us who need to be warm...and see what happens. We can't wait to see the expression of the recipient.

We continue to serve our community throughout the year. Soccer is done for the winter and will begin again in March. This will be my last season as president. It's bitter sweet. But I've already started working on a special needs soccer program in our area for players of every age and all abilities. I can't wait to start.

Honor Guard continued its tradition of honoring our Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in November with our annual Veterans Day program. This year's theme was WITH HONOR. We are already in planning mode for next year, with the idea of honoring the families left behind while their loved ones serve our country.

Our Sea Cadets received a service ribbon for volunteering throughout the community. Most recently Andrew and the other cadets laid over a hundred and fifty wreaths on the service men and women's' headstones at the cemetery near Ft Douglas. Each cadet was asked to spend a moment and reflect on the life of person they were honoring...I know it meant a lot to Drew.

The kids have participated in school food drives for the Magna Community, helped with sub for Santa at the school, performed song/dance recitals all over the place and all continue to serve in various Church callings.

Service throughout the year...I love it.

We have truly blessed with wonderful SERVICE role models

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!

Love always,

Amy

There was a reoccurring theme for these two families and I'm pleased that they got it right. Christmas IS about love and service. I'm especially proud that they found ways to instill in their children, that when given the chance, the Holy Ghost does indeed guide. The. Best. Gift. EVER!

Naughty. Kids. Pictures.

One of those NOT SO RARE moments that words fail me! These pictures say it all...

Someday we will look back and laugh with Sophia and Alivia...yeah, about the time they have children of their own and their children do the same thing. I only hope I'm still alive to see it!

Sophia. Escapes. Car.

I have loved this child from the day she was born. Maybe loved her a little more because around the age of three months we found her in our care. Sophia is precocious, adventurous and just plain fun! So it is not surprising to recall what she did during one of our Army Combat Medic training sessions.

As was custom, when MSG Zollinger (Grandpa Mike) needed victims for training, he used some of his many grandchildren. It was convenient because they came in all shapes and sizes and loved to get "bloodied up" and play injured. On this occasion, Sophia (around two and a half years old) was a passenger in a van that had "collided". Her job was to just sit in her car seat and wait to be treated by a soldier/student. She had not been really given much in the way of obvious injuries. What unfolded somewhat haunts me to this day, in more ways than one.

The soldiers did a great job of triage (assessing injuries and treating according to need) and immediately assessed that Sophia wasn't in any need of immediate care. Quite simply, they moved on to more serious matters and ignored her. After a few moments, Sophia got out of the car seat, climbed out of the van, literally walking though legs, and walked away!

I got the MSG's attention and motioned, "Did you see that"? He confirmed that he's seen with the nod of his head. Sophia continued past the commotion and around the building...out of sight! Not one person had noticed her leave the scene of the accident! What if it had happened in a real situation? What, if during her escape, she had been injured by a passing car? What if someone stole her from the scene? What if...what if?

It was sometime later that I thought about that day and was struck by those events in a spiritual sense. How many of our children live day to day doing all the right things; there are no major accidents in their lives i.e. drugs, alcohol, etc. In the meantime our efforts are poured into a wayward child? And maybe, because we aren't watching, a child slips away from the "scene" to end up who knows where. Maybe they will wander through the crowd to safety, but maybe they will get hit by that car because no one noticed they'd walked into danger.

It was a lesson to me that day that "spiritual triage" is a necessary thing. Certainly, we need to put much effort into family members who are struggling but we must never lose sight of the ONE who doesn't need our care at the moment.

Thank you Sophia, for that lesson!

Dad. Family. Camping.

As a young family, we (Morales') did a lot of camping. For the life of me, I don't know where my dad put all the stuff we hauled to make us somewhat comfortable. Mike and I finally bought a 10' utility trailer to haul all of our camping gear and we still have to put stuff on top of the car.

Our family had a couple of heavy canvas tents, plenty of rope, fishing gear and tools. We must have hauled food because my dad didn't own a gun so we didn't hunt for food like the pioneers. We did have some of those big, really heavy metal coolers so, yeah, we must have hauled food.

The roads aren't what they are now and either were the cars. When you went on a road trip, you always hauled plenty of water in a big canvas bag. We sure used a lot of things made of canvas. The bag was hooked to the front of the car filled with water in case the radiator overheated. The roads were just, mainly, simple highways. A trip to Yosemite (Reds Meadows and Tuolome Meadows) usually took several days. Thank goodness, or not, there was no such thing as seat belts because that meant you could crawl into a space somewhere, anywhere, and fall asleep to pass the time. In our station wagon, five kids could usually ride quite comfortably; on the floor, with the hump as a pillow, on the seat or even just in the back, except for my brother, Michael. He always sat in the middle of the front seat between my mom and dad with his chin on the dash. I think, mainly, it was to keep my dad awake. I'll have to ask Michael someday.

One of our most memorable trips to Yosemite National Park (California) was when I was probably around 10 or 12 years old. It took several days to get there and on the first night we camped at one of the Mammoth Lakes. If I recall, it was Muir Lake. Nighttime came quickly after setting up camp and I can remember how cold it was going to be that night. I knew my dad would take care of us and he did. He heated rocks over the fire and buried them in the ground under the tent. Honestly, I don't know if those tents had bottoms or not but I do know that we were warm for the night. It wasn't our luck the next day!

It was still June and the Mammoth lakes had not yet achieved optimal temperature for bathing or swimming. It didn't matter to my dad because I quite clearly remember him making us swim in that freezing water. Maybe it was our bath for the day. I wish he would have remembered the rock trick to warm up the water!

We did a lot of camping so I'm sure that my mind has forgotten the many different places we stayed relative to the stories I remember so I think I'll just tell what made our trips most memorable.

I remember a large, meandering river where we would let the bar of Ivory soap float down the river and catch it before it got away. As a child, I recall the river seemed so big and fast but looking back at it, I doubt my mom or dad would have put us in any danger.

I remember a footbridge, leading out of our campsite, that went over a small stream. Every morning we would try to catch the fish that live there; don't think we ever did.

I remember my dad, in the middle of the night, thinking that my mom was hogging his space and pushing him around in the tent, only to awaken the next day to bear tracks around the tent and a metal cooler ripped open. He was more mad that the bear had stolen our batch of homemade, Nana Mary tortillas. He followed the trail of tortillas up a hill and salvaged what he could. Lucky for the bear that my dad didn't catch up with it.

I remember my mom doing laundry in a big metal tub and a thing that looked like a big metal plunger. If I could find one of those contraptions today I would buy it in a heartbeat. The way it was put together made the water agitate like a machine. Cool!

I remember the old man who set up camp and stayed for the whole summer. His name was Mr. Chisholm and I think he was related to John Chisholm the pioneer trailblazer. He had it all! Stacks of wood to last the summer. A stove, a cot and this big, square tent setup. We spent hours listening to him tell stories. We would eat with him often. Our friendship with him didn't end just because our camping trip did. We visited him a couple of times in Los Angeles where he lived.

I remember lots of hikes! Looking back on it, I think the hikes were my moms way of getting rid of us so she could take a nap. We always took our fishing gear. I recall one time my younger sister, Judy, asking if she could carry the tackle box, then the fishing pole, then asking my dad to carry her! We also had a secret call of sorts. It was made with the hands in a cupping shape and blowing into them sounding, if you got it right, like a hoot owl. It was the way we had of not getting too far ahead or behind my dad and getting lost.

Fishing was always the greatest with my dad. Even after I started having my own kids, fishing was an enjoyable thing; especially for Mike and my dad. Fishing on a camping trip was the icing on the cake. We loved to fish! And we found a wonderful fishing trick. Follow the truck with the planter fish in it from the hatchery! And if you ran out of bait, cut open the recently caught fish and take out the undigested cheese. If you didn't have cheese, no problem. Use bread and moosh it into a dough ball! I laugh at the myriads of fishing tricks that stores try to sell you to catch the big one! Cheese and dough balls; it doesn't get any better than that.

I know that there's no way to remember all that we did and experienced but this I do know. Our parents must have loved us a lot to do what they did to give us wonderful memories of our childhood. Our lives weren't filled with fancy trips to amusement parks or glitzy vacations but we wouldn't have traded those summer days for anything. I guess that's why camping is such a big deal for me. I want my kids to remember the trips we've taken. I want the grand kids to remember the trips we've taken. Memories are the only things we get to take with us after all's said and done!

The 3 Word Journal

I found this concept some time last year and was intrigued by the idea. It seemed feasible enough and so I jotted down, as they came to my mind, three words that would trigger a memory. At some point I would find time to write the memories that sprang forth from those three words. To that end, I will use this blog and begin to write the things I remember about my life. In turn, it may serve as a journal of sorts. I'm not really worried that someone, or no one, would care to read anything I would write. This is just for me and anyone who wants to come along for the ride. This time, it's just about me!

Fifteen things The 3 Word Journal will teach you how to do:

1. Record a journal entry in approximately 10 seconds

2. Recall and record all the significant experiences and lessons from your life

3. File every lesson from life by topic and have them instantly available

4. Become a far more interesting conversationalist

5. Prepare effective speeches, lessons and presentations very quickly

6. Easily write a multi-volume history of your life to leave for posterity

7. Have an endless supply of material for teaching, reminiscing, books and blogs

8. Enjoy a hobby for life that you will never tire of

9. Greatly increase your knowledge and make better decisions

10. Feel increased gratitude for what you have and find more happiness in life

11. Discover your strengths and talents and how to use them to reach your potential

12. Realize the weaknesses that are holding you back and how to overcome them

13. Understand more clearly why you feel and act the way you do

14. Set 100 life goals that will provide both direction and motivation to your life

15. Discover your personal mission in life

Sarah With the Truck

Sarah came into our group when we had two or three Sarah's. She drives a truck so she became "Sarah with the truck".

Sarah had the last name Abdella when we met her. It's now Lowe. She married a wonderful man who, shortly after their wedding, was sent back to Hawaii where he's stationed. Sarah came back to Jacksonville, NC where she's stationed. They're both Marines.

Tomorrow night we're going to her battalion to bid her farewell as she deploys to Afghanistan. She's learned how to speak Pas cu (sp?) a difficult language and now she'll be one of few in her group who has mastered this language so, off she goes.

Upstairs in our apartment complex is an 18 month old little girl named Audry. Everyday my life is brightened by the pitter-patter of her little feet followed by her cheerful, "Dadeeeeee!" It happens every time her Daddy comes home. Her Daddy leaves tomorrow for a 14 month deployment to Afghanistan. He has to be there that long because there are too few trained to do what he does.

Bryan and Reba, part of our YSA group, just got engaged. He's in the same group as "Sarah with the truck".

My whole point in this is that sometimes we complain about things like the cost of gas going up, the lady in the store was soooo rude or how hot/cold it was today. We are surrounded by many, MANY military families who aren't thinking about those things today. Tomorrow their loved one is leaving.

As we've studied the Book of Mormon, it's noticeable that much of it would film like an "R" and sometimes "R" plus movie. Its pages are filled with war and bloodshed. Why, then, do we spend so much time studying its pages? Have you noticed that two of the book's greatest figures, one of them adorning every temple in the world, were military men? Mormon, by the spirit of God abridged the history of the people of the South America's. His son, Moroni, as a resurrected being, delivered them into the hands of Joseph Smith who translated them for us. Both men saw and were part of some of the worlds most atrocious battles. They were SOLDIERS of the bravest kind! AND they wrote of what they saw because they knew that we would live in a world that surrounded us on every side with the same kinds of wickedness. They wrote for us!

It's not all doom and gloom though, for, woven in every story is the message of compassion, love and a testimony of the love that our Heavenly Father has for His children. And with it, is the message that you can go on with life after war. We share that message each time we meet with our Marines. It's a really tender message...

So, "Sarah with the truck", Bryan and Kyle (AKA Dadeeeeee), Godspeed! We'll still be here when you all get back and we can joyfully hear once again, "Dadeeeeee"!

Things Our Mission Has Taught Us

As I've read all the emails and blogs from our missionary friends around the world, I've found myself wondering, if we'd been in better physical health if we would have been sent somewhere more exotic or fascinating...that lasts for about two seconds because I know we're exactly where we're meant to be!

We've only been here for just over three months (we arrived 1 Oct) and we couldn't be happier or busier! We continue to build the attendance in our YSA (Young Single Adult) program and we constantly find new people to add to it.

We get a lot of calls from parents who want to make sure their sons and daughters know where the local ward house is and when meeting times are. We also get lists from the Bishops of the two wards we serve so we can go around and find out who is still in the area and who's not. Sometimes we're lucky and send the missionaries to an address and it results in lessons and a baptism. Quite simply, we love what we do...

So, here's what I think we've learned on our mission.

1) We're older than we thought we were! I've discovered that old people make lots and lots of noises; weird noises like blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing; those noises are not typically bad, until done by an old person! I feel sorry for the people upstairs!

2) While the young missionaries are in bed asleep by 10:30pm and up by 6:30am, we are not that lucky. Oh, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!

3) We must pace ourselves! I keep referring to the fact that we're getting older but the reality is, we can't escape it. In our district meeting with the young missionaries last week, our new Elder Dunn asked, "So how many Senior Citizens are serving missions"? It was a harmless enough question. I told him, "Why don't you go ask a Senior Citizen"? He had a look of, "I thought I just did"! So, we plan our activities so as not to overtax our systems.

4) As tight as money gets at the end of the month, we've never run out of what's needed to keep the car filled with gas or enough money to buy food to feed us and our friends!

5) When we listen to the spirit, we know exactly what direction to go!

6) Sometimes we have to say NO!

7) We do better when we study the scriptures rather than read them.

8) When we pray for our families about specific issues, we're better able to turn those issues over to the Lord to take care of so we can focus on the reason we're here.

9) We love what we do!

10) WE REALLY LOVE WHAT WE DO!

We've had many opportunities to work with less active Marines and watched as the Lord has helped them come back into full activity. We've watched as missionaries have taught investigators about the Gospel which led to their baptism. It is amazing to watch the light in the new member's eyes as they continue to study and learn.

Elder Zollinger drives three hours every Sunday to pick up Marines who want to go to Sunday meetings. Our schedule on Sunday is the most hectic but it's one of our favorite days. On the second and forth Sunday we start with Jacksonville 3rd Ward Council at 7:30am. We attend their Sacrament but Elder Z leaves at 9:30am to start his pickups. I leave that meeting at 9:45am to attend the Jacksonville 2nd Ward Council and then all of the meetings to follow. After all of our Church meetings we take our Marines back to their barracks (we go to three different locations at Camp Lejeune). We come home, eat a quick pb&j sandwich and load up our stuff to conduct Sacrament meeting at the Camp Geiger Chapel. Sometimes we have one person show up and sometimes we have as many as seven. It doesn't matter to us how many, it is still a powerful meeting and is the highlight of our Sabbath day.

Monday nights we hold Home Evening for YSA Marines. Again, we have anywhere from two to thirteen people in attendance. We play games, watch movies etc. The focus is on giving these great kids a chance to get away from the influences of base living.

Tuesday nights we hold Institute and are currently studying the Book of Mormon. It has really helped us with our own studies. It also keeps us on our toes!

We've added a third night and opened the doors to our apartment so the YSA's can just come and hang out. They're free to play a game, watch a movie, talk etc. It's also meant to get them off base. We're told that some of them just want to come over and cook a meal. They're really limited on what they can still do while they're on active duty. Barrack living is, simply put, NOT conducive to Gospel living. It is, however, the life they've chosen and we thank them everyday for their sacrifice and service.

We hope that you can be as excited as we are about the work that's going on here in Jacksonville, NC and all parts of the world. There's so much you can do to further the Lord's work, even from the confines of your own homes. We have learned to be bold in our speaking, even as we meet people who cross our paths during mundane things like shopping for groceries. The Gospel message is true and in it contains all we need to be happy.

Our prayers go out continually for our family and friend who have sadness or adversity in their lives, but our prayers also go out to those who have chosen to walk "uprightly before the Lord".

Congratulations to three of our grandchildren who've made good choices this past week.

Alex, congratulations on receiving the Priesthood. We really wish we could have been there to watch you pass your first Sacrament tray. Get really involved in your Deacon's Quorum!

Alivia and Dani, we are so proud that you've both chosen to be baptized. You now have the ability to really know what you should do in your life. Follow the light you've been given and go do good things in your life!

We love each of you and hope that you are making good choices.

Much love,

Elder and Sister Zollinger