Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Update on our sweet Zackary

Bridget, Ruby, Greta, Zack and Todd
All enjoying baby Zack before his first surgery

Getting lots of beautiful smiles.

Crista with Zack post surgery

The purple shows where the Dr. glued his lip together.  Crista told me they cut the lip like a jigsaw 
puzzle so that when it heals, the lip will fuse together well.  The stitches on the lip are to keep the lip closed.

Easter Sunday (4 days post surgery) the next surgery is Wednesday 
April 3.  He has a hernia that is in need of immediate attention.

Both Crista and Todd celebrated birthdays during the past couple of weeks.  I'm sure they celebrated with Todd, but I doubt Crista spent much time thinking about her birthday this year.  Happy birthday, you two!

Easter: He is risen!

We started our Easter celebrations on Friday night.  Our stake put on a beautiful production for Good Friday.  All of the exterior rooms (and the cultural hall) held paintings of the Savior.  As you walked through there were various scriptures about His life.  One room featured "The Living Christ."  There was a beautiful Spirit present as we contemplated the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior.

A replica of the empty tomb.

After viewing all the paintings, we all assembled in the chapel and the overflow.  It was well-attended and looked like stake conference.  There was a program with about 30 minutes of sacred, beautiful, Easter music.  Our Stake President offered a few words at the end and bore powerful testimony of the hope that he has in his life because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He encouraged us all to read Sunday Will Come by Elder Wirthlin.  I'm glad I followed this counsel because it was an amazing talk given by Elder Wirthlin just two short months after the death of his beloved wife.  

Below is an excerpt from the talk, but I encourage you to read the whole thing.  The speaker in our ward today (Lethia Smith) also read from this talk, then shared a powerful testimony.  She recently spent a year fighting breast cancer.  She said all the prayers in her family were that she would get well.  Her husband fervently prayed that he wouldn't lose her.  That prayer was granted.  However, toward the end of the chemo treatments, her husband began to suffer from tremendous back pain.  Neither the physical therapist nor the chiropractor could provide him any relief.  He then began to have stomach pain.  None of the doctors he visited could find anything wrong.  He continued to go to work until he was in so much pain he couldn't do it anymore.  At one point his pain was so great that he asked to go to the emergency room because he just couldn't wait until his next scheduled doctor appointment.  Finally, there was a diagnosis. He had a very serious type of cancer.  His wife said, "He died bravely 55 days later."  She said she follows a Facebook page of others who have lost loved ones to this type of cancer.  Most of the other followers post things about the PTSD and other pain from their losses.  She shared that her experience was so different than this.  They had peace.  They didn't get the miracle of having his life spared, but they did have the miracle of having peace in their hearts.  Their son asked him if he was afraid.  He said "No, the gospel has made all the difference!"  

From Elder Wirthlin: 

"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

I testify to you that the Resurrection is not a fable. We have the personal testimonies of those who saw Him. Thousands in the Old and New Worlds witnessed the risen Savior. They felt the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. They shed tears of unrestrained joy as they embraced Him."

Our bishop also shared a short and powerful testimony.  He talked about the movie "The Passion."  The reviews said that it was too violent and gory.  A Catholic nun wrote her review; I don't have the exact words but basically she said: News flash: crucifixion is the most torturous way to kill someone.  Our Savior was also tortured with many lashes.  It was violent, it was gory...but the greatest pain and torture suffered by our Savior was from our sins.  

I hope that the suffering the Savior went through for me was worth it.

If Roy was writing this letter each week, the contents would be a lot different; he'd explain a lot more about the following pictures.  He spent some time up at the cabin this week doing projects; or, more correctly, a project.  He tilled the entire yard so that he can plant "dry mix."  This is a pasture grass.  We don't want the upkeep of a lawn because it would require a lot of babysitting, but we don't want a yard full of prickly tumbleweeds, either.  The amazing thing is that Roy did all this work while sporting a terrible cold.  He didn't feel well at all.  (For that reason I was glad he was 2.5 hours away because I didn't get sick 😊.

After spending 2 days at the Gorge, he went on a sideXside ride on Saturday.  He said it was cold, wet and muddy but lots of fun.  There were only about 12 vehicles from the club.  

Roy says, "The
Talon is now broken in--following it's maiden voyage."

Dave shared in his letter (2 weeks ago) that my parents had visited Israel.  My dad wrote the following on April 29, 1978: “How could we plan so beautifully to be at the Garden Tomb early on this Sabbath day? Could not help but reflect on those events of sorrow, suffering, and ultimate infinite atonement and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior. What more fitting place for him than to step forth into an immaculately manicured garden in the freshness of this morning. My heart was softened, and I could have made peace with any and all for whom I have felt estrangement. How might I keep this inspiration at this hour? Joseph of Arimathea, your name will live in memory forever for this event for your preparation, courage, and kindness.” Joseph of Arimathea begged the Roman authorities for Jesus’s body and placed the body in his newly prepared tomb. “Our tour will continue, but no other sights or events can match the depth of meaning and feeling found here.”  I asked him to share the picture, but he must've not seen my request (or forgot).  If he sends it, I'll add it later.  I'll also add any pictures we take of our Easter dinner tonight in next week's letter. 

Caitlyn, Ashlyn (Cait's sister in-law) and I played "I know that my Redeemer Lives" in Caitlyn's ward.  I was on the piano (scary thought).  I kept telling myself, "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear."  I was very well prepared, though I'm more comfortable behind a violin in that setting.  Following her meeting, I went to my own so that I could sing in the ward choir.  I was glad I was committed to sing because our meeting was exceptional.    Janet Porter is in Caitlyn's ward (my third cousin and friend from the PWC Organization).  

Our Stake President told us that Catholics greet each other on Easter saying, "He is risen."  The person being greeted returns the greeting, "He is risen indeed!" He wasn't advocating that we start the tradition, but it is a fitting way to end this letter: "He is risen!"