Easter

We celebrated Easter at Crista's this year.  It was wonderful for her to host so that we could just show up and enjoy visiting with everyone.  Easter is always special to me.  It lifts my heart every year when I think of what the Savior went through to give us hope.  I have hope through the Savior that I will see Thomas, and all of my loved ones again, after I leave this mortal existance.  It was a wonderful Easter.  I listened to several things from the General Authorities on Youtube to help me feel the spirit of the holiday; and on Good Friday, Jieun and I went to our stake center for a beautiful program about the Savior.  Each room of the stake center was filled with depictions of Christ, beautiful plants, and water features.  In each of the rooms, a different song about the Savior was playing through the speakers (the audio/visual guy told me it had been kind of been a nightmare setting it up, but each room was filled with the Spirit).  In the final room (the gym) the stage had a full size depiction of the empty tomb.  There were also paintings and other art pieces around the room.  I had a wonderful surprise when I came across a painting done by Jieun.  It had been commissioned by a couple in our ward and they had submitted it to be displayed.  She didn't know it would be there and I think she was pleasantly surprised also.  The couple who submitted it apologized to Jieun for not getting her permission first, but she was happy it was there.  

After viewing all the exhibits, we sat in the chapel for a 45 minute program with a stake choir and a stake primary choir.  It was beautiful.  They sang Gethsemane, The Miracle, I Know that My Redeemer Lives, Risen, and a few other wonderful pieces.  We all sang, He is Risen, as the closing song.  

The lighting isn't good, so it's hard to make out, but this is a picture of Aslan with Lucy in Narnia.  Beside it was a quote from The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis; it said, "Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more.  I love the scripture Isaiah 25:8 which says basically the same thing, "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and it's counterpart in Revelations 21:4,"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Todd, helping himself to the little smokies (Matt in background) 

Hyeji with Elijah, Crista with Zack

Todd.  It looks like his Hulk costume is getting a little small.

Jieun, showing Ruby how to wear the hanbok.  This was the one Caitlyn wore at Jieun's wedding reception. 

Yuna and Ruby.  I'm not sure what Yuna's supposed to be.

Jieun and Elijah

Zack

Jennie, Jordan and Dan

Sara, Jieun, Doyeon

Camden loves dress ups!  Unfortunately, he can't fit into Todd's

Doyeon

Yuli

Jennie

Checking out their haul.  Bridget, Dojin, Yuna and Ori

Thanks to Sara for getting most of the grandkids together for the picture.  I notice Hyeji evaded it.
From back row: Ruby, Yuna, Ori, Dojin, Effie, Bridget, Greta, Avie, Doyeon, Foster, Yuna and Camden.  (He told us he wasn't a mer-man, he was a fairy).

Nick playing with Zack

Jennie and Foster

Effie and Sara

I loved reading my sibling's letters from Easter Sunday.  They all shared their testimonies of the Savior.  Nan also shared the testimonies of my parents.  Below is my mother's testimony.

My mother:

Testimony written by Ila Nan Clyde Cook (with a few corrections by Nan)

"I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that He lives and gave His life that we might have eternal life.  As we strive to live the teachings of our Savior, we can and will inherit the Celestial Kingdom.  As we grow, precept upon precept, keeping His commandments, striving always to improve our lives each day, we will be blessed.

The Gospel is true.  Joseph Smith was chosen to restore the Gospel in this, the last dispensation.  He was and is a prophet and a great individual that earned his eternal. reward.  As I study and learn, my testimony strengthens and I have great joy, and a stronger belief that it is true comes into my heart.

My testimony did not come as a flash of light, but I had a desire to know of its truthfulness and attained such a testimony by study, prayer, and trying to live its principles.  So, over the years it has been stronger.  Many of my prayers have been answered.  My blessings have been many--too numerous to count.  The greatest blessings have been my marriage to Vernon and the family I was given the privilege to have as my stewardship.  

The gospel has brought peace of mind, calm assurance that the Lord knows best what I need.  We have trials, tribulations and the way may be hard, but with the Lord's help, everything always works out for the best as long as we do our share by keeping His commandments.

My greatest desire is to have my children and their families live the principles of the gospel so we will be together as a family in the eternities.

In closing my history at this time, I would like to quote from Jacob 7:26, "...I have written to the best of my knowledge, by saying that the time has passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream..."

Looking back through the years, my life does seem like a dream."

Nan also shared a longer testimony from my dad, but since it's kind of long for this letter (and it's probably in his autobiography) I'll share a shorter part of his testimony that Phil shared in his letter.

My dad:

"On a 1964 business trip to New York for IRECO, I took time to go to the world's fair.  On my visit to the Mormon pavilian, I had one of the most significant moments of inspiration in my life.  The pavilion was set out in the form of a + arrangement.  The bottom area was the entry and counter.  The displays then went east and back to the center, where there was a central display of the prophet, Joseph Smith, looking upwards towards a light; then displays north and back, then west and back.  After I had completed the circuit, I arrived again at the counter.  I reached out to put my hand on the counter, and when I did, I was overwhelmed with a special feeling, an unusual spiritual event, and the words crossed my mind clearly, "Vernon, this is the true church."  Although I knew this already, I had a most inspiring spiritual confiration of this truth.  While these words were crossing my mind, I was completely oblivious as to where I was.  When I again gained my equilibrium, I knew I had been favored with an inspired message of assurance."

Both Dave and Phil shared about trips to Israel they had taken previously.  Phil said, 
"When we toured Israel some years ago, I had a spiritual manifestation of the reality of the Living Christ.  It was at the Garden Tomb. It was our second visit to the tomb. At the first one, it was so crowded with

tourists that I found it impossible to feel anything. On the second, our group purposely dawdled in a

quiet area away from the tomb, sharing testimonies and singing hymns. Just before closing time, after

the garden had emptied of tourists, we made our way to the tomb. We spaced ourselves so that each

person could spend a few seconds alone at the tomb. Before my turn at the tomb, however, as I observed it from a short distance away, I had a strong confirmation that Christ lives, that He was resurrected, and that He really did sacrifice it all for all people.  

I had a similar manifestation in the temple one day. Char and I were attending a temple sealing. As we

walked down the hall, I stopped to study a painting of the Savior, and was rewarded with that same

spiritual impression I had felt at the tomb.

Dave's comments:

"Happy Resurrection Day: We are grateful to have gone to Jerusalem in 2019 before the lockdowns. We had the freedom to travel around this sacred area to see and maybe walk where Jesus walked. It filled my soul with peace and joy as we felt the Spirit of the lectures given by Michael Wilcox in various historical and biblical sites. We visited the garden tomb was believed to be or close to the tomb where Jesus Christ was laid after his death on the Roman Cross. He had the keys of resurrection and used them to live again, which allows all of us to be reunited with our bodies after death.  Jesus Christ brought salvation to our souls and without his sacrifice for us, life and family would have no meaning after death. But because of Him, we can seal families together for Eternity. Can there be a better blessing than having our family surrounding us forever!"

Reading these comments from Phil and Dave made me excited for our trip to Israel which begins, after two days of flights, next Sunday.  I may write this coming Sunday, but it'll probably be three weeks before I write again and share experiences from Israel, since I don't like carrying my computer with me on vacation; it makes my backpack too heavy.  I also think we'll be busy every day, and each evening maybe a little too tired to write.  I will have my phone, so if there's something especially wonderful, I can share it.

I know you're all probably hoping this letter is now finished, but there are a couple of more things I want to share.  Roy was up to the Gorge again right before Easter.  If you're thinking that he has too many things to do because he owns two homes, you might be wrong, because he absolutely loves to drive up there and do projects.  

Manila looks different in the winter

Not a good fishing day. Manila received about 4 inches of snow.

There is a new batch of baby goats at the farm down the hill.

In my last blog entry, I told all about my trip to visit the Jacksons in Augusta.  I forgot to tell this little story.  Ever since my children started having their own children (and probably even before that), we've called Caitlyn, "Cait Cait."  Beverly must have thought this was a little weird, because she asked Caitlyn, "What is your really true name."