How I Met My Husband...

Beth & Dave 1983

Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. I met Dave a few months after I had graduated from Brigham Young University in 1982. I went back to Provo to visit an old class chum and while I was sitting in the living room of her apartment, I could look out her window and see the front doors of all the other apartments in her building. As I sat, I watched how this guy was knocking on each door, going in for a little while and coming out and then going to the next door. At first I thought he was just some guy in the neighborhood mooching meals but there was something different about him. I asked my friend who he was and she said, "Oh that's just Dave, he's in the elder's quorum presidency, he goes around all the time, he'll be here in a minute. He's my home teacher" I was intrigued... was this guy for real or was he just trying to get brownies from some naive coeds. As I met him and we dated, I realized what a sincere, kind person he truly is. Today, I still know that he's that kind, young man I saw over twenty-seven years ago... always the one willing to listen and to help others. There's been times that I've thought, "he's too nice...he lets people abuse him." Then I think of the scripture, "charity suffereth long and is kind..." He's always been the example I've needed to be kind and loving to everyone.

"...I know that I am...the luckiest"

~Ben Folds

Mission Memories

MTC 1977

Florida Ft. Lauderdale Spanish District

Day Before Leaving the MTC

Me ~ December 1979

My last day in the mission field

Last night our stake had a youth activity where our young men and women were called on missions and various returned missionaries taught the cultures of their missions and shared experiences. This week I was also contacted by a former missionary from my MTC district, so I have been pondering my mission experience, which I returned from thirty years ago last month. I've been especially thinking about my MTC experience.

I had a hard time learning spanish in my mission, especially at the MTC. All the missionaries seemed to be getting it so much quicker than me and it got me a little depressed. It wasn't until I got out in the mission field and I was speaking more fluently that I realized it wasn't how good you could speak the language that was important, what truly converted people to the gospel was the Holy Ghost. We were taught the importance of the spirit from the first day in the MTC but until it's seen in action, I can't really say that I understood that principle. I saw how the spirit touched converts and truly turned their hearts toward the gospel. In fact, the faith that I see in new converts still always amazes me and touches my heart to this day.

Anyway, back to my MTC experience. It was so great! Our district was a little bit crazy and it was good because the light-hearted fun of those missionaries really lifted my spirits and was a great start for my mission. Some of the missionaries in that district were the first missionaries to serve in the Dominican Republic so I feel pretty special to be associated with them.

(FYI ~ Why the short ties? It was tradition for the elders to wear their ties backwards the day before leaving the MTC and the sisters in my three-some wanted to get in on that tradition so we all wore short ties too.) Fun memories. Hurrah for Israel!

"I'll go where you want me to go,

Dear Lord...

I'll be what you want me to be."

New Year's Eve

Our lives have truly been blessed over the holidays, especially having Angie & Jake home from college. They hung with us a lot but here's a picture of them going to a New Year's Eve Party.