4 April 2010
Dear Elder Raymond and loved ones,
Easter Sunday! What a beautiful sunrise this morning. The sky was clear and the sun low over Sunrise Mountain . I love being back in the west among the mountains. For some reason I thought of another Easter Sunday, years ago. I was flying east over the Atlantic ; 25,000 feet and 450 miles per hour. We were going to war. I had an F-117 stealth fighter off each of my wings. A mile in front of us was another KC-135 tanker with a pair of F-117s off his wings. Behind me, was another tanker with her “chicks.” We had just coasted out from a very dark and stormy mainland and were headed first to England and thence to the brewing conflict in Kosovo. The air was cool and calm; the sun just cresting the horizon in front of us. Contrails streamed behind the planes ahead leaving feathery trails in the sky. I knew we were all leaving contrails behind and wished I could have witnessed the scene from the surface. Even though we were going off to war, it was a very spiritual moment for me. The beauty was surreal. My thoughts turned to the Lord and my gratefulness for the beauty of the Earth.
This morning was very similar. I was going to war again. I was driving instead of flying, but going to war just the same. I use the commute to meditate, ponder and learn. Usually, I listen to the scriptures, but today I felt inclined to listen to music instead. Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy and other sacred songs filled my heart with love and gratitude for the Savior, the atonement, and His resurrection.
I’ve spent countless holidays away from the family; missed birthdays and other important events. Today was yet another. Off to war instead of spending Easter with my family and listening to the Prophet of the Lord and the other Apostles testify of Christ during General Conference. Even though I missed out on Conference, the Lord was merciful and shared an extra portion of His spirit with me on the drive. I felt the blessings of having wonderful children that love the Lord and seek to choose the right, even though I dragged you all over the country as I moved from assignment to assignment and then left you at home as I went on trip after trip.
Last Sunday was also a great day. I had to work and was going to miss church . Circumstances turned out that I was able to leave early. I left work and thought if I drove directly to the church I might catch the sacrament. I didn’t quite make it in time for the sacrament, but slid into the pew next to Mom. She was surprised to see me and I’m sure I caused quite the stir as I sat there in my flight suit with patches of the Grim Reaper on my shoulder and my call sign “Ogre” on my chest. I regarded them not. Bryan had been asked right before church to share his thoughts on the importance of General Conference. So I made it in time to hear his feelings. I sure love him! He will make a great missionary!
I also got to hear Kimmee play “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” on the violin. She was accompanied by the bishop’s wife, Sis. Piet. Naturally, she did wonderfully. After Sacrament Meeting, I slipped out, ran to the house, changed into my suit, and returned to attend Sunday School.
Monday night was Caiti’s turn to teach the FHE lesson. She did a fine job. Mom made us a new fancy-schmancy FHE chart.
Monday was also Spring Break for your giblets (“siblings” for those of you not familiar with Raymond vernacular). Tuesday and Wednesday were my days off this week. I had promised Bryan I would take him back out to Red Rock canyon and do some more hiking. So Tuesday we went for a hike. As we went through the entrance I left my military ID “hang” out of my wallet. It had the desired effect, “Are you active duty military?” “Why yes I am” I replied hopefully. We got in free. Again. Woo Hoo! It was super windy. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for wind gusts up to 60 mph! My hat kept blowing off my head. I finally attached it to my belt loop. We took plenty of water this time and hiked back up to Calico Basin . The basin had water in it! And lots of it. I tried to talk Bryan into going for a dip. I couldn’t sway him. I considered throwing him in, but it was a little too chilly.
We packed a lunch and were going to eat it in the picnic area below where we went repelling several months ago, but it was too windy. We ate in Dora the Explorer as we watched all the tourists drive and walk by. The difference between the locals and the tourists was easily discernable. The sun dresses and open-toed sandals weren’t very conducive for scrambling up sandstone.
Tuesday evening I spoke in Stake Priesthood Leadership Training. As I mentioned last week, I had been preparing my talk for a couple of weeks and hadn’t quite arrived at the finished product. As the meeting progressed, I quickly understood why I hadn’t finished. I had missed the mark the Lord wanted me to convey. I jotted down a few notes and spoke from the cuff instead of delivering my prepared remarks. Pres. Winterton introduced the theme. Essentially, it was a “rescue” theme. He spoke about a painting of a family looking forlorn yet hopeful as a skiff launched into a stormy sea to rescue a lost sailor. A quartet sang “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy” a cappella. It got stuck in my head. I found myself humming it all week and thinking over the words “Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.” With that background, I formulated my talk. Essentially it went like this:
In October 1856, my great-great-great grandmother struggled along with the Martin Handcart Company. She suffered all the travails of that grueling trip. She must have sat and cried as she approached that fateful crossing of the Sweetwater. Distraught. Frozen feet. Dying younger brother. And still so far to travel. President Young, hearing of their trials, sent rescuers out from General Conference. “Go and bring them in from the plains!” I can only imagine her feelings when she saw the rescuers. They carried her to Zion !
Two years ago, hurricane Ike travelled farther inland than anticipated and caused flooding as far inland as our home in Illinois . It was Sunday morning and there we stood, knee deep in water in our basement as the flood waters continued to rise. Darlene made a quick to the Relief Society president, letting her know what happened and letting her know she wouldn’t be at church that day and would be unable to teach the lesson in Relief Society. We frantically tried to carry our goods to higher ground even as the water rushed in. Our good bishop sent rescuers from to ward. My heart was full and I immediately thought of Grandma Robinson as I looked up and saw rescuers from the ward streaming down the stairs and into the water. They didn’t knock. They didn’t ask. They just came. They carried more than our belongings to safety that day. They carried my soul to safety!
Then I relayed a couple of stories about ministering to the one. I shared how blessed and privileged we were and are still to be friends with such wonderful people as the Bridenthals and Ken and see them sealed in the temple. I’m not sure if anyone else got anything out of it, but I did. Throughout my life, I have had the blessing of being uplifted by others and also of helping to lift others.
Wednesday, Mom and the rest of the family packed up and drove to Utah to see the Bowermans. They were visiting Joe and Katie. Darlene thought it was a great opportunity to see them also. Somehow it was appropriate to see them on General Conference weekend. It brought back memories of sitting in their living room watching conference together. Good friends! They drove up on Wednesday and back on Friday. It was a whirlwind trip, but very worthwhile.
I had to work and therefore stayed home. Thursday night, we held our weekly missionary coordination meeting.
Since mom and the family was away for April Fool’s day, I survived without being the victim of a short-sheeted bed, or blue milk, or getting sprayed by the kitchen sprayer, etc. Bryan and Caiti tried to get me anyway. Bryan sent me a text that read, “I lost my phone.” My initial reaction was, “AAARRRGGHH!” Then a half a second later, I realized he sent the message from his phone. I sent “good one” back to him. Caiti said she met some really cute guys from Grandma’s ward and she was going to stay up late with them. I texted back that the only men in Grandma’s ward were over 80 years old!
Saturday was General Conference. I had to work and missed everything except the Priesthood session. Your mom reminded me this was the second to last Priesthood session I would get to attend with any of my boys before their missions. Wow. I enjoyed the session, but confess I had trouble paying attention. I was tired from being at work all day. I particularly enjoyed Pres Monson’s story of the missionary who didn’t receive any letters from home and whose parents didn’t support him on his mission. Pres Monson promised him if he would write home faithfully and share his testimony with them that his parents would write him back. Several months later he ran into the missionary again. His parents were positively influenced by his letters and testimony. They started writing him. His father went back to church and his mother was preparing to be baptized.
We too are blessed because of your service to the Lord. Keep the faith. Be good and work hard. It’s all true and it’s all worth the effort!
Love,
Dad.
