Fred and Paula’s Most Excellent Adventure

Fred and I enjoyed looking back at pictures from the past year- 2021.   MTC in an AirBNB Hiking in the mountains Celebrating 4th of July Watching Mom and Dad race. Getting ready to pray Fred ran a 5K on July 24 Lots of dinners with Laura and Mike Celebrating Jeffrey's birthday in Boston 4th of July  Mission picture New Year gives us an opportunity to look back at what has past.  Beautiful Annie Building a snowman in Illinois Lily's baptism day 8 years old Fred's mother passed away in November We will miss this lovely lady Father like son-two engineers with engineering minds Mother like daughters Just having fun Christmas German Festival Cold morning walk in the canyon Missionaries for Jesus Christ Organ concert in the Tabernacle What will 2022 bring?

Snow has fallen in Utah just in time for Christmas. It is a winter wonderland with all the lights and decorations on temple square. We attended a wonderful Christmas Devotional with our Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission this week.  Fred and I also joined the Elijah Choir with lots of choir practice in preparation for the our Christmas program. One of the sister missionaries pointed out a scripture that touched my heart. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they say run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 I continue to study Japanese everyday.  I found a Japanese saying that I really like. Nana korobi ya oki.  "I fall 7 times, and get up 8."  Wishing you a Merry Christmas to all with happiness as you celebrate the birth of our Savior.

  This week was the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. I have been reading documents for the past month concerning a war hero, Mervyn S. Bennion, in the Church History Library.  He was a Utah resident in command of a battleship during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.   He was like many others whose "courage, skill, alertness, and a complete disregard for his own personal personal safety" was able to serve and save others.  During the initial bombing, Captain Bennion, was mortally wounded by bomb shrapnel but he refused to be taken from the deck.  His only concern was his men and saving the ship.  He died while on that battleship.  There are many who have done the same throughout the history of war and across nations.  We owe our peace and freedom to these soldiers who with "compete disregard for their own personal safety" gave us this gift. Now 80 years later, Elder Allan and I are called to serve in Japan. Forgiveness and peace has followed only after much

We received this sad news this week which means more waiting...... I really felt that we would be going to Japan before the end of the year.  I even felt that I received a prompting that we would. This has lead me to ponder, "Was I inspired or just allowing my feelings to take over?" My daughter, Laura, sent me this quote from David A. Bednar, now an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ. May I simply suggest that what we initially believe is “the” answer may be but one part of a “line upon line, precept upon precept,” ongoing, incremental, and unfolding pattern of small answers. It is clearly the case that the Lord did not change His mind; rather, you and I must learn to better recognize the Lord’s pattern as a series of related and expanding answers to our most important questions.   “‘Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept’ (2 Nephi 28:30),” BYU–Idaho devotional address, 11 September 2001; emphasis in original. The answers to our prayers may be more of a direction than our f