Hold On

I've seen fire and I've seen rain...

My mind continues to see images of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti. Estimates are over 110,000 dead, and still those buried under the rubble have not been counted. Some say over 3 million people were affected by the earthquake, roughly a third of the population of the impoverished Caribbean nation.

I remember back to a statement from President Henry B. Eyring in 2005 about the giant 9.0 earthquake that hit Indonesia, and the Tsunami that followed. He said that it was just the beginning and a part of what is to come, terrible as it was. It's not good for me to go there mentally.

Tropical Storm Ketsana triggered the worst flooding in decades in the Philippines capital of Manila and nearby provinces. More than 250,000 were driven from their homes, and several hundred lives were lost. The following day was Fast Sunday, and Sister Rubio, in my ward, from the Philippines, stood to bear her testimony. She requested that we pray for her family. She was so worried, and had not yet been able to reach them by phone.

Bishop Jenkins, is a Captain with the Clark County Fire Department. He was sent to Louisiana after Katrina. He told of rescuing a very wealthy man from the attic of his home. His home WAS beautiful, and in a very affluent neighborhood. He had lost all his material belongings. But, what mattered to him most was his wife. Sadly, she was kill by the hurricane. He had carried her body to the attic, and there waited for days, hoping to be rescued. All he could do when Bishop got there was ask over and over: "Where is my wife now?" His wife is what mattered to him!

Families Can Be Together Forever

The Church teaches the importance of family. We are taught that the home is a sacred place. We learn that it is a refuge from the world, and a place where good is taught and evil shunned. This is true.

Daily, I work with families that are not together, and most likely will never be together again. It is a very sad fact.

Now some Gospel according to Cecily: Not everything that happens within the walls of a home is perfect. There are no perfect people here, thus there are no perfect families. We all make mistakes, and sometimes things can get pretty chaotic. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes. All families have their "issues". Working to strengthen our family relationships is worth the effort. AND, having a forever family will be so worth the effort!