Friends

On September 18th Chile celebrated the bicentennial of their country's independence. I celebrated here at home with Jared and some good friends from our mission eating us some good ol' completos (amazing how much tomato and avocado can improve a hot dog). I topped that off with some Facebook stalking the next day, looking at all the pictures my Chilean friends posted of the festivities down there. I always get a little trunky when I look at their pictures, but these ones in particular really got me feeling emotional. Besides the typical cueca dancing, empanadas, and extreme quantities of soda, I saw in these pictures a family I taught, now more than three years after their baptism, celebrating with their ward family. The bishop is hugging the mother, the father is assisting with the cooking at the grill, and they are having a wonderful time. They were fellowshipped, nurtured, embraced, and now they are clearly at home in their ward and in the gospel. I've never worried about these people because of this exemplary ward. There is no doubt in my mind that if every ward was like this one, there would be no new member lost. I wept over Facebook for a good 10 minutes (don't underestimate its influence), feeling so grateful for this ward that is taking care of some of my special people, and realizing just how important friends are.

Here's a little photo tribute to the importance of friends.

It has been a week full of mission memories. Here some of us are welcoming a mission friend from Chile to Utah. He's moving his family here in a couple months which is HUGE. Pretty awesome to already have friends waiting for you on the other side of the world. Grant is in the picture. He is the baby in the back--too busy socializing to be sitting with his own parents.

And if that picture doesn't say friendship, check out these little guys.

Last Friday my friend Lyndsey and her little Jack came to visit. Grant let Jack borrow his toy, and Jack let Grant borrow his hand to suck on. Quite the budding friendship. I laugh every time I look at this picture. How did they know to hold hands and look at the camera? I promise it was not posed.