It's about time I got around to posting something about our trip.  I guess other people can read this, but it is written principally to my kids, so if you don't like anything you read, sorry.  We are what we are.  

By way of introduction to my comments for today, I share the following from Pres. Faust from April, 2007 Priesthood Meeting. "I would like to say a word about the ministering of angels.  In ancient and modern times angels have appeared and given instruction, warnings, and direction, which benefited the people they visited.  We do not consciously realize the extent to which ministering angels affect our lives.  President Joseph F. Smith said, 'In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, or reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh.'  Many of us feel that we have had this experience.  Their ministry has been and is an important part of the gospel.  Angels ministered to Joseph Smith as he reestablished the gospel in its fulness."

Interesting that he says, "many of us feel that we have had this experience."  So stated I don't think I'd be stretching things to assume that he has had the experience himself.  

While with the Croshaws on Maui, Dave shared what to him was a near fatal auto accident he was involved in and he felt he was miraculously saved.  He was coming back from their property in Cascade near Boise.  Driving later at night, alone near the Simplots plant west of Pocatello he was nearing an overpass with sloping concrete sides and several concrete pillars holding it up.  They were protected by a guard rail.  He fell asleep and awoke when he hit the end of the rail dead in the middle of his front bumper.  The truck was thrown upwards, heading straight for the first column.  He said he was completely calm and unfazed, figuring that this was it.  From there he doesn't remember a thing until the truck came to a stop beyond all the poles on the other side of the overpass.  He had hit nothing but the guardrail and although the air bag deployed the cab of the truck was intact and he was injured only by the abrasions left on his arms by the airbags.  The under carraige of the truck was very damaged, but he walked away.  Two witnesses stopped to see how he was and couldn't believe that he didn't hit the pole. Somehow he was pushed up on to the sloping concrete side and carried beyond the rest of the poles.  He made the comment that he was sure someone was watching out for him.  He even mentioned sensing that his dad was somehow responsible.

Later on we had gotten up and fixed breakfast and were sitting around the table dressed in swim wear ready to go out snorkeling and swimming.  We finished eating and started a game of around the horn.  We began talking and soon landed on the topic of the temple.  They are ordinance workers in I.F.  The conversation became very spiritual and Dave and Debbie asked Lynnae a couple of very innocent questions regarding her visits from those from beyond. Somewhat in jest, but also seriously Dave asked Lynnae if she ever saw Hazel would she ask if she is singing in a choir with his Mom.  

Maybe some of you may not know that Dave's mom used to come and pick Hazel and Aunt Inez up to go sing in her ward choir and when grandma started having us kids, she wanted to get involved in a church and knowing some ward members she went back to the old 4th ward instead of looking into a different church that grandpa would feel more comfortable with.  He had been Presbyterian.  

As we sat there, I was telling something about an observation I had had in the temple and Mom reached over and took Debbie's hand and they both began tearing up, just nodding to each other.  Mom said, "They are here."  She was talking about Dave's parents.  They had come to reassure Dave that he indeed had paid his mom enough attention just before she died and that they loved him and were so proud of him.  They acknowledged his service as a bishop and now on the high council and especially in the temple.  They had been temple workers for many years.  In fact the day I was endowed, I went back to the temple with them that night and did a couple of more sessions.  Dave's dad played the part of Satan.  He was a good one.  

Dave asked if his mom was singing in a choir with Hazel.  She said no.  She sees them, Miles and Hazel often, but they don't sing together.  He also asked if they were there during his accident.  "Of course," was the reply.  No other explanation.

Then they got around to what I think was the principle reason for their visit.  Dave's oldest sister, Verna Lee, is married to a non-member.  She has not been active for many years.  Her first husband and she were sealed in the temple, but he was unfaithful and they divorced.  She moved to SLC and dropped out of church.  Lately she has been asking Dave a lot of questions and they expressed their concern about her.  She is a wonderful aunt and always insists that the family get together for funerals, etc.  They want Dave to let her know how much they appreciate this and how important it is for the family to get together often.  In fact they want him to let her know that they want the family together for eternity.  They also wanted to have him let her know that they very much appreciated her efforts as well as his in getting the body of their last little child, Mark Thomas,(stillborn)  exhumed from an I.F. cemetery and reburied in the family plot in Oxford, Id. This meant a lot the them.  

We talked for a long time and mom could still feel them, but they had delivered their messages and were just there for whatever reason.  The next thing you know we looked at the clock and it was 4 pm.  We never got a toe in the water that day, but no one even cared.  That's the kind of trip it was.  No one compulsive, no one on their own page, just enjoying being together and watching whales and growing closer.  

We did share with them our recent meeting with our bishop and what an amazing experience this has been.  They both said they had noticed a marked change in our relationship.  What a blessed time in our lives.  We met with the Bishop Sunday and it was neat.  He was sitting near us in front of his desk and he was right in front of a picture of the Savior.  There in front of us were the two men who had made this wonderful rebirth possible.  We spent two hours with him just talking about our plans and how we met and how he met Amy Allred.  It was all good and then to go to the temple last night was the crowning blessing.  Mom had to go do Kohls, but Joseph and Sarah and Haini were on the 6 pm session and I met them in the Celestial Room with Haini's parents.  So disappointing for mom not to be there and share in that moment. We'll all go again soon.  

Well sorry this has been so long.  I'll get a little more regular with this and not take so long to catch up.  We love you all.  Keep doing the good things.  Dad