Arizona Friends

p.s.  It's at my house (3520 E. Dover St.)  and it is at 8:00!

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, and our site has gone to the pits! But! it's now Thanksgiving week and I'm off of school for a week! Which means I'm in Mesa! So I'm planning on going to the Temple for Baptisms on Tuesday at 6:30 AM!!! SO! if you want to come just let me know! and if you need a ride let me know too :) It'll be a great experience! I hope to see you all before i leave back to college!

P.S. This is the last time I'll be in Mesa... i know i said that last time.. sorry!

PROTEST AT THE OAKLAND TEMPLE

Dear family and friends,

I had a very disturbing experience yesterday that I would like to share with those of you that live outside of California (or outside of the San Francisco Bay Area).

This weekend we have stake conference. Our stake conference always begins with a stake temple session on Friday or Thursday night. Early Friday morning I received a call from the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be numerous protesters outside the temple, and to remind everyone to
stay calm and to drive carefully. The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across the bay from San Francisco, very close to the city of Berkeley.

Apparently the opposition to proposition 8, the amendment that seeks to
make marriage in CA between a man and a woman again, has realized the deep involvement of the church and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple patrons. The fastest way to get to the temple from our house is to take the
680 freeway, but the exit is a bit tricky. The off ramp is extremely short and straight uphill. You then make an almost blind left turn, an immediate right and another left into the parking lot. As we approached the off ramp, I realized there would be trouble. There was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the off ramp. As we moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling, screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the offramp, ready to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in
front of our car. It took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the left and proceed to the temple. I tried not to listen to all they were shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door. Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying (which made me snap out of it and go into RS President mode to comfort them).

Later, as I was sitting in the perfect quiet of the chapel, I couldn't help but think of Lehi's dream, and the people who mocked the Saints from the big spacious building but we heeded them not.' It was a truly surreal experience, I'd never thought that I would have to go through an angry crowd to get to the temple. As we left late at night, the protesters had dispersed, temple security (who all looked very large and Tongan) stood by the gates. I never saw
a single policeman.

Please pray for those of us in California fighting for prop 8--it's getting kind of scary out here!

Susanne

THANKS!

Amy Ruben

Hi Everyone! Well its been quite some time since i've been active on our blog! It's just been oober busy up here at college, and now that i have some time to spare I've want to catch you up.

Let's start from the very beginning! Almost two weeks before I left on September 3rd, My family and I started packing up all that was in the house since we will soon be moving back to Kentucky. (If you didn't know i was moving sorry! call me and I can explain) On the last week of August, My brother, his wife, my nephew Brigham :) and my Grandparents flew into town for my brother Spencer's wedding, and also to help us to cycle through and pack up our home. On August 28th my brother was married to Kate Smith! What a amazing day it was! I wish i could have been inside the temple with him, but Darrik went for me and him both. :) We had the reception in a nice cozy place in downtown Mesa with lots of food, snacks, and music! Thank goodness I did not have to stand in the handshaking line with Spencer, Kate, and my parents! I did it once before for my oldest brother's wedding, and those in the line would skip me! So i stood there for no reason! (I'm not bitter at all!)

After the dinner and dance, I had the chance to mingle with my favoritest cousins Ammon and Josh. While we drove back to Ammons house we marveled at the light show that night! (lightning) And of course finished the night off with watching a couple of episodes of house! Miss ya guys! GO ASU!!

The next day, my house got Down and Dirty! Cleaned out our very dusty and unorganized garage! What a joyess hot day it was! Sorting, boxing, taping, dehydrating? oh most definately, just the usual happenings of a move.

After four days or so we accomplished all our packing goals! Which means! time to prepare for college :) As I started packing my clothes into my brand new suitcases (thanks mom) i realized something. I had not one pair of jeans that fit me! Not only did i want them so i wouldn't freeze my butt of in Idaho, I needed so I would meet the dress code here at BYU-I, Pants ONLY, even if it is hot. I grabbed my mom and we went to the mall for a shopping spree! Three pairs of jeans, Three t-shirts, four long sleeves, one dress shirt, and an awesome blue tie later I left $238.67 at JC Penney's. Another $30 got an awesome deal on a ten piece pots and pans set! Thank goodness for clearance sales.

I noticed the day before I departed that I had not left any time for goodbye's to my wonderful friends! I regret that I didn't percieve that before, because I said bye to about two people. One being Darrik of course. Oh how I miss you so much! What a great bigger brother you were to me. What a great example you impressed upon me. What great memories and inside stories we had. But most of all what a Best Friend I could ever ask for! I thank Heavenly Father for sending Darrik to me, who knew I would become best friends with that kid who dressed up as a nerd for Halloween and purposely droped all his papers as he walked into Chemistry class haha! I love you Darrik! I'll always think about you when I listen to Paul Cardall's Primary Worship CD. :)

After I said goodbye an hour later we were in the car and off to Idaho! I think i slept most of the way to our stop in Provo, but I drove the last 2 hours! hehe! We stayed at our grandparents house, got some sleep then headed up again at six AM! And arrived in Rexburg around ten o clock. After we unloaded all my sisters things we finally drove to Somerset Apartments! My apartment! But a hour and a half check-in-line was waiting for me. After some small talk and what seemed like forever, I finally checked in and got my key! I picked the back right room as my next victim! and unloaded all i had into it! Hours past from unpacking, lunch, etc. and then my parents were going to drive back down to Arizona. We hugged and kissed goodbye or HBS! Hugs Bugs and Slugs! and of course they started to tear up since im the last kid off to college! But I was too excited to cry! I met two of my other roomates who are both RM's and are best friends! their hilarious and fun. Later I met Seany Boy! haha what a silly kid. And then Boyle arrived! YAY! I dont remeber much of the rest of the day but we met up with Becky and Amy to say hi and what not! I was oober tired so sleeping on my bed was something i was looking forward too!

Friday! Lets wake up early and go get and I-Card! (ID) after that lets register for orientation! (OO! wait i remeber what we did, we spent a lot of time at Walmart getting food and some stuff) Anywho! Next was books, yay more money lost! then next was some I-team activities and orientation classes! woo! Lots of new names in my head! ah cant keep up!

Saturday! more orientaion classes yay! buying folders and notebooks! and then buying a pyschology book! holy crap it was more then one hundred bucks itself!!! Then! I-Night! lots and lots of activities to do! Boyle, our roomate tyler, and I went bowling! Then... Pizza, and Rockwall! then to dodgeball! and guitar hero!! lots of fun.

Sunday! Church at 9:30! yay, it was really good! our bishop is amazing :) and a real big ward! Oh! and of course a 1 to 6 ratio of boys to girls... hehe!

Monday! first day of classes!! I'm not one to get nervous about the first day of school until I physicall sit down in the chair to my class! Which happened of course! But my teacher asked to start the class with a pray! How amazing! Right after the pray my nerves went away!

So I think I will just tell you my schedule so I dont have to go through each class!

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have English 110, Pyschology, 111, math 110, Mission prep, and Chem 105!!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays i have intermeadite badminton! and chem again.

16 credits! lots of fun!

Oh! just this last Sunday i recieved a calling. Haha, I am the executive secretary to the bishop! which technically means I'm part of the the bishopric... CRAZY!! its and oober busy calling but i get to be just about everywhere the Bishop is.

Anyway, I just want you to know that these first days have been great fun! and a testimony builder to me. I know wherever you are that you can find ways to strengthen your testimony and pray you do the same!

I love you all and miss you lots!!!

Words Can’t Describe

By
Darrik F. Farmer

Dedicated To:
Sterling Michael Tracy


My Heavenly Father has blessed me with many things in my life to which I am eternally grateful for. First of which is my family. I love my family so dearly. My hardest trial in this life has come through my family. But I would not trade my experiences and the things I’ve learned for anything in this world. I know that families are forever and though I may not know how it will work for me and my family, I know my family will live together again in our Fathers Kingdom. I am grateful for my family!

I have been blessed to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I know that this is his church. I know that he wants each of us to return to our Father in Heaven and has provided us a way through his Atonement. I know that Christ has paid the price for my sins with his own life. I know he bleed for me because he loves me! And I love him! I want nothing more than to meet him and fall at his and thank him. I want to be like my brother, Jesus Christ. To be perfect in every way and through his atonement that is possible. I am grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I am blessed to live so close to the temple. I am blessed to be worthy to enter into it. I am grateful to enter into the Lords House and to be in his presence and to walk where he has walked! I am so grateful that I may sit in the Celestial Room and have the veil so thin that I may feel my Father in Heaven literally wrap his arms around me! I feel his love for me embrace me all around. I am grateful for a Temple here on earth where I can go and fell at peace from the busy world around me.

I am grateful to know that my Father in Heaven loves me. He knows me by name and cares so dearly about me! My Father loves me! I know He loves each and everyone of his children and wants what’s best for you. And most of all, He wants you and me to return into his presence. If you are ever in doubt if your Father in Heaven loves you or if he even cares, get on you knees and ask him how much he loves you. I know that you will feel him grab you and give you a hug. His love will fill every part of your body! I have felt him next to me and I know he is there for me! I am so very grateful for my Fathers love for me!

I am blessed to have great friends! I am so privileged to call Sterling my friend as well as many others. They have changed my life for the better and have played a large role in making me who I am today. Sterling has always been there for me. When I felt low, he has pulled me up. When I was sad, he cheered me up. When I was happy, he lifted me higher. Sterling is the kind of friend I would lay down my life for without second hesitation because I know he would for me. His only motivation is to help me become the man that Heavenly Father wants me to become. He cries with me and bares my burdens. He laughs and smiles when I do. I know that I met Sterling in the life before. Knowing him he probably told me when I left to this earth that I better gain the courage to say hi in CP Chemistry! He is my eternal friend. I love him. Words cannot describe my gratitude and love towards Sterling Michael Tracy. I love you brother. “I’ll see you in white!”