Oct. 1 , 2011
On Saturday evening, I was washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, just like I do most evenings. I was wiping done the counters, when the thought popped in my head, “you’d better wipe them good, you might not come back”. This was just a really strange thought to have, I am not a person who usually has morbid thoughts like this. So it rather got my attention! The following day we were going to be doing some traveling to a village about 3 hours away to find a little boy who has a heart defect. Anytime you go on the roads here can be a deadly experience so I thought maybe I was being given a small ‘heads up’ so to speak. Needless to say, I spent the next few hours seeing how I felt about this possibility. I came to the conclusion that I was surprisingly ok with this! I was ok personally with the way I had lived my life, I had no real regrets or things that I needed to change. My children were my main source of concern. But there too, I came to the conclusion, that they would be just fine. We had raised them right and taught them what they needed to know. They were good, solid great people who had great potential, yes, I would miss all my grandbabies, but I have a box at home that’s full of baby stuff that I’ve been collecting . So in a way, I could still be there for my girls in a small way.
Then I thought, what would I tell my children, if I could say one last thing to them? It came very surely, I would tell them only: Remember the Plan of Happiness. That’s it. That would encompass everything I would like for them to remember. It would tell them about eternal marriage, the plan of salvation and that families are forever. If they could remember that, they could truly have Happiness. What more could I wish for them, then for them to be happy?
I almost wrote this message in my little red book, but I thought I was being a little over dramatic and silly and I couldn’t quite do it. I wish I would have.
The next morning I woke up, and I was amazed at the feelings of peace that I felt. Life was good! I had no worries about anything. We went on our trip and had a really wonderful experience. The traveling was enjoyable, we met little Andy and his family and joined them for church. It was a great meeting and we really enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the Saints there. We had an enjoyable and relaxing trip home and I was very surprised when I walked back in the door that evening! Strange, huh?
So I have been thinking for the last couple of weeks, about this strange experience. And what I keep coming back to I sthis; what would you tell your children, and why don’t you? Why does life have to be coming to an end before you tell your children what you really want them to know?
So Parker, Kelsey, Brooke, Jordan and Miguel: I KNOW that my Savior & Heavenly Father loves me, beyond a doubt he loves me and knows ME. That I am his beloved daughter, just like you are my beloved daughters and sons. This knowledge gives me strength to live my life the way I know he would want me to live it.
REMEMBER THE PLAN OF HAPPINESS!! Families are Forever and I am so looking forward to spending eternity right with all of you! I have been so blessed to have been your mother and your friend. Remember also that you can have an eternal companion. There has not been a bigger blessing in my life than your father. He makes my life. And he will make my eternity. I can’t wait! Search after the good things in life and BE HAPPY!
This is what I want you to know. If you have happiness in life, that is all I can ask for. You all are my pride and my joy. I am blessed!
October 5, 2011
Lost in Translation Funny: I’m taking the garbage out tonight and notice one of the guards at the gate is new, so I go up to him and introduce myself; “Hi! I’m Sister Fife” he looks at me kinda funny for a long minute then replies; “I’m 44” I was rather puzzled for a minute until I realized he thought I had said 65 and not Sister Fife! I had a pretty good chuckle over that one- #1, do I LOOK 65? And #2, do American’s really seem that strange to them that we would introduce ourselves with our age? Probably!
October 7, 2011
We finally got to go to Nigeria! We have been trying to do this trip for a couple of months, but things kept popping up and getting in the way. But persistence paid off and off to Nigeria we flew. Everytime someone would hear we were going to Nigeria they would start in on the horror stories (kind of like first time pregnant people) they just can’t help themselves! So we heard all about how Nigerians are famous for their kidnappings , most especially white people. We had instructions from security that as long as we went from the airport to the mission home then back to the airport, we would be fine. But we weren’t to go anywhere else.
We land in Lagos and are looking for the driver that was supposed to pick us up from the mission home and we don’t see anybody at all. But this cab driver comes up to us and says “I know your church, you should come with me!” We politely refuse and then continue to refuse every other cab driver at the airport who wants to assist us. Eventually this cab driver returns holding out the phone: “this is for you”. Perplexed, Todd takes the phone and says hello, and the guy (African) on the other end, says “you should go with this man.” We are assuming it’s President Karkari, but it seriously could have been anyone! So we get in this guys cab, thinking: “This is the last time anyone’s going to see us alive!” But we managed to end up at the mission home completely unscathed! (Deep sigh)
Our stay in Nigeria was very enjoyable, we saw lots and lots of missionaries during the day and had a great time socializing over dinners in the evenings with the senior couples and President & Sister Karkari. It was definitely a worthwhile trip, although I can’t really tell you what Nigeria was like at all!
