From Mom: March 2, 2009

Dear Elder Hoopes,

Hope your week is going well. We are all doing well. Rachel turns 17 tomorrow; it's hard to believe she'll be a senior next year! Dad and I will be empty nesters and you and Rachel will be at college at the same time. It doesn't seem like Monday to me because I didn't get to go to church yesterday. I was tending Jen and Merl's kids Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while Jen went to visit Merl, and poor Sidney came down with the stomach flu on Saturday morning. Fortunately I had prepared this morning's seminary class last Thursday so I was ready. Because I sure didn't have a chance to sit down and prepare over the weekend.

We have been studying the last chapters of Acts in Seminary, and I am amazed by all that happened to Paul. I started reading in Acts 20 and couldn't put it down. I felt like the grandpa in the movie "The Princess Bride" as he describes what the book is about to his skeptical grandson: "There's accidents, raisings from the dead, farewells, arrests, beatings, prisons, trials, prophecies, assassins' plots, governors, kings, visions, angels, tempests, shipwrecks, poisonous snakes, healings, miracles, and true love." Living the Gospel is the greatest adventure of all, because it is where the battle for life, love, and freedom is fought every moment of every
day.

It is such a comfort to be led by living prophets through the storms of these days. I pray for the courage and faith of Paul and our current prophets. We are so blessed to have their direction and assurances to keep on the journey, with the hope that we will arrive at last.

Love you sooooooo much!

Mom