From Mom: March 23, 2009

Dear Elder Hoopes,

All is well here. We are happy and almost healthy. I've got 2/3rds of my hearing back, so that should continue to get better this week. Rachel and I are at the beginning of Spring Break so our first priority of the week is to sleep a lot. Of course Rachel is a champion sleeper, but I think that 8 hours a night is pure heaven, and the last 3 days I've been able to get that! Rachel wanted to go somewhere for the break, but I figured that her trip to Europe in June is her big splurge, and we've got to save our pennies for that. So we are doing all the projects that Mom thinks are fun:
cleaning the garage, organizing the food storage, spring yard work, scanning family photo albums, clothes alterations. You can see why Rachel was talking about getting away!!

Yesterday was Caitlyn Davis' missionary farewell talk before she goes to the great state of Texas. It was a wonderful meeting, and there were many of their family and friends there from far and near. We have amazing kids out serving from our ward, some of the finest of the church. I love to read all the letters. I'll be sending you the latest edition of Mustangs on a Mission that Lashel Burningham put together. The gospel is so awesome! We are so blessed to have what we have and know what we know!!!

Yesterday Nancy Frost taught Relief Society, and she asked me to share what the Lord has done for me to help me teach seminary. In thinking it over, I wasn't sure what to say, because I have felt fairly inadequate. But then I realized that He blessed me with a great gift; a deep concern and love for my students; He gave it to me from the first day. And though I'm still not really a great teacher, those kids know that I love them, and that I am trying my hardest to bring them something of worth. I guess that this came to my understanding as we studied 1st Corinthians this week. In the 12th chapter we studied all the gifts of God, and how each one of them, distributed among the children of God, are so different, but so necessary to edify the body of Christ. But in Chapter 13, we are taught that charity is the "battery" that makes all the gifts of the Spirit work in the lives of the children of God. A clock, with the "charity battery" removed, looked good but didn't do what it was meant to do. Likewise, we can have wonderful gifts of tongues, or administration, or even teaching, etc., but if we don't have the pure love of Christ in our hearts for those we serve, we may look good, but we've failed to do what we were meant to do. But "Charity never faileth". Once again, the teacher learned a lot this week.

Well, have a great week. We love you and pray for you throughout the day,

Love,
Mom