Dear Family and Friends,
As
the year comes to a close we have been thinking of the past year and
the many good things that have happened in our lives. We are so grateful
for the past year’s experiences that we have had here in Paraguay. We
see the growth of missionaries as they focus on learning what they need
to do to help more people learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We
have learned a lot and continue to try to improve things here in the
mission.
Our
family has been blessed in so many ways also. Jenny and Brian have done
so much to keep the home fires burning as they have been living in our
home and taking care of things there and with the rest of the family.
They had a new addition to their family this year as sweet little Eli
made his appearance in June. He surprised everyone by
coming six week early but after a week’s stay in the NICU he came home
and has done great .The other 4 brothers and 1 sister were happy to have
another baby in the family. Callie, Jake , Josh ,Adam and Wil are all
growing up so fast also. The boys love to study and read about various
subjects(mushrooms were a focus for a while). Callie got to go to Chicago with her school band and was so excited for the opportunity to travel and see Chicago. Jenny
and Brian helped us so much with the wedding plans for our daughters.
Jenny is all ready to plan her own children’s weddings in the future.
Matt
and Jessica are in their fifth of six years in his oral surgery program
in Buffalo, New York. Their three boys James, Christian and Preston are
growing up fast also. James loves to read and
Christian likes to do anything his older brother does. Preston just
tries to get out of the way of the brothers. Their home is always full
of activity and excitement. Jessica works hard to keep the boys occupied
and focused on great activities. We love hearing what is going on in
their home!
Wendy
and Kevin made a move this year. They moved from Flower Mound ,Texas to
Bellevue, Washington. They are living close to where they lived before
Chicago and Texas so they have had fun getting reacquainted with old
friends there. Kyle and Anna both seem to like their new school. Colin
is at home with Wendy. Kevin and Wendy are both enjoying being closer to
more family members from both sides of the family and Wendy’s
grandparents are enjoying the visits they have had with their family.
The weather is a big change so they are getting used to the cooler
weather again after the warm Texas weather.
Robert
and Rachel are living in Provo/Orem and Robert is loving his job there.
Their family is happily anticipating moving into their home they are
purchasing in Orem. Jack and Rose are both growing up fast and we enjoy
skyping with them and all the grandchildren to get keep connected. We
love watching the family grow and take on new responsibilities. They are
excited to be home owners!
This
year brought some happy events for Laura and Sara. They were both
married in August in the temple in Bountiful , Utah. They nicely
coordinated their wedding days with each other and their mother so she
could make one trip home for the weddings. Jenny and the girls had fun planning everything and they had great results as everything went so smoothly and was beautiful!
Laura
and Anson Hooper were married August 11. Sara and Daniel Lord were
married August 12. We held a combined reception for both couples in
Farmington. It was a wonderful time for all the family to gather and
celebrate. Mark stayed in the mission here in Paraguay and kept
connected through telephone calls and skype calls. He sent DVD’s for
both daughters and their spouses so he could give a little fatherly
advice also. It was nice the whole family was together giving Sandy the
chance to meet four new grandchildren along with
the two new son in laws . Laura and Anson live in St. George where Anson
is continuing his education and Laura is working. Sara and Daniel moved
to Mesa, Arizona where they are both working. Sara and Daniel both
graduated from BYU in April and Daniel started his job in Arizona in May. Both couples are so happy and enjoying married life.
We
are so grateful for this time of year and the chance we have to focus
especially on the birth of our Savior. We are so grateful for the great
plan of happiness that includes the opportunities we have to live with
our families on this earth and forever! We love our family and the way
the gospel is helping each one of us live our lives better. We know as
we strive to be more like the Savior our lives will be better! We are
grateful for this time in our lives that we have to be missionaries and
share this wonderful message with the people of Paraguay! We wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy the Christmas season! Love, Mark and Sandy
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