Your Lights Shine For Us
October 2003 Dear family and friends,
Our minds are brought to reflect upon the current events in your lives. Many of you are so very thoughtful as you keep us informed as to what is of interest and concern to all of us. It was good to learn that in David and Janet Williams’ family, both David and Janet are busy with Lions Club work. He is District Governor of Eastern Idaho. Their son Paul has recently returned from service as a major in the Army on overseas duty. We thought we were going to have a visit with Dan and Janalee Hess, but their car kept them in Orem, Utah. Charles and Shannon think his work is going slowly, but he enjoys his work. Mariann and Matt brought their son Caleb to visit his grandpa and grandma, and while there jumping on the trampoline he fell and broke his right arm; hope he is all better now.
As for Dianne and Ken’s family (Dianne is our second daughter) we have learned that they have some concern with a small tumor on Ken’s parathyroid. Further tests are being done to reveal what treatment may be necessary. Their daughter Julie is enjoying teaching at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque as well as her class in the ward primary. Janelle and Doug Magill have been disappointed in their efforts to have a baby. We hope they will be blessed in this effort. There is, however, great consolation in the knowledge given of the Lord that those who would have children if they could will be blessed in a time to come with the children they desire. Jennette is pursuing graduate studies in Las Cruses, New Mexico, and will graduate this year. We think she is special, but are not sure that she knows just how special she is to us. James is in school at BYU. He recently returned from a mission in Russia.
Our third daughter, Norma, and her husband, Al Haines, are in the process of making significant changes in their lives. Al, who is a stake president, has been told that he is to be released in November. He has been recruited and is to leave his work with the City of Houston, Texas, to become an advisor to help in the organization and functioning of the governing body in the city of Bagdad in Iraq. Norma cannot go with him, but after fasting and prayer their whole family feels it is what the Lord would have him do. He will leave at the end of September. Bradley and Amy with their two children are in El Paso, Texas, and Bradley enjoys his work with the Border Patrol. Christine is working on her master’s degree and looks forward to the day she will find the right man to take her to the temple to be married. Lesley and Gordon enjoy marriage, school teaching and school. Yuki and Anson enjoy married life and their new baby.
Terry and Sandi keep very busy with Terry continuing his Marriage and Family Counseling and Sandi as a real estate agent. Both of them rent and care for almost 50 homes they have purchased and at the same time magnify their callings as Stake Family History Directors. Their son Thomas and his wife Beverly will have a baby in a few months, and Thorn has about one year left to complete his dentistry schooling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Adam and Scott are at BYU in Provo, and Scott is looking forward to a mission call in December. Ray and Diana Hesse have four little ones and are finding it very hard to manage financially without more than a high school education and without any special vocational training. They would have all the younger ones learn from their mistakes.
Brent and Pamela love living in Newport, Oregon, right near the ocean. Brent is very busy as a Nurse Anesthetist. He is a Music Man. He and all of his family are enriching their lives by playing many musical instruments, traveling to see important places, and making the most of school and church life. The children of Brent and Debbie are making good things happen. Jared and Brittney are in school at BYU while enjoying married life. Rebecca is a missionary in the Barcelona Mission in Spain. Her letters reveal that she is working hard and enjoying success. Bethany has found her eternal companion in the person of Michael Jones. The date set for their marriage is October 25, 2003. We just completed the seventh temple preparatory class with them after which they charmed the other members of the class with a piano duet.
We could identify every member of our family as individuals who are making us feel happy that they are members of our family. Our great desire is like that of our brothers and sisters, relatives and friends. We want the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be the standard of righteousness to be followed, recognizing Jesus Christ as the head of the Church and all members of our family to be actively engaged in it. Our hope and desire is that every member of our family throughout all of the coming generations will make membership in the church a matter of first importance. Like our former prophet, President Howard W. Hunter, we want the temple to be the symbol of their membership in the church by carrying a current temple recommend. It is crucial to us that every member of our family be married in the temple and abide the covenants of the temple. We know that this won’t happen without daily prayers, reading of the scriptures, and maintaining strong family relationships. It won’t happen without all parents and grandparents of our families being strong and faithful teachers of the gospel in their homes.
They must let their light so shine that their children will grow up to glorify them and our Father in Heaven as our Savior taught. We see a great future for our great grandchildren, and now our first great, great grandchild in the home of James and Amanda Pendley.
What a wonderful letter we received from James and Jean Waldron, who are serving as missionaries in Alabama. We rejoice with them that both Bill and Stephen, their sons, are serving in ward bishoprics We love the Waldrons and appreciate their great leadership and example. We feel sad that our friends Bud and Claree Collette are suffering with many health problems. Claree just hasn’t been able to find the medical help that she needs. Our faith and prayers remain with them.
A most frequent caller to us is our dear friend Lorene Mathews. She gives her life in acts of kindness to us and to many others. How grateful we are that she is our friend. Our brother Owen with his wife Alice are now living in Las Vegas after having lived in Ohio for years. We are concerned about their health, especially Alice. We have enjoyed the friendship of three wonderful women-our sister Reva Polley, Mildred Ashworth, and Naomi Matheson, with whom we recently celebrated their 90th birthdays. Naomi’s celebration was her funeral, but each have been great examples to us of enduring faith and service as daughters of the Lord. We need people like them to show us how to get the most out of life.
There is no good way to end our comments when we think of our family and friends, but please know that those unmentioned are very dear to us too. We just want all of our family and friends to know that each of you holds a special place in our hearts.
All our love,
Ferren and Violet Bunker
Source:Brent Bunker