Missionary Moments #7 October 19, 2014

Dear Family,  Another great week of hard work and many clicks!  Between the two of us we took over 7,500 pictures of probate documents.  As you saw on the blog grandpa made a great discovery which I think helped us strengthen our relationship with the director of the archives here in New Hampshire.   We are working in the smallest archives in the United States and because of that he appreciates the volunteers who come in to help preserve the records that are there.  As I prep the documents before we capture them (take their picture) I have looked at hundreds of wills.  I noticed something that I would like to share with you. When a will starts (these are from 1871) here are some of the phrases I often see--Being of sound mind and memory but mindful of the uncertainty of life...In the name of God. Amen...Be it known to all persons...Now of feeble health, but of sound mind and memory...I being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind...Be it remembered...Considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound and perfect memory blessed be Almighty God for the same...being through divine goodness of a sound disposing mind.  I have had those phrases running through my mind this week and began to think about our testimonies.  Do we recognize what it means to bear testimony?  Although we are bearing it to other people, we are more importantly bearing our testimony to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Have we so prepared ourselves to share our testimony as our will writers were to provide for their family when they were gone?  Do we recognize how fragile our lives are and that our testimonies may be the only thing we leave to those we love.  Will our children remember that we had shared our love of the gospel with them?  I hope you will think about some of the things I have mentioned here and maybe spend some time this week thinking about how your testimony measures up to your intentions.  Be it remembered...life is fragile and we don't have the luxury of waiting to long for those we love to know what we believe.  Have a great week!  Love, Grandpa and Grandma and Mom and Dad

P.S.  Went to Portsmouth and saw the Atlantic Ocean, a revolutionary war fort, and the Strawberry Banke museum with replica buildings of the area beginning in the 1700's until WWII.  I'll put the pictures on the blog soon.