TRUTH WILL PREVAIL- 50 YEARS OF SERVING ONE ANOTHER ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.: MAY 2023

SO WHAT IS YOUR REACH?

Watching this deer reach for a tasty leaf got my mind going. He wanted something badly enough to put himself out there. To try a little harder, to not give up. To 'extend' himself. The three other deer that were with him, didn't go this far.

So consider what it is that you 'extend' yourself for.

We took a 95 year old man to the IMAX theatre in Victoria on Tuesday. He was great company. Lots of good stories and what a history. The next day he died. As ready to go as anyone you will meet, but here is my point: He continued reaching until the VERY end. Every Sunday morning he shows up for both hours of church by taking 2 buses . (and that is the same to get him home). He goes downtown to spend time at lunch to make new friends every

Thursday. Same routine with public transit.

He goes swimming at the rec center regularly. He attends the temple in Vancouver each month by getting on a bus, which drives onto a ferry. He goes up and down the 40 steep steps on that ferry to get to a place where he can take a break. After a 90 minute ferry ride and another 45 minute drive, he gets to the temple and serves his family for about 4 hours. Then he gets back on the bus and repeats the process going home. Leaving at 7:00 am and getting home at 7:00 pm. Pretty long day for a 95 year old, and he is super tired when he does it. But he extends himself.

He continued to say that he couldn't figure out why he was still here when 2 of his 4 children were killed in tragic accidents, 'ending up in heaven before me'. But he would say, "if I am here, I am supposed to LIVE my life" And he did. He REACHED every day for more. And he wanted to find more ways to serve. And you know what was most impressive? He loved doing it.

This is George on tuesday. Just waiting for the next great thing to reach for. Next morning he was in the spirit world being met by his 2 sons and his wife who had gotten there earlier. He was also really looking forward to being reunited with his cats.

This is another one that was fun to watch. He is 104 years old veteran.. Has a charity supporting children around the world. To gather money for that charity, one week in each year he walks around the square at his apartment building one time for every year of his life. We walked with him and tried to support.

The young people in this community are seeing

a person who spent his life 'reaching'. At 104 he is 25 years past the average life span. But there is no 'quit' in this guy. He sees that there are still children in the world that are in desperate need of food clothing and shelter. He can help out and so he reaches just one more time.

This was another one that we saw that showed a thought provoking concept about 'reaching.'

Our missionaries are trying desperately to bring home the lost. The most difficult ones are those who do not believe they are lost. We watch Elders and Sisters get pretty sad when they get rejected by people who they are just trying to help. It is a privilege to work with these young people who 'reach' into some very difficult circumstances. Hardest of all is those who return to their homes trying to help one or more family members who have lost their way.. Ask yourself, would you have allowed that lamb to drown, or would you have 'extended' yourself to save it? The Come Follow Me topics for the last few weeks remind us that all of us are the lost. We desperately need a Savior to step in and to save us. Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints wear his name every day. They try to do what He would do. Our hope is that we can support them as they 'reach out'.

A BUSY AND AND 'REACHING' MONTH OF MISSIONARY WORK

( APRIL AND MAY )

This was a month of speaking, teaching, praying, fasting, transfers, prep days, district councils, zone conferences, repentance, funeral preparations, communication with family, zoom meetings, birthday celebrations, temple attendance, conferences, stake parties, testimonies, hospital visits, morning walks, blessing the sick, visiting Butchart Gardens, apartment checks, traveling an island, communicating with family all over the world on Marco Polo. emptying apartments, moving missionaries in and out, opened mail and amazon packages, watching as missionaries produce music videos, working on family history, zoom performances for grandkids, memorizing a few scriptures, listening to Come Follow Me podcasts and conference talks, interviewing 'old' folks and hearing their story, looking at your Facebook posts, picking up missionaries, sending missionaries to their homes, making phone calls, sending hundreds of emails and texts, feeding missionaries and a few members, we even attended a play in downtown Victoria. In other words, our month was much like yours. Filled with a lot of giving and getting. We just get to do it all with a bunch of young people who consecrate it all to God.

This was a sad one. Just last week a city worker was hit and killed by an out of control and speeding driver. This on a very quiet street in a small quiet town where there is little traffic and everyone is old. So, he was 52. Leaves behind a family and a bunch of co-workers who saw it happen and knew that it could easily have been them. Life becomes very real at that moment, So, for lots of people in this small community, there was lots of 'reaching' last week. Extending themselves to serve a family and each other as they mourned this loss. Maybe it is a reminder to all of us that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. May we all 'reach' for the things that matter most, since nothing goes with us but our relationships, our character, and our knowledge.