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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Attending Church While on Vacation




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On 6/2/09 6:03 PM,
Concord 1st Ward, Concord
California Stake
Donation/2 June 2009
ensign@ldschurch.org
ATTENDING CHURCH WHILE ON VACATION
Because of the dream of my mother, Doris Eleanor Thomas, to visit the 48 contiguous states my younger sister, Rosella, and I at ages 13 and 12 drove with our 50-year old mother in the summer of 1960 and did just that. She drove a pale green ’55 Chevy pulling a trailer where we slept and prepared meals. On Sundays we often put on dresses and looked for a church to attend. Donald Lee Davis, her oldest son who later became a bishop, and his wife Beverly who had been tracted into and baptized, encouraged her to take the missionary discussions. Mother had always wanted to be baptized having read it in the Bible. My sister and I took the discussions with her and were baptized March 25, 1961, the spring following our driving trip. She had also visited Alaska more than once. Mother died and was buried exactly ten months after her baptism, on Beverly’s birthday. It had been my goal over the years to visit all 50 states. One of my family’s favorite parts of travel is attending the local wards. We love attending the Mt. Shasta Ward during our annual camping trip and each time we get invited to move into the ward. For our silver wedding anniversary my husband Michael and I left on our temple sealing anniversary May 7, 2008, on our Alaska cruise to the Inland Passage, my 49th visited state during Alaska’s 49th anniversary as a state. It has been such a blessing to visit local wards while vacationing. On Mother’s Day the bishop’s wife kept her promise from months earlier to pick us up for church in Juneau, Alaska, in front of the Red Dog Saloon. We took a walk after the early ward and returned to the afternoon ward, thoroughly enjoying the spiritual experience. Then on May 16, 2009, we flew together for the first time in 26 years of marriage to my 50th visited state, Hawaii, during their 50th anniversary as a state which took almost 50 years for me to achieve. We attended stake conference the first Sunday; I attended a seminary graduation followed by a lei-giving frenzy; I attended Enrichment. Our second Sunday I attended three sacrament meetings, three Sunday School classes and one Relief Society of the Manoa, McCully and Makiki wards in the very beautiful Honolulu Tabernacle. My husband gave up after attending five meetings. The stake center has a mosaic of the Savior on the building with a blue reflecting pool and the giant banyan tree spreads its branches over the lawn with green parrots that fly between the palms and banyan branches. It is a rare and choice blessing to renew covenants and meet with the Saints while traveling. I thank my Heavenly Father for these spiritual experiences.

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