I have been blessed with confidence to try new things, new experiences, new skills and this was not so early in my life. When I tell people that I used to be uncomfortably shy, they are in shock and can’t believe it because of how outgoing I am now.

I’ll share something that may make you uncomfortable but know that we all go through hard things in our lives. The first two years of my life were really rough with torture and abuse from my biological father. I quickly learned that if you tried to make yourself invisible, the abuse might not be so bad. If I cried out, it escalated but if I laid still, it might be the end of that session of beating.

My mom, who also was being abused by him, was able to get away from him shortly before I turned two years old. An unlikely person took us in and when my mom met a fellow who came to help her move, he told me that he fell in love with me when he saw me. He knew that I was his little girl. Yes, he married my mom and then adopted me. I was a scared little rabbit, afraid of loud noises and quick movements. I hid behind my parents at every outing until I was fourteen years old. Everyone always commented on how shy I was. In reality I was terrified of everything.

My friend, Opal, one day said to some people, “She’s not as shy as you think.” I went home and started thinking about my life and my fears. I asked myself, “Do you always want to be hidden away and never be brave?” It was easier to stay in the background and work hard at home and try to stay out of harm’s way. How was I to learn? How was I going to get out of this cycle?

I told myself that I was going to have to try something and be braver than I’ve ever been. Try talking to someone by initiating conversation, try learning something new. I remember in grade three, we had song books and they were full of folk songs of the day. I loved going outside behind the big propane tank and singing my heart out. After the age of fourteen, I started really breaking out of my shell and it continues to this day.

This past Thursday, our shift coordinator, texted me to see if I knew ASL (American Sign Language). I don’t but we had a patron coming to the temple who requested ASL. Here’s where my trust in the Lord comes into play. I told the coordinator that I would look after it. Then I contacted my friend, Margaret, who learned ASL in college. She made a video for me showing me how to do the signs for the ordinance so that I could interpret for the patron. I learned it in about 10 minutes and then that evening went to my assignment. I was able to interpret for the patron with no issues. Erik was very proud of me and the other workers were stunned that I only learned it that afternoon. I was pretty excited and thought, “HA, a new skill unlocked!!” Many thanks to the Lord for helping do His work.

This week I was working on special gifts for departing missionaries. My sewing machine broke down mid project. My frustration was peaking and I was plotting out a course of action to carry on. I started by taking the front case off of my machine to see what was the issue. Then I called Jon’s Sewing Machine Repair in Wolcott. They thought they knew what the issue was but I thought that it would be better to take it in for some spa time.

My sewing machine that I brought on our mission.

Here’s where the timing gets tricky. The USA was about to be blasted with a huge storm and Wolcott is 45 minutes away from us. This was Wednesday and Erik checked the highway cameras (later finding out that they were the wrong area for where we were going). It was partly cloudy skies in Palmyra and we jumped in the vehicle by 9 am. We headed north through Marion and by the time we were in Marion the snow was coming down quite heavily. The roads were snow covered and I was really rethinking our life decisions. We turned onto the 104 and were driving northeast. The snow came even thicker and after halfway to Wolcott, we made the decision to turn back. We were in whiteout conditions and there were other vehicles who also decided to get off the highway. We turned south onto highway 14 and pulled into someone’s driveway. Suddenly a snowplow was driving south and I told Erik, “Quick, follow that snowplow!” We followed the snowplow to Lyons and by then the snow had tapered off to nearly nothing. Erik said, “The things we do for quilting!”

The clock is still ticking and I am not making progress on projects that need to be completed. I received inspiration to ask one of my fellow temple sisters, if I could borrow her sewing machine to get this work done. She agreed and low and behold, the machine is a Bernina which is the same brand I brought on our mission. Today I was able to use my walking foot on her machine to put the binding on Penny’s quilt. Tender mercies!

Whilst “Snowmageddon” is raging around us, I have inside work to be done and we are grateful for heat and power that has not waivered. Our landlord has a snow removal service clear our parking lot and he has been busy. I have run out of my Russian pickled cabbage salad and my herring potato salad, alas! It’s going to be time to try to get to a grocery store again.

On Friday, we decided to go to the temple to do work for our own ancestors. We printed out names and headed to the baptistry. After completing the work for those names we were able to head to an endowment session and get more work done. I was thinking about the timing of the next year and about where we will live. We will submit our next mission application later this year and the Lord told me that I was getting ahead of myself and not to worry.

I love our friends and family who send us real estate listings for us to ponder. Looking at listings and thinking if the layout suits us or would we need to to do extensive renovations. I look forward to the day when we will not be nomads. It has been ten years since we had a home base. For now, I will follow the Lord’s command and go where He wants me to go.

Okay, I have questions for you. Do you each have a book of remembrance for your family? I have to tell you about the one that made such a huge impact on my life. When I was 11 years old, a book was published called the C.F.B Lybbert History. This was the size of family tree sheets and was pivotal in influencing my life. In this book was a collection of impactful stories from members of the family and their downline. There were family tree sheets, photos, and important documents. It was truly a labor of love and it was published 52 years ago.

This is from the introduction to the book: Christian Frederick Bernard Lybbert (1834-1923) was born Flade, Horns herred, Hjorring amt, Denmark, the son of Joachim Frederick and Margarethe Elizabeth Wilhelmine Evart Lybbert. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1854 and served a mission for the Church. He married 1) Marie Anderson (1833-1906) in Denmark. They immigrated to Utah in 1865, with his mother. He married 2) Anthonette Marie Olsen (1845-1932) in 1866 in Salt Lake City. They had eleven children, 1867-1890, born at North Ogden, Spring City, Levan, Vernal, and Naples, Utah, He died at Logan, Utah. Marie Andersen Lybbert died at Naples, Utah; and Anthonette Marie Olsen died at Vernal, Utah. Descendants listed lived in Utah, Alberta, Canada, and elsewhere.

Includes ancestors, chiefly in Germany, and ancestors of Anthonette Marie Olsen in Norway.

Waldemar Christian Lybbert (1869-1944) was born at Spring City, Utah, the son of Christian Frederick Bernhard and Anthonette Marie Olsen Lybbert. He married Ella Dora Darnell (1875-1964), daughter of Martin Van Buren and Susan Katharine Nickles Darnell in 1892 at Logan, Utah. They had eleven children, 1893-1917, born at Naples, Utah, and Frankberg and Glenwood, Alberta, Canada. He died at Glenwood, Alberta. Descendants lived in Alberta, Washington, Idaho, and elsewhere.

There haven’t been any new books published that I know of and it made me consider that it’s time to make a new book that would include our family from my grandma Lois and all her progeny. My grandma had five children and there have been four more generations. Books of remembrance can include anything of importance to your family history. While watching “Come Follow Up” on BYU TV on Sunday, the lesson talked about books of remembrance. A guest author was on the program who was from Pakistan. He brought his book and showed parts of it. I loved that the Punjabi alphabet was illustrated like how we would do in English, “A is for Apple”, “B is for Banana” and so on. There was also a beautiful photo of his grandmother. I called my sister Tanya and asked what she thought of doing this for our family. She agreed and is going to produce a sheet of interest and get people’s juices flowing. We could include recipes because these are an important part of our family history.

The most amazing thing is that the Christian Frederick Bernard Lybbert book is available as a digital version on Family Search. I will enjoy reading through it as an adult. I really believe that it is important to record your life. I know that my children don’t know a lot about my life or their father’s life. I too have questions for people who are dead and it’s too late to ask. Okay, it’s not too late to ask but will you get the answers you are looking for?

There’s no time like the present to start preparing your life history so that future generations will know you better and have an understanding of where they came from. This summer I learned about my biological father’s side of the family. I have loved connecting with them and one of my cousins has been instrumental in helping me understand my ancestors. I understand on where I get some of my features, my likes of foods, my love of handwork.

Not everything is going to be wonderful and perfect and our progeny need to understand that we did not live perfect lives; that we had struggles and trials. There are many mysteries to be unraveled but that may be for the future after the coming of our Savior. This past week I received an incredible sacred experience in the temple. I know that He lives and that He loves us. Hold on tight to what you know as truth and righteousness.

I feel this strongly! We are part of something greater than ourselves. I love my family and look forward to spending time with them again. Enjoy your week, staying warm as needed. My sister told me that they had an experience of living with no power for 12 hours and they see what they could do better if needs be.

Much love to all!