We Wish you a Merry Christmas!

As the holiday season approaches, we have pondered on how
best to greet our friends and family members and acknowledge 
this special time of the year.

We do so love to send Christmas cards to all our much loved friends
and family.  (Many I'm sure think we have disappeared these last two years
as we missed sending cards during our remodeling and moving Christmas's!)

But now here we are in Honduras.
And sending Christmas cards from Honduras is not an easy thing to do :)

San Pedro Sula East Mission - serving for three years as 
Mission President and wife to 216 young and amazing missionaries!
It is an amazing blessing and opportunity to share the message of our Savior.

So here is our virtual 
"Christmas Card"
for 2013.
Photo credit
"The Nativity Story"
2006 film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nativity_Story

We want to share our testimony and holiday message of our Savior Jesus Christ.

We are so grateful to have this wonderful opportunity in our lives to bear testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ every day!  We hope to always carry this testimony in our hearts and remember to share it each day as we return home and continue in the

“Work of Salvation”. 

But what a blessing at this marvelous time in our lives to teach of the Savior and His sacrifice, love and atonement on our behalf each day of our lives. 

In Matthew 1:21 we read –

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.”

How grateful we are for his infinite love and atonement, for he has truly saved us from our sins.

To understand this principle more fully we ask two questions . . .

Who is Jesus Christ?

And what is faith in Jesus Christ?

The easier question perhaps refers to our faith in Jesus Christ. 

Faith in Jesus Christ is the firm conviction that He is who He says He is and that He will help us when we seek Him.  Faith in Christ means trusting in Him, remembering Him, and following His teachings.  It is a conviction that He is the Son of God, “The way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

Which leads us to . . . Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of God.  He is our Redeemer.  Each title points to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father.  He suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each one of us two gifts -
1) Repentance, and 2) Forgiveness.  

Two remarkable gifts that are two different things and important to each of us as we make our way through our mortal experience here on earth.

Only by His mercy and grace can anyone be saved.  

Then his resurrection prepared the way for each person to overcome physical death as well.  These events are the essence of the atonement.  He therefore saves us from both physical and spiritual death.  He is very literally our Savior and Redeemer.

We love these two very sacred and different principles that describe who is our Savior Jesus Christ. 

It brings us great joy to proclaim to all that he will once again return to earth and reign in peace for a thousand years.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He will be our Lord forever. 

On January 1, 2000 the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued the declaration titled
“The Living Christ”.   

It begins –

“As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice.  None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.”

Of Him the Prophet Joseph Smith also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him; that he lives!” 

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God’ and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father –

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22-24).

And we like the apostles and prophets bear testimony that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God.  "He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father.  He is the light, the life and the hope of the world.  His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. 

God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son”.

We are grateful to daily share this testimony now and seek to share this gospel message each day throughout our lives.

Much love to all

And best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

President Norman Klein and Hna. Kristin Klein

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A Full House . . . and a Full Heart

Drumroll please . . . .

Tah dah!

Here Comes the Bride!

(and also the Groom!)

We've been gathering this week at the mission home in San Pedro

Sula, welcoming members of our family who are arriving

to celebrate with us as our youngest daughter will be getting

sealed (LDS terminology for the marriage ceremony that takes

place in the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

in the Honduras, Tegucigalpa Temple.

Even grandma and grandpa great were able to come this far

distance to be present at this grand occasion.

They truly are world travelers!

The have spent their time since arriving on Wednesday helping us

organize and prepare a special Christmas treat for all the missionaries.

Cory, brother of the bride,

Kim, Aunt of the bride

and Cheryl and Larry, parents of the groom

are visiting as well for this special occasion.

It's a full house - and it feels so good!

(We love and are missing our many family members who

were unable to travel here to Honduras but will be joining us in 

Utah as we continue the celebration THERE after the Christmas holiday!)

We are so blessed to be able to enjoy the blessings of family, especially

with the Christmas season fast approaching, we feel doubly blessed to focus

on those things that are most important in our lives.

Those things we testify on almost a daily basis that bring

the greatest joy in this life, and provide the blessings of eternal life

in the world to come. 

Forever Families!

But what is a Mormon Celestial Marriage??

Many have questions about it .  . .

Mormon Celestial Marriage

Mormonism offers many great and wonderful promises, such as happiness, peace, and a deeper understanding of God and His works. Perhaps the greatest promise of Mormonism, however, is embodied in the Mormon doctrine of celestial marriage.

Celestial marriage refers to a type of marriage which Mormons believe is intended to last beyond the grave and through eternity. "Celestial" means "heavenly," and indeed, a celestial marriage is a heavenly marriage. This does not indicate a marriage that takes place in heaven, but rather a kind of marriage that is heavenly in nature; it is divine in its origin and potential.

Mormons assert that for a celestial marriage to occur, several key steps must be followed. First, the man and woman must be sealed, or bound, by one holding the authority of God to perform such sealings, which can only take place in Mormon temples. Second, the couple must seek, with all their hearts, to individually and jointly follow Jesus Christ. Third, the sealing must be confirmed by God through His Spirit.

During Christ's life on earth, He passed His authority on to chosen individuals who acted in His name. The Bible records, for example, that He ordained his apostles and gave them the "power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils" (Mark 3:14-15). To at least one of His apostles, Peter, he gave an even greater power: "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt 16:19).

This authority to bind both on earth and in heaven is today referred to as the sealing power. It is part of the full authority of God, or the priesthood. Lost to the earth after the death of the early apostles, the priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith, the first Mormon prophet. By heavenly decree the priesthood and constituent sealing power were passed from Joseph to others, including the apostles, in the Mormon Church. The divine power is used to seal marriages in the temples, thus establishing the foundation for eternal families—the type of families that God wants His children to have.

If a man and woman have been married only by a civilly recognized authority (such as a government or religious representative), their marriage will end at death. They can, however, work towards gaining permission to enter a Mormon temple and be sealed together so that their marriage will be "bound" on both earth and in heaven. More frequently, Mormon couples are encouraged to be married and sealed together in the temple at once, contingent on local laws.

A temple sealing is considered one of the very highest ordinances that Mormons can receive, and Mormons believe that an eternal marriage is something highly desirable and extremely sacred.

Eternal marriages do not just happen; faithful Mormons do not consider them a "checklist item" that can be performed at a specific place and time and then be forever done. Rather, eternal marriages are a constant work in progress. Although the start of the eternal marriage may be dated from the point at which the sealing was done with proper authority, the couple must live their lives in a way worthy of the blessing of eternal marriage.

A couple shows their continued desire for their marriage to be eternal by following Christ in their daily life. Faithful Mormons who have been sealed together strive to understand and keep God's commandments. They continually try to be like Christ, seeking to be humble, patient, honest, obedient, loving, forgiving, and kind. These are but a few of the godly attributes which they try to instill in their lives and in their relationship.

After a couple has been sealed together by the proper authority, and after they have proven their commitment to an eternal marriage through persistent actions, they have the opportunity to have their sealing confirmed by God's Holy Spirit. This is not an earthly ordinance; it only comes through revelation from God directly to the individuals in the marriage. Such a divine confirmation may occur in this life or in the next.

In many ways, the confirmation of a couple's sealing is a "stamp of approval" given by God, a divine recognition that their union will be eternal. This is the true definition of a celestial marriage—one that has been ratified by God as being in full force for the eternities.

The sealing power that is integral to creating a celestial marriage also has a role in the rest of the family. Children can be sealed to their parents by the same authority, with the expectation that the entire family structure can endure through this life and extend into the hereafter. If a couple was sealed together prior to the birth of their children, then those children are, in Mormon terminology, born in the covenant, and partakers of the divine promise possible through the sealing of their parents. If a couple is sealed after their children are born, then the children can be sealed to the parents in a special ceremony that takes place, again, in a holy temple.

To build an eternal family is not an easy task. It requires faith, commitment, and a lot of hard work. Such a family is viewed by Mormons as the desired ideal for their own family. Not everyone is successful, but thanks to a merciful God we can have confidence that the intentions and honorable desires of our hearts will be given full consideration on Judgment Day. Faithful Mormons have the God-given hope that through the three elements previously discussed they can come as close to the ideal as possible and take part, through God's grace, in the celestial family they desire.

Such an aspiration might not have ever been even conceived of were it not for the revelations granted from God in the form of Mormonism. Truly, the Mormon Church is the very restoration of the full gospel of Jesus Christ in these modern times.

There you have it . . . stay tuned for part II.  This story is definitely to be continued . . .

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Thankful, Thanks and Thanksgiving!

Here in the throes of an accelerated time of missionary work in Honduras . . . our thoughts especially at this time of year turn to feelings of gratitude and thanksgiving.  Even though they don't officially celebrate our North American holiday of Thanksgiving . . . we're so grateful that for all our lives we have had at least one season to especially give thanks and focus on gratitude.

We find we can't pass through our lives each day, mixing and mingling and experiencing the many miracles of this incredible time without thoughts of gratitude passing through our minds on a continual basis.

We have so much to be grateful for . . . we try to express our gratitude to the many who fill our hearts each day with their service . . . and find that no words are adequate to express the gratitude we feel.  Our hearts certainly are filled to over flowing . . .

(while you're reading this little gratitude tour - we thought we'd take you on a tour of our recent visit to Guatemale for our Mission President Conference)

(a visit to Tikal - one of the largest ruin sites of the pre-columbian Mayan people located in northern Guatemala.  Tikal was the power house of the ancient civilization and the site dates back to before the 4th century B.C)





We are grateful for so much . . .

Our family - all of them! Those many who support in so many ways so we can be here serving!  Each of our wonderful children, their spouses, our parents and many brothers and sisters who shoulder extra burdens in their life so we can be here serving our Heavenly Father.

Each other - there are two of us here, supporting each other, lifting each other on a daily basis!

Our Assistants - What would we possibily do without their example, their hard work, inspiration and guidance on a daily basis.  We appreciate their unending cheerful countenances even through all the rough spots.

The Desters and the the Johns - our compatriots here in Honduras!  We lean on each other regularly and gain support in each of our different labors.


(We also felt so blessed to attend the temple there in Guatemala City during our visit.  It's the longest time in our life that we have been unable to visit the temple - as are all temples . . .  it was a beautiful sight!)





Life's Comforts - Hot water, air conditioning, an amazing supermarket amidst the craziness of the culture, the availability of purified water.  All these things make our lives so much more comfortable and our labors less challenging.

The many helping with our up and quickly coming wedding!  - Many are contributing some large tasks and many many are assisting in small ways that are so meaningful to us!  We can't thank you enough for the worries you are taking from our minds . . . and our hearts!

Our friends and neighbors who are both mom and dad, neighbor, friend, counselor to Kelsie & Mike  - those who are always nurturing, caring, and keep a watchful eye for them.  And while were thinking . . . also those who love and support ALL our children in our absence as we know they are many also!




(Tikal is situated in the midst of an incredible jungle - we saw monkeys, many tropical birds . . . but they were so far away in the tops of the trees it was difficult to get photos!)

(this particular mayan temple site had a stairway that was created that led to the top of the temple . . . it was pretty scary once you got up there!  You had to watch your step - that was for certain!
Also - from this height you could see the other ruin sites peek through the jungle!)



Grandbabies - We are blessed by their laughter, spontaneous phone calls, new skills and language accomplishments.  Thank goodness for FACETIME, Skype, emails, Facebook, Instagram etc.  We manage to keep in contact frequently.

Missionaries who are obedient - are whole mission is blessed as our missionaries act with obedience and faith in their callings.

Our Medical team - both in our area (Guatemala) and in the States - for their frequent advice, concern, diligence and constant availability.  Thank you for helping us keep our missionaries healthy, safe and happy!


(if you look carefully here - you can see the trail/army of leaf cutting ants, busy hauling away their hard work)






(as you can see, we had a little recreation during the lunch hour . . .)


Our Area Presidency - for providing both physical and spiritual nourishment, love and care to us!

The Mission Presidency Counselors / Secretary - You share our workload and bless the lives of the members in our mission through all your hard work, diligence, many many miles of travel and days and days away from home!

The Members - greet us warmly everywhere we go and make us feel like kings and queens.  We love your warm smiles, handshakes and hugs.

(Welcome to Antigua - a city in the Central highlands of Guatemala, famous for it's Spanish Baroque type of architecture as well as some pretty amazing ruins of the colonial churches)








Our Missionaries!!  Each one is special!

Prayers - on our behalf . . .  everyone . . . thank you.  They keep us safe and healthy and much blessed.

Our nurse specialist, Hna. Bennett -  - we would be so lost without her service!  Bless her for all her time, energy, knowledge and most of all patience with each missionary who thinks they have an emergency :)

Our Office Elders - we would crawl in a hole and die without you . . . seriously!  :)  But really, they somehow manage to accomplish all the Herculean tasks we lay at their doorstep . . . as they are never-ending and challenging!




(Guatemala is also famous for the Jade it exports)
Zone Leaders - District Leaders - Trainers!  All our leadership here in the mission for your examples as you help all missionaries fulfill their purpose to invite, help, teach and share their gospel message.

Modern Technology - makes ALL THIS possible . . . everything from transfers, communications, blogging, photography, teaching, presentations - it's all a great blessing for sharing the gospel message.

Natures Bounty - beautifies of Honduras we see on the road every day

Stake Presidents - support and help with our missionaries! We treasure our relationships with you as we all work for the salvation of "almas".

Grateful for the safety of our missionaries daily!


(One more stop - Isla Flores . . .)

And yes . . . we indeed

are blessed.

"And secondly, he doth ^arequire that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately ^bbless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever . . ." 

-- Mosiah 2:24

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All Hallow's Eve - from here to there . . .

Just a quick glance into Autumn or Fall here in Central America.  Specifially, San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

And . . . actually as we look around . . . it's not much different from

Summer . . .

Just a few differetnt flowers in bloom, maybe a little more rain, or maybe a little less . . .

Here's a few of our recent photos of San Pedro Sula Honduras . . .




How many lucky horses get to wonder the beach at will, and talk about a lovely view for a horse . . .


These were taken during a recent visit in Trujillo. A small town on the coast, in the very farthest area that we have missionaries currently in the misson.


Along the coast lines, you can find many of the Garifuna people.  The Garifuna are believed to have originated here in the mid 1600's as the intermixed and mingled descendants of a wrecked slave trader vessel from Africa.  They have many villages remaining throughout the  northeastern coastal and island areas of Honduras, and other parts of Central America.

(Ever time I see this photo . . . I want to sing the Pioneer Children Sang . . . song :)

We didn't think we would be celebrating Halloween this year.  Most of the missionaries and people shared that they didn't really celebrate Halloween here.  And the Christmas decorations started to go up in the shopping areas and grocery stores about the beginning of October.  Every once in a while we saw some fun cookies or baked goods with a Fall / Autumn / Halloween colors or theme.


So we were actually delighted to get a little note on our front door saying trick or treaters would be gathering at a certain home.  Nevertheless we didn't know what to expect.  Fortunately we were prepared in the candy department since we regularly stock candy to share with missionaries, members, neighbors, friends etc.

Suddenly our home was bombarded with a melee of costumed little ones with many of their parents, and our neighbors in tow.  Norm wasted no time in inviting them ALL into the house . . . before you knew it, he was pulling out family photos, explaining our purpose in Honduras for the next three years, and sharing a message of the Temple.  Since many of them are aware of the new LDS Honduras Temple in Tegucigalpa, but don't really know what it is.


 

So that is what Halloween looked like in Honduras for us!

And now . . . 

a little Halloween

from here to there.

From Denver - Colorado
Cory and Sara and our Jonny Cakes!

From Ohio
The Team Donovan

(obviously didn't like trying on her new costume :)

And a little glimpse of

Kelsie and her future family to be . . .

She looks like she fits right in :)

And to Dustin and Cami - 

Hope you had a wonderful spooky Halloween.

Feel free to share some photos if you have some!

Loves to you all!!

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An Empty Nest?

If you're littlest ones have seemed to grow up right before your very eyes, and are now headed for college and missions . . .

Especially, now that they can go at a younger age . . .

We have a thought for you!

Come join us!


And the other 80,000 full time missionaries serving world wide.  It's an opportunity to be involved in the most amazing and uplifting events of your lifetime.  Increasing numbers of young people have answered the prophet's call to "Hasten the work of Salvation".  And we need more and more Couples serving as Missionaries also!

(photos from the San Pedro Sula East Mission)

(much more information about the

San Pedro Sula East Mission is available!)

The encouragement to get involved, to join the missionary effort and bring his sons and daughters back to him through the atonement of Jesus Christ, is needed everywhere in the world, but we see the hardships of the people and the blessings of the gospel so clearly here in the San Pedro Sula East Mission.  Sharing the gospel changes lives daily!

We know that every soul is precious to our Heavenly Father.  The gospel is about helping people to progress and bring them back to our Father's kingdom.  Investigators need the gospel in their lives, new members need help staying strong in their new found faith, less active members of the church need help to rekindle their faith, and the active members need constant spiritual nourishment.  There is much to be done.  It takes everyone to move the work forward!  All of these efforts are accomplished so well through the guidance and direction of Couples serving as Missionaries in all parts of the world.  It's a wonderful opportunity to give back, to share with others the gospel message you hold so precious in your life.  A message that has blessed the lives of your family!

“We continue to need many more senior couples. As your circumstances allow, as you are eligible for retirement, and as your health permits,

I encourage you to make yourselves available for full- time missionary service. Both husband and wife will have a greater joy as they together serve our Father’s children”

-- President Thomas S. Monson

Learn more about your opportunity to serve from those who have already served.  Click the play button of the following video to share in the experience of some who have already served.

 Capture the Vision!

Become part of an amazing force for good, as it continues to roll throughout the world, blessing the homes, lives, peoples, families who accept the gospel message of our Savior Jesus Christ, that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to return to him, together with our families for all eternity.

"The World is in need of your help . . .  there are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire and souls to save . . .

Wishing will not make it so. The Lord expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion".

-- President Thomas S. Monson 
(To the Rescue)

When prospective Couple missionaries complete the Missionary Online Recommendation Forms, they are encouraged to indicate their interests and preferences regarding where and how they would like to serve.

Please remember, assignments are made by the Lord through His ordained Apostles, and prospective missionaries should be willing to serve wherever and in whatever capacity they are called.

THE rest of the STORY:

Length of mission for Couple missionaries:

Couples can now serve a six month mission.  In addition to 12, 18 and 24 month missions.  

Couples can serve internationally for less than 18 months (either 6 or 12 months) if they pay their travel to and from the mission field.

Housing for Couple missionaries:

Couples will pay no more than $1400 per month for housing costs (rent, utilities, and furnishings).  This does not mean that the total cost of the mission is only $1400 per month.  Couples will still be responsible for transportation, food, and other personal expenses (see "estimated monthly mission costs") for an approximate example.

The full time service of Couples serving as missionaries is not always a prosyleting one.  Other kinds of missions are available and open to them.  Especially if the have experience of unique skills in the medical field or in a foreign language.  Some might serve a humanitarian mission, or a leadership mission.

Perhaps . . .  NOW is the time for you to become part 

of the great work of proclaiming the gospel message.

If you have questions about senior missions, please call 1-800-453-3860, ext. 2-6741 (or 801-240-6741), or email Senior Missionary Services to receive a response to your specific questions.

If you have questions about missionaries (other than seniors), please call 1-800-453-3860, ext. 2-2222 (or 801-240-2222).

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