There's no place like home (click, click, click)

It has been a fascinating experience to be back in the states.  In the end, we felt it important to come home, but it was painful logistically, and we really didn't want to leave what we were doing (being absolutely indispensable as we tell ourselves).  Now after several days in the states, I can say that it was indeed important for us to come.  We had a great time with family, my mother's funeral service was very nice (I made no inappropriate jokes nor postulated any false doctrine in my sermon) and she was appropriately praised and remembered for the impressive woman that she is.  We also have spent some  time working with mys sisters on matters of the estate of my parents--it is a very complex thing to die, one should not undertake the venture lightly. 

My mother Daphne was an artist, her medium usually was watercolors and we hung many of her paintings around the church.  Her children and grand children all love her works and fight over their possession.  Luckily for us she was rather prolific and there are almost enough to go around.

The service was well attended and having not participated much in the planning, we had an interesting surprise.  To call it a "flash mob" might be a bit of an overstatement, but we had an interesting musical number (interesting in its presentation at least) conceived and organized by my creative niece Jerusha (of Napoleon Dynamite fame).  If you are interested, you can view it on my YouTube channel at

http://youtu.be/k8Yjq7woWr8

For those who are Methodists or Catholics, it won't seem like much, but believe me, this was wild and crazy for an LDS service.

100%

We had one other little surprise that was quite touching.  My mother's casket was covered by a mountain of red roses.  We discovered that my father, before his own passing a few years ago, had arranged and prepaid for that final little gesture for his wife of 65 years.

We have eaten the food that we have missed in Mozambique.  I have enjoyed Honey Bunches of Oats cereal each morning with fresh strawberries.  We have had delicious steak dinners.  We have shopped for things that we have needed.  But in truth, we feel the need to get back to our mission.  We miss it and most everything else we do seems a little bit shallow and unreal (the horrible jet lag contributes quite a bit to that dazed feeling of unreality).  To our surprise, we often referred to Quelimane, Mozambique as "home".

 It has however, been great fun to meet up with our children (4 of our 6 were able to make it) and spend some time with two of our grandkids.

Hannah and Lincoln with grandma and grandpa at the City Creek Mall

The kids and parents

My siblings--5 of the seven were able to make it.  Gathered in the back yard of our parents.