Written by Carter. A lady from Mexico joined the Church last September. Her husband and son have not been interested so far. She is a very optimistic woman who is full of faith. When COVID hit, it affected her and her husband’s jobs. She was an accountant in Mexico, but her English proficiency is insufficient to get an accounting job in NZ…so she has been cleaning apartments and gyms. We met with her and the Relief Society (RS) president this week to help translate for her as the ward seeks inspiration on how to minister to her and her family. One of the RS counselors works for a company that cleans offices; she will try help this lady from Mexico get a job with her company.

I participated in my last Samoa Mission health council. Some faith-promoting numbers: They have had 1040 baptisms so far in 2021. The most they’ve had in one year previously has been 2000. In 2020, they only had 30-80 missionaries (because of COVID)…and they still had 1800 baptisms! The mission president and his wife attended a baptism last week where a grandma was baptized, along with ten of her descendants! As usual, the biggest concern is helping all the new members stay actively involved with the Church long-term.

Candace recommended the book Tiny Habits, which I just finished listening to…and plan to listen to again. It’s excellent; I highly recommend it!

I recently sent my first two “letters to the editor” of American Family Physician. One was on using appropriate wording when writing about suicide (e.g., “died by/of/from suicide,” rather than “committed suicide”). Another was about mifepristone, a medication used for abortions. I felt guided in writing letters that I hope were clear, but not confrontational. Let me know if you’re interested in reading either of them and I’ll send them to you.

Some of the ward members invited us to breakfast (they call it “brekky”; they like to shorten a lot of words) in a restaurant at the bottom of Auckland’s Sky Tower. We felt very loved. I sat next to our recently-released bishop. He is from Tonga. He loves to laugh! He told me how he met his (future) wife and how her father did not approve of their getting married…so they both fasted every Tuesday until her father finally relented….after three years! They have been married over 20 years now. The son-in-law likes to tease his in-laws about how they wouldn’t let him marry their daughter. He also shared how prayer has blessed his life on many occasions. His oldest son shared in testimony meeting today how he couldn’t get the car to start last week. He called his dad, who helped him troubleshoot over the phone, then suggested he pray and ask for help. When the son went out to try again, the car started “straight-away” (as they say it here)!

When I spoke in church last week, I mentioned Ashton’s suicide. Our new bishop made a few comments when I was done and he mentioned that his own son had died from suicide, also. I talked to him today and expressed my condolences, which he returned. His son was 17 when he died, which was 9 years ago. I’m so grateful for God’s perfect plan for all His children…including those who die of suicide. President Monson frequently said, “Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” I am grateful for the Lord’s “qualifying” hand as I have been “called” to lose a child to suicide.

Shortly after Ashton’s death, I received a very encouraging email from a young man who was in our ward when I was bishop; he must have been about 28 when he sent the email. Seven years later, I still reflect on the strength and comfort I still receive from that thoughtful email. An excerpt from the email is this, “We have a Plan of Happiness and Salvation and while I do not understand many things, there is One who understands all. [With God’s help,] I realized that I didn’t need to understand the things that were bothering me [about Ashton’s suicide], I just needed to understand a few Gospel truths.” I thought of his words when I read this from one of the June 2021 Liahona articles, which tells about the author’s father’s untimely death. Her mother gathered her children around the table their father had made just a few years before and said this: “Now is the time to put into practice everything that we believe.” Isn’t that profound?! To say we believe is one thing…but to put into practice our beliefs in the midst of hardships is where the real “rubber meets the road,” isn’t it?

Another Liahona article that resonated with me was entitled “Fixing Everyone Isn’t Your Job.” As a physician, when have been difficult situations — and when it felt right — I would sometimes say, “My first two initials are ‘J’ (for ‘John’) and ‘C’ (for ‘Carter’). There is Someone else (Jesus Christ) with the same initials Whose job it will be to fix that situation. I will do my best to support you and your family, but I am not Him.”

When we went to bed last night, I said to Faye, “I miss Ashton.” I don’t say that as often as I feel it…but I felt like saying it last night. Then I felt I should say something I hadn’t planned on saying: “But it’s my turn to live.” I will wait patiently upon the Lord — and with His help — until I can see Ashton again. What a delight when I read the next general conference talk in sequence for me this morning: “This Is Our Time!” Yes, it is…and, with the Lord’s help, I plan to make the most of it!

Thanks for your  listening ears and your loving hearts!