We are fine!

After a very eventful, terrifying weekend of wildfires so close to our home we are so grateful for our Heavenly Father's blessings in our lives. Dan and I quietly put together our important papers, seventy-two hour living kits, pet needs and loaded the car with what we thought would be important for us. Dan put our computers in the car along with sleeping bags, water and food. We then checked with friends in and out of the ward who were actually experiencing having to leave their homes. Dan went over to his home teaching family and I checked in with my visiting teaching. My family had already evacuated their home.

As we watched the fires on tv and saw the smoke and ash out our window and from the porch we were very aware how very close the fires were to our home. Saturday night was a very uneasy night as I slept in my clothes ready to leave and listened to the television all night.

Sunday morning after prayers and scripture time, Dan and I joined our ward family for sacrament meeting in our Brea First Ward. A few members were there in their clothes after quickly leaving their homes. We did have sparce attendance but the spiritual gratude we all felt brought us all closer to our Lord. President Love, from the stake presidency told us that today we would only have sacrament meeting so that families could return to their homes and help each other and do the things needing to be done.

It was a very spiritual meeting with the topic of tithing. This topic had been scheduled months before and we all knew that this sacrament meeting was a very important reminder to all of us how very important it is to pay our tithing and then receive the blessings from the lord. Brother Reed gave us both humorous and sacred things to think about and Sister Cathy Nelson reminded us how very important is it to trust the Lord and pay our tithing. This topic could not have been more pointed than this meeting as the fires were so close to us and the spirit of the Lord was felt so strongly in our meeting.

Many good friends and family continuously checked in with us as we watched the fires slowly become more controlled and less threatening to homes. It truly is a miracle that no lives were lost. We are so very thankful that we were spared, that our home, ward, stake and good friends were all protected. This Thanksgiving has a very special meaning for us as we truly reflect on our blessings.

This recent event brought into focus clearly how very important it is for us to be prepared both spiritually and earthly. We need to identify the things that are really important and worthy of saving. We need to follow our prophet in providing provisions to sustain our family for at least seventy-two hours. For Dan and I this was a wake up call that we will not forget but learn from.

We are so very grateful to our family and friends who were concerned and anxious for us. We are also so very thankful that no lives were lost, that our home was protected as well as ward and stake family homes were also protected. Our Heavenly Father truly was with us and protected us as the fires raged.

We hope and pray that each of you will enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving this year has a very important memory for us as we celebrate together.