Merry Christmas Robot...Oops I mean Mike.

One of the coolest things about this gift of service is the opportunity to think about the person throughout the year and reflect on the experiences you have had with them and how they have impacted your life.  Over the last few years Mike McBride and I have been able to spend a lot of time together and develop a lot of memories. When AJ was diagnosed with cancer Mike was the first one to meet Lani and me at the hospital.  Through working together we have spent a lot of time looking over spreadsheets, flying on airplanes, attending meetings, and giving each other a hard time.

The first year that Lani and I lived in North Carolina, Mike signed up to coach Connor's basketball team.  He asked me to help out as an assistant coach.  It was a lot of fun! The kids were all really young. We spent half of the time just trying to keep them organized and focused.  In honor of that memory with Mike I volunteered to help out with the North Carolina Special Olympics basketball Clinic/Competition.  I had never worked with the special Olympics before but after this experience I will definitely do it again.  They could not have picked a better name for the event, because the whole experience was very special.

The participants were all high-school aged kids and had varying degrees of abilities.  Some of the kids were pretty functional. They communicated well and were able to do higher level drills like shooting a free throw.  Others were much more limited in what they could do.  One group of kids were all confined to a wheelchair and only able to move a couple of fingers to push a button on their chair to move.

All of the kids had a special spirit/light about them.  The highlight of the day was to see them light up when they walked in the gym and everyone started cheering for them.  They all smiled proudly when they received their medal at the end of the event. One of my jobs at the event was to serve as a guide and lead the kids to the different events.  This was actually very fitting, because there have been many times in my adult life that Mike has served as a guide to me.

My first job in North Carolina was a tough one.  I was thrown into the deep end quickly and expected to swim.  Fairly early on there I was tasked with coming up with a marketing plan and presenting the plan to all of the top executives of the company.  I was in way over my head and suffered what I would call in my non-medical opinion a near nervous breakdown.  I couldn't sleep or eat.  I was so stressed about coming up with a plan and presenting it to these important people. The night before the presentation I went over and met with Mike. He talked with me about my presentation, shared some scriptures with me, and gave me a blessing. It really helped and I was able to get some sleep. The presentation went well and I grew from the experience.  I was very grateful for Mike.

Later on he helped provide me with a life changing opportunity by opening the door for me to join GE and then serving as a tremendous mentor for me there. Joining GE has changed my life and provided me with opportunities that would NOT have happened if I stayed at my last job.  Lani and I would never have been able to invest in real estate without GE, I would never be able to afford AJ's ongoing medical expenses at my last job.  I would not have been able to develop the professional confidence I have now. It was a life changing move and made possible because of Mike.

I was nervous to have a job so heavily based on commission.  I was worried about my ability to provide for my family.  Mike provided reassurance and promised he would teach me to be successful.  He worked with me and taught me how to be a top performing rep.

When Mike announced that he would be taking a new job, I was very nervous about how I would survive without him.  But the lessons I learned from him before he left have continued to help me.  At least once a month I will have a difficult problem or situation come up and ask my self "WWMD" What Would Mike Do?  Usually that helps me come up with a solution.  I have gotten by alright without him, last year I was a top 3 rep and expect to be one again this year. The lessons Mike taught me has been a big part of my success.

Mike's posts are usually clever with a lot of humor. He's not a very sentimental Robot, I mean guy.  So I'm going to make him a little uncomfortable by saying that I love him. I am grateful for Mike McBride.  Knowing him has blessed my life and I'm grateful for his influence in my life.  He has been a mentor when I needed a mentor and a friend with I needed a friend.  I never had an older brother growing up and Mike has been an older brother to me.  Merry Christmas Mike. Thanks for all you have done for me and my family.

I wish I will grow up to be just like my dad

This is the eighth year of the Gates Family Season of Service, so I think we can be real with one another... There have been times when it has been a real source of frustration. Come on, admit it. We've all had years where we forgot about it until the last week or we were feeling a bit "Bah Humbug." After all, it isn't easy to perform the act of service and then write about it on Christmas Eve after staying up late to prepare for Christmas morning.

I must admit, last year, I allowed myself to begin to consider this service tradition as a chore. I couldn't think of what grand gesture I could do for this Season of Service, but after I prayed to ask for guidance, Ashley and I were inspired to serve one of my sisters in Christ who had become homeless and was struggling. Little did I know then just how much this annual reminder to serve one another by serving others in our lives would touch my heart when I needed it most.

So, as I sit to write this on the afternoon of this Christmas Day of 2017, I am reminded of why this Gates Family Season of Service continues to be a blessing in my life.

Dear Dad,

In this, the most difficult and challenging year of my life, I have been honored and blessed to be serving in honor of you. And yet, I don't feel like I did very much because in every trial of service that I had, you were there to lift my spirits and inspire me to reach a little bit further outside of my comfort zone.

The only way that I have made it through this year was to often ask myself, "What would my Dad do in this situation?" This year, I've begun telling you, mom, and my sisters how as a young boy, every wish I made before blowing out the candles on my birthday cake or biting into a cherry in the fruit cocktail was that I might grow up to be just like my dad. Little did I know the joys - and the struggles - that would come through that transformation.

When we took in three young women as "semi-foster daughters," it seemed like our lives were filled with people telling us we were crazy. But when we just felt like we had to say yes, you and mom were there to call to encourage us, offer to help, and inspire us to continue to serve those three young "refugees" of life. During the most difficult moments, I was inspired by memories of you serving those in our life growing up. It was our honor to provide a safe place for those young women when they had very little on which to base their hope.

This summer, our Father in Heaven opened a door for me to forgive another by delaying our road trip by a day, before pushing me through that door by having us attend church in a ward in rural Virginia, where I needed to right a situation by both forgiving and asking for forgiveness. 

And when my life seemed to be falling apart around me this past month, you were there with a bottle of spiritual glue to help me begin to put it back together. I am so glad Our Heavenly Father inspired Stan to send you back to us a week earlier. The 48 hours you and Mom spent in our home, helped guide us through the mists of darkness and strengthened my grip on the iron rod leading to the tree of life. Thank you for your guidance.

In that time, I believe you taught me the greatest lesson of all... to never stop growing or learning. Your humility in recognizing your weaknesses and striving to make them strengths is what makes you a magnificent tool in the hands of Our Father in Heaven. You continue to raise the bar of which I hope to meet someday. I hope that when I am 72 years old, I will be every bit as focused on spiritual growth and service to my wife, my children, and the rest of God's children as you are today.

Over the past few weeks, there have been many moments in which I have wanted to wither away into nothing, but I have chosen not to because you have given me short, simple instructions on how to get out of the abyss in which I have found myself. It has been my joy and salvation to follow your simple instructions and return and report on the success. Because of you, my life is so very much brighter today.

[To those who are reading, I realize this message has been vague, but I feel constrained to limit the sacred details shared in this format.]

Dad, I want you to know how much I love and appreciate all you have done for our family. As my own children grow, I am constantly realizing just how much you did for us. When I look at my Eddie, I now know what you must have felt looking at me.

I love you so much Dad. Thank you for living a life of serving others. Thank you for teaching me as a child, through your words and your actions.

Love,
Your son

Adventures

When I think of Chuck and his amazing qualities, the first one that comes to my mind is how darling he is with his children.  He is so cute to play with them and take them to every little festival and fun event in his area.  When my neighbor called and invited me to go with her daughter to the witch festival, my first thought was no way!  It will be crowded and it will be cold!  Then I thought about Chuck.  I thought of all the memories he makes with his kids taking them to fun local events even though it may not sound as enticing as sitting at home by the fire drinking hot cocoa.  I decided to give it a try AND take my girls!  We didn't even leave until 8:30 at night (an hour after Cora's bedtime!)

When the time came for volunteers to help with the TOFW in Salt Lake City, I thought about the time my sisters and I went to TOFW and how Chuck babysat all the kids at his house.   His kids, Lani's kids and my Tara.  Tara had so much fun with him.  I decided to join the TOFW team and help out!  It was also very fun to serve with Cecia on the group so I could think of Chuck and the fun times we had in the Stanford ward together with Tyler and Cecia!

(I searched for over an hour for a photo of chuck with all of the kids the week he did that.  But I couldn't find one.)

Merry Christmas Chuck!  You are an amazing father!!  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day!

Can you make me some cookies?

Some of my favorite memories are when Ryan and I lived in provo after we were married. Most of those memories include the Hocks. Lani and hock got married just 5 months after Ryan and I did. We had lots of nights together with the 4 of us. We would get some dinner, play some games, watch Harry Potter (because for some reason hock only wanted to watch them with us lol), and more. However, whenever Hock and Lani came over, hock always would ask me to make my cookies for him. It was always so sweet and loving and meant so much to me. My siblings know that I haven’t been the best baker my whole life. So by the time I was married, I had perfected my cookie recipe and Hock was a fan.

You all know I started baking cakes at the beginning of September. I didn’t start it thinking it was going to be this business venture. I did it to keep a connection with Ryan. But I think Ryan helped urge me to start it because he knew I would love it and it has been such a blessing in my life these past few months.

This Christmas season I had the opportunity to use my baking talent in service for my sweet brother who loves my baking. I didn’t bake cookies, but I made 130 cupcakes for my relief society Christmas dinner. My relief society approached me and asked if they could hire me to make cakes or cupcakes for the dinner because they had a larger budget this year. I told them that yes I would love to, it would be my pleasure. I told them that they would just have to pay for baking supplies because I didn’t want to charge church service. However, all along I knew I wasn’t going to charge them anything. I wanted to do it for my brother Hock. Hockster, I love you so much. I miss laughing with you, smiling with you, chatting with you, miss just hanging out with you. We had such a wonderful time in Utah together and I’m so grateful for the wonderful memories. Thank you for loving me and for loving Ryan so much. Merry Christmas big brother. 💚💚💚

Merry Christmas, Amy!

Dearest Amy...

You are such a loving and caring sweetheart.  There were many things that I could have done and related to you, and there are many ways to serve in the Congo.  However, I wanted to make an extra effort on a project for you.  Knowing it was for this purpose encouraged me to focus on it and make it happen. 

You have two grown-up girls, who are very special.  You have seen to it that they are getting educational opportunities, and taught them the importance of learning.  We had the opportunity to "Pass it On", and owe the incentive to you.

A couple of months ago, Dad and I were visiting the orphanage.We were taking them some Home Depot shelving units we had shipped over in a Westland container.  

There is one girl who was raised in the Kaka orphanage for the last 17 years.  Her name is Ornella ands she is now 22 years old.  On our last mission she worked for us, cleaning our home, to earn money.  She now works at the orphanage and helps take care of the children.  She does most of the cooking and the laundry and cleaning. 



While we were there, delivering the shelving, Ornella, humbly told me that she would like to go to sewing school.  We had an interpreter with us, so we were able to coordinate that we wanted her to find out more about the school she wanted to go to.  We gave her transport money, so she could go get printed information that would tell us more about dates and prices and requirements for attending the school.  We were to call her three days later to see what she found out.  She was very excited about learning to sew, hoping she could make some money.  We then told her we would pay her (very well) to work for us again, and if she would earn half the money (from us) for her schooling, we would pay the other half. 

We arranged to meet with her the next week, at the school, to get her registered.  The school was over an hours drive away, in terrible traffic.  Dad took off working at the temple to drive me and our interpreter, Felix, to the college.  We waited in the line and then Felix coordinated with the receptionist to find out what we needed to do.  He made the arrangements for us to pay the registration fee and testing fee directly to the bank.  Yes, we found out she needed to take an entrance test.  We gave her the registration form to fill out.  She looked at it and shook her head.  I pointed to where she should write her name, and she haltingly did... in very childlike letters.  That was all she could do.  We discovered she could not read or write, at all.  My heart sank.  We knew she would never be able to take a test, let alone pass it. 

When she came to clean, a couple of days later, I sat down with her.  I had her write her name.  Then I asked her what the letters were.  She only knew some of them.  I asked her if she would like to go to school to learn to read and write.  She said, "Oh, yes... Please!"  I had one of our student/workers who lives out by the orphanage check into literacy schools in the area.  We found one about a ten minute walk from the orphanage. 

The next week, we drove out to take Ornella to the literacy school to find out about registering her.  The school was very humble, but perfect.

Ornella was excited for the opportunity to learn to read and write.  They agreed to start her the following Monday.  We had kept the money she earned working for us in an envelope for her.  She paid her half of the tuition with it,  and we paid the rest.

She was thrilled and on the walk back to the orphanage kept saying, "Je suis une etudiant!"  ("I am a student!)  For the first time in her humble, humble life, she was a student.


We don't know how it is going, but we look forward to finding out.  Hopefully she will be able to get away from the orphanage work for 3 hours a day, for the next 6 months, and she will become literate.  It will open many new doors for her... and change her life, if she is able to.



Amy, we are proud of you for making the sacrifices that you have to give your girls the opportunities that they have to learn!