This email was sent by Sister Welker on March 6th.  We received it on March 5th.

Week 30: Important

Important it's a word that requires our full attention.  It's what gives us purpose.  It controls our schedule.  It prioritizes itself above the 'To Do List.'  Emails, clothes, meetings, beauty, money--it's all important, right?  Let's say tomorrow you'll be fatally ill with only hours left to live.  Are your emails, clothes, and money still important?

Regardless if today was your last day or not, your inbox will still have over 50 emails, your meetings would go on without you, and you'll no longer need money.  So what is important? What is it that truly matters?

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf answered these questions in an article titled 'Regrets and Resolutions.' The only copy I was able to find was in French, but from what my companion told me it's a really good article.  He describes a nurse who worked with patients close to death.  The nurse would often ask her patients if they had any regrets, and a majority of them admitted that yes they did have regrets.  She found the most common regrets were 1) they regretted not spending more time with the ones they loved; 2) they regretted that they could have done better/lived more to their full potential; and 3) they regretted that they chose not to be more happy/too focused on the stresses and problems of life.  For these patients, the time they had remaining was spent regretting that they didn't focus on what matters most, family.

For me, my family has always been there for me, even if I didn't want them there, they were there for me.  They're the ones that have been with me since the beginning, the beginning of my time here on earth.  I was fortunate to be blessed with a patient family, a family that accepts me for who I am and acknowledges that I'm not any where close to perfect.  Yet despite my weaknesses and imperfections, they love me.  They love me for the crazy blonde white island girl that I am.  Yes there have been too many times that I've left my family disappointed, or have had those days where I wish I could give them a plane ticket to Mars for the weekend, but they still love me.

The year I started uni (college), I meet someone with one of the happiest families that I know.  They had what I wanted in my own family.  From that time forward I made the decision that I was gonna go out of my way to spend time with the ones I love most.  I took my youngest brother Brandon to a doughnut shop, and an Arcade Game Place and just had fun attempting to beat my youngest brother in pin ball, and air hockey.  My other brother Bryan and I went to a movie, had ice cream and found a family owned cafe that sells the best frozen lemonade and avocado toast I've ever had.  Moni-Q and I went on a date of our own and had Chick-fil-a and watched 'Me Before You.'  Things that an average teenager doesn't usually have the time for, but because of those fun times with my family I now have the closest relationship with them than I've probably ever had my entire life.  Now for some of you, my entire life isn't very long, but to me it's changed my life.

The only difference between the patients close to death and you, is time.  Time is something you have that they don't.  Use it wisely.  Any parent can tell you how fast time flies.  Why wait to spend time with the ones you love?  One day you'll look back, and when your asked if you have had any regrets, you can smile and say no.

Thank you again, for all your love and support.  You all really mean the world to me especially my family.  I know that life gets hard, and stressful--trust me missionaries are no exception. But I hope you guys take some time to remember what's most important in life.  Elder Uchtdorf said that "Forever is composed of Nows,"  so don't wait forever to start now.

Hope you all have a good week.

Sister Welker

       Found these photos of Sister Welker making Forever out of Nows.