Feeling at Home

Last Sunday we enjoyed one my favorite days yet in Africa. After listening to John speak to our church congregation (His spiritual nature amazes me, and his love for God and desire to serve Him truly helps me strive to grow spiritually as well. I felt so deeply priviledged to be his wife as I heard him speak and share his experiences and testimony) we enjoyed an evening with Paul and Ann Koelliker. The Koellikers are long time friends of my parents, and have been an instrumental example to me through out my life. They are currently living in Johannesburg on an assignment for our church to be counselor to the Area President for the Africa area. President Koelliker, as he has always been known to me, was my ecclesiastical leader (my Stake President; thus the title) when John and I were married, and he interviewed us for marriage in one of our church’s temples. Just last year President Koelliker was again an important presence in a family experience; he was the sealer (a man appointed by our church president who is authorized to marry church members in a temple for time and eternity and one who is also authorized to seal families together forever. ) who sealed our Lucy to us to be a Graham for all time and eternity. Sharing such sweet moments with the Koellikers, and adding to that the tender love my parents have felt as friends of theirs for many years, you can imagine the feelings of being home I enjoyed as we entered their beautiful living quarters on the Temple grounds of the Johannesburg Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. To be welcomed with hugs and kisses, to be fed as if at my own mother’s table, to have people who I love so dearly truly pour out their love toward my own children as if their grandchildren had come for a visit. I can’t really describe it for you, accept to say that it was a sweet and tender evening for me. Tears came freely as I stood with this dear man overlooking the temple and the vast city of Johannesburg, feeling a love from him could only be described as Christ-like. What a gift to know a couple like this, to feel of their love for others and their devotion to God.

And the kids had a BLAST playing in the big garden out front. President Koelliker took our family on a walk of the temple grounds and the surrounding area while Sister Koelliker kindly prepared our dinner (don’t worry mom, I came in and offered to help, and she let us bring dessert and rolls, so we tried to contribute and remember our manners as best we could !). Brynley and Madi felt so happy and comfortable there that they practiced a little “show” which they shared with all of us at the conclusion of our evening together. In true Graham we left our mark on the evening; breaking a toy, changing Molly after she had a “messy” potty training episode, and leaving behind us a sippy cup and bib. John always says our “footprint” is big; but as the Koellikers successfully raised 7 children of their own I somehow felt they’d understand. And they did.

I hope we’ll get to see the Koelllikers again before we leave Africa. They have in the four months they’ve lived here already seen more of this continent than we ever will. They’ve ministered to the people of this place in concrete ways, helping to distribute aid that is used for our church’s Perpetual Education Fund and presiding over conferences and church meetings…but if their schedule is such that we don’t get the chance we will certainly understand. I’ll cling to that feeling of being home on those days that I am pushing through a day of home school or feeling a bit alone in a vast country where we have made only a few precious friends. Thank you Koellikers, for giving me a taste of home as we spent time with you and felt your gigantic hearts as they poured love out upon our family.