Emoji time 🔥📖🦸🙏

We have a good conversation with Mark on a video call each Monday and he is happy and busy working in the mission office, assigned to travel logistics. There are lots of train tickets to purchase and coordinate in the mission. He gets to leave the office every day to contact people and teach, and he loves living in the city and being so close to the temple. The mission office has a good atmosphere since it is a consecrated place, and he enjoys his connections with missionaries. He serves each week as the pianist in Primary in his ward.

His weekly emails are basically brief statements punctuated by emojis. Here is a small collection of fun lines from his emails from the past few months:

Do-si-don’t do that, elder. 🕺(Reflecting whether missionaries should have accepted the invitation from older ladies to join in the folk dancing at a ward activity.)

I’m trying to make Mexican food in Danmark; it’s me against the world with their spice selection though🧂🧂

Sisters had a baptism yesterday. I got one days notice to play music for it, but as a wise philosopher once said: “Sometimes if you do a job bad enough you don’t get asked to do it again.”🐅

I made pickles for our zone pday and everyone ate them. Before I got any.😒

🖥🔥💳☢️😨It’s going well.

With transfer news we had to hit the office for 11 hours to crank out the fastest ever travel plans💪

Elder Harris moving in on Thursday🕶🪇

Alma 32 keeps coming in clutch with lessons so shout out Alma the younger. Always worth [a] read, but so is the rest of the book.🪇

Jane Eyre movie marathon

Something I like to do is watch different movie versions of my favorite books. Recently, I viewed four Jane Eyre films. Only one was for the big screen and the rest were television miniseries adaptations.

Here is the order that I rank them. I would enjoy watching all but the lowest ranked one again.

4.

I am sorry, but this 1997 version was horrible. One pitfall of this bad Jane Eyre adaptation is that Jane shows little intelligence or competence.

3.

This was the 1983 adaptation. Timothy Dalton is an excellent Mr. Rochester. The filming feels dated and limiting, almost like a stage production. Both leads are believable, even while being a little old fashioned in their style of acting.

2.

2011. Cinematically gorgeous for the big screen, many shots had such beautiful composition that they looked like subjects for paintings. It has a wonderful cast, but since it is the shortest adaptation, some important pieces in the story are overlooked and the happily ever after is artistic, but abrupt.

1.

2006. The chemistry between leads is so good. Toby Stephens shows a unique vulnerability and humor, and he’s the first Mr. Rochester that I actually like. The person who recommended this version to me said that you can see why Jane Eyre fell in love with this man. This screenplay shows best how Jane’s difficult past helped her become morally strong and kind. There are many things to love about this one.

Young Men Camp 2025

Group shot (photo taken by Richard)
The poof of life photo he sent me after a hike in the heat. 😎

Our ward had back-to-back youth camps this month. Busy. Richard is the only Ross man left at home to go on high adventure camps and I miss seeing our boys in photos with their dad on these trips.

Father’s Day 2025

Apple tree maintenance
Video call with Paige and baby W

The local kids gathered with us to celebrate Father’s Day. Mark called from Copenhagen, and Paige called with W from Alabama. There was a puzzle, snacks, and a dinner of Richard’s favorite foods.

After a two year break from the tradition, I pulled out the Sunday dinner journal and asked our family what they appreciated about their dad this year, which launched us into lots of reminiscing. Daniel, McKenna, Tim, and Queenie placed bags on Richard’s apples to protect them from moths, and we enjoyed the evening sitting out on the beautiful lawn.

Our children bring us a lot of joy.

All are invited

A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 14:16-24

This parable is referenced in Section 58 of the Doctrine and Covenants as the Lord uses it to teach about building Zion. (D&C 58:8-11) A key identifier of a Zion people is their focus on gathering others to the gospel feast. The servants in this parable go out and invite everyone, absolutely everyone.

How am I doing at accepting the invitation?

How am I doing at inviting others?

My favorite detail from this parable is that the Lord has prepared a wonderful feast and he wants his house filled. How parental. The older I get, the more I understand the longing for a full table with each child present. Magnify my small capacity and longing by an infinite amount and that would describe the Lord’s interest in helping all his children know that they are invited, numbered, and loved.

Camp

Richard and I were guests at young women camp one evening this week. They provided a lovely dinner, sang around the campfire, and had a testimony meeting. It was rewarding to be observers. Girls camp feels familiar, even as the girls grow up so quickly and the campsites change. I asked question after question of the girls and leaders and learned a lot about their experiences. It was a long drive home and we pulled in at midnight. Still, we probably got more sleep than those who stayed at camp!

Nominative determinism

Nominative determinism means that our names can influence our interests, personality, and life choices. For example, I knew a girl in middle school named Charisma, and her personality matched her name perfectly. My dad’s name means beloved, and he is! My mother’s name is Carol, and yes, music is a huge part of her life.

My name is Angela Christie. I’ve teased my mom about this in the past, “No pressure with that name, Mom.” When I married Richard, my name became Angela C. Ross. After many years, I noticed that my middle initial and last name spell the word cross. ✝️ (Hopefully the religious kind, not the grumpy kind!)

Sometimes my name stings with the disconnect I see between the real and the ideal. Other days, I am grateful for the reminder of potential and promise.

You and I are called to be better each day, no matter our names or their origins. Those who make and keep covenants become children of Christ and take his name. Nominative determinism suggests that each covenant child is set on a path for a glorious future, and I know that Christ will help us live up to his name if we let him.

Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.

Mosiah 26:18

Happenings

Time with friends in the mountains
W’s delight at BYU’s mascot on Paige’s shirt.
A trip to an art museum with a friend from our Texas years.
Book club
We hung out with Richard’s parents all weekend in St George.

Some weeks are just extra special. I haven’t had time to write about this one, but I want to remember it.

Movie marathon

Mark loves the Mission Impossible movies, and we took his advice and watched several of them together to prepare for our viewing of The Final Reckoning. These movies are long, so we had to split the marathon into several days.

I don’t normally watch action movies, but it gave me time with family and it was a reminder of Mark. We are resolved not to give him any spoilers and I’m sure there will be another movie marathon after he gets home.