Letter to Family

January 10, 2011

Dear Family,

I am so excited about this new year! I can't even put into words the excitement that is continually bubbling up inside of me. I think of you all often and have decided that this excitement is too much to contain so I am sharing it with all of you.

This, my dears is the beginning of a new year, and new Journey. Those of you who know me well know how much I love journeys. I think that is why I like the Hobbits so much. Let me share my journey with all of you, because believe it or not you play an important roll in this year's journey. I believe my love for journeys came when I was sixteen and had just received my patriarchal blessing. One thing Heavenly Father told me through my Stake Patriarch was that my “journey through life would be sweet”. Every time I read my blessing that word jumps off the page and sinks deep into my soul.

One thing I have learned over the years is that you constantly need to be listening because you never know when something will make an impact and change your life.

I will begin by explaining how the inspiration came to me this year.
Last week in testimony meeting a gentleman bore his testimony on the trials we face in our lives and reminded us that 'if ye are prepared ye shall not fear'. He took us back to the days of Noah and his mighty ark. The Lord warned the people for years that there would be a flood. They laughed at Noah as he constructed his boat on dry land. They laughed until it started to rain. The gentleman then asked the question, “Are our boats ready to sail on the storm tossed sea?” Oh my GOSH! Really?!
That was it, my mind started to race...how can I incorporate this into my life? How can I answer that question? I'm pretty sure that if it started to rain today that I could probably tread water for a little while. I could probably even float for a little while. But really...I'm pretty sure I would die. I don't want to die, I'm not ready to die. I decided that day that I was going to build an ark. As I began formulating the idea I began to worry about how my ark wouldn't be complete without the people that I love, sooooo. Yup this is where it gets good.

YOU ARE ALL INVITED

Everyone that receives this e-mail is invited to board the
USS Beltham. (Belt Hammack)


This is a list of those invited to board.

All the members of the Belt/Hammack Family, who are:
Terry, Hollie, Tiffany, Chad, & Cole Schmidt, Russell, Jessica, Daniel, Jaxon, and Baby Anderson, Harley and Zack, John, Brittany, & Katie.
We are also inviting....JoAnn and Bill Clayson, and Bob Hammack. They will not receive letters though as we feel they may be offended, and that is not or intent. We just feel that the children in both families would not want to leave their other parent behind. And we as former spouses are eternally grateful for the monumental role that they played in our lives.
These letters will also be received by our parents; Harley and Mary Hatch, and Glenys Belt.

Now that you all know who is invited here are the rules:

1.You must respond to this e-mail stating one of two things.
Do you want to be a part of this? Or do you not.
We will not FORCE anyone to be on our boat. Russell, as oldest of the Belt children we ask that you respond for your mother.
And, Tiffany, as oldest of the Hammack children we ask that you respond for your father.

2.There are 10 wooden rails that make up our boat. They are:
1. Pay tithing
2. Attend church meetings
3. Attend the temple
4. Do Home and Visiting Teaching
5. Have Family Home Evening
6. Pray daily
7. Study scriptures daily
8. Fast once a month
9. Do service
10. Work on other preparedness, ie. Food storage, maintaining a healthier lifestyle, family history

3.Each month I will send each of you an e-mail to tell you how things are going and how our boat is progressing, I will also include a picture of our boat. Similar to the one I'm send in this e-mail, just hopefully with some boards attached. :)

4.We are doing this as a Family. We do not expect all of you to do ALL of the things on the list. We would like you to, but we realize that we are all at different places on our own personal journeys. What we ask is that you do your best. We want you to elevate the lifestyles that you are currently living. Be a little better, try a little harder. We don't expect perfection but be do expect you to do something to contribute the construction of our ship.

As I receive responses I will make little stick figures of each of you and put you in our boat. This is obviously a work in progress so I ask that you be patient with me as this unfolds.
My prayer is that you catch the 'vision' of this journey. That you even entertain the possibility of creating your own personal boat, set goals, reach a little higher, be a little better.
The blessings that we have been given in this life are beyond amazing. We need to be grateful to an Eternal Father in Heaven that loves us. We need to show our love and gratitude to Him by living better lives.

I want to testify to you that I KNOW Heavenly Father lives. I know that He loves each of us. I know that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. I know that He is YOURS as well. I know that if we live our lives more closely to the teachings of our Savior we will be happier. No matter what we choose to believe or where we are on our journey there is hope. Hope for a better life. Hope for safe passage back to our Heavenly home where we can be encircled by His love always.

My prayer is that you will each respond. That you will all choose to be a part of this amazing journey. I love you all so much. I am grateful for the organization of families.

This year our journey is to BUILD! To build as a family.

All of my love, and hope, hope for clear skies and the time we need to build.

Mom, Hollie

PS The battery is dead in my camera...those of you who know we well know that is no surprise... :) I will send a picture of the boat next week.