do you know...

how wonderful I think this guy is!?!?

you know, that one, the guy in the gray shirt up above???

he was the bishop in the University Ward for many years...and it was wonderful.

 i looked in my journal and found that i had written a quote down that he said in a talk when he was released as my bishop on August 5, 2001.

"This is a hard day.

Serving in this ward has been the greatest honor of my life."

-Garth Abbott

and it was an honor to have him as a bishop!

if i had been blessed with a good memory, i would tell you wonderful stories about him...

but i don't have a good memory.

all i remember is how he made me feel.

 

i was just one of the hundred's of young adults he had stewardship over, but always felt special as a person.

i am amazed at the service  he provided for us.

i admire hiss huge heart.

i know he truly loved us as a ward and as individuals.

now.....he needs help since he is battling cancer.

his daughter in law, Rochelle is hosting an auction to raise money for his treatment.

here is her explanation:

My father-in-law, Garth Abbott, was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer called IBC (inflammatory breast cancer). This is a time sensitive matter, and he needs chemotherapy asap. He is uninsured and does not have the necessary money to pay for his treatment. In my ignorance I never realized that someone in his situation would be refused life saving treatment because he could not pay, but that is how the system works, no payment, no treatment.

Garth Abbott is no ordinary man. He has spent his life serving other people. I have watched time after time, knock on the door after knock on the door, phone call after phone call, as this man leaves what he is doing to render help. Sometimes as simple as listening to some one's problems and offering advice, picking up a stranded motorist, offering a night's stay to someone in need (often turning into multiple nights). Countless hours have been spent in service with his church and community as he has worked with the youth loving, teaching, and helping them. He and his wife are the parents of five children, and 18 grandchildren. They are also the caretakers of his 95 year old mother and his down syndrome sister. In my husband's words, "He's the best man I know, and I know a lot of great men!"

go to

http://www.thedailyabbott.blogspot.com/

to see more.....

if you didn't already know. 

i intended to put out this information about the earlier, but it didn't happen.

as i was typing this up i clicked over to the auction to link to it.....and it's already over!

i could kick myself.

i waited till the last day (which i thought was today) to bid and the last day is over ...

i read the blog a BUNCH of times but somehow got the dates mixed in my head.

 i've got issues.

still, go check out the auction.

when i saw the results i was touched.

$19,713.00

i was touched....but not surprised!

these group pics are just a fraction of people who's lives were touched by bishop abbott!

 

since I bombed on the auction, i'm going to save stuff for the garage sale that will happen at the end of Feb.

AND...

it's definitely not to late to donate!

  from rochelle's blog:

Very kind friends of ours, Mont and Michelle Tanner, offered to host a community wide garage sale with all proceeds going directly to the "Garth Abbott-Cancer Fund".
I am including here part of Michelle's note:

GARTH ABBOTT BENEFIT GARAGE SALE!

I will do the garage sale on Feb. 27, 2010. That would give us a good month to collect items that people would want to donate. I am willing to come to any one's home to pick up items. All proceeds will go directly to the "Garth Abbott Cancer Fund". It will be from 6:00 am to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday only. If weather is a factor, we will move it up to the following weekend of March 6th. My address is 639 Foxhall road (cross streets of College and Paradise Hills in Henderson NV) and my phone number (702)-525-5512, or 702-434-4411. If anyone wants to donate, they have plenty of time to do some spring cleaning and help out the cause. The more we get the better! All things not sold, can either be held for another garage sale, given back to the donor (only if specifically marked, because I will get confused) or taken to the DI (Deseret Industries for anyone not familiar with that acronym).