Photos up on facebook - by Elder O'Gara ;-}

Number Three was here on her way to a wedding in Idaho and helped me create a photo album on Elder O'Gara's facebook page. The first two photos are pre MTC, the rest are all in Provo. He has Always loved photographing flowers. Nature is nice but flowers are irresistible if he has a camera near! So I left in all the flower photos, and most have raindrops on them, another favorite. He Was born in Tacoma and spent his first 13 years there, rain is a fundamental part of his reality.

He provided all the captions, I only altered one - the first picture was simply labeled "April 10th". I changed it to: Last chance to donate blood, April 10, 2012

Jon's first time donating blood was near the end of his Junior year in high school, and he Loved it! "Mom! you can save 2 lives with each pint of blood!" Suddenly all previous plans for his Eagle project went by the wayside and he was doing a Blood Drive. One leader told him they weren't allowed any more but the Red Cross assured him they were, there were simply tougher guidelines. Eagle projects are to teach and reinforce leadership skills. Like how to plan, delegate, co-ordinate, etc. Much harder than just doing everything yourself. We moved 2 weeks before the Drive so that complicated things, he was contacting people from the new ward (area) as well as the previous three wards (areas) we had lived in. Short moves ;-} I was only allowed to drive him places, donate a pint and be one of the greeters at the actual event. No one was going to be able to say his Mommy earned his Eagle Scout badge!

In spite of various changes~ our move, the drive location changing the week before the event, etc. over 60 people showed up to donate blood. Some who came couldn't donate, 53 people donated resulting in 51 pints of usable blood and 26 of the people were first time donors! He was thrilled. The Red Cross people were happy, apparently they love first time donors. So, although I didn't know it until he sent the disc to me, I was not surprised in the least that one of the last things he did to prepare himself to serve the Lord would be donating blood. It is just who he is, when he believes in something it is with all his heart and soul and being.

Sincerely, Elder O'Gara's Mom