Home Teaching at its Finest!

On 26 October, less than two weeks from his 78th birthday, Allan B. Kinch passed away early in the morning. If you asked him, this would have been just another 29th birthday (the 48th iteration thereof). As long as I knew him, that's the only type of birthday he celebrated.

Allan and Judy Kinch were my family's home teachers after my mother was baptized and moved to Valley Center, CA. Allan baptized my father, Jim. He blessed my older brother, my sister, and I in church after each of us was born. He baptized my mother when she came back into the church. And he baptized and confirmed my brother, sister, and I. Seems like he did it all. Stay tuned.

After my parents divorced and my mother was left with the three of us children, we needed help. We could not make it on our own. Allan and Judy became our foster parents for a short while, even though they already had children of their own. They became a second set of parents to us, and their children became nothing short of our siblings. Even when we went back to live with our mother after a few years, and many years after their home teaching assignment was changed, they didn't stop there. They stepped in and help our family on so many more short and long-term occasions. I spent perhaps almost half my childhood living with them. I lived with their family for part of elementary school, part of junior high and high school, and for the first years of college.

When I was 19 years old, Allan and Judy helped to send me to Brazil for 2 years as a missionary. And they attended Emily's and my wedding in the Portland Temple.

As the only dad I knew until I was older, Allan taught me some crucial life lessons. Through his example, I learned to open doors for and respect women, to be honest, serve in priesthood callings and in church assignments, to speak in public, what it means to be a Boy Scout, to work with wood and metal and build things, to do work on a farm, to ride horses, to manage an irrigation system, to cultivate good habits, to study hard, and to appreciate math and science. Somehow, I ended up as a Naval Officer just like Allan was too.

Now that I am older and have a family of my own, I cannot help but look back and thank Allan and Judy for helping to raise me and giving me many of the best things about my life. They played and will continue to play an enduring and crucial role as part of my heritage and family. So many formative elements in my life were planted by them, and I appreciate that. They gave my siblings and my family so much of themselves. They were the right people that the Lord used on our behalf at the right time. I suppose that the Lord knows what He's doing when He chooses home teachers.

- Kelson