I am still feeling the exhilaration of Rootstech, after my return home on Tuesday.  The atmosphere is just electrifying there in Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace. It is a pure joy to be among people who have a desire to do their family history. In doing so, we can gather tangible evidence of our ancestors and preserve and treasure it. Often it was their experiences and decisions that shaped and molded us into who we have become. As we discover, gather, and connect with them we are enriched. As we engage in this work we leave a legacy for our posterity and remember those individuals whose sacrifices have blessed us and our children and future generations.

Scientific evidence suggests that genealogy and family history strengthen families today.  Children gain a sense of security and well-being when they learn about their ancestors. Recording our family history gives a well-deserved tribute to our ancestors by remembering and honoring them.  Everyone’s life is important and none of us want to be forgotten.  Sharing our family history also gives a sense of belonging to our posterity that reaches beyond our nuclear families.  It broadens our perspective on living life and problem-solving.  It gives us the courage to go forward in difficult times when we become aware of things an ancestor has accomplished.  If their struggles were overcome, we can also face our own challenges with more faith and success. We can do hard things! I want that for our family and I appreciate others who feel the same.  I find those people are at Rootstech, and that is why I plan all year long to make sure I get there.

At the Family History Guide, we plan for Rootstech all year also. Our management team has doubled in size this past year. Our goal and our mission statement are the same. We want to get many more people involved in their family history and to make doing so easier, more efficient and more enjoyable. We have many trainers around the world and we want even more to consider joining in our cause to share it everywhere.

Thousands of hours are volunteered annually because we believe in this effort to help people do this wonderful work.  We are all volunteers, we are a non-profit association.  We received donations from large corporations, and individuals can send donations as well through our donate button at the bottom of each page.  No amount is too small. We also encourage people to use smile.amazon.com for your purchases on Amazon and to name The Family History Guide as your favorite charity. (You can purchase anything you would normally buy on Amazon. on smile.amazon.com) When you do that The Family History Guide gets a small portion of your purchase amount back from Amazon as a donation. We do what we do, as an act of service and not for personal gain.  Our website is free to our users and is an approved training website for FamilySearch.

The Family History Guide just makes sense. It is easy to follow and understand. It saves time because it keeps you on track, going at your own pace, tracking your own progress, and step by step, you will become an independent learner and doer.  With The Family History Guide, you can actually do your family history instead of worrying about how to do it.  With a firm foundation that you will gain by using The Family History Guide, you will truly have fun learning about your ancestors.  As you share their stories with your family, you will strengthen them in the process.

At Rootstech many people came to our booth, our mini-classes, and 3 big presentations. See BobTaylor’s post for the stats and the incredible quotes from Rootstech attendees.

This year I was thrilled to have our daughter join me at Rootstech.  Laura helped work in our booth doing demos and even helped me do some mini-classes. I sent her 30 Things To See in The Family History Guide to help her prepare a few weeks ago, and she was off and running.  In the past, she had been confused by various people trying to help her do this work.  She was simply amazed that she could do the demos and answer people’s questions and when they left they were so grateful for what she showed them.  They were eager to try it for themselves.  That was when I decided I wanted her to take part in the mini-classes I taught, so she could share this first experience with other people.  It gave them hope and a desire to share with others. It gave Laura a desire to share The Family History Guide with the people of Virginia. She is considering becoming a Certified Trainer for The Family History Guide herself sometime soon. I made sure she had the opportunity at Rootstech to also go to other key classes and she loved it all.  All these things and more made Rootstech truly unforgettable in 2019!  Here’s hoping you can come in 2020!