Ohhhhh, what to write?! There's too much. Always...
I forgot to even tell y'all last week about our baptism. Like...what...? How did that even slip my mind?! Who knows. Mark and April had asked Sister Young and I to sing "Lead Kindly Light" at the baptism, which both of us were excited about...until we sang it the next morning and it was very churchy hymnyy and not very exciting or soul-full. So we changed it up. We added in some acapella parts, a few solo parts and had our pianist play an active high at one part, and then for the last verse, I sang the tenor part an octave higher, and Sister Young sang the Base part an Octave higher. WAY. COOL. Except for the fact that we were shaking out of our minds. Right before we went up Sister Young leaned over to me and said "Lord, make us sound like angels..." We were both really nervous for how it would go. We sang right before he was actually baptized, and right in the middle of my solo part, my voice just kinda slipped and I had to breath. It ended up making it a bit more dramatic in the performance singing "the night is dark and I am far from home, lead thou me on." I'm not sure if I really just couldn't breath at that part, or if the reality of what I was singing just kind of hit home to me. I am far from home and sometimes all you can say is "Lord, lead me on. I've got nothing." Anyway. This dramatic sucking in of air and dynamic change and word choice kinda threw everyone into the Spirit. To my surprise. There were tears, and smiles and I realized how much I loved the people looking back at me. I looked at Mark and his girlfriend April at this point, who were both following along in the hymn book, and crying softly. Breathtaking moment. I which I could have frozen the moment in time. This Gospel really is what brings us true, pure joy. Even with the awkward breath-taking and rushing frantic moments of filling a font and getting people their on time.
Since we found out that we have another six week run at this area, Sister Young and I decided that we are going to do everything we can to build and lift this area. Starting with the memebers. If we are to rely on our memebers for referrals, and our memebers have struggling testimonies, that strong testimonies we must help build first. We started a 40-day fast this last week. My last area was finishing on as I came in, so that was where we had gotten the idea. We passed around a calendar, and someone signs up each day. the person signed up, starts at 5pm the day before and goes until 5pm the next day, when they signed up. The idea is to continually have someone fasting in our Branch for missionary work for 40 days striaght. We have already seen the mircales. Whoo boy have we seen the miracles. We reached our memeber present goal for the first time last week, and we commited a friend of our Elders Quarom President to Baptism. She's been reading the Book of Mormon for 3 hours everyday since. We also got a random call from the other stake with a referral for us. Lessons and opportunities have just been popping up. It's incredible to see the hands of the Lord reaching down to us like never before.
We are also implementing a "flood facebook" this friday. The idea is to have every member post something about the church on their facebook this friday August 2nd. And it's not just a Branch thing. Our Branch Mission leader is creating an event on facebook tonight that explains more, and were hoping to have it spread around the states. So, I have an assignment for you reading this. This friday, post something. A link to your favorite talk or mormon message, a scripture, a quote, a picture of you outside the temple at your wedding. Whatever it may be. Be creative. And tell people The event should be going around, so look for it, and if you don't see it, go find it. It's called "Stand Forth and Begin to Speak." I coined that... Following Hel. 5:26 :) Because the more people that are in on it, the more it's going to touch those around us.
Que mas..? AHHH no time.
The meetings on the Base are going to be changing, and so Sister Young and I taught our last Gospel Principles class. She begged me to break something. So I let her. We decided to kinda go out with a bang, or a crash. We taught the restoration to about 35+basic trainees and their visiting families. While describing what happened in the Apostacy and how the authority and power of God was lost, Sister Young took out a glass cup, zipped it up in a plastic bag and then Smashed it onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. Whew. Then she picked up the bag and ask "who wants to put this back together?!" Silence. We explained how without God, and his power and authority, the church couldn't be put back together. Poeple tried, but they needed devine assistance. The we talked about Jospeh Smith. It. Was. ASTONISHING. I think we surprised a lot of people. We had a good crowed come to our next hour class where we teach the Preach My Gospel Lessons. So many that Sister Young and I had to split to different sides of the room, she taught those preparing for baptism, and I took the questions from those who were there for the first time. Steller lessons. I felt smart answering questions without a trainer beside me. But I guess I still had the best trainer with me :)
Well family. There's never enough time. I love you all. Have a good week! And rememeber "Stand Forth and Begin to Speak"
Love,
your Hermana
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