Weeks 2 and 3

We went to church today, May 4th,  at our new ward for the first time. Our block time starts at 11:00a.m. We are members of the Ropers Cross Ward, about 40 minutes from our house. Many of the people are from Samoa. One of the brothers bore his testimony in his own language, and we couldn't understand a word, but it was still beautiful. There is also a Samoa Gospel Doctrine class and an English speaking one. We are both at opposite ends of the cultural hall, and I'd like to say that the Samoa class seemed to sound a lot more lively than ours!

It's great to sit in a chapel across the world and feel the very same spirit and sing the same songs. I know other people have experienced this, it's nothing new, but it's still pretty amazing.

Have to tell you about a Testimony in Relief Society. A YSA bore her testimony and told of an experience when she was 18. She worked with a girl who was Catholic. The catholic girl gave her a cross necklace for her 18th birthday. She graciously said thank you and thought OK! So when it was the Catholic girls birthday, she gave her a Book of Mormon, thinking it was a fair trade. Eight months later, when they were no longer working together, the girl called her and asked her if she would come to her baptism. She was very surprised. So she attended. A few weeks later, the (past)Catholic girl came to see her had brought HER a new Book of Mormon. She said, "this book changed my life. I wonder if you have read it." The Mormon girl was chagrined to say that she really hadn't. The girl said, "I sensed when I saw you at my baptism that you were different and needing something". So she took the book and bore her testimony today that she was reading it all the way through for the first time, and working her way back to being completely active again, as she had started to slide away after she graduated from high school! I thought that was an amazing sort of double conversion story. I didn't see the end coming. She was sitting with other YSA's during the lesson so I thought she was probably a VERY active member who had been a good missionary. I loved it!

We've had a good week. Busy and a little stressful work wise, but a good one. Fall is coming here and the temps are dropping a bit. Glad we came when we did, it was nice to enjoy those beautiful days while we were just beginning the adjustment.

Standing in front of our Ward building Sunday May 4th