October 3, 2011
This past week has been one of great learning and adjustment. It is so fun, though, because everyone is so excited that we are here. (We're involved with two wards, the White Plains 1st and 2nd Wards, and everyone we see seems to have known that we were coming, but were't sure what our calling is.)
Our calling is to work with the Relief Society in each ward where we can be of assistance. Last week we met with Sisters Brown and Cheney to see how we could help. They gave us lists of sisters who need help: anywhere from those whose husbands are deployed in Iraq or Afganistan, three sisters with stage 3 or 4 cancer (one has one- year-old twins), a sister who is on bedrest with her sixth child (she lives 25 min away), a sister who had surgery and now has almost lost the use of her vocal chords--the list goes on and on...I don't think we'll be bored. We will also do visiting teaching in the wards as needed to help sisters, and teach inservice and other lessons.
On Friday, we met with Elder and Sister Noel, our District Leader and his wife. They are in Mike and Daphne Brown's ward, and couldn't have been more complimentary about them! They said over and over again what a darling family they are.
We are meeting with the temple president, Pres.Tingey, tomorrow to find out which day we will be working in the temple each week. I am so excited to do this and feel that it will be such a spiritual lift for me.
I loved conference, but it was really different watching it on my computer at 12 and 4 instead of on my big screen tv (it makes it even harder to concentrate, I must admit)...
After conference on Sunday, we went to the 2nd Ward for the baptism of the Patterson family, Mike, the father, Stephanie, 14, and Mike, 12 or 13. They also have a son, Dominick, 5. This is an Afro-American family. The spirit was strong, it was amazing! There were so many people there that everyone couldn't fit into the room to witness the baptism, and this is from the ward that many people have to travel 30 minutes or more to the church. We were wondering where the mom was and found out later that she passed away during this past year. The family just moved into the ward so I'm pretty sure we'll be called upon to help in some way. Stephanie has a lot to bear on 14 year old shoulders...
We are settled into our apartment, except we're waiting for our tv to be hooked up on Wed. (don't tell the Jr. Missionaries...) We found Costco tonight and thought it would be a great idea to stock up on some frozen food, etc...until we got home and had to carry three loads up to the third floor where our apartment is!!! Who says I'm not going to be in shape by the time I get home?!?
I know that Jesus Christ is OUR BROTHER and that Joseph Smith is the true Prophet of the latter-days. I know that our Heavenly Father knows and loves us as well as our earthly fathers do, and that He wants us to be happy and to be with Him again when our work on this earth is finished.
