The PVC is coming along! We are trying to push Salt Lake
who thinks its a great idea, to send us the content from the other
visitors center so we dont have to go the round about way, but until
then we just have to keep moving forward assuming we're not going to get
it. President Christensen met with 10 of quorum of the 12 last week and
we're hoping that's one of the items on the agenda they talked about.
Just got a call from President as I type! We got a graphic designer
in mind who will be hired to do the layouts! We are meeting with
President tomorrow morning at 8 am to run through it all. So....say goodbye to the rest of our pday to get ready for it. Yikes. pray for us.
Ill share just one experience I had this week...
On Saturday
morning we got to go to the temple to do baptisms for the first time
with Sis. Wagner's recent convert. It was nice to be in Belmont again,
even if it was just driving through. I had a very special tender
experience in the temple. We had joined another ward's youth group and
to be considerate of their group size S. Wagner and I chose not to do
any baptisms and just watched Mary (the RC) and the member friend that
came with her too do them. We were just sitting in the chapel watching
them through the glass, when a young women came and sat down beside me.
She said, "Hi, i'm Lexi! What's your name?" As I began talking to her
and told her my name, it was evident that she was mentally handicapped. I
had my arm on the back of the pew around her and she just smiled at me
and then put her head on my shoulder. She told me she was about to "do
blessings".
A few of the young women left to get dressed and told her it was
time to go get ready now. She said no, that she wanted to stay. The
girls looked at me apologetically and I said it's ok she can stay while
you get ready! We just sat there and every now and then Lexi would
remind me how excited she was to do blessings (confirmations). We always
talk about being confirmed as receiving the gift of the holy ghost. And it very much is a gift..but I never had used the word blessing to describe it before. But it is that too...a literal gift and blessing
from Heavenly Father -that we dont have to have the option to feel the
presence of the Holy Ghost, feelings of peace and comfort and answers to
questions, just sometimes, but what a blessing it is that we can have
that ALL of the time.
Lexi knew that. I encouraged her to go get ready and she did. By
the time she was done, Mary was done as well and we were back in the
chapel just sitting with Mary for a few more minutes. Lexi came in and
squeezed in between me and Mary so she could sit by me. "Sister Bell I
got to do blessings!" She gave me a hug and we sat there again with my
arm around her as we looked out at those getting baptized. "Oh, look,
there they go!" she'd say as they went in the water. As I had my arm
around her I felt such an overwhelming sense of love, and all that I had
left to say was "Lexi, Heavenly Father is so happy you are here" over
and over again to her.
We finally had to go and I said bye to Lexi. The next morning in my personal study I found this quote:
"I
believe that if we could have the privilege of walking physically with
the Savior, that we would feel His arm draped over our shoulder just
like that. Like the disciples heading toward Emmaus, our hearts would
“burn within us” (Luke 24:32). This is His message: “Come and see” (John 1:39). It is personal, inviting, and embracing in its invitation to walk with His arm around our shoulders."
I'm not sure why Lexi sat by me instead of the 20
other people in the room, but i'm sure glad she did. I got such an inch
more of a glimpse of how the savior feels about us. When we return I
think that's all most of us will need, is just for him to put his arm
around our shoulder and say "I'm so glad you're here." I think that will
be enough, because our hearts will "burn within us" that tells more
than what you could ever say.
I've learned even more, especially in this project, that the Lord
doesn't have to work in grand gestures to show his love in a grand way.
We wish for that, or at least I do. Big gestures are cool, can be life
changing, recognizable, and solidifying. We sometimes feel like we
deserve them too or that we have a level of faith that earns them like
"but i have an important calling" or "but i have a very important
question" or "im worthy and living in the best way I can that i could
receive it that way".But I think it sometimes takes an even higher level
of faith to recognize that when God gives you an umbrella instead of
taking away the rainstorm...when heavenly father help us work through
our problems instead of giving us the answer to the equation...or when
you put your arm around someone and tell them you love them...that it's
just as grand, and just as much heaven's hand.
Love you all! I hope you can feel the Savior's arm
around you this week, and in return, act as the Savior and put your arm
around someone else this week.
Sister Bell
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