Hermana here. It was lovely to skype our family yesterday as they celebrated Grandma Ron's birthday. Mom would have been 92 this month...although I'm very certain she would NEVER have admitted that. I often wonder what she's doing. Preaching the Gospel, dancing, loving people, making them laugh, enjoying her life hereafter. I miss her greatly.
Today we went to a little barrio (ward) outside Santiago called Hato Del Yaque. We had to giggle through the hymns. Bless their hearts, they sang with gusto and if they could just find a pitch and stick with it, but no, everyone had their own plan. The leader had a strong voice and was leading everyone astray. No pianist of course. There's an electronic piano sitting there and you just have to push a few buttons and the hymns will play themselves. But no one knows how to push the buttons I guess. That's another course for me to teach at the Institute maybe. I could call it "The player piano player piano player course!" :) I was determined if I sang loudly enough, I could get a few people around me to come with me on a pitch close to the real thing. Bill was just trying to follow the leader (and it wasn't me) but the leader started so high that I couldn't even sing the alto without being in the heavens. By the 3rd verse of "I'll go where you want me to go" most of the congregation had dropped down an octave and it became abundantly clear that they were doing it their way so I settled for harmonizing above them. After a rather heroic effort, I gave up the fight and remembered, we aren't here to change them after all, just love them!
I'm always fearful we'll get called on to speak without notice and sure enough, I heard the words "The Familia Partridge" and something about being invited to speak next (and the end of the world...) OK, I'm starting to hyperventilate, I lean over to the head of the Familia Partridge, bat my eyes, smile sweetly and imploringly whisper, "You'll do it, right?" Of course he will! He loves to speak! (News to you, right?) I'm so not ready yet! He did a great job, of course, and made the audience laugh...oh, that's my goal someday. Really, I've been paralyzed to even get up on fast Sunday to bear my testimony but I set a goal to be ready by Feb 1st.
During the class with the young singles today, I had an amazing experience as the teacher was talking about the First Vision and sharing her testimony as well as reading words from the prophets testifying of the reality of the First Vision. I understood enough that I suddenly felt an overwhelmingly powerful witness to my heart, in Spanish, that it was true!. I've had that sure witness many times in my life but never quite so suddenly and unexpectedly...and in Spanish. Such a sweet experience.
It is true. I know it with all my heart and I'm going to be ready next time to share that knowledge, from my heart, in Español.
Well, be careful what you say out loud. Tonight, we were invited by President Douglas to a conference in another city, San Francisco (no trolley cars or sour dough...sorry.) The President and his wife were both prepared to speak. The Stake Pres welcomed us and asked Bill to also take a few minutes. (Whew) But at the close of the meeting, he called me up to bear my testimony. I didn't even have time to hyperventilate. I couldn't pass it off this time, Billy had already spoken. So, I just went up and shared the tiniest little baby steps testimony, but it was from my heart, and it was in Spanish! And, I'm still breathing!. I feel like I've just taken a giant leap forward! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...:)
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