Today was one of those days that is hard to describe in terms of what was felt spiritually.
The Alexanders who have just moved back into the 2nd Ward spoke in Sacrament meeting. Sister Alexander introduced them and told some stories about their family and some of the blessing they have received as they have tried to raise their family in the gospel.
She spoke about going to church every Sunday, reading scriptures, and praying together. She was inactive when they met and when he took the lessons and was baptized she watched his life changing as he lived what the Elders had taught him. She decided she liked what she saw and needed to make some significant changes in her own life. That was over 40 years ago.
Brother Alexander spoke of similar experiences and how important prayer has become to him. He related a story about a time they were traveling together and how important it was to get to the top of the hill they were driving up. He knew the car was having major problems and he worried that if things got worse he could end up stalling and the car would go into reverse and Sister Alexander was following him up the hill. He prayed with all his heart that the car would make it. The Lord did bless him to make it up the hill.
He talked about some of the problems he has had to face during his life and how the Lord blesses him and supports him. He served as the Bishop when he lived in 2nd Ward before the boundary changes put them in the 1st Ward. He is one of the most humble men you could find and he is one of the best Ward Mission Leaders that any Bishop could ask for.
He helped Sister Goldtooth while she was taking the math class for Pathways. I was able to listen to him one time when he was going over a math problem with her. He explained it in such a simple way, making it easier to solve. She walked away with a better understanding of how to solve similar problems in the future.
Sister Alexander works as a consultant in the Family History Center and comes every Wednesday morning for about 4 hours with few exceptions. Brother Alexander goes out with the young Elders all the time and bears solemn witness to everyone they visit about the restored gospel and what it can do for them. They have become two of my favorite people here in Tuba City.
After sacrament we went into the History Center and worked with 2 people. A visitor had been in sacrament meeting and somehow knew Brother Mexican who does a tremendous amount of work in the center. They apparently share a line in the tree. He was asking Brother Mexican how he had found the name of a certain relative. Brother Mexican found the birth certificate of one of the children that had the father listed with his census number. He printed it out, but the man was gone. I had heard him give Brother Mexican his phone number and suggested he call. He said he was meeting him at the hospital after church where they planned to give someone a blessing. He ended up leaving the center with two documents that he planned to share.
At 11 it was time to go back for 1st Ward Sacrament. Sister Manygoats shared her experience of going to the St. George Temple on Saturday with her sister, Sister Tunney. She shared what she felt about knowing she is sealed to her parents, but that she has not had the privilege of being sealed to her husband or children. He is not a member yet and even though their son is currently serving and mission and will return in December, her husband has not yet been converted. We all hope this changes.
After sacrament meeting we were back in the center to work with some of the members. Sister Gen Hadley had come in several weeks ago, but when she came back in we could not find her file. It was very frustrating because she had recently had surgery and was still in a lot of pain and we had several others in the center at the time and could not take the time we needed to find it, so she ended up leaving. Today when she returned she was able to get right onto her file, which we had found later. She added several more names and we found death information about 3 of her family members on ancestry.com. I explained about doing Temple work and she said she was going to cry because of what she was feeling. Her only brother died as a young man and I could not help but think that she was feeling his presence as we sat there.
Three other people were also in the center. Sister Victoria Nez and her mom, Lena Secody were on the next computer. Sister Nez is very comfortable with the program and today she found two more family members to add to her tree.
Sister Tausha Dickson is also an expert doing research on the internet. She has made several small albums of her family photos. She visited her grandmother for a long time without getting much information and then as she is visiting her one time, she walked over to a trunk at the end of her bed and opened it. She had a couple of hundred family photos which she allowed Tausha to take. Sister Dickson has been called to be the RS secretary in the 1st Ward.
Since it was the 5th Sunday we met with the YM/YW in the Relief Society room. After Bishop Allen started us off, Sister Allen’s Sunday school went into action. Kyle Nockideneh started building a sundae. Believe me when I say he had everyone’s attention. One of the young Elders noticed he had written Sundae a delight on the board. Ice cream, cherries, whip cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, the works were quickly put together. Then he brought out ketchup and mustard, which he generously applied to everyone’s horror.
He asked why, ketchup and mustard are good things also, right? A short discussion ensued. We decided that they were good, but not on a Sundae, right?
Kyle turned the time over to another young classmate and she in turn passed the baton to another. Both talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy and asked a lot of questions about how we can do that and why we do that.
Sister Allen then came up and talked about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy as well. She suggested 4 things that we should think about. 1. The Sabbath should taste different. 2. The Sabbath should look different. 3. The Sabbath should sound different. 4. The Sabbath should feel different.
She displayed pictures to go along with the 4 ideas. The first had a picture of a pizza ½ with an actual pizza and ½ with vegetables. The second was a picture of a shirt ½ play type shirt ½ white shirt and tie. The third ½ electric guitar ½ violin. The fourth a chair ½ a theater chair, ½ a church chair.
We discussed each of the pictures and how they were different and how we can make the Sabbath different by what we choose to do on the Sabbath. Great ideas were shared. She also added that the leaders do not specify what we can or cannot do. We have to make our own way so to speak, using our unique situations to do so, and based on gospel principles and teachings.
It was an amazing day really, so full of the spirit and so edifying and uplifting. We all came away spiritually feed.
Bishop and Sister Allen are amazing people and those who have the privilege of associating with them always come away feeling good or determined to make changes in their lives. They are great examples of people who are dedicated to serving the Lord with their time and talents. I am not sure how they accomplish all the great things that they do, but I believe the Lord fortifies them for the challenges they face and never ever leaves them alone.
Today was one of those days that is hard to describe in terms of what was felt spiritually.
The Alexanders who have just moved back into the 2nd Ward spoke in Sacrament meeting. Sister Alexander introduced them and told some stories about their family and some of the blessing they have received as they have tried to raise their family in the gospel.
She spoke about going to church every Sunday, reading scriptures, and praying together. She was inactive when they met and when he took the lessons and was baptized she watched his life changing as he lived what the Elders had taught him. She decided she liked what she saw and needed to make some significant changes in her own life. That was over 40 years ago.
Brother Alexander spoke of similar experiences and how important prayer has become to him. He related a story about a time they were traveling together and how important it was to get to the top of the hill they were driving up. He knew the car was having major problems and he worried that if things got worse he could end up stalling and the car would go into reverse and Sister Alexander was following him up the hill. He prayed with all his heart that the car would make it. The Lord did bless him to make it up the hill.
He talked about some of the problems he has had to face during his life and how the Lord blesses him and supports him. He served as the Bishop when he lived in 2nd Ward before the boundary changes put them in the 1st Ward. He is one of the most humble men you could find and he is one of the best Ward Mission Leaders that any Bishop could ask for.
He helped Sister Goldtooth while she was taking the math class for Pathways. I was able to listen to him one time when he was going over a math problem with her. He explained it in such a simple way, making it easier to solve. She walked away with a better understanding of how to solve similar problems in the future.
Sister Alexander works as a consultant in the Family History Center and comes every Wednesday morning for about 4 hours with few exceptions. Brother Alexander goes out with the young Elders all the time and bears solemn witness to everyone they visit about the restored gospel and what it can do for them. They have become two of my favorite people here in Tuba City.
After sacrament we went into the History Center and worked with 2 people. A visitor had been in sacrament meeting and somehow knew Brother Mexican who does a tremendous amount of work in the center. They apparently share a line in the tree. He was asking Brother Mexican how he had found the name of a certain relative. Brother Mexican found the birth certificate of one of the children that had the father listed with his census number. He printed it out, but the man was gone. I had heard him give Brother Mexican his phone number and suggested he call. He said he was meeting him at the hospital after church where they planned to give someone a blessing. He ended up leaving the center with two documents that he planned to share.
At 11 it was time to go back for 1st Ward Sacrament. Sister Manygoats shared her experience of going to the St. George Temple on Saturday with her sister, Sister Tunney. She shared what she felt about knowing she is sealed to her parents, but that she has not had the privilege of being sealed to her husband or children. He is not a member yet and even though their son is currently serving and mission and will return in December, her husband has not yet been converted. We all hope this changes.
After sacrament meeting we were back in the center to work with some of the members. Sister Gen Hadley had come in several weeks ago, but when she came back in we could not find her file. It was very frustrating because she had recently had surgery and was still in a lot of pain and we had several others in the center at the time and could not take the time we needed to find it, so she ended up leaving. Today when she returned she was able to get right onto her file, which we had found later. She added several more names and we found death information about 3 of her family members on ancestry.com. I explained about doing Temple work and she said she was going to cry because of what she was feeling. Her only brother died as a young man and I could not help but think that she was feeling his presence as we sat there.
Three other people were also in the center. Sister Victoria Nez and her mom, Lena Secody were on the next computer. Sister Nez is very comfortable with the program and today she found two more family members to add to her tree.
Sister Tausha Dickson is also an expert doing research on the internet. She has made several small albums of her family photos. She visited her grandmother for a long time without getting much information and then as she is visiting her one time, she walked over to a trunk at the end of her bed and opened it. She had a couple of hundred family photos which she allowed Tausha to take. Sister Dickson has been called to be the RS secretary in the 1st Ward.
Since it was the 5th Sunday we met with the YM/YW in the Relief Society room. After Bishop Allen started us off, Sister Allen’s Sunday school went into action. Kyle Nockideneh started building a sundae. Believe me when I say he had everyone’s attention. One of the young Elders noticed he had written Sundae a delight on the board. Ice cream, cherries, whip cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, the works were quickly put together. Then he brought out ketchup and mustard, which he generously applied to everyone’s horror.
He asked why, ketchup and mustard are good things also, right? A short discussion ensued. We decided that they were good, but not on a Sundae, right?
Kyle turned the time over to another young classmate and she in turn passed the baton to another. Both talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy and asked a lot of questions about how we can do that and why we do that.
Sister Allen then came up and talked about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy as well. She suggested 4 things that we should think about. 1. The Sabbath should taste different. 2. The Sabbath should look different. 3. The Sabbath should sound different. 4. The Sabbath should feel different.
She displayed pictures to go along with the 4 ideas. The first had a picture of a pizza ½ with an actual pizza and ½ with vegetables. The second was a picture of a shirt ½ play type shirt ½ white shirt and tie. The third ½ electric guitar ½ violin. The fourth a chair ½ a theater chair, ½ a church chair.
We discussed each of the pictures and how they were different and how we can make the Sabbath different by what we choose to do on the Sabbath. Great ideas were shared. She also added that the leaders do not specify what we can or cannot do. We have to make our own way so to speak, using our unique situations to do so, and based on gospel principles and teachings.
It was an amazing day really, so full of the spirit and so edifying and uplifting. We all came away spiritually feed.
Bishop and Sister Allen are amazing people and those who have the privilege of associating with them always come away feeling good or determined to make changes in their lives. They are great examples of people who are dedicated to serving the Lord with their time and talents. I am not sure how they accomplish all the great things that they do, but I believe the Lord fortifies them for the challenges they face and never ever leaves them alone.
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