New Experiences

I got a call Friday night from the Elders in our church asking who taught Relief Society this past Sunday, I stated, well Elders that would have been me.  Elder Tanner laughed and said, that's who I was hoping you would say, he then proceeded to say, we have this investigator who is being baptized this Sunday (less than 2 days from the phone call), she was very impressed with your lesson and that you cried (which by the way is the understatment of the year, it's more like the flood gates opened and I let loose) and she really liked you.  She would like you to speak on the Holy Ghost at her Baptism on Sunday.  I felt a little embarassed because I had only smiled at this sister in passing, I am usually really good about introducing myself to new members or visitors but had been distracted by my lesson and preoccupied and hadn't said more than "hi' in passing to her.  And yet my lesson somehow impacted her enough that she asked for me. 

As I set about preparing my talk, I found a hymn book and a journal that I had in our home that both reminded me of the Holy Ghost, the journal for recording her feelings and the promptings she recieves and the hymnal to help her feel the spirit through songs of praise by reading and singing the lyrics.  I felt pretty nervous as I always do about public speaking but was happy to have the opportunity.

As you may know our day here in NY started out pretty messed up, we have one of the worst storms I've witnessed in my life last night, trees down, over 1/2 million without power, 5 dead in the tri-state area. It was a maze just to get to our church, we had to mostly use side roads because trees blocked the main roads. When the service started there were about 12 of us there.  By the time it was over we had reached over 50.  We had to come home before the Baptism to get the journal/book and the cookies/refreshements I had offered to bring.  The roads were a mess and we were nearly 30 mintues late for the baptism, we literally walked in, watched sister Lunie go under the water and the I was giving my talk.  It went well.  She cried, I cried and it was amazing to me how much this was for me and not just for her.  It's been a rough week, I know Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways but this one is for sure up there.  Me a complete stranger, now feeling that close bond of sisters in the Gospel and the love that comes from that bond.  How thankful I am for this sweet sister from Haiti who asked for me and who blessed my life so much more than I could have hers.