Message body
That might be kind of misleading.. I'm not getting a niece a week before Christmas. I just found out that I am going to have another niece AND it just so happens that this week is a week before Christmas. Just a clarifier.
This has been a long and nondestinctive week. Except for Sunday. Sunday was absolutely incredible. I would like to quote my journal. Bear with me.
"Today was one of those days you just don't forget. I'd like to preface it with an experience that happened almost 8 years ago. Let me take you back to January 8th, 2004. My family and I were living in the Carribean on the island of Nevis.My family of 6 made up the only members of the church on the island. Fortunately there was a small branch of members on our sister island, St Kitts, where we traveled every Sunday to participate in church meetings. The summer before they had just built a new meeting house, but it had still not been dedicated. In late December of 2003 we heard the news that President Gordon B. Hinckley and Elder Russell M Nelson of the 12 would be coming to dedicate our chapel. It was a week before my 12th birthday, and I had never been in the presence of a General Authority, but I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. On that day, January 8th, 2004, we were all in the chapel, waiting for the arrival of President Hinckley. I saw the van come in to the parking lot and my excitement was grew. I was bursting. The car door opened and as we saw President Hinckley step out of the car there was a tangible energy that spread through the room, sending a hush throughout.
"I don't remember the words they spoke, but I do remember feeling the Spirit and being extraordinarly happy. We had the opportunity to meet Sister Hinckley and talk to her for about 15 minutes, along with their daughter. In the end we were able to meet President Hinckley and shake his hand.
"As he shook my hand he said, 'And where are you from?' 'Nevis,' I said. He replied, 'No no, before that!' 'Idaho and Utah,' I replied confidently. Then President Hinckley, with his never failing humor, told me, 'Well pick one! You can't be from both!' I had just spoken with the prophet of the Lord. In that brief time with President Hinckley and Elder Nelson I could feel so srongly the Spirit of God and the love of my Heavenly Father. There was no doubt that he was and is a prophet in the last days. That was my first memorable dedicationg, here's my second.
"I've been to two previous temple dedications, for the Nauvoo and Twin Falls temples. However, back then I was 8, 9, or 10. Today the Quetzaltenango, Guatemala temple was dedicated, on this the eleventh day of December, 2011. It was kind of rough to get there on time, but we were there at 8:15.
"I enjoyed just sitting reverently, listening to prelude music and watching the video of various parts of several temples. It was quiet and peaceful. It honestly reminded me of the tranquility and sense of calm in the temple itself. I have honestly never felt that in a chapel, but today the chapel was an extension of the temple and the Spirit was with us. President Uchtdorff presided while Elder Neil L. Andersen of the 12 directed. The latter speaks Spanish while the former does not. It was a privelege to hear words from them. The sealing of the cornerstone was kind of funny with President Uchtdorff. You'd just have to have heard him. We also heard a powerful testmony from the temple president and the area president. The temple president's father had a dream in which 2 strangers came up to him and the first thing they did was to show him a book that changed his life. The Book of Mormon. That dream came to pass within a week."
The temple is a marvelous blessing given to us by our Heavenly Father. There is no other place on earth where we can be so close to our Heavenly Father and I feel truly blessed to have seen the dedication of the Quetzaltenango, Guatemala temple! It truly is a special experience.
The only other great news I would like to share with you is that today Javier was baptized! It was a great day! I've been teaching him since my 3rd week here in Martí! He looked really happy and I hope that he can keep strong in the church! He has a lot of friends in the church, and his mother is a member (not active), but I know that he can stay active, he just has to keep doing basic things like praying, reading, and going to church. Those are the basics that all of us need to do!
Next week is Christmas and I hope we can all keep Christ in mind this last week before we celebrate His birth! I'll be writing one more email next week! Talk about baggy! Love you all!!
Love,
Elder Andrew A. LaPray
This has been a long and nondestinctive week. Except for Sunday. Sunday was absolutely incredible. I would like to quote my journal. Bear with me.
"Today was one of those days you just don't forget. I'd like to preface it with an experience that happened almost 8 years ago. Let me take you back to January 8th, 2004. My family and I were living in the Carribean on the island of Nevis.My family of 6 made up the only members of the church on the island. Fortunately there was a small branch of members on our sister island, St Kitts, where we traveled every Sunday to participate in church meetings. The summer before they had just built a new meeting house, but it had still not been dedicated. In late December of 2003 we heard the news that President Gordon B. Hinckley and Elder Russell M Nelson of the 12 would be coming to dedicate our chapel. It was a week before my 12th birthday, and I had never been in the presence of a General Authority, but I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. On that day, January 8th, 2004, we were all in the chapel, waiting for the arrival of President Hinckley. I saw the van come in to the parking lot and my excitement was grew. I was bursting. The car door opened and as we saw President Hinckley step out of the car there was a tangible energy that spread through the room, sending a hush throughout.
"I don't remember the words they spoke, but I do remember feeling the Spirit and being extraordinarly happy. We had the opportunity to meet Sister Hinckley and talk to her for about 15 minutes, along with their daughter. In the end we were able to meet President Hinckley and shake his hand.
"As he shook my hand he said, 'And where are you from?' 'Nevis,' I said. He replied, 'No no, before that!' 'Idaho and Utah,' I replied confidently. Then President Hinckley, with his never failing humor, told me, 'Well pick one! You can't be from both!' I had just spoken with the prophet of the Lord. In that brief time with President Hinckley and Elder Nelson I could feel so srongly the Spirit of God and the love of my Heavenly Father. There was no doubt that he was and is a prophet in the last days. That was my first memorable dedicationg, here's my second.
"I've been to two previous temple dedications, for the Nauvoo and Twin Falls temples. However, back then I was 8, 9, or 10. Today the Quetzaltenango, Guatemala temple was dedicated, on this the eleventh day of December, 2011. It was kind of rough to get there on time, but we were there at 8:15.
"I enjoyed just sitting reverently, listening to prelude music and watching the video of various parts of several temples. It was quiet and peaceful. It honestly reminded me of the tranquility and sense of calm in the temple itself. I have honestly never felt that in a chapel, but today the chapel was an extension of the temple and the Spirit was with us. President Uchtdorff presided while Elder Neil L. Andersen of the 12 directed. The latter speaks Spanish while the former does not. It was a privelege to hear words from them. The sealing of the cornerstone was kind of funny with President Uchtdorff. You'd just have to have heard him. We also heard a powerful testmony from the temple president and the area president. The temple president's father had a dream in which 2 strangers came up to him and the first thing they did was to show him a book that changed his life. The Book of Mormon. That dream came to pass within a week."
The temple is a marvelous blessing given to us by our Heavenly Father. There is no other place on earth where we can be so close to our Heavenly Father and I feel truly blessed to have seen the dedication of the Quetzaltenango, Guatemala temple! It truly is a special experience.
The only other great news I would like to share with you is that today Javier was baptized! It was a great day! I've been teaching him since my 3rd week here in Martí! He looked really happy and I hope that he can keep strong in the church! He has a lot of friends in the church, and his mother is a member (not active), but I know that he can stay active, he just has to keep doing basic things like praying, reading, and going to church. Those are the basics that all of us need to do!
Next week is Christmas and I hope we can all keep Christ in mind this last week before we celebrate His birth! I'll be writing one more email next week! Talk about baggy! Love you all!!
Love,
Elder Andrew A. LaPray
No comments:
Post a Comment