Hmmm... you want me to fill you in on the changes in the ASL program. I wish I could give you some detail, but we ourselves are being left hanging until transfer calls this Saturday. Even then, I can't promise we have any idea what is going to happen. All I know is the ASL program was originally set up by the mission because we had to work with three different stakes. Pres. Hall feels that this program needs to be run by the stakes and wards, not by the mission. We, as missionaries, should be a support and strength, not the ones to run it; so Pres. Hall has handed the program over to the stake presidents. When that happened, the Stake President decided to close the Hunters Creek unit - probably because it was so small. So, for now, the members are asked to go to the Oviedo Ward for ASL services. Unfortunately, that is far away from the South members, and there are no bus lines open on Sunday. It's causing some stress with the members, but we are working through it. On Saturday, we will find out who will be transferred where. We really have no idea what is going to happen. It's been a stressful week.
We also just had our primary sacrament meeting presentation. I loved it! The primary signed two songs in ASL. It was so cute. Also, I team interpreted with Sis. Snyder. She's still nervous, but she did well. The theme song for primary was one I heard in the MTC when the General Primary President came to speak to us. I remember when she had us memorize that song by singing it over and over again. She even noticed the ASL section and used some of our signs to help the rest of the missionaries memorize it. It was cute! Something fun we did this week was volunteer our time at the Spring of Life Methodist Church annual Fall Festival. Every year, they receive pumpkins and have a Pumpkin Patch event where every day they offer them for sale. Then they throw a Festival. It was so cute! We spent three hours helping with the cute little carnival games to help the kids have fun and bring the community together to get to know each other. We really enjoyed it, but now we are both really sore. My thighs are killing me! I think it's because I would stand, sit, kneel, squat, etc. Each time a child would come up for the game, I'd kneel down to be eye level with him. I guess from three hours of stand, kneel, stand, kneel, stand, kneel ... I had a great workout on my thighs. Too bad I have to walk up and down stairs at home and also walk around town visiting people. Ow...
This week is going to be fun as we have a Ward Halloween party on Wednesday that the youth are putting on for the primary. We will be inside the church and the doors will be decorated as the kids knock on the classroom doors to trick-or-treat. It'll be cute. We, the missionaries, are going to decorate a door and hand out candy. Sis. Snyder and I are in charge of decorating the door. The Elders will provide the candy.
Something random, so I believe last transfer, I was looking at my bitten nails - yep, the good ol' habit of biting my fingernails, and I said to myself that I don't think I will ever be able to break that habit. It's just something I do without thinking. Plus, it's not like it hurts anything - maybe it's not attractive, but it's not affecting anyone's life our anything. So, I was resigned to always have the random little quirk. Well...now I can say I've gone three weeks w/o biting my nails. How? No idea. I just decided to try to stop, so I'd play with paper, or warm fuzzies, or something to keep my hands occupied. It worked. In a way, I think it was a small way that the Lord is trying to tell me that I can accomplish any goal I set my mind to, no matter how small.... ever onward...
‘Make no small plans: They have no magic to stir man’s souls.’ This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, and members of the church of Christ, Methodists and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love him. As they see their church veering off to the right or to the left of these basic teachings, they will begin to search for the truth. And as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be Temples plural in the Southern States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people. ~Spencer W Kimball (1974)
