Missionary Fireside

 

Last Sunday evening we were invited to present a Missionary Fireside for the local stake members and investigators. 

Now, this is more than amazing, as we did not have an over abundance of talent, but my theory is that if you are working with children or missionaries you cannot fail.  Just to look at them is enough to stir heartstrings, but when they also sound good it is a double whamy!

and this was just that....

We began by having the missionaries enter the hall singing Called To Serve.  And that's when the tears started and they didn't stop until it was over.

They sang like an angelic choir -- amazing what the spirit can do to fill in the holes and mask the monotones!

and the short testimonies were inspiring.

I had asked several of them to write up their story  and testimony and be prepared to give it.  So many are still struggling with the language and when they speak you find yourself pulling for them and embracing their tender feelings.

One from Uganda told about her village and of her mother who is a peasant farmer and they draw water from a village well.  Her story of joining the church was amazing.

We have a brother and sister from the country of Georgia who haltingly shared their feelings.

We also had an American who grew up in an active home but had many years of wild living.  Another sister comes from a family of 17 children.  One young man has moved 28 times in his life and as a result his family is everything and he told of how difficult it was to leave them.

Richard and I each took a little group of them to the pulpit and had a little conversation with them.  Richard took 4 elders and then I took 3 sisters.  They told about their families and their conversion.  One little girl from Thailand, who is just so adorable, kept bowing to me and then to the congregation and then to me and then to them and on and on and then she wondered why everyone laughed.  All I could do was hug her and tell her how adorable she is and how much we love her.  As they concluded (one from Armenia, one from Thailand, and one from Paris) they all teared up and wept as each expressed their great love for Heavenly Father.

And then......they all  sang I AM A CHILD OF GOD, each in their own language.  They were seated by language and when it was their turn they stood, held up a sign indicating their language,  and sang their 2 lines.  They concluded with everyone singing simultaneously in their own language.  It was a show stopper!  There was not a dry eye left. 

At the conclusion an elderly man came to me and said he had served his career in the army and was tough but "tonight I have cried like a baby!"

 

So once again, a blog with no pictures.. but we did video it and one of the instructors is putting it on youtube