Heidi, you are doing something and wonderful. This is precisely how our family was "indoctrinated" into Mormon Life 101. It was difficult for our kids - you remember the age in which Having Friends was more important than breathing? For Cherie & me, the testimony came first and strong; the fellowship was wonderful but not as necessary. By that, I mean that we'd been nomadic (not as much as THESE days!) all our married life and were used to getting to know people and saying goodbye to those people rapidly. And we were used to the idea that, when (not if) we ran into those people again, they'd changed and we'd changed and we'd drifted apart.
Ever since that wonderful year of 1990, the same thing occurs when (not if) we run into people we once were close to: they've changed, we've changed, and we've drifted apart. With the exception of everyone we've met in the church. In the cases of the Latter-day Saints, they've changed, we've changed, and we were somehow closer than before. These links we're forging now - which you're helping to create for this family - will last, we can testify through our travelling experiences, at LEAST as long as a lifetime. (But we're promised they'll actually last forever.) Congratulations! My hat's off to you! (Don't stare at the bald spot too much!) *jeep! ~~Chet "If ya thinks ya is right, ya deserfs credit - even if ya is wrong." Gus Segar via Popeye -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have just LOVED the discussion on this subject! This is great! Thanks, one and all, for your input. It really helped me out. Now, somewhat further on this - and not to toot my own horn, but here goes...the branch we have moved into has had 51 baptisms thus far during 2003, and a good many of them have been retained. What a wonderful time to be here. I do know for a fact that things are underway to turn this branch into a ward. Back in August, an absolutely GOLDEN family were baptized...father, mother and one of the children who was old enough. This past Sunday, I watched all three of that family's children do an outstanding job participating in the Children's Sac Mtg program. I am the wife's visiting teacher and I am really enjoying getting to know her and her family. Not only do I want to be her visiting teacher but her friend as well. I make a point to sit next to her in Relief Society. This Saturday, our branch has a baptismal trip to the Louisville Temple. She asked me about it because she thought that they had to wait a year to go to the temple at all. I was pleased to be able to explain to her that she and her husband (who is currently serving as an adviser in the YM) can both go and participate, and then I offered to keep their kids for the day so they can go. I'm so excited about it! My kids are excited, too. I wish I could go along with them, but the time for that will come late next summer. :-) When my husband returns from Los Angeles (he's been out there a few weeks thanks to the grocery strike...he comes home Sunday night), we plan to have them over for supper. We'll probably do it on a Sunday and have them come over in the afternoon so we can have plenty of time to get to know them better. It's an absolutely wonderful thing to be in on something like this. Not only am I helping in the Lord's work, but I'm gaining friends and that's always a good thing in my book. I think that this family has the desire to know more about the gospel and they are doing their part to learn. But it does help to have friends in the branch/ward, to help them with the practical application of gospel principles in their lives. Just my thoughts... Heidi the fair ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
