Counting Down
Last night I heard the thunder shake the building and rumble across the valley. I laid in bed listening and enjoying the sounds. I would have loved to see the lightning as well, but I was too tired to get up and open the curtains. It may have rained a little bit.
What a joy this place is! The storm was a bonus, but it is the feeling that permeates everything here that makes me sigh with contentment. The classes, the lessons, the teachers, the hallways, the artwork, the arrangement of flowers and benches and tables outside. The mountains quietly presiding over this busy little valley.
This was day two of our CES training, that is training to teach church institute courses to young single adults. It is highly unlikely that we will ever be called upon to teach since they have a very capable young woman who takes care of that, as well as two other highly educated people in the wings if she needs a sub. But the training is marvelous, and beyond helpful for any other teaching we may be called upon to do.
We paused for an hour in the middle of the day to hear President Nelson's devotional from BYU (which was broadcast to YSAs all over the world). He is an amazing man, and keeps a schedule that would exhaust a much younger person. I loved his message, and am fairly certain that we will be quoting from it throughout our mission.
After an afternoon of more classes, including an hour with a man who is in charge of church security (he spoke about the many things we must be aware of when we are out and about), we had dinner and then walked over to the large gathering building for the regular Tuesday night devotional. The speaker was the general young men's president. He spoke about the doctrine of Christ. He has white hair, but he looks like a young man himself.
The man who conducted the singing looks a lot like Gary Cooper. If you don't know who that is, it is because you have never seen "High Noon," the classic (and I do sincerely mean "classic") good vs. evil Western movie. He even has that same kind of sweet smile, which certainly endeared him to me! The choir sang "Let Us All Press On" - using the same arrangement that we have heard from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has sung. Once again, being surrounded by hundreds of happy and enthusiastic voices singing out loud and clear made my heart sing!
We are at last here in our room, staring at our suitcases and all of the stuff we have scattered across this little room. Once again, there must be a culling.....we must jettison some of this stuff before we get on the plane Thursday evening. But Thursday evening is almost here! Is that possible?
What a joy this place is! The storm was a bonus, but it is the feeling that permeates everything here that makes me sigh with contentment. The classes, the lessons, the teachers, the hallways, the artwork, the arrangement of flowers and benches and tables outside. The mountains quietly presiding over this busy little valley.
This was day two of our CES training, that is training to teach church institute courses to young single adults. It is highly unlikely that we will ever be called upon to teach since they have a very capable young woman who takes care of that, as well as two other highly educated people in the wings if she needs a sub. But the training is marvelous, and beyond helpful for any other teaching we may be called upon to do.
We paused for an hour in the middle of the day to hear President Nelson's devotional from BYU (which was broadcast to YSAs all over the world). He is an amazing man, and keeps a schedule that would exhaust a much younger person. I loved his message, and am fairly certain that we will be quoting from it throughout our mission.
After an afternoon of more classes, including an hour with a man who is in charge of church security (he spoke about the many things we must be aware of when we are out and about), we had dinner and then walked over to the large gathering building for the regular Tuesday night devotional. The speaker was the general young men's president. He spoke about the doctrine of Christ. He has white hair, but he looks like a young man himself.
The man who conducted the singing looks a lot like Gary Cooper. If you don't know who that is, it is because you have never seen "High Noon," the classic (and I do sincerely mean "classic") good vs. evil Western movie. He even has that same kind of sweet smile, which certainly endeared him to me! The choir sang "Let Us All Press On" - using the same arrangement that we have heard from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has sung. Once again, being surrounded by hundreds of happy and enthusiastic voices singing out loud and clear made my heart sing!
We are at last here in our room, staring at our suitcases and all of the stuff we have scattered across this little room. Once again, there must be a culling.....we must jettison some of this stuff before we get on the plane Thursday evening. But Thursday evening is almost here! Is that possible?
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