Gloria

 Ah Monday!  Known as P-Day to the young missionaries.  This is the day of the week that they do all laundry, and deep clean their flats.  P-Day is done at 5 when they go back to work.  That includes attending our Family Home Evening.  And after Family Home Evening, there is a zone meeting that lasts for about 45 minutes.

Most of our evenings are similar.  But I love all that we are doing.  

It's been a grand day.  I am still humming Lamb of God.  So many refrains running through my head.  I so enjoy it.  Dave called around dinner time to ask if I would introduce it to the young missionaries at our zone conference on Thursday.  He said I would have 10 minutes.  That makes me so happy!  I fell in love with it the first time I listened, and then seeing it performed live totally hooked me.  But I don't know what circumstances will be when the missionaries watch.

He asked two other senior missionaries to introduce it at their zone conferences, but called me back in a short time saying that somehow one of the couples didn't get the invitation to watch, and so hadn't seen it.  So I will introduce it on Wednesday as well as Thursday.

Dave said that he is encouraging all of the missionaries to go the chapel closest to them and watch on the biggest screen in the church.  Restrictions are being lifted, but I guess that it will not be possible for us to all gather yet. Dave pursued getting the film- wanting the young missionaries to see it. So it will be a Zoom meeting.  I hope most of them can see it on a television as opposed to a telephone.

I spent about a half hour with the other senior couple telling them everything I could think of that will help them introduce it and make it more interesting to the young men and women.  As I have sat through other meetings I have also had that introduction tickling my thoughts.  

I don't want it to sound like a lecture, but just thoughts shared by a friend to pique their interest.  Friendly, easy conversation that will make them think, "I can't wait to see it."  I'll tell them the story being told from the perspective of those who knew him best, and their own personal interaction with Him.  Thomas, known as "Doubting Thomas" has been horribly dubbed these many years.  He boldly stepped forward earlier in Christ's ministry to vow that he would willingly die with Jesus if need be....yet we don't call him "Brave Thomas."

I want to talk about Peter, who sings of how he will wield his sword to keep Jesus safe, and yet as the oratorio continues we see him deny Christ three times, we hear his deep despair at deserting his beloved friend, and finally we hear him declare with certainty "I know Him."

I want to share that the part of the cello in Gethsemane is the Christ.  That solo is only about a minute but it is full of emotion and power, and can express His anguish better than words can.  I heard the cellist interviewed.  She said that they spent much longer days putting this together than most cellists ever put in.  At one point, she was playing a very emotional part and she noticed drops of blood on the floor, and realized the blood was coming from her fingers.  She persisted - knowing what a marvelous work this was.

The women who sing the parts of Mary and Martha and Mary the mother of Jesus are magnificent singers who sing of their hope and their despair, in the final moments singing "Gloria...for my Savior lives."

Dave will give the missionaries 15 minutes after the closing notes of the production to ponder in silence and write in their journals about the feelings they experienced.  

After that, there will be a closing prayer and they will return to their work - to testify of the Savior's enduring love for each one of us.

Of all the things in the world that they could be doing, I am so happy - for their sake - that they are here now doing that.