Train Wreck

 The Institute class - was - a - train - wreck. I spent the better part of the day working on the technical aspects, and fine tuning the power point, which by the way, I thought looked pretty great.  I studied over the reading material, which amounted to a lot.  There is an hour's worth of study, which could be three hours with the optional supplementary material - for the students. There is more than that for the teacher. 

I love to study and I love to study the gospel. So I didn't mind.  

By seven in the evening I was ready, and opened up Zoom to make sure everything would work by 7:30.  I couldn't open it. No matter what I tried, it would not open. It kept saying "the host is in another meeting" and you can't open this meeting.

The clock ticked down to 7:30.  SK tried to help me but he had to leave for the church. I couldn't call the man in France or the one in Germany because I don't have their phone numbers and my mission sim card wouldn't allow me to phone out of the country if I did have their numbers. I sent out some desperate SOS emails.

While I was sending those out, I was receiving emails from students saying they couldn't sign on and asking what should they do. At 8, Henry emailed from Germany giving me his Zone account, and had one of the students send the link out to everyone. I thanked him and he left. One by one the students signed on.

We had fifteen minutes, and the study material this week was awesome.  I was so flustered that I didn't really even know where to begin.  My Power Point was useless.  My mind raced with all the things I had lined up.

I asked some discussion questions and got some nice answers.  I made a few comments.  Finally, a young man from Zimbabwe gave the most incredible answer to a question.  He bore his testimony about the Savior, about the war in heaven, about how it is still raging, only the battlefield has changed to earth.  He stated that the only defense is in knowing who we are and in bearing pure testimony about the Atoning sacrifice of the Son of God - that is what protects us from Satan's weapons of fear, discouragement and loss of hope.  

I wanted to hug him. But it is kind of hard through a Zoom call.  He saved or maybe the better word is salvaged the class.

Another Institute teacher was using my Zoom account, little realizing that we were all desperately trying to get on.  Later, he graciously apologized and wrote to everyone taking full responsibility.  At least it wasn't my own ineptitude.

It won't happen again, he said.

That is a little too much excitement for one night.

Comments

Erin said…
I’m sorry! That must have been so stressful! The challenges of technology!

But what a wonderful way to give that young man the opportunity to bear his testimony!
May 4, 2021 at 6:49 PM
melissa said…
Argh!! How frustrating!!! But how nice that the young man, who wasn’t frazzled, was able to save the class.
May 9, 2021 at 4:52 PM
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