This week was amazing! President said the temple was like a rising tidal wave. No matter where the ship is on the wave, they are all lifted by it. He said the temple will do the same for the people in this area. I testify that this is true. THe miracles we've seen are miraculous. Every day Sister Crystal and I have a moment where we look at each other and ask... "did that just happen?" The blessings the Lord is pouring out upon us and the people here are amazing. I truly feel an unquenchable desire to offer God more grattitude, more commitment, etc. Yet I know I could never repay what he's given. We've have found so many prepared and elect people who desire to prepare for baptism. It's incredible, day by day we are lead by the spirit to them/they are lead to us. Because we're not perfect at hearing the spirit, more often than not the Lord has just brought them to us. Haha... it's just amazing and I don't have the words to describe it.
I want to quickly tell you about our experience this weekend, however, with the temple dedication and cultural event. I don't have much time so unfortunately I'll have to give you the brief version.
On Saturday we were privileged to participate in the cultural event to celebrate the opening of the temple. This event truely was a celebration for our God and prophet. I will never be able to adequetly express the feelings of grattitude and joy that touched our hearts that evening. Watch the mormon message for the San Salvador temple dedication. (Amanda post that video with this blog entry). You'll get a taste of what the temple has done for our area, and what the celebration was like. This is my ALL-TIME favorite mormon message- I saw it in the MTC and loved it. The best part, is I am currently living it.
All the youth have spent the last few months preparing various dances and songs to preform for the prophet as a celebration for the temple dedication. The things they preformed were so touching and inspiring. I was filled with so much love and admiration for these youth. I knew they were special beacons of light to a world suffering in the darkness of sin. I could feel of their goodness and purity.
They preformed several numbers and asked the full-time missionaries to participate in one of the closing songs. It was a missionary medeley. They started off singing some missionary songs, and then would end by singing "The armies of Helaman." During that song the missionaries were supposed to walk onto the stage. The group of youth would part and we would file into the center while the youth continued to sing. Then we would all finish together by joining our voice to these words...
"We have been born as Nephi of old to goodly parents who love the Lord. We have been taught and we understand that we must do as the Lord commands. We are as the armies of Helamen, we have been taught in our youth, and we will be the Lords missionaries to bring the world His truth."
The most humbling part of the whole experience was as we walked in and began to sing, the Youth surrounding us knelt to the floor. We knew before hand that this was the plan. President Keyes had explained to us that they would kneel down and we would stand and sing the song. What feelings of humility poured into my heart as I saw these valiant and special youth kneel down as we stood to sing. We are their servents, and there they knelt for us. Even now as I write it my eyes are wet. We are their servants, yet there they were kneeling. As we sang a powerful spirit filled the center and all the Audience stood up. Including the Prophet of the Lord. Again, we are their servants, and there they stood for us applauding us and weeping. The prophet of the Lord included. We stood to face him the whole time, we were singing for him.
It was such a special experience. As I was surrounded by all the missionaries in our entire mission, I knew that they were called and set apart by a special calling. I could feel that the power of the Lord was with them, and that they were representatives of Jesus Christ, serving under a holy calling. It was remarkable.
The next day in the dedication President Monson said these things about the celebration. "Last night we touched the veil of Heaven." And speaking of the preformances, "I have never seen it done better." When he said that last part the spirit bore powerful witness that this was a message from Heaven, and that the Lord had accepted our offerings, and it truly had been our best.
I am just so grateful. President Keyes called us that night and told us all the missionaries were going to get a DVD of the celebration. I AM SO EXCITED :) hahaha. We are just unbelievably blessed by our God. He has given us his house here in Missouri, and the effect it's had upon member and non-member alike is tangible, and noticable.
I know He lives, I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored church of Jesus Christ upon the Earth today.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
P.S. YES I CAN CALL HOME FOR MOTHERS DAY. WRITE ME ASAP AND TELL ME WHEN YOU HAVE CHURCH SO I CAN PLAN AROUND THAT. I'LL CALL YOU SUNDAY MORNING TO TELL YOU WHAT TIME I'LL BE CALLING. I LOVE YOU LOTS. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY:):):)
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