I had the AWESOME experience of participating in a choir for The general Relief Society Meeting (a worldwide women's organization) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We sang four songs all along the theme of rejoicing in a broadcast that was and will continue to be shown all around the world. Even though the broadcast is translated into over 30 languages, none of the songs are. So when they chose the hymns, they chose ones that are in EVERY latter day saint hymn book. Some countries only have 10 or less hymns!
Can I please tell you just a couple of AMAZING things that I experienced while in the choir?
First off, the conference center holds almost 20,000 people. It was just about packed with mostly women. You can imagine them chatting...it sounded like a rushing river! Just before the meeting started, Thomas S. Monson, our beloved prophet walked in. Every person in the conference center stood up and the room became absolutely silent! It was an amazing feeling I felt as I watched him walk in and smile and my heart was so full with a conviction of his divine calling as a prophet of God, just as Adam, Moses, Noah and others were prophets of old.
I got to hear one of President Monson's counselors, an apostle of the Lord speak. Wasn't President Utdorf so funny? I loved how he talked about how to be happy!
We also heard from Sister Beck, Sister Allred, and Sister Thompson, the Relief Society Presidency. It was amazing to hear how they have traveled all over the world this past year, visiting with sisters all over the world! As we have rehearsed as a choir, each of these sisters have come to our rehearsals and spoken to us. I have such a deep love for them that I didn't before.
For those of you who watched, I'm sure you saw our animated director, Merilee Webb. She is the most motivating person you will ever meet! Every rehearsal, she sang us a beautiful song in Hawaiian that she learned when she taught there. We thought when we went to rehearsals, we would learn the songs. We spent less than half of rehearsal time actually rehearsing. Most of the time was being uplifted and inspired and encouraged to strengthen our testimony, so that as we sang, the words would mean something to us and to all the sisters around the world who would hear them! She reminded us that each of us are daughters of God. The Hawaiian song she sang us taught us that we are the precious adornment worn around the neck of our ancestors. She is also the funniest person you will ever meet!! We were usually in stiches and laughing ear to ear.
As I sang and got ready to sing, I was reminded that each of us is a beloved child of God. He loves us and he wants our happiness. If you didn't get a chance to hear the choir sing yet...here's the address where you can go and listen. You'll see me singing if you haven't already. I hope your heart was as uplifted as mine! I wish I had a bigger picture...but you can just go watch the broadcast yourself. Click on the link below. Then click on English session. After it downloads, you can watch the whole thing or if you click on opening hymn there's a nice shot of me at the end!
My friends and I with Sister Webb the AMAZING director!
Our kids had a blast at the circus last weekend. We used a gift certificate Steven had won from his work back in 2003. Yeah...we don't get out much or we would have used it a lot sooner! We went with some friends and everyone had a blast!
