Last Sunday evening we had the opportunity to watch our home ward's sacrament meeting. Two brothers (twins) of a family I (Russell) had ministered to, were giving their homecoming talks. Both had served Mandarin-speaking missions in the U.S., one in Texas and the other in California.
Twenty years ago, Jon Huntsman Jr. was the governor of Utah. As a young man, he had served a mission in Taiwan and learned Mandarin. Later, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Singapore, where he surprised the locals with his language abilities. As governor, he started Mandarin immersion programs in a number of Utah's elementary schools, one of which was Jenny P. Stewart Elementary School. Those twin brothers, two of our bishop's sons, two of my grandchildren, and many others participated in the that program which continued through high school.
My granddaughter, who listened with us as the brothers spoke about their missionary experiences is entering her senior year in high school next month. She has already passed the AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam and the Avant STAMP Mandarin Language Proficiency Test. If she chooses to serve a mission in the future, it will be interesting to see whether those years of language training will be utilized. It is gratifying to see our grandchildren who have recently served, are currently serving, and those planning to serve as missionaries for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his Church. If our years of service as missionaries have had any positive influence on our posterity's desire to serve, our time spent will have been worth the sacrifice.
Last night I (Eileen), went to a women's conference where Sister Kristen Yee from the Relief Society General Board spoke, along with Elder Jack Gerard, our Area President. There were a number of senior sister missionaries from the Area Office which attended together. It was a beautiful meeting, spiritually uplifting and sensitive to those who might feel that they are not enough.
Sister Yee brought her younger sister with her on this trip. It happened to be her sister's birthday yesterday, and the first time her sister had ever been to Europe. It was obvious that they both had a deep love and admiration for each other. Sister Yee is 45 years old and single. Her younger sister has 6 children, one of whom just left for a mission. Sister Yee talked about how often our lives take a different direction than we had ever anticipated.
From my notes, a few things she said were as follows. The Lord sees our capacities and understands our needs. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be willing to follow promptings even when they lead us in unexpected directions. Faithful obedience does not guarantee an easy path, but it does invite divine help and assurance that all things can work out if we diligently strive to do our best.
We were taught that in a world that often feels challenging and uncertain, we can take comfort in the assurance that we are never left to walk alone. The Lord lovingly sends messengers from both sides of the veil to strengthen, guide, and encourage His children. Often times we can be the angels who are the answer to another individual's prayers.
Early this morning I received a long text from a granddaughter who described how she had been given some food yesterday which was more than what her family could eat. As she considered what to do with the extra food, the thought came to her to share it with a friend. As she arrived with the food to her friend's house, her friend started crying. She had no funds to buy food for another week and her fridge was empty. My granddaughter asked me if perhaps this was God or the Holy Ghost telling her she should share her food with this friend. I agreed with her that it probably was and shared the counsel we were given last night which was originally taught by Sister Kimball (wife of President Kimball), "Never suppress a generous thought." I truly believe my granddaughter was guided to her friend, and it was a beautiful teaching moment for both of us.
Sister Yee told of a time when she was with a group kayaking in Hawaii. The guide asked if there was someone who would be willing to kayak alone. She offered. While going with the current she felt it was quite easy. Then she realized the real challenge was when she had to go against the current. She taught: like two people paddling a kayak, we are stronger when we have a partner. The Savior invites us to become yoked with Him, promising that as we take His yoke upon us, we will find rest for our souls. At times, we may feel as though we are paddling upstream against powerful currents. When our strength is insufficient, His grace compensates. Through prayer and constant communication with Heavenly Father, we can move forward in partnership with the Lord. We closed the meeting singing "It is Well With my Soul", one of my favorite songs.
This next week, I (Eileen) will begin taking over the role of Paris South Mission Health Advisor from Elder Woods who will be returning home soon. I am grateful for the brief training he has given me. He is an orthopedic physician and is currently covering both Paris North and Paris South missions, (about 500 missionaries). He has been very, very busy. Being able to serve as an MHA at the same time that I serve with my companion in our calling as Area Welfare/Humanitarian Specialists is a blessing I look forward to.
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