Knocking the Computer

Last week in Primary a child knocked my computer off on to the hard tile floor. I was sure my nice new computer was ruined. It is dented but seems to work fine. I don’t know what we would do without it. I keep everything on it....from English to Primary, from who we have visited and who we need to visit to our finaces. It would have been very difficult without it. I know it is just a thing.....

Well the floor is clean, all the bedding is washed, the dresser is clean, most of the borrowed things are returned and the house is quiet. Way too quiet. Erin and the girls left this afternoon and it is amazing the hole that is here when they are gone. They filled our lives while they were here. Although I have to admit I am looking forward to sleeping in until 6:30 tomorrow morning. Perhaps now we will concentrate on more missionary work.

The people here loved Erin and the girls (some of the men wanted Erin to give them her picture and we had to make sure they understood she was happily married everywhere we went). I think Erin and the girls were influential in Mada telling us she is ready to be baptized. Mada is a lady, about my age, who has had such a hard time and I think Leah brought life that she had not had for a while. Every time Leah would see Mada, she would run to her, yelling, “Mada, Mada,” and run into her arms. Mada loved our visits with Leah. We have been after her to commit to baptism for the months we have been here. Yesterday, she came up with it all by herself. When asked if she was sure, she started crying. Even Lucien, her husband, promised to come to the Christmas party. We told him he really needed to take the lessons so he would understand what she was doing. Her only child, a 28 year old daughter died last year and she was not able to go home to Haiti for her funeral. This has enveloped her life for the last year and I don’t think she has felt much hope. I have tried to explain that her daughter is learning about the gospel in heaven and that she is waiting to have her baptism ordinance done also. I am not sure Mada understands that yet.

The branch president called tonight and asked if I would speak in church tomorrow. This is the third time I have spoken in Sacrament meeting since we came. (Does that show they are hard up for speakers?!) I read several talks about Christmas and still have not a clue what I will talk about. I should be working on that. One would think it would not be so hard.....to come up with a talk. We love the people so much and they are so teachable. It is important not to waste time with fluff. They need to be taught solid doctrine.....and then taught to have the faith to live it.

Almost daily, someone will see my name tag and stop me on the street and ask me about the church. How wonderful to be in a place where people are searching to find Christ. We love wearing the name of our church over our hearts. I guess we should live so that we don’t need a name tag, but that our countenance would show who we serve all the time.

Walking up to see Mada

Mada , Lucien, Leah and Abby.