A Good Weekend

Hazel Allison Gumbs (above) was baptized on Saturday. We met Hazel about 4 or 5 months ago. When he first came to church, he wore Levi's, a T-shirt, and sneekers. Hazel is so-o-o-o-o-o quiet. For the first few meetings that he came to, we would speak to him and he would just look back at us. Hazel is from some Caribbean country. We have been teaching the investigator class in Jefferson 1st, so Hazel became a regular attender. Then, he stopped coming for a few weeks. He had a word of wisdom issue, and I think he just needed time to work some things out. But then, he came back. This time, he wore a white shirt with his levis. The next thing we knew, Hazel had decided to get baptized and I was asked to give a talk on Baptism at it Saturday. And just look at Hazel now. Such a fine suit. But what a fine man! Hazel is an example of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people. By the way, Hortensia, the woman who went to court last week, was at his baptism. We are now waiting for 1st Presidency approval for her to be able to be baptized. Her husband was just ordained a priest and passed the sacrament on Sunday.

On Sunday, President Shaw of the Riverdale Stake Presidency, came to our ward to read a letter he had received from Elder L. Tom Perry. In the letter, Elder Perry spoke about the wonderful spirit our little Jefferson 1st ward had, how he wanted the bishop to spend no more than 2 nights a week at the ward, how he wanted our ward to try to help 10 prospective elders become active. He said he would write the ward regularly to see how we are doing. Then President Shaw reflected, with tears in his eyes and said, "With 29,000 wards in the world, he chose to come to this ward." It gave me opportunity to reflect on how Christ went to those in prison, the sick, the poor, and how he ministered to them. Elder Perry chose our ward to come to. It was such an incredible experience to have him with us. I am still so moved by it.

Monday, at the office, I was starting to schedule the next batch of departing missionaries' air travel. I had the opportunity to speak with Sister O. Her home is in Mongolia. As we visited, I was once again amazed at how small the world is when seen through the church eyes. I am almost overwhelmed about booking travel to Mongolia, sending her travel itinerary to her Branch President, and to her Stake President. As we talked, I worried that her parents would not know that she was coming home, or that her stake president would know she was on her way. Would he get her release papers? Mongollia is
so-o-o-o-o far away. I can't just pick up the phone and call, I don't think. Anyway, I didn't. But as we talked I happened to think of email. I asked about her mother and wondered if she had email, and she said, Oh yes, she has email, and so does the Stake President. Immediately, I was relieved to think that I could simply forward a copy of her itinerary electronically to all of them. Once more, I thought of the   statement Elder Hartman E. Rector made in our branch in Roswell, New Mexico 35 years ago. He said, "Any modern marvel or invention we have is to further and build the Kingdom of God. That is the only reason we have modern marvels and inventions". I am so grateful for little things like technology, electronic forwarding of tickets, email, and computers. Now I know that someone will be expecting Sister O. when she returns to Mongolia. And that makes me feel much better.

This is Hazel with Elder O. (from Canada) and Elder M. (from South Africa). I think Hazel is from Jamaica. I am just constantly amazed, literally, at the worldwide nature of the church. (And today, I spoke with Elder K. about his travel plans to Denmark!)