DH's first city on his mission was a small town on the border with Spain. Everyone there had an interesting accent which sent his newly from the MTC mind reeling. The branch was small and the branch president had been serving for 17 years. His family were the leadership of the branch--a sister serving as the RS president, another the primary, a brother the elders quorum president. Work there was difficult, the branch remained small.
Fast forward twenty years. At the end of the Sunday morning meeting, DH sees a face he thinks is this brother so he goes up to him after the meeting, saying how pleased he is to hear that his son is now the branch president. This dear brother seems confused and says, no, my son is the bishop of a ward in another stake in the south of France. I am the branch president again. Again. After 23 years as branch president, he was released for a while and then called again, now three years into his second 'term.' DH expressed amazement. But this dear faithful brother said he was happy to serve. That all his children had served missions. That they were all married in the temple. That they are all faithful and active in the gospel. That he had achieved his lifelong goal of attending the Nauvoo Temple (proudly wearing a tiny Nauvoo Temple lapel pin on his suit).
How many times does twelve months in the nursery seem too long too serve? How many times does more than a year as a primary teacher seem an eternity? How many people have expressed near pity that DH has been bishop for more than four years now? But how long would you be willing to serve in any calling, no matter how much work, no matter how arduous if, the promised result was safety for your family, faithful covenant keeping safety?
Monday, December 3, 2012
Obedience: More France
Sunday evening’s meeting was a powerful one. The current missionaries were in attendance. The training was, ostensibly, for them, but I found myself hanging on every word, knowing I am training my own band of missionaries at home.
But before the meeting even began, the training of my heart began. DH introduced me to a lovely woman—one of the ‘goldens’, he said, the large group of young adults who had been baptized while DH was there in the Bordeaux mission. One of DH’s missionary friends mused that he didn’t know why there were so many, these goldens and why they found them. But the lovely woman knew. She said. You were obedient. Obedience brings power. It brought you to us.
Later in the meeting, Elder Andersen told a story of a former elder, not in attendance, who wanted to be perfectly obedient, so even though they had no more appointments for the evening and even though it was pouring rain so meeting street contacts was unlikely, it wasn’t yet 9:30, so he wouldn’t go inside the apartment. His companion stood inside the doorway, begging his companion to come inside, but he stood out in the rain and (not so) miraculously, a man walked up to him. The elder asked what he knew about Jesus Christ, and the man’s heart was pricked: he knew this elder knew something he needed to know. He was taught and accepted the path of gospel discipleship, because an elder wouldn’t go in out of the rain until it was time.
Exact obedience is a funny thing. The world would have us believe that obedience is mindless, is a sign of cult worship, is something no thinking person would engage in without firm rewards in view. But we know different. We know that “when we obtain any blessing from God it is by obedience to that law upon which it was predicated” (D&C 130:21)
My mission president (in Brazil) often spoke of obedience. He counseled us to seek out the predicate laws for the blessings we needed. He implored us to be exactly obedient, to seek that power. Even though we served in Brazil, where the church is being accepted readily and seemingly easily, we served in the heart of historical Brazil, where the Catholic church is strongest (at one point I served in a small town with two different convents and a monastery), where people seemed most inclined to cling to tradition, even if it brought them no peace, no light. President Smith taught us that we would find power in obedience, the power to teach, the power to find those who were ready for change, for light. And to my knowledge, during my time in that mission, no one was sent home for disobedience. No one.
Those goldens in Bordeaux that were found because of the obedience of the missionaries of DH's time are now the leaders in the church of France. I could speak to many because they had served English speaking missions. One serves in the stake presidency. One works for the church in Europe. They continue being golden, finding their own blessings from their own obedience. They learned even the lessons the elders didn't know they were teaching--that obedience brings power.
But before the meeting even began, the training of my heart began. DH introduced me to a lovely woman—one of the ‘goldens’, he said, the large group of young adults who had been baptized while DH was there in the Bordeaux mission. One of DH’s missionary friends mused that he didn’t know why there were so many, these goldens and why they found them. But the lovely woman knew. She said. You were obedient. Obedience brings power. It brought you to us.
Later in the meeting, Elder Andersen told a story of a former elder, not in attendance, who wanted to be perfectly obedient, so even though they had no more appointments for the evening and even though it was pouring rain so meeting street contacts was unlikely, it wasn’t yet 9:30, so he wouldn’t go inside the apartment. His companion stood inside the doorway, begging his companion to come inside, but he stood out in the rain and (not so) miraculously, a man walked up to him. The elder asked what he knew about Jesus Christ, and the man’s heart was pricked: he knew this elder knew something he needed to know. He was taught and accepted the path of gospel discipleship, because an elder wouldn’t go in out of the rain until it was time.
Exact obedience is a funny thing. The world would have us believe that obedience is mindless, is a sign of cult worship, is something no thinking person would engage in without firm rewards in view. But we know different. We know that “when we obtain any blessing from God it is by obedience to that law upon which it was predicated” (D&C 130:21)
My mission president (in Brazil) often spoke of obedience. He counseled us to seek out the predicate laws for the blessings we needed. He implored us to be exactly obedient, to seek that power. Even though we served in Brazil, where the church is being accepted readily and seemingly easily, we served in the heart of historical Brazil, where the Catholic church is strongest (at one point I served in a small town with two different convents and a monastery), where people seemed most inclined to cling to tradition, even if it brought them no peace, no light. President Smith taught us that we would find power in obedience, the power to teach, the power to find those who were ready for change, for light. And to my knowledge, during my time in that mission, no one was sent home for disobedience. No one.
Those goldens in Bordeaux that were found because of the obedience of the missionaries of DH's time are now the leaders in the church of France. I could speak to many because they had served English speaking missions. One serves in the stake presidency. One works for the church in Europe. They continue being golden, finding their own blessings from their own obedience. They learned even the lessons the elders didn't know they were teaching--that obedience brings power.
Still his brethren in the Lord*: France
Twenty years ago, DH taught
and baptized a family.
On the last day of his mission, he attended the organization of the first stake in Bordeaux France: a stake he and those of his mission had worked diligently to prepare--finding and teaching and baptizing to create a place of stronghold, of refuge in Bordeaux. I can't imagine a better way to end a mission.
Fast forward twenty years, and DH's mission president is now an apostle (Elder Andersen) and is presiding over stake conference in Bordeaux, in the twentieth anniversary year, and invited all former Bordeaux missionaries to attend. Something sparked in DH and for many nights he could barely sleep--adding "find a way to go to France" to his list of attorney, bishop and dad duties. He found a way. We planned and found saints to come care for our kids in varying shifts.
At first, the stake conference was the reason to go, but not the excitement of the trip. We spent two days in Paris enjoying the sights and the tastes and the wonders of that city. We awoke early Saturday morning and piled into the rented car and drove the six hours to Bordeaux--through the chateaux country of the Loire valley.
We pulled into the chapel in Talance, quickly seeing it would be a standing room only meeting. It was: filled to the brim with faithful saints come to hear an apostle of the Lord, a most beloved apostle, because he had presided over the mission when the stake had been created.
After the meeting, DH began to look around for faces he knew. He found a young gentleman, the exec secretary of the stake. He began talking and found he was the younger son of that family baptized so long ago--this faithful returned missionary had been too young to be baptized by DH, but was blessed by his family's decision. He promised DH his family would be there for the stake meetings the next day.
We met the following morning for another stake meeting. There were more saints, more families, more power. People had traveled long distances, on buses and trains to be there, again, at the feet of their beloved Elder Andersen. And then, after the meeting, DH went searching for "his" family. He found the sister missionaries serving in the city and we were amazed to find that they knew who DH was because Brother Leaung had been exulting that "the missionary who baptized my family will be here!"
What a tender, powerful, reunion. Twenty years and they are still faithful and strong, expanding on their baptismal beginnings with temple covenants, a mission served, and faithful service in the Lord's kingdom.
and baptized a family.
On the last day of his mission, he attended the organization of the first stake in Bordeaux France: a stake he and those of his mission had worked diligently to prepare--finding and teaching and baptizing to create a place of stronghold, of refuge in Bordeaux. I can't imagine a better way to end a mission.
Fast forward twenty years, and DH's mission president is now an apostle (Elder Andersen) and is presiding over stake conference in Bordeaux, in the twentieth anniversary year, and invited all former Bordeaux missionaries to attend. Something sparked in DH and for many nights he could barely sleep--adding "find a way to go to France" to his list of attorney, bishop and dad duties. He found a way. We planned and found saints to come care for our kids in varying shifts.
At first, the stake conference was the reason to go, but not the excitement of the trip. We spent two days in Paris enjoying the sights and the tastes and the wonders of that city. We awoke early Saturday morning and piled into the rented car and drove the six hours to Bordeaux--through the chateaux country of the Loire valley.
We pulled into the chapel in Talance, quickly seeing it would be a standing room only meeting. It was: filled to the brim with faithful saints come to hear an apostle of the Lord, a most beloved apostle, because he had presided over the mission when the stake had been created.
After the meeting, DH began to look around for faces he knew. He found a young gentleman, the exec secretary of the stake. He began talking and found he was the younger son of that family baptized so long ago--this faithful returned missionary had been too young to be baptized by DH, but was blessed by his family's decision. He promised DH his family would be there for the stake meetings the next day.
We met the following morning for another stake meeting. There were more saints, more families, more power. People had traveled long distances, on buses and trains to be there, again, at the feet of their beloved Elder Andersen. And then, after the meeting, DH went searching for "his" family. He found the sister missionaries serving in the city and we were amazed to find that they knew who DH was because Brother Leaung had been exulting that "the missionary who baptized my family will be here!"
What a tender, powerful, reunion. Twenty years and they are still faithful and strong, expanding on their baptismal beginnings with temple covenants, a mission served, and faithful service in the Lord's kingdom.
*Alma 17:1 Now the sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth;
Sunday, December 2, 2012
France!
(Musée ďOrsay on the Seine)In between Bam and M's birthdays, DH and I went to France for a week. It was a wonderful, enchanted trip in so many ways. Even though our luggage was lost entirely for 1 1/2 days and our coats until the last 2 days of the trip. Even though it was really really cold for our desert bodies (okay it was 40-50 degrees during the day.) We ate a lot of yummy bread; we walked and walked and walked and visited several museums and churches and monuments.
(Notre Dame)We walked the Champs-Élysées in the rain.
We climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, twice. We rode the funicular to the top of the Sacré Cœer
We rode the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower and were there at dark when it starts to sparkle.
It was lovely. It was great fun to have this time with just DH, knowing our kidlets were safe and well cared for by family and watched over by friends.
I want to go back. I want to live there. We found ourselves imagining a trip, a life, in France as a family. A life that we currently have no reason to plan. But fun all the same.
We didn't just go to France to play though. We went for a simple two day weekend in the middle of all our sightseeing and which two days meant more than all the marvels we saw.
(Winged Victory at the Louvre)And that, I will get to, eventually.
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