*Today we had our last two ward conferences. The first one, in the Spanish ward, started out with their bishop being released. There were lots of emotions for the adults, but it is a good, strong ward, and they will move forward with their new bishop faithfully. The children didn't mind at all, and were ready for Primary! They just got a new president two weeks ago, and I was able to briefly meet her last week, but she was out of town this week, so her only counselor, who had been out of town last week, was running things. She has been in Texas for only one year, coming from Venezuela, but has been a member all her life. She had a lot of questions for us, and I think my secretary (who is from Mexico) and I were able to answer them pretty well (as far as I could tell from our translated conversation). She did a great job leading--and she was very thankful that I were teaching the Sharing Time lesson!
*The second ward conference overlapped with the first one, so I drove to the other building after the first ward was done to be there for the Sharing Time. My counselor, who had been there the whole meeting, told me an older man had driven himself and his wife to church and then had a heart attack in the parking lot just after pulling into the parking stall. He was taken away in an ambulance, but they announced at the end of Sacrament Meeting that he had just passed away. So again, there were lots of emotions for the adults, and again, the kids weren't really affected and were ready for Primary, so again, their primary president was grateful that my counselor was teaching the lesson. (I love this particular primary president. She is smart and faithful and committed to following the Spirit to find solutions to problems. Actually, I really like all the presidents. I must tell you about them all sometime.) Later, I was able to be part of a conversation with a man who had accompanied the wife of the man who passed away to the hospital. He said that the wife told him that for the previous two weeks her husband had been getting all papers in order, and letting her know what numbers to call and what to do if something happened to him. She asked him why he was doing all of that, and he said he just didn't want her to have to worry. Also, after about an hour after his passing, a chaplain came to visit her to offer comfort. The man said that within five minutes, she had given the chaplain a pass-along card. Then, her daughter arrived, and before the chaplain left, the daughter had also given him a pass-along card. What missionary minded people they must be! I couldn't help reflecting on this experience, and how, though a tragedy, it could have been so much worse if he had had the heart attack just five minutes before, while still driving to church. Also, his wife was supported by her ward family from the moment it happened. The Lord is in the details of our lives, if we let Him be.
It was a delight.
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