German Mission Reunion

...  Thousands ...

I had the most amazing opportunity tonight.  A few weeks ago, my German friend Karin told me about a meeting for all missionaries who served in Germany at any time.  Elder Bednar would be the speaker.  At the time she told me, it was 2 or 3 weeks in the future, and I determined to just see what was going on when the time came.  The nail in that coffin was I didn't put it in my calendar.  When I heard from Wanda that she was coming from Tridell, we arranged to go together and meet up with Karin and Daryl there.

Also known as Hark, All Ye Nations

What I wasn't anticipating was one of the most profound spiritual feasts I've had in a long time.  I was so grateful I was there!  My friend Karin went straight from work and was able to get seats in the center section on the 5th row.  It was at the institute on the West Jordan campus.

The room was filled with electricity, everyone there was in some way connected to preaching the Gospel in the land I love so much, and I'm surrounded by literally thousands of people that felt the same way I did.  There were 2 chapels and two full sized gyms filled to more than capacity, as people stood around the edges the entire meeting as well.

Elder Bednar gave such a great talk, which I'll sum up in a few major points.  He talked about all the changes that have happened, the "new" policies, the witness thing, ministering, missionaries being able to call home once a week, etc.  People around here talk about how so much has changed in recent months.  He assured us that the things that have happened have been in the works for decades.  "Line upon line, precept upon precept".  And guess what?  These changes weren't put into place for Utah.  They were put into place because we are a worldwide church, and the needs of the members in Africa aren't the same as they are here.

One example.  He said that the average lifespan of an adult male in Africa is 44 years.  When the father of the house dies, it falls on the oldest son to take over the responsibilities of providing for the family.  If a young man goes on a mission, who takes care of he family?  Those sons need to communicate and know that their families are cared for.  Now, I've grossly oversimplified his story and probably didn't do it justice.  The witness policy changed for members living far outside the epicenter of our church.  It wasn't for us, guys!

Another example.  Ministering isn't a new concept.  It's just a higher and holier way of doing what we were already doing by being visiting or home teachers.  It's more about service and less about checking off a box every month.  By praying about the people around us, we'll know through the Spirit how we can best meet the needs of those in our circle of influence.

My people! Gretchen, Michelle, Wanda and Sheri.
Karin got away before we took the picture.

The other profound thing he talked about was this.  He talked about D / C 80 where Stephen Burnett was called on a mission.  Who's that?  The Lord said, "Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss."  It didn't matter where he went to serve his mission because he would find people that needed the gospel wherever he went.  I think we do a great job of complicating things.  Preparing our homes and families for His return is a matter of being good, keeping our covenants, and ... another thing I can't think of right now but I'll add it later.  I came home so uplifted.  And I was so grateful to be able to hang out with a couple thousand friends who share my love for the country and people of Germany. The work is progressing, lives are changing, miracles are happening because of the small army of young and old missionaries that have been and are now there.


I have chemo in the morning morning and will give an update on my life tomorrow.
Preview: itching 😩