The Church Lady...

Just felt like I needed to post some of the things done at Church. It occupies a fair amount of time in our lives and I don't always give it the Blogger portion of my story that maybe I should.

We both hold callings in the Church that require regular service. Claude is a High Councilor and helps the Paris Ward (congregation) as well as the Stake Relief Society (women's organization) and many other related things. I am an Institute teacher and teach two lessons each week on Wednesday evenings for 1 1/2 hours. I also visit three ladies (visiting teaching) who have each become very dear friends. These are the standard things that we cover every week.

But there are other things that we get to do as well. 

We just finished teaching another set of Temple Preparation classes. There are seven of these classes that should be taught to anyone preparing to enter one of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temples. We have two young people in our Ward (congregation) preparing to serve missions and one couple who will be married. Claude and I teach two lessons at a time which takes three weeks to complete. These are great lessons. Claude and I were asked to teach these several years ago. We went through the manual and divided portions of the lessons so we each taught a part of each lesson. We very much enjoy this opportunity to prepare members to enter the Temple for the first time. Sunday was the last of these three lessons times for this round of Temple Preparation classes.

Each family is also asked to help clean the meetinghouse three times each year. The membership has been divided into teams of three families and a member who is the only one in their family that is a member. Our team consists of Claude and me, the Buttars family, the Alcorn family and Shelly Molpus. Claude and I are the team leaders. Our first turn for this year was last weekend. Our group could all work together on Saturday morning. The Alcorn's came in early and then texted us to let us know what they cleaned. The rest of us came at 9:30am and finished the cleaning list. If you have everyone working you can get the entire building cleaned in a hour and a half. Little Matthew is maybe 3 years old. He loves to clean windows and push the vacuum cleaner. 

Friday the 17th, Claude and I went to the Alumni Building in Lexington to meet with the other Seminary and Institute teachers. We were served a buffet dinner with gyros and hummus. It was delicious. Then we all watched a video broadcast from Salt Lake City of Elder Gerritt Gong speaking to all the Seminary and Institute teachers around the world. I still marvel that we have so much access to all these things through the technology we live with today. Amazing. It was a lovely evening and the address was excellent. They always are. 

I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am grateful for all the programs and events the Church provides to meet our needs socially and, most important, spiritually. I just want to be sure that this Journey of mine expresses that love and appreciation and belief.