Stake Conference

I really want to write about our past weekend, but I feel like Moroni in Ether 12:23 ….but thou hast not made us mighty in writing…

Saturday morning Elder Hamula of the First Quorum of the Seventy arrived at our home around 10:00 am to preside at our Stake Conference. His wife was going to come with him, but they are moving this week and she had a lot to do to get ready. He went on a few home visits with Russ and then at 3:00 at the church we had Stake leadership meetings. He talked with all the R.S., YW and Primary Presidencies of our Stake for about 15 minutes before he went in with the Priesthood. He explained the whole process of calling a new Stake President and it brought back a lot of sweet memories of when Russ was called four years ago. He said when they call in the wife and ask her several questions, one of which is can you support your husband if he is called to a significant calling? He said (his main point of this whole story) that if the wife says, "no" they don't call him…."that's what kind of veto power you have." He related another story about a ward Primary President that through a ward Halloween party help bring MANY people into the church. He talked about the power and influence we have as women.

After our leadership meetings we had a dinner in the High Council room with 17 of us, which I was grateful to be able to make. Next was our evening session of conference. Russ spoke on "Hastening the Work" and did a great job. He challenged everyone to pray daily for a missionary experience.  Elder Hamula spoke on the Sacrament and the significance of it (he spoke on this in the Sunday morning session of General Conference in October also). He said, "the way to rescue ourselves is to rescue others and that we need to keep our eye more fixed on the Savior."  After the evening session we came back to the house and Elder Hamula sat around and talked with us for a couple of hours. It was such a sweet experience as he shared some personal stories with us about his family and some of the apostles. He is so down to earth and so gracious and appreciative of everything you do. One thing I can tell you is he LOVES chocolate chip cookies. I was so glad I had made some!

The Sunday morning session of conference was so good! Russ gave an excellent talk on parents teaching their children the gospel, setting a good example for them and teaching them to work hard. Many members said it was a "timely" talk for them. Elder Hamula shared with us how he gained his testimony of the gospel and then what the call of someone in the "seventy" does. He called a few people up to bare their testimony, one of which was me. I was grateful to publicly tell my Savior how much I love Him and thanked Him for how much he has blessed me in my life. He has given me EVERYTHING  and all He asks me to do is keep His commandments. I had just went to the temple and ask the members, "how many of us really keep that last covenant we make in the temple?"

Probably the person who "stole" the show was a little nine year old girl who spoke. She spoke on love and sang, "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." Russ and Elder Hamula said they looked out at the audience and EVERY eye was glued to her. She was adorable!!  We had some other youth speakers also. Many members said it was one of the best Stake Conferences they could remember. The sad thing was that our attendance was way down. I feel so bad for members who missed out on a "spiritual high" weekend.

The icing on the cake was having Elder Hamula for dinner one more time in our home and then driving him to Federal Way where he will be touring a mission for a few days. Our home and lives were truly blessed this weekend by a servant of the Lord.