December 16

Well it is over, finished, completed. We did it.  The YSAs did it. We sang and it was beautiful. Everyone said so. Sister Klinger came up after and told me I had started something that would never be stopped.  She was close to tears. Sister Wells said that it was the best Christmas program she had ever heard which was an exaggeration. However, Bishop Farapapau got up after we were finished and instead of saying anything, he just gave the closing prayer and in it he spoke of gratitude for the strong spirit that had been felt in the meeting, gratitude for the birth of the Savior, and gratitude for the privilege of having been in the meeting today.  Amazing.

I had offered breakfast to the YSAs if they would be to the Sunday practice on time--7:00 a.m. Someone asked if we could change it to lunch. I agreed it was a better idea. So after our program Scott and I went with the YSAs to the young adult class and then to Relief Society. It was interesting that the YSAs did not want to come to Relief Society or go to priesthood; they went to the 2nd Ward Sacrament Meeting instead. I had told them that our kitchen would be open until 1 o'clock. I had made sloppy joes, carrot and cucumber dollars, Fiji koolaid, and chips. Scott bought eight dozen buns thinking that would be more than enough. We had 30 YSAs sing; some had to go to their home wards to fulfill their callings, and yet I fed over 40 YSAs. We did not have enough buns for everyone to eat all they wanted. We had enough meat, but not enough buns. Bummer. We had YSAs sitting everywhere including on the woven mat we had purchased out in the carport. We put the food on the little table in the kitchen so some could eat at the dining table. We actually have enough chairs to seat 11 not counting the couch, two overstuffed chairs or the recliner.

I had good help. Three of the girls helped me get the food on the table and keep the plates full.  I actually just stood around and talked. Afterward when the YSAs asked if they could stay and watch a movie, I started to clean up and two girls gave up the movie to come do the dishes. They washed, wiped, and I put away. It was lovely to chat and I was impressed with their willingness to help.

While we watched the movie, Dan Cegedrau taught his Sunday Mission Preparation lesson out in
the carport, because no one wanted to go back to the chapel.

It was a great day, a spiritual day, a day of gratitude that Heavenly Father helped us sing our very best and allowed the Spirit to attend our offering.

Just an aside. While we were eating two other wards called and asked us to sing next Sunday in their meetings too bad they are at the exact same time. I made the YSAs decide which to say yes to and they hated it. Fiji is made up of the kindest souls in the world and because they are so kind they just detest saying no to anyone for anything. We will be singing in the Samabula 2nd Ward next Sunday and not the Lami 2nd. I hope they will come a second time to sing.

Second aside. I was so nervous. I have never led a choir before, and as always I wanted the job I did to be perfect, but more importantly I wanted the job they did to be perfect. They did great--me not so great. So they could see me, I took the little kid riser every chapel has and put it where I could stand on it. The only problem is that this riser was not flat on the bottom. Someone had cut an L shaped section out of the bottom to fit up and over something. When I stood on it to practice I nearly fell into the choir, so I propped the riser up against the mike control stand which seemed to work until I got too enthusiastic in my leading during Sacrament Meeting. I just about pitched myself into the choir twice. I also forgot to sit the choir down after two of our songs; how does that happen?  And our final number was Oh Holy Night. I got on the little riser and was reminding the choir to sing with their hearts and forgot to stand them up--see I am not cut out to be a choir director. The girls on the back row about had a heart attack mouthing the words "stand up, stand us up." I had to stop Ladonna at the piano, stand the choir up and start over. How embarrassing! We laughed about it all morning. One of the YSAs said that I am the funniest choir conductor she has ever sang for. I am not sure that is a compliment.