The Bayview Ward

In a special meeting, of the northern units within our stake today, it was announced that we are now a Ward!  We've had a few baptisms and we've reactivated some of our less active members and our home teaching and attendance have been up but they also realigned the boundaries to give us the healthy numbers we need to become a ward.   Our Branch President (now Bishop) will be putting in the paperwork immediately to get approval for a full phased building.  With the added members we will be bursting at the seems.

One of the noteworthy additions to our Ward is Bishop Mullins.  Bishop Mullins was the Bishop of the Newark 1st ward and when I got to the area I was living within his boundaries and he really took care of me.  He made reference to me and my family on Sunday when he related to the stake that he had told me they were going to organize and divert the course of the river that marked the boundaries between the Rising Sun Branch and the Newark 1st Ward because our house is/was not within the boundaries of his Ward.  As it turns out the new boundary is another river farther east which means he is now a part of my Ward and not his.

He mentioned to me on Sunday that he considered me one of his own and he certainly showed it by taking me under his wing the way that he did.  I can remember I was in Utah one weekend and because he had not seen me at church he called to make sure I was ok and that I didn't need anything.

The bigger building is still several months away because they have to build it once it is approved and I'm not sure if we'll continue to meet in our existing building or if we'll have to find a new temporary home.  In any event it is exciting to think we will have a cultural hall/gym within a year or so and we can play basketball as an Elder's Quorum.  Just one of many fun things that we'll be able to do.  I think that one of the coolest parts of our smaller building has been that from the very first phase there was, and still is of course, a baptismal font.

We have had several baptisms in the branch/ward since moving in, the very first being none other than my son Carter.  More than half of the baptisms have been men.  This means that they are potential priesthood holders which is always important.  As it turns out one of those men, Juan Gonzalez, has prepared for and will receive the Melchizedek Priesthood next Sunday.  He has asked me to confer this priesthood on him and I am honored and humbled by this opportunity.  I have only done this once before so it is a special and significant thing to me.

Elder Neil L Andersen - Quorum of The Twelve Apostles

It's not everyday that you get to brush shoulders with one of the Twelve Apostles but for the last two days I have had that pleasure.  On Saturday Afternoon I sat in his presence, shook hands with him, spoke with him, and had my questions answered by him.  He is the newest member of the Quorum and I was most impressed by his genuine love for us and his humility.  When asked about becoming an Apostle he said that he could think of many others that might have been a better choice than he but that he was called and that each of us are called to do what we are called to do and it is our duty to do that which we were called to.  He said that there are 1000s of men who could and would be great Bishops but will never be called to such.  He told us that our Heavenly Father does not hold him in any higher esteem than any of us just because he is an Apostle.  He went so far as to say that each of us there was in a sense an Apostle.  I remember my mission president, William R. Walker of the Seventy, told a group of us when we were Zone Leaders that each of us could be his Assistants and in a sense we were.  We are judged for what we do when we are called to do it.  Not by the position.

The Adult Session in the evening was great too as I had Elizabeth with me.  I am so grateful for her and her support in my calling as Elder's Quorum President.  I would not be able to do the job that I am doing without her emotional and spiritual support.  I know that she believes in me and I have done much having that knowledge.  My MBA, my career, so much of my success has come because I knew she did and would support me as I have given these things my all.

The Sunday Morning Session was also uplifting and he spoke more on some of the talks from General Conference and the Brethren who gave the talks.  It was fun to hear him share stories about President Monson and others of the twelve.  He took the time afterward to greet the children and shake their hands.  Carter & Madelyn had met him earlier in the morning when they arrived with Liz and I and shook his hand then and then again twice more.  He is just a man but he is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and his testimony of the Savior and his humility touched my spirit.  I testify that we have a living prophet and apostles on the earth today and Elder Andersen is one of those men.

And it came to pass.....

Last evening I met with President John of the Wilmington Delawre Stake for my PPI (Personal Preisthood Interview).  I reported to him the work that we are doing in the Rising Sun Branch in the way of improved attendance at church and in Priesthood meetings.  I also shared our home teaching results which are always improving.  I shared with him our great desire to become a Ward and all the efforts we are making to become one.  President John then said to me, "You won't have to wait long".  To my great delight we will be becoming the Bayview Ward on April 25th.  He asked me not to share this information with anyone prior to the change.  He did say that I could share it with Liz on the way home from Stake Conference next Sunday.  I am typing this entry and it will be dated today but it will not be published until April 25th after it is official.

My Cup Runneth Over

As I listen to a beautiful arrangement of "For the Beauty of the Earth" I am overcome by feelings of gratitude for the beautiful earth that our Heavenly Father has created for us.  The spring time here in Maryland is beyond description.  All of the blossoms bursting in their various colors (popcorn popping according to Madelyn)  The lush green, and all the blissful sounds of so many different kinds of birds I never knew existed.

I am also grateful for the spiritual recharging I got from Conference.  I still feel the uplifting messages in my heart even days after they were delivered and they give me hope for the future.  In spite of all the chaos and calamity in the world I feel so blessed to have a family that I love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have been blessed with a beautiful wife and equally beautiful children.  Is it any wonder that the family is central to the plan of happiness.

General Conference April 2010

General Conference this year was by far one of the best ever for me.  I got to watch every single session including Priesthood.  The kids were relatively cooperative so I only missed a moment here and there and with DVR I could rewind.  I can't wait for next month's Ensign to come out so I can reread all of the talks.  Every talk was very good.  Elder Neil L Anderson (who will be speaking at our Stake Conference in two weeks) told us that there are no assigned topics so each speaker chooses their own topic.  As such it's not surprising that many of the same topics were covered by multiple people but they were all great AND clearly those topics were important since many were inspired to speak on the topics.

I plan to read or listen to at least one talk each day until I've gone through all of the talks again and some will be worth doing this two or three times.

I was so excited to get home from Priesthood and share the talks with Liz on Saturday night.  I knew that she would be anxious to hear what we heard and that just added to my own excitement to share the wonderful messages I got to here first hand.

When Carter turns 12 I am going to take him to Salt Lake for the Priesthood session.  By my calculations that will be April 2013.  I hope that both Grandpa's will be able to attend with us but I will certainly make it happen for Carter and I.  Living where we do it's much easier to get tickets to Conference so that part won't be a problem, we'll just have to save up for the plane tickets.

Even writing about it now I am overcome with the wonderful spirit I felt at this April Conference.  I am so grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the blessings of the restored gospel.