crazy quilt patterns

A quilt might be the best explanation of the way things work, especially a crazy quilt pattern! You take all of these random pieces and event, then when you start putting them together something beautiful and useful evolves. Maybe it being 57 degrees last night and still cold this morning makes me think of quilts. Even the best houses here have no insulation. I feel for our members with the pole or the tin houses.

We did missionary interviews, helping with English, last week up in Peten - while there we also bought a fan, a microwave and some pillows for different missionaries and apartments that needed them here in the Polochic. Coming back home we stopped and checked on one of our Sisters who is supposed to be starting her mission this coming week in Argentina. We found out as we talked to her that she was very disheartened because of problems with her Visa. We were able to reassure her that she will be going, but she may have to serve in another part of Guatemala until her Visa works out. She was afraid she wouldn't get to go and she has worked and waited so long to have this opportunity. Seeing her came from a random thought and phone call that was not random in the final pattern of things.

Saturday we were able to help with a youth activity at the church, they had it all planned but then their computer wouldn't hook up to the projector for the video they were showing. They called us and our laptop was able to do the job. Following that activity we went to the Missionary Farewell in the other Branch,so we were able to play the piano for them and wish our missionary great success in Peru. Right now there is a delay for our missionaries going into Argentina, Mexico and Peru because of holdups with their Visas. Our future missionaries get so anxious and frustrated because they don't understand when they are delayed in leaving, or changed entrance places due to the Visas. They are so anxious and ready to serve.

Sunday I was able to visit the two branch Primaries here in Senahu. I am looking forward to the District Trainings that will help the Sisters understand better how the organizations work. Two sisters running a huge primary, sometimes no books, whereas in the states we might have 10 sisters doing the program with all the resources possible available. It is very hard for  members here to realize how church programs should work, even though they are trying so diligently and faithfully.

We worked in Seamay yesterday evening, doing some visits, singing with different families, checking on a few families. It was neat as we would come up to a home and realize that they had a specific need or problem and if we hadn't been there – we would have never known, in order to be able to help.

One of the Branches there was having a Future Missionary training meeting.  We were able to stop in at that and share with them the steps for preparing for a mission. We always explain that the first step is a Testimony of Heavenly Father and the truthfulness of the Gospel. The second is a desire to serve. We then talk about the importance of building a personal testimony through prayer and scripture study. Those steps of righteous desire, prayer and study are the first steps for each of us, but they are the basics for this journey we make. Maybe they are what you can consider the thread that holds this whole quilt pattern together for us. We have to use a strong thread and mend it sometimes to make the final pieces all fit together into the masterpiece quilt that our life becomes.