Great & Wonderful Events


Iggy
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3 minutes ago, Iggy said:

Today I experienced the birth of a new Ward. My branch became a Ward -  Yeah ~ "claps hands & does the Happy, Happy Dance"

Always exciting! The Owensboro KY branch was a branch for 80 years (if I remember correctly). It watched branches all around it grow into wards. Then about 4 years ago it finally became a ward. They were so happy.

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I knew two weeks in advance it was coming - but Husband was told to keep it quiet, so I kept it quiet, somewhat.  I sent out cards to 12 sisters who were very active in the branch at it's onset but were now widowed and inactive. In the card I wrote:

Husband and I are extending a personal invitation to you to attend the Branch Conference on the 28th of July 2019, starting at 10 AM.

Great things will be announced ~ Great changes are coming. Please come and see, hear and experience these wonderful and exciting changes with us.

Nearly half did attend. It was a happy, tearful Sacrament today. There are times like these when I wish it was allowed for us, the congregation, to stand and exclaim Hallelujah Lord!  Even the naming of our Bishop and his two counselors were perfect and TOTALLY God inspired. The second counselor is a 2.5 year convert and oh, so strong in the faith man. Husband had him as his Sunday School 2nd Counselor and I worked close with him as we cleaned up and organized the total chaos of the library. The 1st Counselor is a multigenerational LDS member, Oregon State Trooper, young family man (wife is daughter of Branch Pioneers) and his two young Primary age sons clapped their hands and exclaimed: Good Job Daddy! 

Our Bishop has only been here in the Branch for less than a year. Husband and I wonder if he and his wife were sent here with the intent to become our Bishop? They are new to our Stake as well. Makes me feel like the Lord has been working wonders for our growing Branch to become a Ward. Husband and I both feel especially blessed.

A month ago the Stake announced the formation of a new Branch, the Central Oregon YSA Branch. This comprises the young single adults from three stakes here along the Oregon coast, and will be meeting in our meetinghouse! We are right at the center of it all after all. They are still so new that they only have a Branch President, a RS President and three YSA Advisors. We haven't yet stayed for their Sacrament to see how many members are attending. 

I feel so fortunate and blessed to be active in this LDS church and to experience these two "Births".  This is such a new and Wondrous experience for me.

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7 hours ago, Iggy said:

Today I experienced the birth of a new Ward. My branch became a Ward -  Yeah ~ "claps hands & does the Happy, Happy Dance"

Outstanding!  Over 50 years ago I was a missionary in the North Western States.  I finished my mission in Coos Bay.  Our area covered the Oregon coast from the California border to Florence.  There were 4 branches (some so small we met in members homes) in that area back then and many very wonderful converts and members.  So many miracles and fun stories fill my memories.   Even if your new ward was not in my area - it is still good to know.

Thanks!!!

 

The Traveler

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10 minutes ago, Traveler said:

Outstanding!  Over 50 years ago I was a missionary in the North Western States.  I finished my mission in Coos Bay.  Our area covered the Oregon coast from the California border to Florence.  There were 4 branches (some so small we met in members homes) in that area back then and many very wonderful converts and members.  So many miracles and fun stories fill my memories.   Even if your new ward was not in my area - it is still good to know.

Thanks!!!

 

The Traveler

Our Ward is in the Eugene Oregon Mission area. We were told today that the founding Branch members met in members homes, then in the Meetinghouse. The Meetinghouse has been added on to three times. Today, our Stake President told us that we are destined to become a Stake. Oh how I wish I will live long enough to see that Birth.

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8 hours ago, Iggy said:

Our Ward is in the Eugene Oregon Mission area. We were told today that the founding Branch members met in members homes, then in the Meetinghouse. The Meetinghouse has been added on to three times. Today, our Stake President told us that we are destined to become a Stake. Oh how I wish I will live long enough to see that Birth.

Sometimes things grow slow but they grow.  When I was there my area was considered the worst part of the mission because the growth was so slow.  But I witnessed a blossom.   There has been a lot of economic stress in that region - especially in the lumber industry.  However, the members are pure gold and like the pioneers.  I do not know anyone that lived there to be rich.  The richest members were two brothers that ran a garbage collection business.  Back then they were millionaires but the pure salt of the earth.  As rich as they were they worked 5 days a week picking up smelly garbage.  They had contract with several cities and employed a bunch of hard workers - but they worked right along with all their employees.  That old mission (North Western States) has grown so much.  I was in the Tri Cities in Washington (Richland, Kennewick and Pasco).  Our apartment was in Kennewick and after being there a while I discovered that missionaries had not worked Richland for over 2 years.  The area handbook said the city was dead to progress.  We decided to open it up again.  After our first day there I sent a letter to the mission president that we needed more missionaries that we could not handle all that needed to be taught.  He sent two more sets of missionaries the next month.  The reason I am telling you this story is because a while back a return missionary just returned and his mission is what once was my area (the Tri Cities).  Apparently it needed far more missionaries than I envisioned. 

The real success is because of members - many that are not scriptural experts but never-the-less fulfill their callings - even when it does not seem to matter.  And then one day someone that remembers what was is amazed at what has become.

 

The Traveler  

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15 hours ago, Iggy said:

The second counselor is a 2.5 year convert and oh, so strong in the faith man. Husband had him as his Sunday School 2nd Counselor and I worked close with him as we cleaned up and organized the total chaos of the library.

I confess that I worry a bit when I hear about things like this. A brother in our ward, mid-30s, has been LDS for maybe 14 months. The guy is a dynamo, a natural leader, with a burning testimony. I would follow him into battle. I would happily sustain him in a leadership position. But I would be concerned. Testimony is crucial and perhaps irreplaceable, but you learn to deal with various situations that arise only by, well, dealing with them. Having more "seasoning" in the Church makes a transition to leadership much less traumatic.

I knew a young man (mid-20s, maybe) on my mission who was made a branch president within a year after being baptized. Things did not go well with him, and he ended up being excommunicated for fornicating with his (returned missionary) fiancée. I'm not saying his leadership position led to that act, but the added visibility and pressure of the calling probably didn't help him.

Just a general comment. I expect your bishopric second counselor will do just fine.

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I thought I would make an observation concerning the evolution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the evolution of our nation.  In short I am excited and pleased with the spiritual evolution I see but I am also very concerned with the degradation of our nation.  It is the best of times, it is the worst of times.

 

The Traveler

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