He is a pretty cool guy, he gave a great talk on Saturday night. I loved that it was completely led by the Spirit. He gave imperfect scripture and talk references, that I could feel where not preplanned. He even had the whole chapel singing! It was great!!
Afterwards, it was so great to catch up with everybody, and I got lots of congratulations about my mission. I felt so loved, it was amazing.
Afterwards, I was standing with a few people in the corridor, and Elder Kearon and President McCrudden came out of the office. Everybody became very revernt, you can't be anything but respectful when you are near somebody so filled with the Spirit. President McCrudden was very proudly introducing his two new Sister Missionaries. Elder Kearon remembered meeting Lucy a few years ago, at a previous Stake Conference.
When President McCrudden introduced me, Elder Kearon said that he had been very aware of me during the meeting, not going to lie, my stomach sunk a little. I honestly don't remember the specifics of what was said, but President McCrudden mentioned that I had recently celebrated my baptismimaversay (he definately did not use that word), and Elder Kearon asked about how I met the missionaries. I told him that I had contacted the missionaries, and I told him how I had first met the Church. There was a point in the conversation where I remember, I was almost watching myself as opposed to talking myself. He asked was the Gospel everything I thought it would be, my answe - I was more than I thought I needed... Not going to lie, pretty impressed with the eloquence of my answer. But, well that definately was not me. After the conversation, he left, and I looked around to find that everybody else had been listening to every word... and they looked as, well it is hard to explain, but kind of moved. I left feeling pretty sure I might be asked to share my testimony during the Sunday session.
Well, Sunday session was stressful for a lot of reasons. Lucy's mum fell on the way to the train, and fractured her femur!! So her parents wheren't ther. She was super stressed, waiting to find out what happened. We looked at the programme, and it was all scheduled, the prayers, the songs, the testimony's, the talks. So, I settled, and thought oh I shall just relax and enjoy. The talks where great, I really enjoyed them. The music was great, carried so well in the Ulster Hall. Just before Elder Kearon was about to speak, President Boyd came to the stand, and said Elder Kearon had requested a change to the schedule, well my heart just about sank. And, yup... just as I predicted I got invited to share my testimony.
As I walked across the stage, I just shuck my head, and the whole stand started to laugh. I didn't really know what to say, I honestly never know what to say in these circumstances. So I talked a little about being a convert, how my parents feel about my conversion, when I decided to serve. I told them about meeting with President McCrudden, and how I had been a little afraid of him, everybody laughed. I then spoke about how when I met him, 'he was like an excited child at Christmas', and again everybody laughed. I told them the blessings the gospel have had in my life, and my hopes for my mission. I think if I had spoken any longer they would have had to pull me off the stage, it felt like I spoke for AGESSSS!!
Afterwards Lucy had to rush off to see her mum, so Courtney and I got photographs with Elder Kearon and President McCrudden.
So many members came up to me afterwards, and offered their love, and any help they could be with my mission. It was super sweet of them, and seeing as I am going to one of the most expensive missions, well it might be required!
Roll on February!
