There is a Plan and a Purpose

Our institute teacher hurt his back this week.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone, and I hope he is doing better by now.  But it meant that he wouldn't be able to be at Institute this evening, much less teach. Our institute director called us and asked us to take care of it.  Neither of us would have minnded preparing and giving the lesson, but since we already have a young woman who was teaching the English lesson, I contacted her to see if she would mind teaching the whole group...Danes as well as the ones from New Zealand, Brazil, Portugal, Germany and the U.S.

It was a wonderful opportunity for me.  I stayed in the large classroom for the lesson.  Our teacher taught in English, and did a great job.  She taught D&C 93.  She asked questions that made everyone think and classmembers gave incredible answers.  In fact, I sat there and listened to the answers and began to wonder if I was anywhere near their maturity level when I was their age.

I also marveled at how they listened and answered in English without long pauses to formulate sentences and thoughts into a different language than their mother tongue.  They are all proficient in English....amazingly so, but when they answer a gospel doctrine question using flawless grammar and graduate school vocabulary, I am sometimes stunned.  That coupled with mature Gospel understanding is very admirable.

We served chili....wow was it good!  Kasper's brother Joakim made it, and I watched carefully.  It was a great hit with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and corn chips.  He made a huge pan, and we served it til it was gone....about the time people were thinking of going back for thirds.  Kasper and Joakim have taught me a valuable lesson......you don't need side dishes....at all.  A simple bowl of chili for dinner works great.  I wish I had known this a year ago!

Before institute began I made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and pecans.  They were served after class.  One of my favorite young men told me he loved them.  He took a bite out of one and then said, "Yum.....these taste so......American."

I asked what tastes American about them.....he answered, "The frosting."  Well, I just make a simple butter cream frosting, so I don't know how that qualifies, but I am happy that my cupcakes tasted American.  It seems to me that I have seen a lot of frosted goodies around here that are absolutely divine, so I am unsure what is different, but I will still take that as a compliment.

One of our young men brought in a friend from school.  She is from Romania, and sat and talked to me for over an hour.  We had a very good visit.  I was able to explain that life has a purpose and our Father in Heaven has a plan.  I told her that we lived before we came here, and because of Jesus Christ, we will live again after we die.

She was open about it and listened thoughtfully.  I told her about Mormon.org and I hope she went home and looked it up.  She didn't stay much longer than that, but I think she would enjoy everyone in who came tonight.

She has no real beliefs except to say that she believes there is some manner of God.  She has attended a church with a Romanian priest but she feels that the message is outmoded.  I am not sure that she is looking for anything except a group of friends.  She will find that with our YSAs, but I hope that deep inside she is yearning for more....I hope she is looking for meaning to her life.

If she is.....she came to the right place tonight!