Tousaint Day--Perfect brightness of hope

November I is TOUSSAINT , All Saints Day, or as I learned from my Sp friends Dia de muertos (sp?) is a fete catholique to honor the faithful departed, which isnt this what we do in family history by doing the work for the dead,!! Not that far off from us. The peasants would end the harvest by gleaning all the potatoes in the field in preparation for the winter. So the family history display at the stake center is well timed this weekend. We visited Annesy ward about 1 hour from us. It reminded me so much of my experience growing up in the mission field, feelings I will always cherish. It is there that my testimony of the Gospel began. Small in numbers but mighty in spirit. And this is the message that I wanted to convey as I gave my talk to their ward. The main speaker did not show up so about 4 minutes before Sacrament meeting started they ask Jim and I to speak. Jim had given a talk last week and got a translator to help him. (one of our YSA from South Amercia translating into french!), I wanted to give mine in french and jotted a few notes down and practiced reading what I thought was my favoirte scirpture in 2 Nephi,, Perfect brightness of hope.,,,in french,,. The first speaker was in Bishops daughter ( the bishop gave the combined RS / priesthood lesson and his wife gave the Sunday school lesson) His daughter reminded me of myself, 13 years old.., thin,.. braces,but, a well planned and presented talk. As I listened I went back to the mission field in Valley Forge PA, and remembered my burning testimony in 8th grade, That is the year that we did Promised Valley, in Philadelphia, directed by the original director ( I think, Dr, Christensen, I might be mixing him up with someone from BYU) ..there is only so much space in my brain left, now that all this french is in there) And so as I began my talk I really felt the spirit. I made it through without help and finished with my scripture. Later I looked up the scirpture and sure enough it was....perfect brightness of hope.. which is the message I wanted to convey to them and to you,,as we continue our own personally mission here on earth that we will have HOPE.

This week contiued working on the Mongolian fete costumes which we are still struggling with. May our struggles only be costumes! May you all have hope and love this season.