Tonight, I went to a Stake Leadership meeting and listened for nearly two hours about all the things I should be doing in the YW presidency. They talked for quite a bit about Personal Progress and I couldn't help but feel frustrated. We have 29 girls on our YW rosters. There are 13 names of girls that I have never even met in over a year of living here. I can think of only 3 girls who I can say are truly "active". I was astounded during my first time to YW to learn that it was a struggle to get the girls to not just be modest, but to even wear a dress to church. My first presidency meeting was completely depressing. It seemed like every girl was struggling with trials I can't comprehend, let alone relate to. Broken homes, drugs, eating disorders, abuse (of ALL kinds), depression, poverty. When I dropped off one girl after mutual, no one was home at her house, so she came back to the car to tell me she was going around the back to let herself in. I seriously worried for her safety as she disappeared into the darkness. She lives in a SCARY neighborhood! These girls are up against HARD things. We are just trying to get them to finish high school! How am I supposed to make sure they also finish experience #4 in the faith value? I feel like every time they come to mutual or make it to the lesson on Sunday, it's a huge victory. I want them to feel the Spirit. I want them to know I care. I know we are making a difference, but when I am told the standards the stake wants us to live up to(really the general church standards), I just get discouraged.
Then I come home and Trav and I watched the tape of the Glenn Beck show that aired earlier today. Did any of you see it? Leah? If not, you should. He showed a tape of Anita Dunn. She is the White House Communications Director and was a major advisor to Pres. Obama during his campaign. She was speaking to high school graduates in June earlier this year and said that she considers Mao Tse Tung to be one of her favorite political philosophers. In case you didn't know, Mao was a Chinese dictator that killed millions. MILLIONS. And he is one of her favorite philosophers. Oh, right next to Mother Teresa that is. Seriously, that is exactly what she said. This is why I struggle with learning more about politics. It either gets me hopping mad or so depressed. Another clip I watched today... Keith Olberman. He is a political commentator who has a show on MSNBC. He declares people to be "the worst people in the world" on his show and yesterday he gave the "bronze" to Elder Oaks for comments he made to BYU Idaho students regarding same sex marriage. At the end, Keith says, and I quote "these are subjects on which he should shut the hell up". I must say, this was just the icing on the cake for what has been a pretty depressing night. I can only assume that when the media slanders the Lord's apostles, things aren't looking bright. Sorry for the downer post, it's just how I'm feelin.
8 comments:
I love you Steph! Just think....it's kind of a good thing that you are feeling down because that means that your heart is in the right place and that you care.If you didn't you'd just be like the rest of the world. These are better things to care about then dumb things that don't matter. With the young Women...I wish you could have seen how they were when I first got in, or for that matter when Natalie did. They have come LEAPS AND BOUNDS! It would make you feel alot better. Natalie said there was a list on the board that said their goals and they were things like...don't watch a Rated R movie this week, don't swear. They would go to Darien Lake right after church and do crazy things. They are doing SO much better and you are helping. There IS hope for them, and you are the answer to many prayers. You don't have to have gone through what they have to make a difference because they just need someone to love them and be there and spend (way to much time) encouraging them and giving them positive attention, laughing at them... blah blah blah. That's what they need. I'm also sure that the Stake understands. I bet if you pulled Sister Erickson or Sister Munro aside, they would tell you to just do your best. It's because we've been shooting so high that they've come so far. You are a great leader. And...that is so sad about Elder Oaks. I'm going to have to watch that! You should keep reading about politics because some day, maybe you can get involved on a smaller level and be a strong voice for good. It's things like that that just make me want to be stronger because the world obviously needs people with morals at the moment. There's still a lot of good left though. A lot! Like your little Collin....and many other things. Have you ever visited mormonsoprano.com? Sometimes they post happy things that happen in the world or happy twists. There's a really good video they posted when the Swine flu came out. Sorry for the novel.
I agree with Tiffany about your YW. Don't feel discouraged, just be there for them. Encourage them to do their Personal Progress and shoot for the high goals and rejoice in their small accomplishments. Don't ever think you are not making a difference because you are. It just may not show immediately. Just keep on with what you do best and that is caring with your great big generous heart. We love and pray for you. I tend to ignore politics at this point in time because it just makes me mad. I'm impressed that you do.
I know you are such an example to those girls!! Sometimes you don't know it/see it right away, but down the road, they will always remember you and come back to those basic values and principles that you lived and taught.
See you didn't need to go on a mission, you're going through what many missionaries go through. Like it's been said it's all about love, it's crazy mad how powerful love is, love and the spirit and I know they will take your example and love to heart and they will feel the spirit and that will help them because the spirit can do anything and He knows all. I'm glad you're my sister-in-law, Travis ya done good^^
The Lord knows your YW, He knows what "victories" they are each capable of. Maybe it's going to church once a month, maybe it's getting their YW award. He knows.Just ask Him.
As for politics...I hear you on the depressing level. I love and hate Glenn Beck all at the same time. He is good to research and bring these rotten things in public, but sometimes I don't want to know. I guess when President Hinckley said we need to "be peculiar people", he knew that the same sex debate was just around the corner. Don't worry tomorrow will be better!
I love what Jenni said and I totally agree. We don't always want to look so different, like a peculiar people, but sometimes we need to. I heard the Steve Young's wife has a gay brother and was "asking" the church something to the effect of " are you sure about the whole gay issue?" Now I know I have a member of my family in the same category, but I understand the church and why things are the way they are. I would never question it either. I know it's hard to say, but it's only going to get worse the closer it comes to the second coming. It's weird that it reminds me of times like Noah's when everyone made fun of him, and everyone who wasn't "on board" was killed. It's good to blog about exactly how you feel so you can remember it. I think I need to be better about that, even if it isn't always positive. Love you, you've got such a big heart.
Steph, I totally relate to this post. When I was the Seminary teacher, I would go to those meetings, and the teachers from the other wards in the stake would talk about their perfect classes and all of their students who were striving for the Gordon B. Hinckley Award (perfect attendance, all 50 Scripture Mastery memorized, read the entire New Testament), and I would come home SO DEPRESSED. Not one kid in my Seminary class even came CLOSE to passing last year. One of them didn't even know that Jesus was the literal Son of God!! Another one asked me if the brownies that I brought to class had pot in them!! And one of them told me that she was "still a virgin" when I asked how her weekend was. ???!!!!!????? Our ward, especially the youth in our ward, are totally atypical of the rest of the church. But we are doing the best that we can, and that's all that we can do. Don't be discouraged!! I know you are making a difference!!
P.S. That comment about Elder Oaks is simply AWFUL. What is our world coming to when a religious man can't even share his views without being attacked as one of the "worst men in the world." How can anyone say that about another human being?? Especially someone who has devoted his life to his beliefs.
You are where you need to be right now. These beautiful young women need you. We are so blessed with our ward and living in Mesa/Gilbert. We have no idea how lucky we've been to have such a strong ward, stake etc., the rest of the country struggles. Make the best of your time there and the influcence you have these young women will last a life time.
RE: Personal Progress - our ward did a great activity - where we started at 5:00pm and went until 12:00am (late nighter) and basicaly did a Personal Progress college where we brought in different speakers, activities etc., and they were able to pass off a ton of the values. We then had them come back Saturday morning from 7:00am - 12:00pm to finish up and all young women went home with a bunch of items completed and they really felt they were on the right track with pesonal progress. I think once they see how easy they can implement it into their daily lives it works. It's just getting them to see it.
Hope this helps.
Love ya tons,
Aunt T
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