More Celebrations!! Trinidad, Guadeloupe & St. Lucia

Celebration in the Stake, Guadeloupe and St. Lucia!
What a blessing Celebration has been in our mission!  We have loved being a part of it; seeing it come alive all over the mission and savoring the impact for good it has been here in the Caribbean.

Acquiring this location was a miracle! A venue had not been selected, by the committee, in the first three months.  The Stake told us we could not use the Stake Center.  The decision was made that we would try to find a venue with 6 weeks to show date (a near impossible task.)  We called Bishop Moore who gave us several suggestions.  We called all of them and most were filled.  The only availability on March 22nd was the Lions Center, but several people had expressed interest and it was just a matter of who put the deposit down first.  A month or so earlier, we had been visiting St. Martin and there we met Sister McClaran, who was attending a Lions event. We called her to see if she could help us.  She informed us she could get 50% off because she was a Lion and would be happy to help. We called President Gould and asked for permission to secure the venue.  He indicated that he was familiar with the venue and thought it would be good, but felt that the Stake Presidency needed to go through its proper procedure before permission could be given.  We underscored the need for expediency because of the time constraints and he indicated that they could have their discussion and cut a check on Saturday.  We were gone out of town from Thursday until the following Monday.  When we returned, President Danzell informed us that the check had not been cut and that he needed to see the venue.  He was busy at work and could not go see the venue, but he would get together with the stake executive secretary and visit the venue on Tuesday.  On Tuesday we called, and the executive secretary was not available to cut a check.  We then called Sister McClaran and asked if she had a lynx card and could meet us there at the venue because the Lions club would only accept a check or a lynx card.  We told her we would bring her cash to reimburse her and could she meet us there and use her card.  We called President Danzell and asked if it was alright if Sister McClaran used her card, we would reimburse her, and the stake could reimburse us.  His response was that he didn't feel comfortable with that arrangement. Elder Monson clarified that we were going to lose this venue.  He later called back and approved securing the venue.  We planned to meet Sister McClaran at 1:00 at the Lions club.  In transit, she called us to say she got away late, so we stopped to grab a salad.  We met her on the sidewalk in front of the Lions club.  She told us that after she had called, she had fallen asleep in the back of her son's car, and somehow he had managed to reach the club just before 1:00 pm.  She entered the office and gave the secretary her Lynx card and before the card could be run, another person came into the office with a check in hand to secure the venue for the 22nd.  Had she arrived two minutes later, we would have lost the venue.  She said she didn't know how it was even possible that she got there by 1:00.  We inspected the venue, completed the forms and went home.  As we travelled home, she called on our cell and said her son, who had been driving, had used a fake police badge to weave in and out of heavy traffic while she was sleeping to get there in half the time it would usually take.  Who knew that miracles could come through forgery!

Beautiful to imagine filled with people from all over Trinidad!  We were so thankful to sprint to the finish line with Celebration here in our home Stake.  

This was just inside the gate on the first wall into the venue.  The decoration committee did a great job!

Just after we finished decorating the stage, the night of the show.

The 600 plus audience from the stage before the show. One third of the audience was non-member, and less actives.  We made ticket size invitations that missionaries took to investigators, everyone they met; participants gave them to neighbors, friends and family members who were not members.   All total over 800 ticket/invitations were distributed.  The two overriding objectives of Celebration are: 1) That every participant develop confidence, self-esteem, and has an experience they will never forget during Celebration preparation and performance. 2) That through Celebration the public will be exposed to the values, standards and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and thereby assist in bringing the Church out of obscurity in the Caribbean.

Right side from the stage

Left side from the stage; the miracle of the chairs.  One needs to understand Trinidad to understand the enormity of this miracle!  Things NEVER happen fast!!!!!  The whole entire country is "lay back and take your time!"  Whenever...........the first YSA activity, as we came into the mission, started three hours late! Even McDonalds takes an hour and a half to get food, and be on your way.  Elder Monson's b-day book took three and a half months to get here from Saint George!

Straight back center stage.  The miracle of the chairs was that we kept feeling that we would have a really good turn-out.  With the Lions rental, we got 250 chairs, we gathered another 220 from the Stake Center, loaded them in a truck (Elder Monson and Bro. Ramdeen lifted those from upstairs in the stake center to the truck by themselves) and we still kept feeling that we needed more!  So on Friday - the day before the show - we called Sister McClaran, who was so vital to the success of the show, and asked her if she thought we would have more than 500 people there.  She said, "No, people always say they will come, but on the day, they won't show up."  So we worried......... and then decided after a few more hours to call her and ask if we could add 100 more chairs to our contract at Lions.  She said no, "It's too late, they are closed."  When we said we just felt like we needed more, she said, "Well I am traveling (which means she was riding on a bus) and coming up will be passing a place from which we have rented chairs before.  I will just get off and see if I can get a hundred more."  She called back in 15 minutes and said the place was still open and she ordered 100 more chairs that would be delivered in the morning!!  Stunning!  Seriously, nothing happens in the morning!  Everything has to be planned weeks in advance.  It was a tender mercy.  We had all the chairs filled and people standing on all sides and the back. 

The cast, waiting behind stage, having a great experience bonding.  

Ah come to Celebrate - Lisa ChanQui and the Zion Crew......

Bring down the power - Crystal Cameo and company 

I WAKE UP AND I SMILE OH YEA

KNOWING THAT TODAY WILL BE A GREAT DAY

GOOD FEELING I FEELING INSIDE

WANT TO SHOUT WANT TO JUMP UP AND TESTIFY

CHORUS

AH COME TO CELEBRATE

THERE IS SO MUCH TO THANK GOD FOR

AH COME TO CELEBRATE

LEAVE MY TROUBLES OUTSIDE THE DOOR

NEPHI THE PROPHET SAY

GO AND DO….GOD WILL FIND A WAY

AH COME TO CELEBRATE…..CELEBRATE

UPLIFTING THINGS I DO AND SAY

POSITIVE IS WHAT I GIVING TODAY

BRINGS A PEACE THAT I DO DESIRE                   

WANT TO SHOUT WANT TO JUMP UP AND TESTIFY

SO GRATEFUL I’M SO VERY BLESSED

WANT TO SHARE HAVE TO WANT TO PROFESS

LIFE IS GOOD I HOPE TO INSPIRE

SOMEONE TO SHOUT JUMP UP AND TESTIFY 

I Am A Latter-Day Saint - Brandon Blackburn ....... 

We Are Latter-day Saints

Brandon Blackburn

Chorus:

We are Latter-day Saints-Latter-day Saints

And we got to rise up up

Show the world

What the Gospel’s about,

They gotta know da truth somehow.

Yea, we are a peculiar people

And we smile.

Cause we’re representatives of the Lord

Look at us weak

But we’re spiritually strong.  Mmmmmmmm…..

Verse 1:

In 1830

The gospel was restored

And it brought back the priesthood

Yea, Apostles even more.

We’re blessed to have a prophet

With God’s authority

And temples that seal

Families for eternity.

Plus the two sacred records

From the ends of the earth.

They speak about God

And we’re blessed to have both.

Yea, one is the Bible

As the world already knows

Read Ezekiel thirty-seven

See what it shows.

Chorus

Verse 2:

As members of the Church

Said we gotta stand tall

Cause the devil works hard

Jus to see the Saints fall.

So live what we learn

And be a good example

Cause others are watching us close

Jus be mindful.

Yea, pray everyday

Let da spirit lead da way

Read a chapter a day

Keep the evil thoughts away.

And we should all remember

Each commandment has a blessing

So it’s easier to keep em

In this time that we are tested

Chorus

Verse 3:

People say negative stuff

About the Church

But seek for yourselves

Than believe in all their words.

The devil surely knows

How much the gospel is worth

And he’ll do what it takes

Jus to stop da Lord’s work

Prayer is the key

If you don’t know where to turn

You’ll be guided to the truth

As you keep your faith firm.

None of us knows

When would be our last day.

So stick to the teachings

And never, ever stray.

Chorus

Verse 4:

Three degrees of Glory

There are in the heavens

But only in the first

Can we see our heavenly parents.

We should aim for the highest

Though there’s other great glories

Exaltation in the first.

Will put an end to our worries.

Wordly possessions

We’ll never take to heaven

But our treasures that await

Are worth more than a million.

Guess my voice is too small

For da whole world to hear

So all da LDS members

Sing it loud with no fear.

Chorus

 MC's Curfew Ali and Jason Byng

 Sister Payne, the first member of the Church in 1977, was honored and presented with a marble Christus.  She is such a gracious, poised and lovely woman; she so appreciated the beautiful statue and told us she has it on her table right under a light that shines through the marble which makes it glow!  She told us she will never forget that night.

Say Something - Chris and Akisha Danzell.....Sister Danzell was REALLY sick with a cold and sore throat the day before and the day of the show.  She could not speak at all.  She came the night of the show whispering and when she went out on stage, she could sing!  Not in full strength or capacity, but she did a miraculous job considering the state of her health.

Dramatized story of the prophet Joseph Smith's first vision by

Nicholas Victor......Brother Victor is the high councilor over the Activities Committee.  He didn't have any experience in producing shows and this was a huge leap of responsibility for him.  After the show, he told us he had had no idea how to go about it, but after a successful show, he felt prepared to make the next one a success too!

 I'm trying to Be Like Jesus - Rebeka Ramdhanie.......This little girl, Bishop Ramdhanie of the Curepe Wards, daughter, sang this song beautifully and was soo poised when she came onstage to sing and the mic did not work.  She just waited patiently until they straightened it out.

Caribbean Mormon- Collan Moore......We love this man!  He was in the Sunday School Presidency when we first arrived; a returned missionary, very bright and talented,was the young men's president and now at the end of our mission, was the second counselor in the bishopric.  He has become very ill and we are soo heartbroken for him.  He had a surgery several years ago and has suffered lasting repercussions since. Life is just so hard here! He's back!!  He came to our farewell showing of Celebration!

CARIBBEAN MORMON

An American Church you say?

Ah wha me ah hear? NAH!

I am Caribbean. I am Mormon.

I am Trinbagonian. I am Antiguan

I am Guyanese. I am Bajan.

I am Vincentian. I am Jamaican.

I am Surinamese. I am St. Lucian.

I am Grenadian. I am Guadeloupean.

I am Martincian.

I am Caribbean. I am Mormon.

I am Caribbean Mormon.

So you see me in meh white shirt and tie,

Our women so modestly but beautifully dressed,

Symbols of our Mormon culture.

But yes there is more.

I am Caribbean. I am Mormon.

You'll see me in my dashiki,

Or our women in a kaftan, kente or all wrapped up in an iro.

You'll see me in my dhoti or sherwani,

Or our women in a sari, gharara, or shalwar.

You'll see me in my thobe, jilbab, or salwar kameez,

Or our women in hijab or kurta.

Symbols of our culture and history that cannot be forgotten.

So yes I Mormon.

I am Caribbean Mormon.

Come, Come ye saints, no toil nor labour fear.

A beloved hymn, reminder of our pioneer history.

Do you hear the organ or the piano through the air?

Oh Motab or EFY , sweet music to the ear.

And so yes I am Mormon.

But wait there is more.

Do you hear it? Do you feel the rhythm of the soca beat?

You can't help but jump up, wave and shake yuh waist.

Zouk, Calypso, Chutney, Bollywood or Bangra, Latin, Parang and Reggae.

''And who the cap fit, let them wear it, who the cap fit, let them wear it.''

Oh the sweet sound of pan or the beat of the bongo drum.

I can't help but love who I am.

I am Mormon. I am Caribbean Mormon.

Oh the doctrines in its purity, I just love it!

But the activities help to further bond us together in love.

And what would an activity be without a little food. Mmmmm Yum, yum!

What is set before us is an array of who we are, Caribbean peoples.

The beach or river lime. Leh we boil down a pot ah pelau,

Or curry down a chicken or duck. Roti anyone?

Can you smell and taste the flavours? Chadon benni, pimentos peppers ect...

Leh we head to d park for a game of cricket not baseball

See the bowler run up. Hit it for six! Oh no not middle stump. Out!

Or football, yes football, see the player, he dribbles, he shoots, he scores. Goal!

Oh and how can I forget, international in every way, leh we shoot some hoops.

An international Church is what I see.

I am happy to be part of the calaloo, a Caribbean Church.

So yes I am Mormon. I am Caribbean Mormon.

Soy Caribe. Soy Mormon.

Je suis Caraibes. Je suis Mormon.

Ik ben Caribbean. Ik ben Mormon.

I am Caribbean. I am Mormon.

I am Caribbean Mormon. 

Steady and Sure -  Donika Samuels and the shine singer 

Brightly Beams Our Fathers Mercy - Warners and Cummings,Nicholas, Julio, Nejma, and Victoria.  The Warners and Cummings worked so hard to prepare this number.  It will always be a favorite of ours after all the time we saw them invest in practicing it!

Errand of Angels - Donnaleiz Reese

ON THE ERRANDS OF ANGELS

by Sister Donnaleiz Rees

Trinidad Stake

San Fernando Ward

From all walks of life, they came together

women of the world, silently stepped.

carrying hearts heavy with secret sorrow

Their troubles hidden, their tears unwept

They cry to heaven, Lord, hear our prayer

Reach down to your daughters, lift us up

let us feast upon the gospel,

let us sip from the cup

Our Heavenly Father looked upon them

and saw their earthly plight

daughters hurt and downtrodden

roaming in darkness, looking for light

I will send unto thee mine aid, he said

those who will never shirk

to do the errands of angels

to do my holy work

He sent forth a call to all women

to reach out to one another

to lend a hand, an ear or shoulder

to a sister, cousin, daughter or mother

Open your hearts in understanding

In your sister’s shoes, walk a mile

bring simple joy in companionship

simply visit for a while

With helping hands and caring hearts,

lift the heavy weight

for a shared burden is a lighter one

and we can escape a lonely fate.

By God’s perfect will

a band of sisters now are we

to stand and be called as members

of the Women’s Relief Society

We each bear a candle,

our flame gentle and bright

walking through the darkened world

bringing God’s light

Behold your sisters; raise them up

as if on the wings of a dove

sisters in spirit, sisters in heart

warmed by the dawn of God’s Love

I Am Beautiful - Shantel Robain

If You Were a Flower, Lord - Kurt Felix 

If You Were A Flower Lord

Chorus
If you were a flower you are the one I would pick Lord

You will never make me sick Lord

If you were a flower you are the one I would pick Lord

You I can’t resist Lord.

If you were a flower you are the one I would pick Lord

You never make me trip Lord

If you were a flower you are the one I would pick Lord

Fill me with your Spirit

Verse 1

You are a rose in a garden, never forgotten

Sent down from heaven you are a blessing

Every night and day your love keeps me going

People are looking at what I am doing

God for me there is no complaining

Stable up, settle down like the millennium

Christ I love thee from my heart

I pray for us to never fall apart

(Chorus)

Verse 2

Ashes to ashes dust to dust

Christ Jesus is so virtuous

I felt his love and know his touch

Sinner Satan jealous us too much

God in my life you are marvelous

I will humble myself and stay conscious

Christ Jesus is so precious

He is my Lord spontaneous

(Chorus)

Verse 3

If you were a flower you are my desire

You will be favoured to me forever

Place you on an altar, me and you together

We will share laughter til the end Oh yes my friend

(Chorus)

My Endless Love - Adrian Christopher/  Bishop Christopher has a beautiful voice, but is shy and had no training.  He came so far improving his God-given talent and at our final Sunday in the WIM, he expressed his appreciation for his talent and being able to work with coaching to improve it.  Such a good, humble man.

Be Thou With Me - Adali Baisden

Be Thou with me, then I will go gladly

unto [my] death and to my rest.

Ah, what a pleasant end for me,

if your dear hands be the last I see,

closing shut my faithful eyes to rest!

Adali's voice is classical and she sang a beautiful Bach piece.  Unfortunately, our wonderful MC (we love him and he did a great job) announced it as a BATCH piece. That was a memory!

We are Latter-Day Saints Chorus Finale

The finale was CRAZY!  They were so pumped!  Later, I asked Kurt if he thought he got a little over-excited.  His response, "Sister Monson, I have never performed before 600 people before and I just got carried away!  There is a man in the stake who performs at every YSA activity doing a Michael Jackson imitation dance.  So he runs onto the stage during the finale and starts moon-walking across the stage!!!  Elder Monson asked him what was up and he said, "  I just had to be a part of it!"  What a memory!  We will never forget it!  People raved about it, said that they hadn't been that excited since they were made a Stake. Investigator's came to Church, less-actives started coming to church again, members talked about it for weeks.  The Church was brought out of obscurity!  It was mentioned on the radio by an announcer who attended and thought it was a great show!

Etta - our waitress at lunch two days before Celebration! We invited her to come, gave her an invitation and she sought us out to tell us she came!

The opening number of the Guadeloupe Celebration was the Gamiette Family doing the cup song!  They are such an adorable family and they were great!  Dad, Elder Gamiette, was sooo pumped on the sidelines cheering every number on.  All the performers were youth, modestly dressed, very practiced and poised and so pleased with their effort!

The show was wonderful and a spotlight on youth!

 President Otto accompanied the youth doing a traditional dance on the drums.  He was very pleased with the impressive young people on display for the guests who came to learn about the Church in Guadeloupe.  There was a slide show at the beginning that told about early members and the history of the Church in Guadeloupe.

150+ people in attendance.  The stage was built at the back of the chapel.  Every Wednesday the  Mutual activity was practicing for Celebration! 

The entire cast singing a hymn for the finale song.  The show was very spirit filled.

Saint Lucia has two branches quite a distance apart.  They decided to have two first shows - one in each branch.  The first was hosted by Vieux Fort and the second will be in Castries, with members of those two branches in both shows.  They featured singing, spoken word , arts and crafts and traditional local cooking.  The food was served after the show.  Sister Nicholas, the branch president's wife did most of the cooking and worked really really hard to make the show happen.  Her husband, President Nicholas was the MC.

Rooms to the side of the stage (chapel with a stage built at the back) held arts and crafts and the culinary presentation.

Arts and crafts

Tiny Easter baskets made out of sugar

Light your candle........go light the world!

This woman shared her testimony.  I asked her to send it to me and have attached it here because it was amazing.

 My Conversion

My name is Rizaria Weekes. I am a single 30yr old mother of two beautiful children. Aside from my personal challenges, I  would say my life has been pretty good. I've had a good upbringing and parents who did the best they could with my siblings and me. As many others, I too was one of those who strayed from what I was taught and well, did me!. Luck and probably my moms prayers have always seen me through. I, during my earlier years, was introduced to God, in every which way possible. First communion,confirmation, prayer meetings,bible study, deliverance sessions... You name it, I did it. Not because I had this great interest in church, as a matter of fact, it was an annoyance. But wherever my mother went, I had to go. Still, it didn't stop me from enjoying myself. I am one of those who has pretty much seen and done it all. I partied, drank, smoked, spent money like crazy, travelled, got into lots of trouble and then some.

There came a point in life when these things weren't enough. Things never lasted. Happiness was always shortlived; then depression set in. I never thought I would be one of those who felt unfulfilled, but I did. It was then I began talking to a dear friend of mine, who told me that it was because God wasn't present in my life; thats the reason I felt so lost. Thinking on that, I began to feel the need to get back to chuch. It’s at this point I think many of our conversion stories became similar. I attended a few churches here and there, but was highly uncomfortable. I did get something out of it once I got there, but I had to gear myself up everytime I had to go. Church was a task, to put it simply.

Going back to my same friend for council, she told me what church she went to and how she had been a member for years. What she also explained to me was that going to church  for her was receiving her blessings and thanking God for the allowing her to go through yet another week and to get to bless the one to  come. Nothing different from what I heard from my mom, but still. Now, I started to view things in a different light.  It was from that point I was introduced to the missionaries.  Sitting in on a session with them, I was just like, I'm sure,  many of you, who belonged to different religions. I was very apprehensive. I came armed with my list of questions, just waiting for one of them to screw up or give me one of the infamous vague answers so many other people have given, instead of saying simply they didn't know.  But to my surprise I never got that.

I was introduced to the Book of Mormon and once again the apprehension arose, but the missionaries told me to simply pray. Neither my friend, or the missionaries, tried to sell the Church or their beliefs to me. Not once had it ever been about that. It was about me and how ready I was to receive what God had in store for me. Before I read anything in this new book I was handed, before I sat down for one more class with anyone, I decided to go to God. Not quite sure if he would even pay attention, I said , "God, this whole thing is new to me. I know you, but I don't  know them or Book of Mormon. If this is the way for me to go, if this is the church I need to be a part of, then start off by opening my mind and my heart. This makes no sense to me now, but if this is your will, then I pray for understanding." Then I turned around and read some of the scirptures given to me by the missionaries, ……..then in my mind, I heard a choir singing. Everything I had read just became so clear, like a veil was lifted from my face. I was so excited that day, I  never remembered to continue reading the rest. All I wanted to do was run and tell them it worked. My simple prayer actually worked.

It was from that day, that life as I know it now, began. I sat and read and learned more and more as I studied, till it came to the point where baptism was brought up. I enjoyed the sessions with the missionaries and the talks with my friend and even the scriptures I read, but baptism was a whole other playing field. In my mind,baptism was the grande finale. You get baptised, that means you become one of those glorified christians; those who did nothing else but go church, those who appeared to do no wrong. I mean how could I turn around now and become one of those people who I so often called hypocrites. How could I ever tell anyone I was so interested in a church that I was about to take such a major step. Yeah right! That wasn't about to be me. I wasn't even sure if I was ready to give up all my vices, ready to give up the things of this world that I enjoyed so much. I outright said no! It’s one thing to be reading the scriptures again but I was definitely not ready for any baptism. Once again I wasn’t pressured, all I was simply asked to do, was pray about it.

I was invited to church a few times but one time I actually kept my word and went. For the first time entering the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I expected to feel like I did in many other churches...uncomfortable. But it wasnt so. It was pretty welcoming. The whole setup, everything, was just different. The congregation was involved, the youth were involved. I listened to a talk from a 13 year old that made just as much sense as if it came from a preacher's mouth himself. There weren't any know-it-all self proclaimed leaders; they were regular joes, children, adults, regular every day u and me's who opened their hearts and received the blessings of wisdom and shared their understanding as God  gave it.

More and more though, the idea of baptism played in my head. I went to my friend again and told her of my fears. I told her how unworthy I felt and how much I feared to falter. That is when I received this which that I will pass on to anyone who hasn't been baptised or is still contemplating it.  God doesn't care what you have done in the past. God cares that despite all your wrong doings all your faults all your actions all your thoughts, that you love him enough to want to come back. He loves you twice as much for that and is always willing to open his heart and welcome you home. Forgiving you for all what you've done. Wiping your slate clean. But being baptised doesn't mean you have to be a hypocrite, it doesn't mean that you live your life in this bubble. Just like many other church members, you are you and you be yourself. No one has the right to judge you. Who is with out sin, cast the first stone. When you get baptized you form a covenant with God. You become one his chosen. It is through that covenant that God reaches you personally. Life will continue as usual but the difference is that after a while God is able to speak to you directly. The things that you so desperately held on to in this world slowly become irrelevant. You dont yearn for them , the need for all the partying or drinking eg. Dies.

That  talk sat well with me. Still being a bit terrified of the idea. I went to God again and said the same thing, "Lord you know my heart, where I was before, I'm not here now. This whole baptism idea has been playing on my mind. If this is right for me , if  this is the way i should go then guide me."  I continued learning more with the missionaries and when the topic came up again about baptism, the fear wasn't there anymore. I suddenly felt that yes, this is what i wanted. What i needed. What was missing. As expected when i told some people of my decision, I got quite a bit of opposition. I got told of all the wrong doing of members who broke away. Was told that the church was a racist church. They were devil worshippers they represented nothing good. I listened to all my nay sayers, but didn't feel moved to changed my mind. I was going to be baptized. I was going to do exactly what i felt was right inmy heart. And thats what i did.

On the day of my baptism, it was cold and windy but it was also six in the morning. Despite the chill in the air,I could remember my hands sweating as a lovely ceremony was done in my honor. When it came to the actual water, i remember thinking to myself, this is it. No turning back now. And even though a small part of me still wanted to move away from this whole thing, i kept walking. The baptismal rite was recited and i was dipped into the water. Though the entire process took maybe 2 minutes, for me it seemed longer. As my body hit the water, I felt this overwhelming feeling. I remembered looking up at the sky whilst underwater and saying yes Lord i did it and smiled quietly to myself. It sounds so cliche but raising up out of the water, felt so much lighter as when i went in. Like my load was removed, burdens washed away. Though it may sound corny to some, but only those who've experienced it can know and understand. It was beyond amazing. It was my accomplishment.

Now when I go to church I feel even more, as part of something. Part of an amazing family, both at our house of praise in Vigie, and our family with Christ.

Jesus knows no age, he knows no financial value, he knows no status, he knows no position. What he knows is our hearts. He knows when we have faultered but he knows when its the right time to come back. As he did for me he will do for you. He will open his hearts and take you back with welcoming arms. I am no saint nor have I have ever claimed to be. But I will let no man penalize me for my past when God saw it fitting to forgive me. Thats how we should look at Christianity. I am a Christian. I am a morman. I am a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are nothing less than a big family. Every member who has been baptized after me, has had the same story. I call this the Church of the found. Those who were lost and were seeking for a place to call home, will find it here. It is not an easy road. Never fool yourself to think so. But as every prophet, as every human being, we will fail. But we will be forgiven and rise. It isn't your place to feel you are better than the other. It isn't your place to judge one another. But it is your place to be there for each other. Some one was there for me and I intend to pay it forward and be there for someone else. I believe  will do right by my promise to God, I will do right by children and I will do right by my faith. I don't have luck anymore. I have faith. Though I may be new to this I know it will get better because God has said this to me.

I testify today that this church is true. I believe that what I read in the book of Morman is true and that we have a living day prophet President Thomas S Monson. I also believe that if you are to follow in the footsteps of those who chose to give their life to Christ, that nothing less than greatness is bound for you. God will never leave you to suffer, he will never let you hurt. He will lead you and protect you once you open you mind and more importantly your hearts to him and live your life by his word. And i say all this in Jesus Christ, Amen

This young woman wrote a poem and had her brother stand by her for moral support.

President Nicholas was the MC.  He had tons of energy and kept the crowd entertained.  He busted out dancing at the end of the show until it looked like he hurt his back ( he was faking it) and hobbled over to his chair to thunderous applause.

The food was tastefully displayed and served to everyone who came.

They loved all the local dishes

A happy Celebration!!!