Senior Moments

September 15, 2014 Hello all! This week was filled with many interesting experiences,some falling into the "once in a lifetime" category. I'll start with one special experience: We've been doing everything in our power to find volunteer experiences in Pittsford, so people will get a little more acclimated to seeing our faces and shirts and ties. Some people, especially in Pittsford who are a little hesitant to even let us volunteer at their places, but that's why we're going and introducing ourselves to many places. That being said, we applied at a senior center and put on our applications that we both play the piano. We got a call from them last week, requesting that we fill in for their piano player and come to play for their "rock around the clock" hour, where we play songs from their time and help complete their sing along time haha Of course we accepted, and we collected the music from them. It wasn't that tough of sheet music, and we took a couple hours out of the week to practice, feeling like we had them down pretty well. The time comes for the volunteer hour to rock around the clock, and it was much different than expected...we didn't know they wanted us to A) play the songs B) get everybody excited and engaged in the music and C) BE THE LEAD SINGERS FOR THE SONGS! I had no idea how to sing any of the songs Elder Bruner played, so just picture me trying to sing into a microphone for the group of 40-50 seniors listening, not knowing any melodies, but trying to endure to the end without giving up and running out of there haha I was really called to repentance when I suggested we do a certain song next and one woman bitterly responded with "well do you know how to sing it?" Ouch. Oh well, they still asked us to come back which we were extremely surprised to hear! So that was that. Updates on how next week goes to come... I also attended my first zone conference as a zone leader. The only difference really is that we give one training and conduct the meeting, but it was cool to be able to pray about what the whole zone needs, and help them by training on specific things that should help them. A good thing the church emphasizes when you hold leadership positions is that with more leadership positions and "higher" responsibilities, comes more opportunity for you to serve, not more power or dominion over others. We get to go on exchanges with other missionaries and be with them, helping them improve, and often learning from them how to be better missionaries, which is nice. One miracle we experienced was meeting S. We invited her to the devotional hosted by Gladys Knight coming up this week, and although she was on the phone when we invited her, she seemed excited about it. We started to walk away, but then thought, you know what, we need to go back and talk to her! So we did, and even though we gave her our number and asked her if she wanted a little more background on our religion all when she was on the phone, she was definitely interested and talked to us when she got off the phone. She was from Jamaica, from Montego Bay, which I told her I had been to before! Mom and Dad that's where we went right? i didn't lie to her? It was cool to explain a little bit about our religion, and see her sincerely interested in learning. She was on a search for truth. She didn't have definite beliefs in a God, but she said she wanted definite beliefs. I think God is happy when people are earnestly searching for truth. If He is a loving God, then He will let His children know He's there, especially if they're searching. I know that S will feel that God loves her if and that God is real when she listens and watches for His hands in her life. I know that because that's what He's done in my life. Sometimes we have to look closely, but we can always see His hand in our life. Just look around you! Think about how perfectly everything works in this Earth. Our bodies have millions of reactions that occur every day that happen to work together in perfect combination and timing to function properly. The earth is placed at a perfect distance away from the sun so that we as humans can live peaceably. If it was the slightest distance farther from the sun, we would freeze up and die. If it were the slightest distance closer to the sun, we'd burn up and die. This Earth is designed for us! This life is designed for our happiness, and it's a gift from God! I'm thankful for it, and I''m thankful for you! Love, Elder Hirschi