Fertilizing Instead of Weeding
Mele Kalikimaka Everyone!
Pearl Harbor celebrated their “Day of Remembrance” on Wednesday. Consequently, there were many high school marching bands and choirs on the Island from all over the country. Many of those High school groups came to the PCC this week. And on certain days—our store became the “hang out” place for these groups of high schoolers. They loved playing our ukes, guitar and drums. Occasionally it sounded like music. Most of the time it was simply noise, and I would have to go to the back room to take a few deep breaths and get away for a few minutes. I did talk with several students each day and found that they were engaging and talented. And it was an incredible experience for them to be at the celebration. And their chaperones also said that it was an amazing experience. But I am looking forward to having the decibels in our store lowered this week.
I have spent many hours (my estimate is well over 40) getting Christmas ukulele music ready for the senior missionary class this month. We will be accompanying the whole mission in a sing-along of Christmas music on Christmas day. We have two more times to practice but I think it will end up being close to 20 songs. We wouldn’t have been able to do that a few months ago but this group is really getting good and it’s so much fun playing together.
The one new thing for me this week is that I became involved in is helping BYU students learn how to play the piano. The church offers a program for people who want to learn how to play which is sponsored by the Harmon foundation. It allows students (and others) who do not have the resources to take piano lessons, learn how to play the piano. In a nutshell—the student is given a keyboard to use. They bring the keyboard to their lesson each week and use at their home during the week to practice on. If/when they finish the course, they get to keep the keyboard if they promise to now use their skills to help others to learn how to play the piano and to use this new talent in building the kingdom. It is a great program and I have decided to be involved as one of the teachers. Since the semester just ended last Friday and the students have three weeks with work but no school, we (teachers) will meet with them three mornings a week to get a solid start in the curriculum and then after that, we will meet on Sundays only. A few of the senior missionaries have already been doing this and I am now joining the cause. This program has been used all over the world for many years and has produced piano and organ players for church meetings in wards where they might otherwise not have any. The church is amazing!
My favorite experience this week was being invited to a “going away” party for the Crippens. I was surprised but very pleased that we were invited. All the other couples (5 of them) in attendance were BYU missionaries. Stan Crippen served as a BYU professor and his wife Mary helped the new mothers since many of these students don’t have moms to help them when they give birth. This get-together was truly one of the most special experiences of our mission. We have not spent a lot of time with the Crippens—except for Monday night ukulele class, but they are amazing examples of Christlike love. They are very service oriented and are constantly helping other people. The group told lots of stories and there was laughter and testimony sharing and the spirit was in the room. Jack Marshall (a BYU education week speaker) was also there. He and his wife are serving here but we had never done anything with them socially. I guess The Marshalls and the Crippens go way back on the “speaking circuit”. I didn’t know that Stan is also an education week person. I just felt so happy to be there and be associated with these wonderful people. We are so blessed. One thing that was said that I want to remember is something Elder Phillips said (another BYU teacher). Elder Phillips was talking about how Stan helped him see something that he could do better in his teaching. Elder Phillips taught a computer programming class and felt like the students needed to be weeded out to get to those students who would really stay and excel in the program. Stan suggested to him that instead of weeding out the students from his computer classes, Elder Phillips needed to give the students fertilizer. Elder Phillips figured out ways to reach students who were having problems understanding. His education program has grown by leaps and bounds because he fertilized the students rather than weeded them out. I love that. We all need fertilizing!
Have a great week!
Much love,
Sister Bleak, Mom, Grandma
How I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life this week:
*I accidently left the car keys in the car, and it was unlocked during the Monday night ukulele class. So thankful the car wasn’t taken.
*We got two new baritone ukuleles in the store just in time for the 40 percent off day on Friday. It has happened that it sold two other times just the day before when I tried to buy one. I was also given a free case by my manager. It felt like Christmas.
*I felt very blessed to be able to be in the gathering (party) with the many missionaries who I admire so much. I felt the spirit.
*The spirit told me some things that I need to work on in my life.
Comments
Post a Comment