Several experiences with prayer this week

I have been really struggling with my calling as a Sunday School teacher for the 17-year-old class. I love teaching but feel like I don't invest what I should into preparing a lesson. I plan a myriad of lessons for school all week long and I'm mentally done by the time I'm ready to prepare another lesson for Sunday. This week I prayed to Heavenly Father about it and let him know my frustrations with the situation. I don't want to be released but a weekly lesson is too much for me right now. I just keep telling myself to hang on until January, but that is still several months away.

Today our Sunday School president asked to speak with me for a few minutes before I began class. He said he felt like he needed to put two people in each class and would I be okay with swapping lessons. I told him that was a direct answer to my prayer. I'm hoping it will begin soon. Prayers really do get answered. Sometimes quickly and sometimes they take awhile.

The other one is I prayed about what I could do for my sister Natalie after hearing about the terrible day she had had a week previously. I had the impression all week I needed to go visit her in Logan. And I kept telling myself that I just couldn't do it. Saturdays are big days for me in planning for the upcoming week. Finally, late Friday night I texted her and said that Ash and I were going shoe shopping and wanted to come up and take her to lunch. And then I hit send . . . at 11:10pm. It was that late. I got a reply the next morning and Ash and I made a girl trip to Logan. It was impromptu and fun and like Natalie told me, "just what I needed -- thanks for coming up." I followed through with a prompting and that always gives me confidence that I'm doing what the Lord needs me to do.

Is is convenient? I feel like never.

Will the Lord bless my efforts? Always.

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A family update: Kiersten and Jason have moved into the basement of Grandma and Grandpa Ellis's house.

The commute is a bit longer to school and work but this will enable them to save a lot of money. Plus they get to hang with Grandma and Grandpa. What a treat for them. Jason even got permission to hang Christmas lights and convinced Kiersten to climb a tree to hang some there.

They both quit Costa Vida. Kiersten is working with Jason's mom at a Curves workout place, and Jason has gone back to being a server at Olive Garden in addition to both going to school full time.

Temple

Tuesday afternoon I kept getting these thoughts that I should really go to the temple and I kept dismissing it. It has been kind of a dreary weather day and I hadn't really dressed for the day. I was on a roll getting a few things done like laundry and tackling some things in my office. Plus it was a night where we had absolutely nothing going on. I was kind of looking forward to having an evening to do whatever.

However, as I thought about it, I knew this coming week would be crazy trying to tie up loose ends and get ready for our spring break trip. So with that I decided to just go. Tyler was a little surprised by my sudden decision, and I was just as surprised.

When I got to the waiting room I watched as quite a few of my old Salt Lake 11th Ward members came in. I didn't remember most names and some faces didn't quite look the way I remember, but I guess that's what 16 years will do to some. My old Relief Society president in particular looked as if she had aged quite a bit. It was a nostalgic feeling as I sat and reminisced to myself. I was certain no one would surely remember who I was. And I was right. No one did.

All through the session I sat close to a woman by the name of Mary who was very good friends with my friend Nancy Peixhot, both from the same 11th ward. Shortly after moving to Salt Lake, I was asked by our Relief Society president if I could be Nancy's helper. She was an older lady living in our complex who had just had her leg amputated below the knee. She needed help cleaning and running errands. 

(Bad picture, but it's the only one I have of Nancy. She's the one on the bottom left with red hair.)

Never did I ever think it would turn into the friendship it did. We stayed in contact even after moving to Magna. Things took a turn for the better with her for several years and then she had a few bad years. My kids remember the year we visited her at Christmastime in a nursing home, bringing her a Christmas tree and goodies. I was able to track her down six or seven years ago and went to visit her with Ashlyn and my niece Makayla. She was so down and depressed and simply did not want to see me. It was so sad to see her like that and it was the last time I saw her. I lost contact and for years I read the obituaries thinking, hoping, I would see hers and know what had become of her.

Well, when I saw Mary I knew she would know about Nancy. I followed her out of the celestial room and quietly told her who I was and if she knew anything about Nancy. I must have missed her obituary because she's been gone for about 3 years. It made me happy to finally know about my friend. I knew there was a reason to go to the temple that evening. I'm so glad I followed that prompting or I might still be wondering today "Where in the world is Nancy Peixhot?"