Tomorrow we are going to have a Stake Conference for our church in the new Gina Cox gym that they just built here. We found out a couple weeks ago that they are going to be dividing the old Stake and creating another one. That is exciting for us because we love growth! I'm curious about who will be in the new Stake and for all the changes that will come to our branch.
I have to admit being a member of the church in the South is a lot different than I ever imagined. Yes growing up we lived in the "Utah bubble". I grew up being around probably 80% LDS people most of the time pretty much wherever I lived or traveled. I had heard there were not a lot of members down south, but until you experience it you really don't know how it feels. It's like going from the majority to the minority. Like being told your a princess by your dad whole life and then you move out of your house and no one thinks your a princess :) ha ha... if that analogy makes sense.
Probably the hardest thing for me, is that before when I would tell someone I was a Mormon, they would look at me with respect and admiration. If you tell someone your a Mormon here, they look at you with surprise and uncertainty, and you can see every stereotype or label they've heard about the church wash across their face. The last town we lived in had 2 other members (both of which were semi inactive) for about 45 miles. It was the most isolated and lonely feeling. Who would I call if I needed help, a lending hand? Suddenly I missed the visiting teachers I had never had time for before. I missed feeling the "backup" that church family provides when your own family is so far away. But now that we live here, even though our branch is small, it is close. We have members near, and though they are few, they are strong. They are family to me now.
I have learned to love living in an area with a small branch. It really makes a person feel needed in their callings and responsibilities. If a teacher doesn't come to church on Sunday, then that class might not even be held, because there might be no one to replace them. So it really makes you to step up to the plate in a good way. And the fact that Kayla is the only member in her whole school and Callie is the only member in hers right now, scares me less than I thought it would. I hope that they leaders among their friends. Like they can stand up for their values and for their beliefs and be proud of being a member of this church. This whole experience has been a learning one for me and has really made me appreciate the family I was born into and treasure my membership in this church.
