Today I am soaking in the richness of this ward where we are serving. Over the past week we met a lady from Iran who has been here for only 6 months. She lives with her daughter who is a student at a local college. She is being taught by the missionaries and shows great interest. We talked with another sister whose family comes from the Caribbean who also came to church last week. She had such a light in her eyes when she was given her own hard copy of the Book of Mormon. She held it like a prized jewel.
Yesterday we visited a family from the Philippines. They also recently moved here and are in search of reviving their spiritual life. The father is not a member, but has many questions. When we told him about the Gospel Essentials class that is held in the second hour after sacrament meeting, he became excited and promised to stay for that class.
These and several other encounters have proven not only how diverse our ward is, but also how the gospel of Jesus Christ is encompassing the world. So many of these people are drawn here by sheer faith and the courage to pursue freedom. As I observe so many who are coming to know Jesus, I am reminded of a favorite quote by a pioneer apostle, George Q Cannon.
This is such a culturally rich ward and the love that we feel here is palpable. I love to see the light of Christ in these new friends of ours. It’s like watching light bulbs turning on in their minds and the feeling is so joyful.