bowling with the girls

Aren't my girls cute? I don't know why, but I've never posted about my calling in the Young Womens organization in our ward. Which is suprising to me because I seem to post about EVERYTHING and Young Womens is a huge part of my life here in Denver! For those of you who have had this calling know what I'm talking about, it's just a very time consuming calling. But I really do appreciate the oppotunity to serve. I've always felt like it would be nice if someone would just tell me what the right thing to do is so I could just do it. I guess I just don't like ambiguity and like to know that I am doing the right thing. Well, being in young womens is a time when I don't wonder, I know that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do. I think that being a missionary would be amazing for that very reason, because your whole life for 2 years is laid out for you and you have a very clear purpose and you know that you are doing the right thing by being there. I can only imagine the happiness that would bring!

Our ward is EXTREMELY different than any other ward I have ever been a part of. We have a lot of diversity, new members, students, and lower income families. This sort of causes an inherent problem (in my opinion) because we have all of these new members (and more are baptized literally every week it seems like) who don't own a car so they need a ride to church and a member will give them rides... well that member is very likely a student who isn't always around and moves out of the ward. And since most of the members are new (either just moved in or just baptized) they don't know who to fellowship because everyone is new to them. What I am trying to say is that new members in this ward don't get near the attention they would get in a Utah ward and since our population is so transient there isn't anyone to follow up with them and keep track of them. It's kind of overwhelming in a lot of ways but at the same time I love feeling so needed and like I can make a difference! It's so great to have service oppotunities present themselves so often, because nothing makes you feel better than service!

All but 2 of these sweet girls don't have support from their families in the church, they are the only members. Many of them live in single parent homes where they can barely make ends meet. I often am amazed at their strength and perseverence. I don't know if I would find a ride to church and go if my parents weren't telling me to when I was 12 or 13. They are going through so many things I never had to deal with and I feel sorry for them that they don't have a mom to say, "You should pray about that," or a dad to give them priesthood blessings when they are sick. I also feel this great responsibility that I need to be all of those things for them, that they are lacking. The Bishop said to me the other day that I may be the only woman in their lives they have to look up to as a woman in the gospel, since they don't all have good examples in the home. Yikes! That's just one of those things you don't want to think about. :) Anyway, I love my calling (most days) and I'm truly grateful for the oppotunity to serve. I hope that somewhere along the line I can make a difference and be a good example to someone.