The Sinners Went For a Little Salavation

So, the Weavers finally went to church in Wyoming!!! We are now attending the Casper 6th Ward which is .09 miles from our home and took a total of 3 minutes to get there. We just can't believe our good, no, great luck! We were warmly welcomed today by lots of very nice people.

However, it was a rather tramatic morning of sorts for me. I was suffering with a bout of homesickness. It started this morning shortly after I got up. I'd turned on the TV and was listening to "Music and The Spoken Word" on BYUTV and the last song sung was "God Be With You Till We Meet Again". That did it. I launched into tears right then and there. That is the song that used to be sung when a family moved from our little branch in Japan and then it was the closing song on our last day in Tifton. Then I got to thinking about my family, especially missing taking Mom and Dad to church, and my church family members. After all, it has been almost a month since we last attended church in Tifton.

Then when we arrived at our new ward, it was the day of the Christmas program which was excellent. However, I cried through most of it reflecting on a similar day when I was told that Grandmother McGhee had died that morning and missing Tifton. Somehow I discovered that I had a brand new pack of tissues in my purse which NEVER happens - thank goodness!

During the program, the Primary children sang, but it just wasn't the same without the Ritchie kids. There wasn't quite the gusto that I was accustomed to hearing in Tifton.

Someone played "What Child Is This?" on the harp (so beautiful and it sent me into tears again); an outstanding piano/organ duet and someone sang the song "Mary Did You Know?" which I always loved.

Everyone was very nice and welcoming today. In fact, we were even invited to dinner tonight but couldn't make it as Joe slipped on ice in the back yard this afternoon and may have broken his thumb. (I told him to make sure he mentioned that to the doctor when he goes in for his surgery in the morning). We attend Sacrament Meeting, then Sunday School class and lastly Relief Society. It was then that I realized this is our new ward - our new church family and friends. They begin each Relief Society meeting by singing the first verse of "As Sisters In Zion" which really is quite nice as it brings everyone together and gets their attention before the meeting actually begins.

Our new bishop kinda reminds me of our old bishop - both a little on the more to love side. Speaking of which, Joe and I both realized this morning that we've both lost a little bit of weight - maybe not in pounds, but in inches. My long wool coat fits much better now and the coat I bought is a little looser. I tend not to eat as much as I used to - I think it has to do with being too tired or it's the altitude.

We also found out that when we go to the temple, we will go to Billings, Montana and not Denver. Won't that be fun???

And, yes, that is a picture of our new chapel.