As I imagine all missionaries can attest, Sunday is a special day here...even better because today I started teaching Gospel Principles class. (Unlike the full-time missionaries, my companion and I are "hybrids"- we are considered Church Service missionaries but with West Indies MIssion assignments - so we can hold ward callings as well).
Yesterday I phoned ahead to 2 investigators and 1 new member and asked them to contribute parts of the Gospel Principles lesson. Only one of the investigators showed up; but she was great! I'll be sure to ask her to help again - I can tell she's an organized, on-track kind of person....(adding some yang to my yin...)
At the very end of class, two bishopric members came in to set me apart as the teacher, which they did by the authority of the priesthood, by laying on of hands, in front of the class. I had never seen it done quite that way before, but I found it inclusive (a teaching moment in itself!),  also efficient and quite touching - and me without any Kleenex, I should know better by now!
The new member I had invited unfortunately forgot about our ward time change (from 1pm to 11am - and I forgot to remind him) so he showed up late, but he was just in time to sing with us for choir practise. I was happy to see his cheery smile - he's a great guy; and the men's section appreciated his voice.
Last week we had Stake Conference with special speaker Elder Hugo Martinez of the Seventy. He said he and his wife are both converts to the church; and they got their start by being invited to sing in the ward choir. He described choir rehearsals as a unique experience. Ideally a ward choir should be warm and welcoming - I know ours is - and we laugh a lot during practises too.
Elder Martinez has quite a sense of humor, I discovered; he said now he's only asked to sing at funerals - so that the bereaved know there's something worse than death!