On Sunday we attended church with the local branch we found on the church’s website. Ethan said that going to church while on vacation just
made us the most religious family he knows. Haha.
We took a taxi over to the other side of the island to the church house. Taking the taxi was always an adventure. For starters, Antigua
was under British rule until 1981. Therefore, it is more like Great Britain
than America. They play cricket and
football (soccer) and drive on the “wrong” side of the road. We had discussed
renting a car just to try it out but decided against it after our initial taxi ride
from the airport. The street lights are confusing, there appears to be no
rules or order, and everything is opposite of all we have ever known. Therefore, we decided it was easier and safer just to take the taxi. This is what we looked like as we rode to church.
The members of the church were very friendly and seemed
genuinely happy we were there worshipping with them. There were about 70 people that Sunday. The girls attended primary with a total of seven children, including them. We had the chance to talk to the sister missionaries serving on the island. Aaron spoke briefly to the Branch President.
I loved attending church meetings on the island!! The Antiguan people speak with a Jamaican type accent that
is just fun to listen to. They
are kind and very laid back. Most of the hymns were sung acapella. At times the congregation sang out of tune and did not always keep the proper rhythm and counting, but it sounded beautiful!!
One of the hymns we sang was Ye Elders of Israel. This is not a song that we sing typically as a congregation since it is written for a men's chorus. However, this song, in this place, will always be imprinted on my mind.
These are the words to the first verse:
Ye elders of Israel, come join now with me
And seek out the righteous, where'er they may be-
In desert, on mountain, on land or ON SEA-
And bring them to to Zion, the pure and the free. (emphasis added)
I love the fact that where ever we go in the church, the lessons are the same structure. Each area in the world adds what I call "personality" but otherwise, it is the same. The gospel of Jesus Christ should be the same throughout the world. I love that I can find righteous people wherever I go.
I enjoyed Sunday School and Relief Society. I haven't attended either for a very long time. In Relief Society they recited the words to the Relief Society Declaration. It was nice to be reminded of the importance and value of women in the church.
The lesson that Sunday was on faith. A woman told the following parable:
There was a woman one day who carried the dirty clothing of her family to the nearby pond to wash. When she returned to her home that evening, she passed by a woman who was sitting on her porch. The woman on the porch asked the other woman how she was able to get all of her clothing so clean that quickly. The woman replied, "The Lord helped me." The next day the woman from the porch gathered up her dirty laundry and took it down to the side of the pond. Than she sat under a tree, had a picnic, and listened to music. At the end of the day, she returned home with all of her dirty clothing and wondered why the Lord did not help her as he had helped the woman before.
The moral of the story is that we have to do our part in order for the Lord to help us. Faith requires action.
Another touching moment was when a woman prayed and thanked God they could sit on their porch and read scripture and did not have to worry about men appearing with machetes.
Their world is so different than my world and yet I feel like a far better person for having touched their world for one moment.
It may seem odd to some that we attended church while on vacation, but in fact, it ended up being one of the highlights from our trip. I really feel like I left this building a better person than when I walked in.
One of the hymns we sang was Ye Elders of Israel. This is not a song that we sing typically as a congregation since it is written for a men's chorus. However, this song, in this place, will always be imprinted on my mind.
These are the words to the first verse:
Ye elders of Israel, come join now with me
And seek out the righteous, where'er they may be-
In desert, on mountain, on land or ON SEA-
And bring them to to Zion, the pure and the free. (emphasis added)
I love the fact that where ever we go in the church, the lessons are the same structure. Each area in the world adds what I call "personality" but otherwise, it is the same. The gospel of Jesus Christ should be the same throughout the world. I love that I can find righteous people wherever I go.
I enjoyed Sunday School and Relief Society. I haven't attended either for a very long time. In Relief Society they recited the words to the Relief Society Declaration. It was nice to be reminded of the importance and value of women in the church.
The lesson that Sunday was on faith. A woman told the following parable:
There was a woman one day who carried the dirty clothing of her family to the nearby pond to wash. When she returned to her home that evening, she passed by a woman who was sitting on her porch. The woman on the porch asked the other woman how she was able to get all of her clothing so clean that quickly. The woman replied, "The Lord helped me." The next day the woman from the porch gathered up her dirty laundry and took it down to the side of the pond. Than she sat under a tree, had a picnic, and listened to music. At the end of the day, she returned home with all of her dirty clothing and wondered why the Lord did not help her as he had helped the woman before.
The moral of the story is that we have to do our part in order for the Lord to help us. Faith requires action.
Another touching moment was when a woman prayed and thanked God they could sit on their porch and read scripture and did not have to worry about men appearing with machetes.
Their world is so different than my world and yet I feel like a far better person for having touched their world for one moment.
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