Each day this past week we took time to prepare for upcoming assignments, and to care for ourselves spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We exercise, write and sing about the beauties of life (song: Life Surrounds), walk on beaches or piers, wade through the Iao Stream, admire God’s hand in the infinitely varying sunsets above the ocean, and meandering turtles below. On one evening while reading on the beach, a large seal parted the waves, crawled up the beach and drew a large crowd. The look in his eyes was, “It’s been a long journey. I’m tired. Leave me alone.” On another occasion Joan found a sleeping turtle on a small beach with a rock on the center of his shell. It is illegal to touch a turtle, but Joan felt compassion, tiptoed through the sand, and removed the rock. Then received a wink from the turtle that seemed to say, “Thank you.”

We prepared and practice a sacred hymn in a sacred place. We prepared an overview and testimony of the addiction recovery program which we then presented three times on Sunday (5^th Sunday combined adult meetings) rushing to three different meetinghouses, on three different parts of the island. Our presentation included a tender review of Alma 7:11-12, a scripture that President Dallin H. Oaks said, “is the single clearest of all the scriptures on this essential power of the Atonement…” (Oaks, Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Oct. 2015) During the presentation we set a spiritual tone by singing the duet we had prepared, “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” (new Hymn 1014) while accompanying ourselves with violin and guitar. These were special moments for us and judging by expressions and spirit, special for the members. We reviewed church online resources with them, bore testimony of the power of the Savior to assist us in our needs, and with love invited them to invite others who could benefit from the program.

During this week’s support meeting several new people came. We focused on Step-3, “Decide to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God, The Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.” The basic principle is to Trust in God. The spirit was there, and we did our best conducting the meeting, discussing the principles, and bearing testimony at the end. However, as is too common for me (an addiction of pride), I doubted my effectiveness, wondering what I could’ve done differently or conveyed better for these beautiful, humble people. (I noticed that I was in need of the very principle we were teaching, that is: Trust in God).

As noted previously, Joan and I are reading, “The Journals of George Q. Cannon, Hawaiian Mission, 1850-1854). In 1851 Elder Cannon set out from Lahaina to live among the Hawaiian people in order to help him learn the language and convey the Gospel more effectively. Similarly, Joan and I occasionally set out to learn local history (we went to the Wailuku museum this week) and we read about Elder Cannon’s experiences with the people so that we might understand their culture and be more effective sharing the Savior’s message and healing power. On one occasion after struggling to preach in their language, in anxiousness Cannon wrote, “I felt very much depressed after this meeting, it seems a hard business to explain things. When will I be so that I can do justice to the principles of which I am the bearer?” On another occasion, speaking of his prayer to the Lord for help obtaining the language he said, “If I did not know that he would order everything for the best, I should be tempted to be discouraged.” (pg. 89) About the time of his first convert baptisms he wrote, “I have not felt the spirit of the Lord more… than I did this afternoon, and the people felt it… I had been enabled by his spirit to explain some things to the people few as they were that I had been sent to teach…” (pg. 95)

At our addiction support meeting the subject was Trust in God, and so having done our best to prepare and trust in him to execute the evening as he and his inspired resources prescribed, like Elder Cannon I should have had trust that “he would order everything for the best” that our best preparations and his process would work in the lives of those specific children of God who attended. Instead, I came home not feeling rest, but burden, the burden of self-doubt and self-criticism, whereas I should’ve taken his yoke upon me, not just words, but with full trust so that I might feel of his rest (Matthew 11:28-30) and not be burdened by the pride that was driving my unrest, the pride of wondering what I could’ve done differently or how I could’ve executed it differently (I notice the word “I” too much in the last sentence; pride). Sister Hardman and I made our best efforts. We studied, we prayed, we prepared. And in the session, we loved, we read, we discussed, and we carried out the class. And judging by the faces present many were touched and many felt sincere and good feelings. We have confidence that many are feeling more power in Christ. We take to the Lord our best offering, and He makes something beautiful.