A little here and there about my student ward in Spring 07... You know you have good home teachers when... - They smile and genuinely seem please to be able to visit
- They bake cookies for your apartment, not the other way round
- They go the extra mile to get their butts off the couch, open your cupboard and fridge to get cups and milk respectively so that you and your room-mates can dip the cookies in
- They put the milk back in the fridge
- They check the time and make sure they don't go over 45mins
- They ask each girl what they like to do/ hobbies/ interests
- They look up the ward directory and MEMORIZE where you and your room-mates are from and your majors
The 3rd and last one are SUPER IMPRESSIVE. Heck I don't do that for my visiting teachees
(probably because asking them what their major is is a conversation starter...) and these guys took the effort to memorize all of ours.
I think this set of home teachers (Troy Richey & Garret Poppitz) is going to be GREAT!
You know there is some serious gender ratio imbalance when...There are literally only 27 males to the 61 females in the ward
You know it couldn't have been planned when...You're FHE mom is your room-mate
(Tyla), and your FHE dad
happens to be her fiance
(Joey).
Plus there is
another engaged couple in your family
(gee wow! They put them in the same family?). But I love my FHE family and I'm so glad that Tyla and Joey are my "parents".
You know you've had a great time being in a student ward...When you think about going home and have very mixed feelings about going back to a family ward. I can't wait to see and play with the kids again, but I shudder at the thought of hearing crying babies and playing children noises during sacrament meetings again...
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
My highlight of my weekend was
Hands down Stake Conference.IT WAS SO GOOD.
Of course, when
Elder David A. Bedner attends, what else do you expect?!
You can't tell from Conference but he is actually
an extremely funny person. We were just cracking up as he kept telling us joke after joke. I think it's because he's in a more intimate environment compared to say, the gigantic monstrous Conference Hall.
Yet, he also turned very serious when teaching us doctrine. It was like taking another one of Bro Bott's awe-inspiring Mission Prep classes again- except this time there was no disclaimer that it was his own opinion. It was only pure doctrine coming from an apostle of the Lord. The Spirit for both sessions was so strong and I learnt so much, most of it too sacred and personal to share
But some points that stood out to my room-mates and I:
- Missionary work is easy! If we keep the commandments, we will stand out as being so "weird" (He actually said this word!), that people will naturually ask us about our standards, and from there...
- Your decisions, whether you realize it or not, will affect your posterity. I found it extremely interesting that he specifically gave the example of how being trapped by PORBNOGRAPHY will affect your posterity later. Hmm... interesting association there that you wouldn't think of.
- If your life is in the constant cycle of bad -> good -> bad-> good then you will never progress. But if you live good -> a bit better -> a bit better, then can Heavely Father tutor you and stretch you to become like Him. Our goal in life is not just to be cleansed of our sins, it is also to learn become like Him each and everyday.
What a wonderful way to start of the week!
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
Long Quote for the Week...Today for Relief Society we had a Visiting Teaching Workshop and it was terrific! Read the quote below. I love it!
"In visiting teaching (or whatever situation you are in) we reach out to each other. Hands often speak as voices can't. A warm embrace conveys volumes. A laugh together unites us. A moment of sharing refreshes our souls.
We cannot always lift the burden of one who is troubled, but we can lift her up so she can bear it well." ~Sis Elaine L. Jack~
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
The Importance of Dressing Well...I had my 1st Stake Enrichment last night. Our leaders had invited Sister Judith Rasband, an internationally sought image consultant who is also from my church, to speak to us about image and dressing.
I was expecting the usual "modesty-is-always-in-style" type of talk but it was way different. In fact, it was so interesting and...
controversial! I can't find a more suitable word. Basically, she ripped apart the entire fashion dress sense of current women AND men, saying so much of it was junk, trash and "deconstruction", even some styles that are are "in" now and seem appropriate. I don't necessarily agree with everything she said. For e.g. the whole guy "in" look of matching a formal suit top with dark pants/jeans: A big "No-no" according to her. When I heard that, I was like, "Hey! I've seen guys wear clothes like that and they look HOT!" And their not revealing anything!
Another part I totally disagree with her- if we want our future children to listen to us,
change into a blouse that has a collar and looks formal. This gives us the "air" of being more authoritative, and commands more attentiona and respect from our kids. I promise I didn't hear wrongly. When I heard that, I was so stunned. Hello?! My MOM can command the same attention and respect from her kids WITHOUT her having to change in and out 5 times a day. She merely has to count to 3 and tell us the punishent when we disobey her.
Alright, the speaker is internationally sought and has been in business for 40 years, so I'm not going to dispute everything she says.
Here are some interesting quotes though that I picked from her handout and it's great food-for-thought:
- While what you wear won't get you into heaven, it can certainly keep you out!
- It's true that God cares about what's inside, not outside. It's what's inside, however, that determines how we dress and groom the outdside"
- "Do not underestimate the important and actual effect of appearance. Persons who are well groomed and modestly dress invite the companianship of the Spirit... and are able to exercise a wholesome influence upon those around them." (Harold B Lee)
Anyway, I thought it was the greatest irony that after having a talk about image and dressing, we had dessert. Dessert is good. It makes sure we attend and stay through meetings. But this dessert was EXCEPTIONALLY good. In fact, it was the best thing of the evening. Dessert was shortcake (I think) coated with a layer of whipcream and defrosted strawberries and sauce on it. It was DELICIOUS and WONDERFUL and oh my word! I had 5 pieces. But the amazing thing is that I DON'T feel guilty!!! I don't know why. Maybe it's because the dessert was so good, I'm sure it was worth the extra pounds I've put on. Or maybe it's because I didn't eat dinner (I had a late lunch) so I figured this could sub for my dinner. Or maybe I rationalised that there were deforsted-unfresh strawberries on them and well, they're still fruits right? Whatever the reason, sometimes (like in this case) FAT can be so delicious!
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
Guys can be quite dumb sometimes...I had Stake Conference today and judging from the title, guess what the topic was? Nope, not about marriage or courtship but about DATING.
Ooh lah lah! DATING! How exciting!Yeah right. Since the beginnning of this year alone, my bishop gave us the usual
dating talk in January; there was a fireside held two Sundays ago about
dating, and today there were
2 talks on
dating. What is up with the leaders of the chuch? Ok, but I have to admit- after the bishop's prep talk and fireside, the guys have NOT asked my friends out so I guess the leaders felt that they needed more reinforcement.... at the expanse of the girls. But seriously, there's a limit to everything- my guy friends in Conference just shut off because it's the same thing over and over again. I know this wasn't meant to be torture but it felt semi-close to it.
Anyway, my post is not about dating. Dating is fun. Dating is wonderful. It helps people get to know each other better. In BYU context, a date is: A pair (male and female, just to clarify) goes off and does some fun activity. There's NO committment needed. You don't even need to romantically like the person of the opposite sex and still go on fun dates (to the horror of my Singaporean friends). But this is true. Dating is one way to go out and get to know more people of the opposite sex and improve your communication skills with them. If you are dating and going steady, it's call COURTSHIP.
Anyway, that's still not why I'm writing this post. Now to my main objective. One of the speakers told us this story to illustrate his point that dating can be simple and need not be extravagant- but that's not the point I got. Instead, the only I learnt was that BOYS CAN BE QUITE DUMB sometimes. The story goes as follows...
A boy was asked by a girl on a date (I think it was to Preference). In usual BYU-style (I swear this is BYU style. No where else does asking someone on a date take so much time, effort and flair), the girl asked him out in an extravagent way, and so HIS reply had to be extravagent as well...(That's not true- I did the extravagent way asking Billy out and he simply came up and said one simple "yes". Grr... Still not my pt abt guys being daft). So he planned to stick OREOS on the girl's window spelling the word "YES", so that when she wakes up, she will be greeted by the "YES".
Ok, so the idea is interesting. However, she lives on the 6th story of another Hall in Deseret Towers. How is he going to stick the oreos there? (Clarissa, you know how it's like right? there is no ledge to hold on to outside.)
He and his friends, in the night (duh!) climbed up the staricase to the roof of the girl's hall (which is forbidden. They shouldn't even be in the hall then). Unfortunately, they couldn't open the door to the roof because it was locked (for obvious reasons). So they PICKED the lock and went onto the roof. It doesn't stop there.
Now, this guy is a ROCK CLIMBER. So of course, to get to the girl's apartment, he broke the door to the roof, put on his gear and with the help of his friends, stood at the roof edge, ready to climb down, when he SLIPPED and... oh dear! The rope caused him to swing far away from the dorm (erm, I hope you understand me here. I don't know how to describe this) BUT he had to swing back so guess where he swung into? RIGHT INTO THE WINDOW OF A GIRL'S ROOM ON THE 7TH FLOOR!!!
BANG! He crashed straight into the windows and I'm guessing he actually broke the window because he got entangled in the blinds. There was HYSTERIA everywhere in the room and on the entire floor. You know, girls in PJs, being woken up to find a man entangled in your blinds with a bag of oreos... I would have screamed till the guy wished he was dead (you know my loud voice...). The guy managed to get untangled and actually moved away BUT HERE IS WHERE IT SHOWS THE STUPIDITY OF MEN.
He slips into the hall with his friends after allowed hours, they break into the door leading to the roof, he tries to "rock climb" down to the girl's apartment, he slips and crashes into the wrong apartment and wakes up the entire floor (and building of couse), he is about to get caught and
STILL HE DECIDES THAT SINCE HE IS NEARBY, HE MIND AS WELL FINISH THE TASK.
He climbed down to the right apartment and started to paste oreos on the correct window. However, he noticed that there was BLOOD on the window so he looked down on his hand and saw that in crashing into window, he cut himself and was bleeding pretty badly. Then only does he FINALLY decided to stop. (That was wise. Imagine the poor girl waking up to find OREOS covered in BLOOD on her window spelling "yes"... freaky!) Anyway, he climbed down and his friends (obvoiusly panicking by now) rushed him to the hospital (I think he got stiches). And all this without getting caught! (Gee! I wish I had such good luck in my tests...)
The police started investigations, on the charge of
someone breaking into Deseret Towers. Luckily, after self-voluntarily confessing to the police and explaining his story a few times, the police believed him and dropped charges. Naturally he was kicked out of Deseret Towers.
When I heard it, I was like, oh my word! Why was he so stupid? And him crashing into the window is one of the most hilarious things I have heard this week. (wanna hear something else funny? My floor-mate told me I have an amazing talent of brushing my teeth and bring able to HUM a song at the same time). Guys/ Males/ Boys can be really daft sometimes.
But you know what? We still love them in the very end. Sigh...
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
Brain teasers...For Family Home Evening (FHE) today, we had a huge ward combine one and our "families" competed against one another in solving some puzzles and riddles. Yes, we still have FHE without our real parents. We actually call some of the people in my ward to be our "parents". My room-mate is my "mom". My real mom was so tickled by the thought that we actually have FHE moms and dads in student wards. Oh and those who don't understand what FHE is, it's this night set aside by our chrch in which our church encourages the family to get together and do something as a family, usually held on Monday night. Anyway, guess what are these are:
1) HOROBOD
2) The person who invented this doesn't want it, the person who buys it doesn't want it and the person who needs it doesn't know he needs one.
3) I'm in eternity and ever, yet I'm also in an end.
4) stupid stupid
stupid
stupid5) What gets wetter and wetter the more it's dried?
6) issues issues issues issues issues issues issues issues issues issues
Don't give up! Think a bit!
C'mon! Think for just a bit more....
Alright, here are the answers:
1) Rob-in-Hood= Robin Hood
2) A coffin
3) The letter "e"
4) down-right stupid
5) A towel (ok, this was a poorly phrased puzzle)
6) ten-"issues"= tennis shoes
Hee hee! Ok, it's 11pm already. I need to go and study!
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
Interesting thought...Today for Devotional, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Seventy spoke to us about Agency and the Atonement, and he told us something that I never thought of before.
You know how we as Christians and Mormons are always saying how Christ makes us free becasue he saves us and how our slavation was paid by him? Well, it's not just our salvation that he bought but also our agency!
He told us that our "Free" Agency is not truly "Free" because it was bought by Christ. Just think, if there wasn't an Atonement, we can make as many right choices as we possbly can but we will make wrong choices along the way and thus be condemened. Thus no matter how many right choices we made later, we would still be condemned.
However, Christ paid the price and brought abt the Atonement so that we can repent and mke right choices that would bring us back to live with Heavenly Father. Our agency is only possible because of the Atonement.
So the next time you make a decision, rememeber that your agency wasn't truly totally free and yours to make- Christ paid theprice so that we can make such choices and learn from our mistakes and grow!
And to those who have no idea wat I was just talking abt, just some food for thought!
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
I pat a REAL (duh, no pt if it's fake right? :P) PYTHON yesterday night during Family Home Evening. My "family" and I went to BYU's Animal Musuem and it is one of the coolest museums I've ever been to. There are REAL STUFFED animals, like bears and lions and squids and birds. It was amazing! And bears are ENORMOUS creatures. There was a stuffed bear that was on display and they put him standing on his hind-legs, and oh my word! I was like, if I was to ever enocunter a real bear, I wouldn't stand the slightest chance of survival man! Forget Care-bears or plush toy Bears- real bears are not in the slightest degree cute at all. Or cuddly. But you are still welcome to give me Forever Friends Bear Stuff. Hee hee!
Anyway, back to my original topic, at the musuem there was a children's, erm, talk-show going on, and being the k-po Miss Keesh I am, I stood and listened as well. So fascinating. I learnt so much abt snakes. Some interesting thing I learnt (and those not in their teens pls shut your ears... got a bit of R-rated stuff here)- did you know the fangs/ sharp teeth of a male snake is used to BITE (no kidding!) the female snake to STIMULATE them during intercourse? I'm dead serious.
And I learnt that snakes are mostly blind and the fastest snake can only travel up to 8miles/hr. The average human being can run up to 15 miles/hr, so don't fret if you see a snake! Just leave it alone and run. Besides, they can't see you. And don't believe anything in the movie Anaconda- all fake.
Back to my topic. I touched a real python! He felt... no, IT felt very... smooth! Not scaly or rough. No wonder snake skin is so precious... But I stil think the colours are very "Ah Soh" so pls don't buy me any snake-skin products. Now, a Forever Friends Bear would be nice...
Labels: BYU Student Wards experience
