ATTENDING THE HOUSE OF PRAYER - ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN A LIFETIME
There is a pueblito here on the outskirts of Mexico City, called San Francisco. It is a humble area, with happy people. There aren't many cars, because people can't afford them. The streets are very bumpy, and you might see a man with a burro pulling a cart collecting trash. About 15 months ago, the missionaries had tremendous success there teaching repentance and baptizing many converts.
It would have been a hardship for these new converts to travel to the nearest chapel, so one sweet elderly convert, Hermana Jasso, offered the use of a small three bedroom brick house on her property for the church members to gather in. And so was born, the "House of Prayer".
This group of saints has been faithful! They have shared the gospel with others and the missionaries have continued to work side by side with them to help this little congregation grow. A few Sundays ago, President and I were privileged to attend their first branch conference. And I can tell you, I consider it a once-in-a-lifetime honor!
It was hard to find this home, this "House of Prayer"! In this area, addresses really don't exist. We stopped several people on the street, a man on a bike, and a taxi driver for directions, but just couldn't find it. It was funny though, twice we saw teen-age boys dressed in white shirts and ties (at 9AM on Sunday morning - how weird is that?) walking in the same direction. (That should have been our clue - to ask them where to go...but we didn't.) Eventually after driving around for 30 minutes - we found it!)
When we arrived, the Melchizedek Priesthood brethren, all in their suits, were standing in the street greeting people as they arrived. When we entered Hna. Jasso's yard, and entered the little brick home, the branch members were all seated in folding chairs in the three small rooms. The walls were red brick, the ceiling and floor were both plain gray cement. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling in each room. There was a big window that looked out onto Hna. Jasso's trees and flowers. There was a beautiful flower arrangement in front of the tiny portable podium. Three very small room tables were lined in a row and covered with a lace tablecloth to make a sacrament table. There was a laptop with speakers playing instrumental church hymns as prelude music. And we saw the three boys with white shirts and ties, that we had seen walking on the street earlier - two were deacons and one sat in the congregation!
Everyone was very, very reverent. Seated in that room, one felt peace, safety and "Holiness to the Lord".
The chairs in the two visible rooms were full, but people kept coming!
And coming!
So, the people entered through the front door of the home, walked between the podium and chairs at the front, to get to a side bedroom (where Primary is held) to be inside. They had a camera set up so they could "televise" the event into this little side bedroom.
And people still kept coming.
Priesthood brethren went outside and strung a tarp between two trees and set up folding chairs right in front of the door, where they could sit and listen.
It was reverent, so very reverent. It is rare to be someplace so reverent - even with small children in the audience.
And the meeting began on time.
Mexicans love to sing the hymns. They never only sing one verse. Never. Generally there are not hymnbooks in the chapels - Mexicans all have their own hymnbooks or sing off their smart phones. They all love to sing!
When it was time for the sacrament, the priests had a little tiny pillow they put on the cement floor to kneel on while they said the prayers. The people sitting on the front row of the "stand, had to move and stand up so there was room for the priests to kneel. It was very reverent, and sacred to participate in the sacrament with this body of saints.
The talks by the Stake and Branch Presidents and President Mann were wonderful - even though I could not understand most of what was being said, the Spirit was there.
And the thing that really struck me were the two choir numbers. I am not kidding when I tell you most of the ward sang in the choir. They didn't stand up - there was no where to go, so they sat in their seats in the congregation and sang the choir songs - joyfully - even children were in the choir! It was absolutely beautiful!
At the end of Sacrament Meeting, the priesthood quickly set up tables with folding chairs in circle fashion in two places outside under the trees and people moved to their various "classes" to begin Sunday School! "Out in the fields with God".
All in all, we were later told 130 people, including 15 investigators attended church that day.
What a blessing to be among these saints who struggle and strive to worship as one! I believe eventually they will grow, become a ward, and have their own chapel. But, oh, they will always look back on this time, with great fondness, that they once had the opportunity to worship together, squeezed in that little house, that little "House of Prayer".
It would have been a hardship for these new converts to travel to the nearest chapel, so one sweet elderly convert, Hermana Jasso, offered the use of a small three bedroom brick house on her property for the church members to gather in. And so was born, the "House of Prayer".
This group of saints has been faithful! They have shared the gospel with others and the missionaries have continued to work side by side with them to help this little congregation grow. A few Sundays ago, President and I were privileged to attend their first branch conference. And I can tell you, I consider it a once-in-a-lifetime honor!
It was hard to find this home, this "House of Prayer"! In this area, addresses really don't exist. We stopped several people on the street, a man on a bike, and a taxi driver for directions, but just couldn't find it. It was funny though, twice we saw teen-age boys dressed in white shirts and ties (at 9AM on Sunday morning - how weird is that?) walking in the same direction. (That should have been our clue - to ask them where to go...but we didn't.) Eventually after driving around for 30 minutes - we found it!)
When we arrived, the Melchizedek Priesthood brethren, all in their suits, were standing in the street greeting people as they arrived. When we entered Hna. Jasso's yard, and entered the little brick home, the branch members were all seated in folding chairs in the three small rooms. The walls were red brick, the ceiling and floor were both plain gray cement. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling in each room. There was a big window that looked out onto Hna. Jasso's trees and flowers. There was a beautiful flower arrangement in front of the tiny portable podium. Three very small room tables were lined in a row and covered with a lace tablecloth to make a sacrament table. There was a laptop with speakers playing instrumental church hymns as prelude music. And we saw the three boys with white shirts and ties, that we had seen walking on the street earlier - two were deacons and one sat in the congregation!
Everyone was very, very reverent. Seated in that room, one felt peace, safety and "Holiness to the Lord".
The chairs in the two visible rooms were full, but people kept coming!
And coming!
So, the people entered through the front door of the home, walked between the podium and chairs at the front, to get to a side bedroom (where Primary is held) to be inside. They had a camera set up so they could "televise" the event into this little side bedroom.
And people still kept coming.
Priesthood brethren went outside and strung a tarp between two trees and set up folding chairs right in front of the door, where they could sit and listen.
It was reverent, so very reverent. It is rare to be someplace so reverent - even with small children in the audience.
And the meeting began on time.
Mexicans love to sing the hymns. They never only sing one verse. Never. Generally there are not hymnbooks in the chapels - Mexicans all have their own hymnbooks or sing off their smart phones. They all love to sing!
When it was time for the sacrament, the priests had a little tiny pillow they put on the cement floor to kneel on while they said the prayers. The people sitting on the front row of the "stand, had to move and stand up so there was room for the priests to kneel. It was very reverent, and sacred to participate in the sacrament with this body of saints.
The talks by the Stake and Branch Presidents and President Mann were wonderful - even though I could not understand most of what was being said, the Spirit was there.
And the thing that really struck me were the two choir numbers. I am not kidding when I tell you most of the ward sang in the choir. They didn't stand up - there was no where to go, so they sat in their seats in the congregation and sang the choir songs - joyfully - even children were in the choir! It was absolutely beautiful!
At the end of Sacrament Meeting, the priesthood quickly set up tables with folding chairs in circle fashion in two places outside under the trees and people moved to their various "classes" to begin Sunday School! "Out in the fields with God".
All in all, we were later told 130 people, including 15 investigators attended church that day.
What a blessing to be among these saints who struggle and strive to worship as one! I believe eventually they will grow, become a ward, and have their own chapel. But, oh, they will always look back on this time, with great fondness, that they once had the opportunity to worship together, squeezed in that little house, that little "House of Prayer".
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