Church/Our Callings

A little while back, Scott and I received a calling to serve in the University Care Center Branch.  You might be wondering... HUH?  What's that?!  Well... I'll tell you!

So, instead of going to our married student ward, we go up to the University Hospital and serve there!

  It is a calling that many couples receive if they don't have children.  We were told when we first moved in that it would be likely that they would be calling us to the "medical branch" because we did not have kids.

When we received the calling, I was really excited for many reasons.  One of them being the fact that it is so hard to sit on my bum through three hours of church!! :)  Scott welcomed the calling but he isn't the biggest fan of hospitals.  But the most awesome part is that we are able to serve together as a couple.  That is what I am most excited about!

Our main job is to pass the sacrament around to all the LDS members in the church.  We also give blessings to those in need, and offer other services to them such as visits, and putting their names on the temple prayer role, etc.  Basically, this is a calling where Scott does all the work (blessings, sacrament, etc), and I follow him around with my binder full of information and get to visit with the patients and share a thought with them from time to time.  We have only been twice in the two-ish months that we've had the calling (whoops!)  But I am really enjoying it and look forward to serving.

Our schedule goes like this:

9-9:30--Priesthood/Relief Society *1/2 hour = sweet!

9:30-10:30--Take sacrament to people's rooms and invite those who can to come to sacrament meeting

10:30-11--Sacrament meeting  *1/2 hour = sweet!

11-12 or 12:30--Finish up passing sacrament and giving blessings.

I have really enjoyed it so far.  It is very different than going to our regular ward and I am enjoying it thus far.  Today was our fast Sunday so during sacrament meeting we were able to listen to testimonies.  The testimonies shared were from students serving in the calling, senior couples serving in the calling, and visitors who were staying with patients in the hospital.  The spirit was so strong and I loved the feelings I got from being there.  It was very different than being in fast and testimony meeting in my previous wards.  I cannot really describe it, but it made me so grateful to be a member of the church and to have the knowledge that I have of the atonement, and the plan of salvation.  I also received the reassurance that Heavenly Father looks out for us, He answers our prayers, and He loves us.  Simple as that--he testimonies that were shared uplifted me and made me want to be a better person.

Anyways, I just wanted to explain a little more about our callings.  I feel really blessed to have this calling.  Everyone has been telling us that we will "never get another experience like this again" and that we should enjoy it.  After today, I know what they are talking about.  This calling is going to be great!