Written by Faye. I had a learning experience this week that I need to record. The head of the legal department approached me in the middle of November asking me to help him choose some music to sing at our area Christmas devotional on December 11th. The legal department is super busy and with COVID, their work is overwhelming. He’s a good musician and singer and was asked to head up a senior missionary choir. I was happy to delve into the music of Christmas so I chose a few pieces for him to look at. We chose one we thought would be easy to work up with a few practices.

One problem I saw was that we don’t have the strong senior missionary choir we used to have. Three couples just went home and two of those couples were very strong singers. I wanted to have a small group so it would sound good and he wanted to have all the senior missionaries sing. I said to him once on the phone, “Do we want an all senior missionary choir or do we want it to sound good.” He was in charge of this so I just went with it… worried.

During the practices, we struggled. It was frustrating for me. It’s always been important to me to make sure a piece is sung well because, I think (in my music-snob brain) it’s distracting and detracts from the Spirit if the music is not sung right.

I’ve learned that is not the case at all if the Lord is involved. He works with our best efforts and I have been chastened, lovingly, carefully and kindly about this very thing.

Yesterday, December 11th, we sang our number at the area office devotional that was recorded and will be sent out to all the Pacific Area church members. I had been doing lots of praying about this performance…”Please bless us beyond our natural capabilities”…”Please let the Spirit be there in spite our our weakness.”

I saw people getting teary and smiling. We got lots of compliments afterward.

The head of the legal department guy knew of my worry during the practices and he approached me afterward and told me, “The reason all of us needed to sing was because these people in the Pacific remember all those senior missionaries who have come and taught and loved them. When we walk in a room with our badges on, we bring a presence with us that we don’t realize we have. They feel that presence. When we come together like we did in this choir, we are powerful. They needed to see and hear all of us.” I knew that was true then and I thanked him for his vision.

It wasn’t about the music. It was about our calling here. It was about who we represent. I saw and felt that reverence too when the area presidency and their wives came in right before the devotional started. Everyone was quiet and we felt the power of their calling.

I’m grateful for this experience. I feel so ordinary here. I’m just a person living in New Zealand right now who’s been called to wear this badge. It’s so ordinary and every day for me. I don’t feel special at all. But Christ is the one Who’s special. I loved being reminded that Who I represent is what’s important. We are around the area presidency and their wives quite often that it is just a normal day with them. But, again, I felt the power of their calling during this meeting. I needed that experience.

Here are some quotes from Elder Ardern at the devotional:

This is not some mundane work we are doing here. (Speaking of the work done by everyone in the area office) Cumulatively, we are building the kingdom of God.

Christ deserves more than our passing thought. He deserves all we can muster.

The best exercise of the day is to fall on your knees (speaking about “O Holy Night” that was just sung) and then act on what you have received.

It is a sweet blessing to end this 2020 year celebrating our Savior. It is just so fitting.

Christ is the real gift of Christmas.

Here’s the link to an article written about the Christmas devotional. There’s a picture of our choir.