New Ward

I was planning on this blog being just a summer thing, but summer is dying out, and I'm still posting. I'm thinking that possibly I'll start another one about my class and my "grown up" life, but we'll see if that actually happens.

Anywho... Last Sunday was the Oquar Mountain dedication, which means we didn't have church. So today was the first day in my new ward. First things first.... I looked way good :o) You would think that with confidence enough to announce it online, I would have been more confident introducing myself to more people. But that just wasn't the case. I talked to a few new people, and learned a few new names (hopefully not to be forgotten too shortly), but no serious interactions as of yet. I do still have ward prayer to go to tonight, but that actually might get passed up for a birthday celebration for Janeen, we'll see.

When moving into the new place, one of the things I was super excited about was a new ward. Within the apartment complex, there are a few different wards. There's the family ward, the student ward, and the singles ward. I was excited to go to the single ward so that I could be one of the youngest ones there and not have to compete with the annoying 18 year olds. Not that 18 year olds are inherently annoying, but the fact that all guys, no matter what age, chase after those girls the most, that's the annoying part. So in the new ward, I was planning on being immediately interesting because I was new, fresh meat, and I was hoping to be one of the youngest, seeing as how I just graduated. Not quite how it played out today. I wasn't immediately interesting because there are LOTS of new people. And, I might be one of the youngest, but we have some super awesome girls in the ward. See, this is why I don't usually hold high expectations in social situations.

So the ward isn't what I had pictured in my head, but it is an awesome ward. First of all, we meet in an actual chapel, so that's nice. Plus, it's like real church because we have sacrament first, followed by Sunday school, rounded out by relief society/priesthood- just as it should be. On our way over to church we ran into Cherie, who we met because she works in the office at Millano Village (our apartment complex). She's quite entertaining, and was helpful with introducing us to some of her friends once we got there. Even before church started, it was good. Then sacrament started and the speakers gave really amazing talks (which make me extra want to never be called on to give a talk because I'd have to be compared to people like that). We had a short "new people" meeting after sacrament meeting and got our pictures taken (eww, that's never my favorite part). Then it was off to Sunday school. Gospel principles is taught in a room upstairs and luckily they were off to a slow start so we hadn't missed any part of the lesson, just socializing. We also missed the explanation of why we got treats, but we did not miss the bag of treats when it came by. Alysha leaned over to me later to say "that's what I'm talking about, treats in church." I think she's hooked on going now :o) Relief society and Priesthood were combined today so that the Bishopric could talk to us. They are highly entertaining/ humorous/ whatever, and yet were still able to share good messages. The sad thing is that they are getting released next week.

Alysha was thinking that she would check out both wards and see which one she wanted to go to (since she's still a student, it wouldn't be weird for her to go to the student ward), but I think after seeing how good this ward was, she'll stay in this one. It really was a great Sunday. The ward is friendly, welcoming, entertaining, but not irreverent. I came home with a couple goals to work on and learned a lot from the lessons and what others shared in those lessons. I'm way excited.