The Mustard Seed...

SOMEONE GIVE ME A HIGH FIVE FOR BLOGGING TWICE IN THE SAME MONTH ~MOVING RIGHT ALONG~

Being a YSA REP has tested my faith like no other. The reason for that is that YOU'RE NOT MESSING WITH PRIMARY KIDS ANYMORE. When you were in the young women, you dealt with people who were your age or two years younger or two years old.. but never 8 years younger or 20 years older (I'm not even playing around with that one hehe). These YSA's have their opinions and working with them on a stake level, you put your rep on the line with EVERY activity!! To some people, they don't care.. to me I do cause I have this crazy thing about "CARING WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ME" and although I'll tellyou that I don't care.. I DO!!!

So planning activites for YSA's becomes even more difficult, WILL THEY LIKE THE ACTIVITY?? WILL THEY BASH THE ACTIVITY?? WILL THEY EVEN COME TO THE ACTIVITY??

These are the questions that haunt my mind as I help plan the activities. Now, on Sunday January 9, 2011 - WE HAD OUR FIRST ACTIVITY OF THE YEAR...

**STAKE WIDE CES FIRESIDE & YSA FAMILY HOME EVENING**

I know, I know.. POINTS FOR CREATIVITY LOL!!! But this activity was to serve 2 purposes. 1- CES ATTENDANCE GOES UP 2- EXPOSE THE YSA'S TO EACH OTHER in hopes of finding the RIGHT ONE!!1

Regularly CES attendance was 10-15 people (I'm not even joking). We started to advertise more and the numbers went to about 20 and peaking at 40 to end the 2010 year.

This year we waned to increase that number as much as we could... and we had a total of 97 YSA's show up to the CES Fireside. IT WAS AWESOME!! minus the glitches of not being able to start the broadcast on time.. but the important thing is that we got it going!!!

We were so HAPPY that the turn out was good and that the Stake Presidency was happy and especially our highcouncilman who has done so much for us since he joined the YSA JUNGLE.

FHE was AMAZING. We had a lesson COMMUNICATION and it was taught by Mone. The activity was awesome: DRAW A SIMPLE PICTURE. You have a seer and a scribe. The seer looks at the SIMPLE PICTURE made of all kinds of shapes. The scribe cannot see the picture and has to listen to the seer's instructions. THE TWIST: The seer cannot use shapes to describe the picture. The YSA's had to find a different method of communicating the picture.. and most of those pictures were HECKA OFF LOL.. WE STILL NEED SOME PRACTICE YSA'S LOL

After such a SUCCESFUL night, I have a more CONFIRMED FAITH. These ysa's didn't come to the fireside/fhe beause they FORCED to. They could have done whatever they wanted to on a sunday night. FOOTBALL, TEMPLE SQUARE, EATING WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY.. but to come to something because you know it's where you're suppose to be, (It might not be the most popular thing to do, it might not be fun. But you were there cause you knew you were suppose to be there.. THAT TAKES FAITH. In it's smallest measurements FAITH carries us to do WHAT IS RIGHT even when the world looks at us and says "ONLY LAME PEOPLE GO TO CES" but you go anyways because.. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE WORLD THINKS ABOUT YOU... BUT WHAT THE LORD THINKS OF YOU"

Although I'm still very self concious and worry about what people think of me... These types of experience remind me that NO matter what.. THE LORD IS THERE, So if they don't like the activities.. ATLEAST YOU TRIED. and the Lord see's the effort.. AND THAT's WHAT MATTERS.

"WITH THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED... YOU CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS"

Live, Laugh,Love

LEE