3-7-10
Just got home from a fabulous Fast & Testimony meeting, (although I had to convince Pres. Heleyan that it’s perfectly appropriate to sing “Did You Think to Pray?” as an opening song in Sacrament Meeting, because he had been trained that it’s not, and he monitors my song choices as a very conscientious hymn policeman), a near fabulous Primary (where I presented 15 year old Hovanas with a CTR ring and an injunction to stay away from Primary, because he’s seldom where he belongs, and is always causing problems—and to always Choose (untrirzh) the Right ( chishta) ), and the third consecutive rehearsal of the Vanadzor Tabernacle Choir. I can’t love these people enough. They LOVE being in the choir, they go home and sing all week trying to remember the tune (which has been a challenge, but they are eager and humble learners), and even though it’s Fast Sunday, and we’ve already been at church for 4 or 5 hours, they don’t ever want to stop. We’re going to perform in two weeks for Sacrament Meeting, and Hermineh suggested we all wear white— which was a great idea. Guyaneh will solo verse two of “We’ll Sing All Hail to Jesus’ Name”, while the rest of the choir oooh’s (oooohing is how I taught them to carry a tune in the first place, which was Seda’s idea, and a good one , because it was too hard to concentrate on words and melody when we were first learning), and Elder Stephenson and Elder Blunck will sing harmony as they are the only men. We finish with a rousing “YE DO REMEMBER HIM” in fortissimo, and if you could see the testimony in their eyes you would melt right away.
5-6-10
I just found the above—and I’ll give you an update. The choir DID sing—only half of them showed up and I wanted to wait—but they sounded amazingly good and we’re now practicing “I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go”, which we’ll sing as soon as we polish it a smidgeon. This week the Primary will sing “Saturday Is a Special Day”. Unpolished. Pres. Heleyan is starting to like, & request, special musical numbers. I had to beg to let him allow the Elders & Ani to sing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” as a special closing song on Easter because it was Fast Sunday when we don’t have musical numbers, but he was willing to relent to the spirit of the law. I think he’s keeping score of his concessions, and is going to spring something huge on me without warning.
Hovanas—whose mother is a progressing investigator—has disappeared. We think to get some help for his problems. We’ve never been able to figure out if he’s just naughty, or undisciplined, or possessed with a legion of devils. He’s gotten lots of love from all of us, but there are members who say they won’t come if he’s allowed to be there. It did help for a time when the elders washed his mouth out with soap—-a parenting technique that is probably out of favor in America, but considered innovative here.
The pictures are of our Sense and Sensibility sisters—Ani and Araks. They clearly love each other and couldn’t be more opposite. Araks is always teasing Ani about dressing like an old lady, (she doesn’t, she just earnestly tries to follow the guidelines in “For the Strength of Your”) and being so stuffy, and Ani worries about Arkak’s spirituality, (although Ararks IS a good girl) but they never take offense from one another. Ani has just started hair dressing school, which consists of shadowing a seasoned hairdresser , and Araks just moved to Yerevan because Vanadzor is too provincial, and found a job working in an office. I have never considered office work all that fascinating, but big cities have the promise of excitement, if not the actual experience.