Visit from Elder and Sister Bednar!

We have had a very busy weekend with the visit to our mission from Elder and Sister Bednar along with Elder and Sister Choi. Starting many weeks ago phone calls and emails were exchanged back and forth between President Barrow and Elder Jung Tae Gul, making sure all the arrangements were in order so that everything would run smoothly while the general authorities were here. Instructions for International travel from a general authority were given discussing what hymns to use in the conference, who should be assigned to give the prayers (non-spot light missionaries), translation equipment; all this was to be submitted and approved prior to the visit, discussed, resubmitted, etc. Gift baskets for the hotel rooms and gift bags for travel in the cars needed to be arranged (Sister George the office secretary handled that doing a fantastic job—even when suggestion after suggestion was strongly given from Seoul). Meals/menus had to be submitted and approved. Western food was what we were told to provide (apparently the Bednar’s had a negative experience their last visit to Korea)(actually, the day before the arrived in Busan they were served live squid soup—wiggling around—GROSS). Well, come to find out some information was wrong so last minute (and I mean after the shopping had been done and the food was started to be prepared middlemen were calling with new assignments) changes took place. Sister Lee was very good with all of her meal preparations.

I was given two talks to read in preparation for an individual interview time: me with Sister Bednar and Sister Choi, chatting. It was good to hear about scripture study habits, exercise routines, amounts of sleep, struggles/faith, etc.

Our missionaries were given a number of articles written by Elder Bednar in order to read, study, and prepare for his visit and instruction to the missionaries. I Googled Elder Bednar in order to learn a little bit more about him and his wife. I asked questions about what kinds of food they liked to eat and if they had any allergies to certain foods and to avoid those. I had my day planned and organized in order to prepare the lunch that I was to serve and still get to the train station in time to greet our visitors. I was happy to have studied the words of Elder Bednar. I was excited to see him, to meet him, to ask him my questions, and to listen and learn from him. When Elder Bednar stepped off the train he extended his hand to me, looked me in the eye, and greeted me by name saying, “Hello Sister Barrow.” I thought to myself, “Oh! He knows my name!” And immediately the thought came into my mind, “Oh, He (meaning the Savior) knows my name.”

This experience made me wonder how well do I know the Savior? Would I need to Google Him to learn more about His life and His calling and mission? To what source do I go for the truth? Have I studied the words of the Savior like I should have and could have? Do I organize my days in order to prepare to greet the Savior, as if He were to visit me that day? Would I be excited and ready to see Him? Would I have questions prepared that I had studied and pondered about to ask Him? Do I prepare that way now before going to Heavenly Father in prayer, every day? Am I ready to listen to and to learn from Him?