Valentine's Day weekend/New calling

The first Sunday in February we all learned at the Kalamazoo University Branch that President Johnson and the rest of the branch presidency was going to be released. It was a horrible day for me. The Friday before Sister Huntington had called me to say that she was getting transfered, and I was sick, and I hadn't been doing so well in one of my classes so the saying good bye on Sunday was not a good thing for me.

All during the week following I would randomly start crying thinking about my Michigan parents not being there every week at church. Planning my last dance with them was a bittersweet experience. But also during the week, Jake called me wanting to know Sean's new phone number (he's had a new number since October and still hasn't been giving it out to people or changed it on his church records), apparently Brother Done or something like that wanted to get a hold of Sean because President Anderson wanted to meet with him.

Friday February 12th came and it was a crazy day.

There were many phone calls to many different people about dance things. Then during Sean's and my relaxation time before needing to decorate and help get dinner ready, President Anderson called Sean wanting to meet with him before church on Sunday. Knowing that we were going to be getting a new branch presidency on Sunday during sacrament meeting, I was hoping that Miguel had decided to have Sean be his secretary in the Elder's quorum presidency, which after talking to Miguel before the dance started I knew that President Anderson wasn't going to call Sean to be the EQ secretary, which only left second counselor... So President Anderson said he would arrive sometime during the dance. As we got ready for our wonderful evening I tried not to think about the implications of Sean being second counselor because we didn't even know yet why President Anderson wanted to talk with Sean.

About an hour into the dance P. Anderson arrived. What seemed like an eternity later, Sean came to find me to say that he was going to be the second counselor. I had to promise not to say anything to anyone, which was hard.

I had so many contradictory feelings:

1. With Sean being 2nd counselor, I would have to be totally ok with the fact that the Johnsons were leaving and going back to a family ward in order for me to fully sustain Sean. I needed to have more faith in our stake presidency and in how the Lord runs his kingdom here on earth.
2. I always thought of the women who were married/going to marry someone in the branch or ward presidency were some of the strongest women I have ever known, and I did not feel like I could be that support to Sean or to others in the branch
3. Sean and I were planning to go to a family ward after we got married because I miss seeing families on Sundays and having little children running around. But Sean and I have been praying if that was the right move for us and I guess this is a HUGE answer of we should stay in the branch.

To say the least, I was not enjoying the dance as much as I should have been because I was thinking too much... And I was grateful that I had cleared my schedule about a month ago to spend all Saturday at the temple with Sean to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Saturday was temple day.

The temple was AMAZING! I have been going through major temple withdrawals since being back in MI. We were going to the temple about once a week when we were in California. The spirit was so comforting and it was exactly what I needed.

It was our first trip to the temple that was just the two of us. I told Sean during our drive down there that I wanted to stay in the Celestial room as long as I needed to. And we discussed our feeling of what Sunday would be like. I did not leave the Celestial room until I felt like I could be OK with the fact that PJ and Sister J were going. We were in there for about an hour just talking about our future plans and things that would not be changing, etc.

Sunday the day of change.

During sacrament meeting, it was still hard to sit there and know that everything had just changed. Well not everything, I think my writing sounds more dramatic than what actually happened, but I was extremely emotional the entire day. I was so proud of my Seanie. I was sad. I was excited for the changes in the branch that are to come. I was overwhelmed with my new role as supportive almost-wife in the gospel, which is different form a supportive almost-wife while Sean was in the police academy. I am looking forward to working to become the type of woman I feel I should be in order to fill my new role.

I have had many great examples of women who I want to be more like, in regards to supporting my husband and still being strong in the gospel. My mother, Sister Johnson, Rudi, Monique, Donna Vizzard, Becca, Sister Brooks, and many many others. I am grateful for this opportunity that the Lord has given Sean and I to improve ourselves. I know that Sean and I already have been reading our scriptures more together as a couple, and we are appreciating each other in a different way than we ever have before. I know that the Lord will bless us in the next however long Sean will be second counselor. And I am grateful for the wonderful people that He has put in my life to help lead and guide me.

I also now feel very comfortable with the idea of a new branch presidency, and as I get to know President Doot and Brother Cammack and their wives better there is no doubt in my mind that this presidency has been called of God to lead us into the next phase of Branch history.