Matt Says Farewell to Naps and Nachos

We have three Sunday traditions we hold religiously...besides going to church. First we have Sunday Nachos for lunch, then a family nap, and finally we have Sunday Ice Cream for dessert. Matt will be saying farewell to the first two for the forseeable future. Let me back up...we have been in Fort Irwin for almost three months now. We attend the Fort Irwin Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For those of you not members, we call our church community a ward, wards make up a region called a Stake...when there are smaller amounts of members in the community we make a branch instead of a ward. Although, our branch is very large...and could be a small ward (maybe that will happen next...?). All members try to serve in their ward...or in our case branch. I recieved my calling almost right after we got here. I am back in the primary teaching the CTR 8 class, as well as the acitvity days leader for the girls 8-11 years old.
We were wondering why Matt hadn't gotten a calling yet, when many in our ward have two or three callings. I kept teasing him that the leadership thought he had gone in active. Looking back we saw a pattern develop, Matt had been asked to say the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting quite often, then we noticed it was always when a member of the Stake Presidency was present. This last prayer that Matt gave, I felt a burning sensation pierce my heart. It was like I was being prepared and the spirit was confirming a yes answer...but to what? After the meeting President Spencer from the Stake walks over to us and says, Brother Jeppson...I would like to speak to you and your wife. Matt has been called as the 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency. He will no longer be present Sunday afternoons to partake of Nachos and Naps, he will be in meetings. So with much relief, the leadership does not think Matt is going in active! President Anderson, our Branch President, disclosed to us that they have been without a 2nd couselor since last spring. He said that he was waiting for us to arrive (no they did not know we were coming), and when he met us our first Sunday at church he knew Matt was his new counselor. The rest was just ligistics, trying to coordinate a member of the stake to be here when Matt was here.

So I will end this terribly long blog, by saying we are now fully settled into our new home...with callings and everything!