New Beginning or A Sweet Disaster

On Friday Kalei Kubota was baptized. I wish I had a picture but I left my camera in the car (I actually brought it from home but then wrestling with a toddler. . .yeah). Kalei's (Kah-lay) family has been inactive for years. I am not sure if her stepfather is a member of the church. I think not. Her older sister, Hoku, is a senior this year. Last year Hoku attended the SOAR program at BYU Provo. This is an ACT prep week for multi-cultural students. Hoku came away with much than a better understanding of standardized tests. She realized that she wanted what so many of the other students at SOAR had. The Gospel! She told me once that the other students in the program had a direction, a purpose and a comforting light that she craved. This is coming from the student body president of Kamehameha School Maui (private school for Hawaiian heritage), a 4.0 student, a nationally ranked female wrestler, a girl who started a mediation program at her school, I could go on and on. The girl had drive! She had direction. But I think that is also what helped her to go for the gospel so whole-heartedly. Once she had that desire instilled at SOAR she started meeting with the missionaries back on Maui. Then she started coming to church, mutual, firesides, etc. Now she is my Laurel President and is one of the most awesome people I have ever met. It has been a goal of hers for a while now to have her younger sister, Kalei be baptized and to have the rest of her family reactivated in the church. I know the happiness that I felt at Kalei's baptism was only a fraction of what Hoku must have felt. It awesome to see them at church and at mutual. Their mom, stepdad and brother have also been coming to sacrament meetings for several weeks now. They are such a gorgeous, amazing family. I just can't say enough good things about them. I just had to share.
It is times like this (and they happen more often than not) that I am so happy to be in Young Women. When I was first called as president (at 24 mind you) several of the Laurels were coming to my house to borrow clothes after school. I thought "how can I lead these girls, this is going to be disaster!" then I got over it. Then I got pregnant. I thought for sure that they would release me when I had the baby. In fact I planned on it. Really, I PLANNED for it. When I wasn't released I thought "how am I going to lead these girls with a new baby, it is going to be a disaster!" then I got over it. And it hasn't been a disaster. I don't do everything right, I don't even do everything well. But I love it. I love the girls. Now, if they ever do release me, I might cause a scene. It might even be a disaster.