Sarah's Testimony

So, I felt like this deserved it's own spot on here. Last Sunday when we blessed Jane was "Fast Sunday". This is typically on the first Sunday of every month. On this day we are asked to fast (abstain from food and water for 24 hours) and then contribute (voluntarily) the money that we would have spent on the two meals that we missed to the church to be designated for those in our congregation or elsewhere who are in need of assistance (called Fast Offerings). This is a worldwide standard for our church and allows us to contribute to helping people locally and around the world and it's pretty neat!

Anyway, on this Sunday there are no assigned speakers during our congregations meeting. Instead, anyone is allowed to go up and share their testimony. Our congregation seems to have a lot of children and teenagers that go up and share their testimonies without their parents. This has caught Sarah's attention on occasion and we've talked to her about this in Family Home Evenings and given her chances to share her testimony with us in that setting.

On this day, after Jane had been blessed, she started peppering Mary with questions about who could go up there, what they could say, if she could go up there, etc. A few minutes later Sarah pops up out of our row and heads up to the podium... beaming and folding her arms (so cute!). We were both a little curious how this would go but obviously were proud to see her up there with such a big grin on her face. She looked SO small up there! She sat down in one of the chairs behind the podium and waited for someone else to finish their testimony and then she marched up to the podium and got on the little stool that they have for kids. This is what we can remember about what she said: "HI my name is Sarah Hamm. I want to bear my testimony. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen". And she marched back down to our row, still beaming. We told her that she did a great job and that we were proud of her!

It was cute because one of her friends went up a short time later and shared her testimony and then her mom shared hers after that and mentioned that her daughter had wanted to come up because Sarah did... it was pretty cute!

A tidbit from today at church: we try to help Sarah think about Jesus Christ while the bread and water is passed (called sacrament) to the congregation. Today I listened to her think or talk to herself outloud during this time. This is what she said: "I know Jesus loves me during playtime. Jesus loves me during breakfast. Jesus loves me at 9 o'clock. Jesus loves me at lunchtime. Jesus loves me at 1:35." Pretty cute, she really does a great job during sacrament meeting being reverent! We're proud of our little girl and the relationship she is developing with her Savior!