Never bored in our ward

Fast and Testimony Meeting is a chance for anyone to get up and share their faith and the feelings burning within their souls. But most of the time we keep our "soles" on the ground.

Unless you happened to be in the Buffalo Ward this last testimony meeting. We have a dear sister who loves to preach enthusiastic testimonies about what we should and shouldn't be doing. She became so excited during her testimony, she suddenly whipped off her shoe and began banging it on the pulpit. At this point, our kind bishop got up and whispered something softly in her ear. Not offended she put her shoe back on and finished her testimony. I was in the mother's room unfortunately and missed the whole thing. :( But heard all about it later.

And I got my own experience with this same sister after the meeting when I went up to say Hi. She was still quite excited and wanted to make sure I didn't miss the sermon.

We all need to just "REACH OUT" she spat out, right into my open mouthed smiling face. She didn't notice so I just stood there in a frozen smile, trying not to choke on her saliva while she turned and walked away.

It's been a couple weeks and I didn't catch anything. So apparently nothing harmful was passed mouth to mouth.

Our meetinghouse is a converted office building in downtown. It looks mostly like a LDS meetinghouse, or maybe I have just gotten used to it. It's located across the street from city project housing. I guess a raid of young boys dropped by one time during sacrament meeting and took off with the contents of our ward's coat closet. At least that was the story I was told to explain why our door has a bell.

A couple years ago that was your only way in. Everyone had to push the bell that then rang all over the building, loud and clear in the chapel. So you better not be late or everyone in sacrament meeting will be alerted and be watching for the late family to enter.

This last year though suddenly the building is always open. I haven't had to push the bell in months. We have so many missionaries ( between 8-12 always) that I guess the ward finally got smart and asked them to stand there and open it rather than making everyone feel so unwelcome. A doorbell is actually a really good idea for a meeting house. How many times have you stood outside the church banging on the door windows just hoping someone in the gym happens to come out and get a drink or use the restroom and spots you?

Here's a few more buffalo ward- isms I want to remember.

Routine Headlice checks. A couple weeks after coming into the ward the bishopric announced that it was headlice season and all of our children would be checked during primary and asked to leave if they were caught with bugs. All the primary teachers started wearing their hair in ponytails every Sunday and several families disappeared for a couple months.

We sing way louder here for the congregational hymns. I've been in some wards that you felt like you were singing a solo if you dared to raise your voice above a whisper. Here I can bellow to my soul's content and fit right in.

And I'll never forget one of the first benedictions of the Buffalo Ward given by Br. Stull, well known for not hiding his exuberance. He began, "At times like this we just want to say, "Whew, Lord! What a meeting!"

I've gotten used to lots of smells I have rarely been exposed to before in a church building. Smoke isn't the worst one, unfortunately. I heard once that if you don't smell cigarettes in the chapel you all need to be working a little hard to be a missionary.

Jeans here are just as common as skirts in the Relief Society room and the president better not think about preaching about it or she can expect someone to march out.

And have you ever had someone jump up and holler, "I am gonna slap you if you don't be quiet" at another sister during your home, family and personal enrichment class. I was the teacher and didn't even see it coming. Luckily she opted to storm out instead of carrying through on the threat.

And every good ward has a candy man. My ward had one when I was a kid. His name was Wally Demille. He always had a tic tac for me.

Br. Hudson in our ward is the candy man to beat all candy mans. He is not very young or healthy but every sunday he is there lugging around bags filled with wares to hand out after the meeting. It is not uncommon for Caroline to leave church - one fist crammed with candy while the other hand juggles a couple long pretzels, a bag of grapes, and a juice bottle.

But No ward is boring. Even in little old basin city where diversity doesn't really even exist I still remember laughing my head off over some of the stuff our bishop in Basin City let get announced during sacrament meeting.

One of my personal favorites was the announcement that all of our husbands weren't going to get kissed for the next month, because they would all be growing out their facial hair for the Pioneer Party Beard Contest.

Then another time I remember this. And it is a direct quote delivered 5 short minutes before the sacrament was administered. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not going to be just any old New Years Eve party. When you walk in here Saturday night, You are going to KNOW that there is a party going on!"

Man I miss that party ward. We really did know how to have a good time.

But I am sure that in a couple years I am going to miss doorbells, super singing, blue jeans on Sunday, the crying all the way home as we fight over our stash from the candy man, and even Br. Stull. . . . But definitely not the headlice.

If I missed anything worth mentioning can my fellow buffalonians please remind me?