Farewell

I went to church at the Cheyenne YSA Branch yesterday, for a specific reason actually. I learned earlier in the week that President Brown was going to be released from his calling as Branch President. President Brown and his wife are two of the most amazing individuals I've ever met. I've never seen anyone devote so much of their lives to a calling before. They are truly inspirational.

I spent much of last week trying to wrap my head around what this could possibly mean for the Branch. I have never felt such deep love and respect from a Bishop or Branch President before. In a church that is so completely marriage-minded, it was such a great feeling to have a leader (for once) who wasn't pressuring me to find my EC (eternal companion) because contrary to popular belief, there is more to life than marriage and what I'm doing with my life pre-marriage does matter. President and Sister Brown actually understand that concept.

The Browns were always there for us and they made sure we knew that and that their home was always open to us. President Brown always told us, "Don't worry about it. The Lord will take care of it." If I could just remember that throughout my day, I think I would much less stressed out. President also couldn't tell us enough that we would all be much happier if we would just SIMPLIFY! In a culture where nothing we do is good enough and in a society where we must always be working toward perfection, the pressure can often be too much to handle. The Browns were there to tell us that we were doing just fine and to not be too hard on ourselves.

In a world of same ol', same ol', the Browns are a refreshing breath of air.

While I had a difficult time trying to imagine the Branch functioning without the Browns, I realized on Sunday that the Branch will go on and it will keep functioning. The Branch is not the Brown's Branch, but it is the Lord's Branch and it will continue to strive with the leadership of President Gasson and the love and nurture of Sister Gasson.

Of course, this will not be the last we see of the Browns. They are truly amazing individuals and I think they and the members of the Branch will all agree that there is a deep connection and bond that cannot be broke. They will still remain an important part of our lives and of the Branch.

So I guess what all of this is leading to is, thanks President and Sister Brown. We love you both more than words can express. Thank you for being there for us and reminding us that we're all doing just fine with what we're doing in our lives. Thank you for reminding us of what is really important. Most of all, thanks for believing in us and not trying to change us. The world is a better place because of you.