Friday, August 29, 2008

Attention Members Of G-Town Ward!!!!!

The wonderful Young Men's Presidency has decided to get with the times(just playing around there) and make a blog where all of the activities and calenders will be posted!! Be sure to check it out, and I will hopefully be working with them to make sure everybody gets the info.

http://www.georgetownym.blogspot.com/

I send my love to all of you in the ward!
God Bless!
Tony

P.S. I am so glad to have a new family in our ward! Be sure to say hi to the Brians, they are just great!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

My Testimony...

After having been given an assignment to write down my conversion story for the sister missionaries, I felt impressed to share my testimony with all of those who might read my blog. And so I will:

The Testimony of Anthony Diaz, Member of the Georgetown Ward of the Exeter NH Stake of Zion
I suppose it all started back when I was about 15. My uncle had recently passed away, being only in his early thirties, and it was truly a shock to me. I had never dealt with the death of someone so close before in my life. I can still remember my father relaying over the phone in tears about his passing on. It is around that time that I truly started pondering those questions of the soul, such as, why I am here, and where do we go after this life? It is then that I truly made an attempt at prayer, not having ever really done it before. I suppose that I just wanted to know that someone was out there, looking after and watching over me.I increased in wanting some knowledge of why things happened the way they did, and it was around that time that I started listening to more music of a choral nature, finding it giving me just a little bit of that peace of the soul. Even with all this, I was still very pessimistic about my life, and had an attitude of mostly indifference as to what went on. It was around that time, in about September, that I met the two men who would change my life forever.
My mother, the children, and I decided to take a walk, for whatever reason, in downtown Haverhill one night. As we sat on one of the benches in the downtown area, these two college-age males,dressed up in formal attire with white shirts, black overcoats, and ties, started walking up to us as we sat. As they came into clearer view, I could read the names on their name tags:Elder Kelsey and Elder Hancock. I suppose that what struck me most about them was not their age, but the fact that they asked us if they could share a message with us before going ahead and talking, which was so unlike the Jehovah's Witnesses and others we were used to. They understood that it could be difficult to talk with complete strangers, and respected the fact that if we didn't want to hear what they said, we didn't have to. I have my mother to thank,for she welcomed the missionaries to share their message with us, and proceeded to set a date with them for us to meet at my house.
As I read the Book of Mormon and listened to the doctrines they presented, I was truly struck with awe as to the simplicity of their teachings, and yet was dazzled by the fact that they were so deep and profound at the same time. Needless to say, I prayed about the truthfulness of the book, putting Moroni's promise in the last chapter to the test, and received an answer unlike any I had ever received before. I know it was the Spirit of the Lord that made it clear to me that what I had been reading was true, and I know it now more than ever. Thanks to the faithfulness of those two beloved men, men who have become as brothers to me, I was baptized and confirmed a member of what I know to be the true and restored Church of Jesus Christ on this earth.The incredible Spirit I felt at baptism witnessed that fact unto me, and let me know that I was at the beginning of what was and what continues to be a new and wonderful journey in the Lord's Church. I testify unto the reader that I know that the fullness of the gospel is contained within this church, and that Jesus Christ does live again and leads the Church through revelation daily.I leave you my witness in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

The Ward Picnic! And a convert baptism to top it off!

Where do i begin?
Ron's baptism was at 11:00 today, and I have to say that I have never felt the Spirit as strongly as I did when I gave the talk on baptism there and then watched as Brother Williams "put his hand to the sqaure" and baptized him for the remission of sins. I can not put into words the feelings I had or the fellowship of the Saints that I felt, so I won't attempt to. All I have to say about it is, Welcome to the fold, Brother Ron Blankenbeckler.

Now, immediately after the baptism, we had our second annual ward picnic in Essex and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect and I had the pleasure of going kayaking on the lake, which I haven't done since middle school. We even played a round of Bocchi! (And I almost won...)
I would just like to thank all those who organized both of the events this Saturday afternoon and say hello once again to all of the saints who were gathered there today. God Bless,

Tony

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Quite a few things to say...


Well first off I just want to express how happy I am that I will be able to go to this year's ward picnic for the first time! Even better, Ron will be baptized previous to that and than have a picnic on top of it! It's what he calls a "Southern style" baptism :D

On another and much more serious note, I just wanted to express my sorrow and anger after watching a documentary about the Chinese government for their restrictive "one child" policy. It is causing so much strife (as well as kidnapping and black market child trade) among the people of China that it is truly heartbreaking. To just hear the parents and even some of the abducted kids talk about their experiences with it is enough to bring a guy to tears. While I sadly acknowledge that my ranting about it will not change the fact that it happens, I hope that I can at least make others aware of the cruel injustices these people face.

Finally(and don't worry, this is on a happy note), I would just like to draw attention to the fact that I seem to have an overabundance of Libera videos on my page.(See top picture) I realize that some might ask as to why, and I will herein explain...
As some of you may know, I joined the church just this last december(07), and it has been quite a journey since then. This choral group called Libera is very closely intertwined with my religious faith because of the fact that it prepared me, in one way or another, to come unto the Lord again and find my purpose in life. The music of the boy's choir came to me at a time when I was starting to yearn for answers as to where people go when they pass away(as my uncle had just passed at that time) and when I turned on the tv one afternoon I heard something I had never heard before, and it turned out to be the vocal group that has touched my life in more ways than I can imagine. Looking back on it now, I think it is one of the things that helped renew my faith in God and send me on the right path. I will be ever thankful to those boys, as I will be to those incredible missionaries.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

The Best Fast and Testimony Meeting Ever!

I can't even express with words what went on in our ward today, except to say that the Spirit was in abundance with everyone today. From the wonderful testimonies of those such as Sister Desmond and Brother Tew to the simple testimony of Garret, I was left with my heart full today after that sacrament meeting. I think that if there was one thing that stuck out to me this day in our discussions, and also in the Ensign I borrowed from the ward library, it is Gratitude.

I can not say how thankful I am to the Desmonds, who have taken me everywhere it seems and have been my support from the start. I have never met such a faith-driven sister as is Sister Desmond, and will be forever grateful for the things she has done for me.
To have Brother Tew as a young mens leader is more than any deacon,teacher, or priest could ever hope for, and the same goes with Brother Capener. Those two men have dedicated so much and sacrificed their time for us crazy boys, and I can't say how great it is to have ever met them. I only wish I could be the men they are.
I'd also just like to thank Garret for his testimony today. As short as it may have been, it carried with it so much meaning to me. It truly humbles me to know that one as young as him can have that knowledge of the Gospel, and makes me grateful to my Father In Heaven to have such children on this earth. I only wish I could have had that same knowledge when I was younger. He is the coolest.
Finally, I would just like to thank all those in the ward, who have helped me out each Sunday by their smiles and thank-yous. Besides the Gospel, It is because of the ward family we have that I go to church every Sunday to Georgetown. You are all some of the nicest and most amazing people I have met. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

P.S. Congrats to Taylor on his mission call! Good for you!