Evening In Excellence

Whitney has been asked to speak at Evening in Excellence tomorrow. She is to share an experience she has had while doing personal progress. She has a great story and I think her talk will be great. Here is a copy of her talk:

I was asked to share an experience I have had while doing my personal progress. I’m going to tell you about a ten hour project I did last December. I got the chance to help my grandparents that were on an inner city mission. An inner city mission is a service mission where people are called to a ward right here in the Salt Lake valley. They are called to help the bishop with the special needs of the people in the ward. Times financial are hard for a lot of us but those that were already struggling were hit extra hard. This brought up a great need at Christmas time. There were 13 families in the ward who were not going to be able to provide any Christmas. My grandparents received the names and needs of these families and took them back to their home ward, the church they usually attended and live by. After all these names were given out my grandma kept thinking about another family. She decided to go to them and ask how things were going. The mother started crying and told her they were not going to be able to get anything for their 5 children for Christmas. She said they were just going to have to have an old fashion Christmas and string popcorn and decorate the tree but there would be no gifts exchange. We all are so blessed at Christmas time I don’t think we can understand what that would be like. My grandparents old bishop had just happened to asked if there was anyone that they could help so my grandma told this mother she knew someone who could help provide some Christmas for her family. The bishop’s family were happy to provide the gifts but they would not be able to wrap them. The families in need had requested the gift be wrapped before they were delivered. This put my grandma in a tight situation because that was a lot of wrapping. The idea came to her that I could wrap them and use it for a 10 hr project. I was happy to help out but it was a big job. I did'nt even know how to wrap a gift. It took a lot of time and messing up to be able to wrap the presents but I would think, I’m doing this for a good cause. When I was done wrapping all the dozens of presents, I got to finish my project by going with my grandparents to deliver them to the family.
I can remember pulling up to the house and getting out the presents. When we went inside I all of the sudden thought how grateful I am for what I have. The stairs in the house were so warn they didn’t even have any carpet left them. When I walked into the living room I saw the kids faces and how excited they were to be getting these presents, they were trying to see who’s were who’s. When we were leaving the mom started crying and said thank you for making our Christmas better.
That day I always had the words in my head saying whitney be grateful for what you have. I'm thankful that I could do that that day. I'm also proud that I could be able to help people that are in need of help. It will be an experience I will never forget. I may not remember what I got for Christmas that year but I will always remember how I felt when I delivered those presents.
Whitney Maxfield

Whit was feeling a little left out that Landon got his football pictures posted on the blog so I took my camera to her next game and gave it my best shot (no pun intended). She has been playing soccer for, oh gosh I don't know how many years and I have yet to get a descent picture of her. Most of the time I get to "into" the game and forget I am supposed to be taking pictures. But even when I do try they just move way to fast for me to capture it. After looking at these shots Whitney said bring your camera to the next game and try again but I figured I would post them anyway. :)







She had just done a great header, I was just to slow to capture it.

Today, I am officially being released from my YW calling. Two and a half years ago this calling was an answer to prayers. I had been reading my patriarchal blessing and came across a paragraph that made me stop and think. I felt an urge to do as it said but was not sure who or how. After I read it over a few times and pondered it I started to pray. It just so happened to be fast Sunday the next day so I fasted asking for guidance to my questions. I don't remember if it was that day or a few days after but I was asked to serve as the secretary in the YW. At that point I had no idea this was the answer to my prayers and fasting. A week or so later I was being set apart by a member of the bishopric, and as he was giving me my blessing and telling me my responsibilities he started quoting almost word for word the paragraph from my patriarchal blessing. I was so stunned and taken back I think my eyes flew open. It had received a direct answer to my prayers.
2 1/2 years later and a different calling in the YW I can still say I love my calling. I feel at home with the youth. Weekly activities, lessons on Sundays, girls camps and youth conferences it's all fun to me. I have a huge testimony of the youth program and have loved being a part of it. Looking back over the years I have grown so much and am so blessed to have served with wonderful leaders and a great group of girls. We have amazing Young Women in our church. Although I am still around and will see them here and there, I know its not the same.
I will miss them.