Church callings further info

Just a follow up to my Church Callings post. I got some questions in the comments as well as on FB by a friend so I'll answer them here.

The Browns asked what the Arabic speaking members do during the meetings. Is there a translator and do they have headsets? I think that was the question.

The answer is yes, usually there is a translator and we have headsets. This has only been the case the last several weeks. Our pulpit has two microphones. When we first arrived here in Jordan two people would be at the pulpit. One who was speaking/conducting/bearing testimony, etc. The other was the translator who translated from Arabic to English or vice versa. I thought this was a great thing as when someone was asked to give a talk, they only really had to prepare half a talk because half the time was taken up by the translator. Unfortunately I wasn't asked to talk til after they got the headsets so I had to give a full talk. Bummer.

Now they have the headsets, which is generally a good thing. I say "generally" because it does have some disadavantages. Since we are a small branch we only have a small room that we meet in for Sacrament Meeting. When the translator is talking into the microphone so the headset people can hear, his voice can be a bit distracting. Until you get used to it, it sounds like someone is being very rude and just talking right out loud during a talk. But you do get used to it.

The other bad thing is the speaker sometimes forgets there is someone who is trying to translate. They may start off speaking slowly but after a few minutes into the talk they are on a roll and start talking normal speed or even nervous fast speed. I know some of the Arabic speaking members have complained because there are big gaps in the translating while the translator is trying to keep up. When the speaker is talking too fast I've noticed too that that's when the translators voice is also louder because I think he doesn't realize how loud he's talking because he's so focused on trying to keep up with the speaker.

In Relief Society we really only have one sister who doesn't speak much English. She just nods her head a lot and if there is something important than someone will translate. They do use the headsets in Priesthood, though. A few weeks ago the Priesthood teacher taught in Arabic and the English speakers had to wear the headsets. Todd thought it was quite an eye-opener for those English speakers. For adult Sunday School we have an English speaking class and an Arabic speaking class.

A funny thing happened this last Friday at church. We had our fast and testimony meeting last Friday because next Friday Elder Neunschwander (no idea of the spelling) will be here to speak to us. When the branch president got up to conduct he realized there was no translator there. He speaks Arabic so he translated for himself. He encouraged us all to bear our testimonies and to hear with the spirit because of the language barrier. A member of the branch got up to bear his testimony. This member speaks both Arabic and English but Arabic is his first language. He got up and started in Arabic then he wanted the branch president to translate into English. So the branch president got up and did that. But then this member (Ramone) started speaking in English. Then he paused and waited for Pres. Hoffman to translate to Arabic. The whole testimony went on like that--and it was a long testimony. It was going back and forth between English and Arabic the whole time. Pres. Hoffman did a great job keeping up with it.

So there's the long answer to a simple question.

Another question from a facebook friend was something like "you mention you may have to move" so what is that story?

It's looking like our 3rd year in the Middle East will be spent in Cairo, Egypt. Yikes! Cairo is a dirty, crowded, men-urinating-in-public, leave-a-tip-everywhere-including-if-you-want-toilet-paper-in-a-filthy-dirty-public-bathroom kind of place. It's not 100% though. At this time last year we were making plans to move to Bahrain and look where we are now--not Bahrain. We won't move anywhere til the summer but it's looking less and less likely that we'll be staying in Jordan longer than this summer. I'm really sad about that too. Of course I will miss the friends we've made here. But I will also miss our house. Despite the problems we've had with it, it has been my favorite house. If only I could pick it up and move locations. Actually, that's not true. I love the location. We have a great view. If only I could convince family and all the friends I've ever known to come live here then we would be set.

Also with the callings. Give away day was Friday and there weren't as many things taken as I would have expected. I think next week I'll put them in a little better order so people can really see what is there. Right now it's just in piles.

And referencing another comment--I had forgotten to mention too that during all of the hymnbook changes and library coordinating, there was a change in the Branch Presidency. I was fortunate that the new branch presidency let me continue with the direction I was heading with both callings. Both sets have been very helpful and supportive. I have to be honest and say Critter was probably the most disappointed in the change. You see, the last Branch President (Pres. Leavitt) was his hero. Critter would point to him and say "See, Mom. You can be a good member of the church AND have long hair." I told Critter that's why he was released--his hair was too long. The new President (Pres. Hoffman) is a major in the military. No long hair anymore.