One of the things we were looking forward to was bringing our children to Orange Farm. Orange Farm is the branch of the Church we attend every Sunday if we are not traveling. My soul is lifted each week when I attend the Orange Farm Branch. The members are special people. They have wonderful testimonies of the restored Gospel. They love the Lord and although many of them face difficult circumstances they are filled with gratitude for their Father in Heaven. My attendance at Orange Farm Branch renews my spirit and fills me with joy.
I have chosen to spend my time in Primary when I am at Orange Farm because I absolutely LOVE the children. From the first day I attended Primary at Orange Farm, I knew that was were I was supposed to be. I miss my children and grandchildren terribly but when I enter the Primary room in Orange Farm Branch, I am overcome with love for the amazing children in this little school room chapel. There is not a Sunday that I don't have children either sitting next to me or on my lap.
Primary has been a highlight of my week ever since we arrived in South Africa but I do miss the sisters in Relief Society. The Relief Society meeting is held the same time as primary so I have missed meeting with the ladies of Orange Farm. The sweet Relief Society Sisters have always made me feel loved and welcome. I could write and write about the members of Orange Farm Branch and someday I will, but that is for another day.
This post is about my children and my Orange Farm family.
The day we brought our children to church as we got out of the car one of the little primary girls ran up and put her arms around me and said, "Sister Kinghorn is this your FAMILY?" I had been telling all the Primary Children that my children would be arriving soon and it seemed as if she had been anxiously awaiting their arrival.
Our family spent the first hour in Sacrament meeting. We sat towards the back. I noticed some of the children turning and catching quick glimpses of my family during the Sacrament service. I am sure they were fascinated by Daysha and Karrissa's nearly white hair and bright pink lips as well as my son-in-law Brad with his brilliant blue eyes and golden hair but I couldn't help but wonder what they thought of Nathan. Nathan had left the church as a young man and over the years he has accumulated many tattoos. The long sleeved dress shirt covered many of them but the tattoos on his hands, neck and face were still visible. After an hour of Sacrament Meeting we were headed to Sunday School when I got my answer. As I exited the meeting, I saw a small group of children gathered around Nathan. Each of his arms was raised in the air by a small child's hand that rotated his arm as the others carefully inspected each piece etched on his hands and arms. Nathan was smiling and laughing at their curiosity. I invited Nathan and Daysha to join us in Primary and Brad and Karrissa went with Bruce to Sunday School.
There was no question about it, the children were fascinated by Nathan as I am sure he was with them. Nathan and Daysha took their seats and it wasn't long before children began to move closer. This particular Sunday the children were practicing for the Sacrament Meeting Program that would be held the next week. One by one each child walked to the front of the room and gave their carefully rehearsed lines. Then they all stood and sang the beautiful songs that testified of eternal families and the love our father in heaven has for us. The spirit was strong in that little room as I watched those sweet primary children deliver powerful testimonies of a Father in Heaven who loves us and of families that can be together forever. Shortly before the hour ended this little boy in the orange shirt inched his way closer and closer to Nathan until he finally climbed into his lap and fell fast asleep.
The children were fascinated by Nathan, but it wasn't long before they stopped seeing the tattoos and what they saw was the sweet soul that dwells within my son.
I left the classroom that day feeling blessed for my eternal family and for my Orange Farm family. I had seen Christ like love as the children gathered around my son that day. I had witnessed the spirit touch the souls of both Nathan and Daysha as those dear children bore powerful testimonies through song and word. It is a memory that will stay with me forever.
Here is the chorus to one of the songs the children sang the day our family visited Orange Farm.
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.
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