"So look upward in joy"

We were able to "attend" church today. It was very different from any other sacrament meeting I have ever been to, but so refreshing to have the familiar spirit of Sunday again. The branch we are a part of is one of several branches completely made up of foreigners staying in China either long or short term.  The trick is that there are foreigners all over the country so our branch meets every Sunday through a teleconference. We called in at 10 am to hear some prelude music and then the meeting started with some branch business and technicalities, such as, if we can't hear anything please email the president and please mute your phones until your turn to participate in the meeting. The strangest part was when somebody was getting sustained to a new calling we were asked to raise our hand to sustain him and if any opposed...please email. That's something you don't hear over the pulpit!
Poor Jason felt super self conscious when it came time to sing since it was just the two of us in our echoe-y apartment, but he did just fine :) When it was time for the Sacrament they muted all the lines for a few minutes while anyone who had a Priesthood holder in the area blessed and passed the sacrament.  Since we are new to the branch we haven't been given permission to administer the sacrament yet so we just took that time to ponder and be reverent. 
The block is only two hours long so Sunday School, Priesthood, and Relief Society rotate every week. Today happened to be Relief Society's turn. Our opening song was "Does the Journey Seem Long" which is a hymn I'm not too familiar with and honestly don't like the tune very much, but the words are very powerful and applicable to our situation. The third verse particularly stood out today:

Let your heart be not faint

Now the journey's begun;

There is one who still beckons to you.

So look upward in joy

And take hold of His hand

He will lead you to heights that are new. 

I've been trying to stay optimistic and recognize Heavenly Father's hand in everything, but it's not that easy.  Here is just another reminder, though, that if I keep going and trust the Lord this will be a rewarding experience.  Sometimes I just want to quit and go home so badly, but I know if I do I will regret it the rest of my life.  This is a great opportunity to grow in so many ways and I don't want to spend the entire time sulking and wishing I was somewhere else.  I want to "look upward in joy."

All in all, church will be a different experience, but something I think we'll both look forward to every week.  It's amazing how the gospel really is the same everywhere! The meetings might be a little different, but the spirit and testimonies and conviction of the members are all the same.