Last night I attended a function at Ben and Lizzy's church. The event was called Kaio, and it was comprised of church dramas, and improv, and dancing, and fabulous musicians (Who, in addition to being amazingly talented, are amazingly nice, and they both had cute cardigans that I wanted to steal.).

Sometimes, attending a church that is not your own is frightening. But Ben had been working super hard for it, and I really wanted to go watch and support him. So I went. I knew I would have to sit by myself because Ben would be busy performing/running/em-ceeing, and Lizzy would be helping out as well, and I was okay with that. It was the whole walking into the church and not knowing anyone or where anything was that kinda made me nervous. I went into the gym and sat at a well-positioned table near the front, hoping that there was not some sort of secret hierarchy and that I wasn't taking someone's spot. (I don't think I did... but if I did, I apologize, River of Life church. My bad!) This lovely woman sat next to me and I made friends with her. We chatted for a bit, and I found out her son was also performing/running/em-ceeing, and it was cute to watch how proud she was of him. At one point, she asked me if I knew who one of the women sitting behind us was. 

 "Uh... I don't really know anyone here, actually. I don't go to church here."

"Oh, what church do you go to?"

"I go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."

"Oh wow! You actually BELIEVE in that?"

I definitely was NOT expecting that reaction, but with a conviction that surprised myself, I looked her in the eye and said, "Yes ma'am, I do." Then she wanted to know if it was by choice or if my parents had forced me. I assured her that it my choice, and after a short discussion about cults and Jehovah Witnesses and religious crazies, she changed the subject. However that question stuck with me throughout the evening. "Do you actually believe in that?" I think it's interesting that some people go through the motions of religion, but never really stop and take the time to think about what they're doing and WHY they're doing it.

ANYWAYS.

Kaio was quite the experience for me. I had absolutely NO idea what to expect, but it was good. Admittedly, I at first thought it was weird that they were dancing and clapping during the worship portion because it was the complete opposite of what I was accustomed to in church gatherings, but you know what? We all worship the same God, so I don't think it really matters in the long run. I think it's cool that they felt comfortable expressing their devotion that way. It's pretty brave if you think about it. 

The evening was kind of centered around the theme of putting Heavenly Father and the Savior at the center of your life. I think all of the dramas had to do with that, actually. It's a good thing to be reminded of, no matter what church you go to. A lot of the dramas also showed people standing up for what they believed in, often at the expense of being the only one to do so. In the world we live in today, if you stand for anything, most of the time, you stand alone. I know how hard that is, but it's nice know that there are others going through the EXACT same kind of situations and problems.