The Priesthood of Aaron - Week 18

“Knock, knock,” “Who’s there?” “COVID!”
That’s right, it was finally my turn to take a ride on the COVID train this weekend! I recovered from a sinus infection last week and came back to my office to work hard at catching up from being gone for nearly 2 weeks (traveling and sick). Then, Thursday night I felt an extreme exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. I hardly slept that night due to fever, chills, and severe aches. 

The next day I went to the COVID testing facility here on Post and they gave me one of those rapid tests and it came back negative, but I had a fever of 102. They advised me to go to the E.R. to get an advanced test because the one they gave me is known to give false negatives. But the E.R. doctor just told me to go home and rest for a couple days, take some meds, and come back Monday if I still felt bad. 

Well, it’s a good thing my neighbors are also Army doctors and encouraged me to go back to the E.R. after I described my symptoms to them. So, I just got back from getting the advanced test and it was COVID positive. I have heard people describe it as the worst flu they have ever had. My experience has been similar. Dana can attest that when I get sick, I’m kind of pathetic.

The best part of my week has to do with the Aaronic Priesthood. On Thursday night, our young Soldier here who was baptized in November got word that he was authorized to receive the Aaronic Priesthood through the local Bishop. So, I frantically arranged transportation and a leader memo to get off-post for him (and another one of our members here who he wanted to ordain him) to go to the local Ward an hour away. Church is held on Fridays here since that is the Islamic day of worship and everyone else in their culture gets the day off. 

Even though I was ridiculously sick, I made the sacrifice to make sure they got that memo and vehicle so he could get ordained as soon as possible. It was worth it after hearing about his experience. Another young man at the local Ward was also being ordained a Priest that day. Since our Soldier was ordained first, he was able to participate in the ordaining of the local young man. Today he blessed the sacrament for the first time and was so excited as he described his experience to me (since I was unable to attend Church today).
 
My other favorite experience this week was when I was able to speak to my son, Jacob, yesterday. He is turning 12 years old this year and is eligible to receive the Aaronic Priesthood now. The Bishop interviewed him and authorized him to be ordained at home this morning by my father-in-law, Craig Bartschi, so that I could see it over video call. 

During our conversation yesterday, we went through and discussed several scriptures describing the priesthood. I was able to teach him about the keys of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel, the oath and covenant of the priesthood, how the Abrahamic covenant that he was born into allows him to have this privilege, and what the Lord expects of him now as he receives it: to serve others and bless those around him. 

I shared some of my own experiences with the Aaronic Priesthood and how it blessed my life and helped me bless other’s lives too. He was obviously touched as I described to him how when he passes the sacrament today, he is acting in the place of Jesus, who started the sacrament ordinance as a way for us to remember Him, repent, and renew our covenants with Him. I was so proud of him as he agreed to take on that responsibility in reverence. 

I wish I could be there to see him pass the sacrament for the first time. I am so grateful for my son and that the Lord sent him to our family. He is a good boy, and I can see him growing to be a good husband and father one day. I hope I can fulfill my responsibility to him as his father.
 
In His Service,
Chaplain John Critchfield