Oh, class...

These two gentlemen looked particularly dapper in their new facial hair.

This Sunday's Lesson

On May 29, we'll be discussing Lesson 20: Parable of the Good Samaritan.

If you want to come prepared, please read Luke 10:25-37 and Matthew 22:34-40.

Have a good weekend. See ya, kids!

-Brother & Sister Hamzawi

The Prodigal Son

Yesterday, we only had three kids in class. Bummer! We still had a good time, though... Check out the photos we took under the "Class Photos" tab!

At the beginning of class, we handed out Sunday Journals and asked each student to write about something they've lost. When the class shared their thoughts, they mentioned feeling relieved when they found what they were looking for... and really sad when their searches were in vain.

We discussed three parables that Jesus Christ told. They all talk about things that are lost and then found.

• The Parable of the Lost Coin-- A woman with ten silver coins sweeps her whole house when she loses one of her coins. When she finds it, she rejoices to all of her neighbors.

• The Parable of the Lost Sheep-- A shepherd with 100 sheep notices that one of his sheep has wandered off, so he goes to look for it. He returns to his flock with the lost sheep over his shoulders and rejoices that it was not lost forever.

• The Prodigal Son-- The younger of two sons begs his father for money, and he leaves the family with his new riches. He quickly wastes all of his money, and when he runs out of food, he realizes that he made a mistake leaving home. He returns to his father and admits that he made a mistake, saying that he's only worthy to be his father's servant. The father clothes his youngest son in a fine robe and throws a party in his honor. The older son asks his father why the younger son should be celebrated, since he wasted money and deserted the family. The father says that the older son will be blessed with everything that his father has, and that they should rejoice that the wayward son has returned.

We received a very good question in class:

"So, if we want more attention, like that big party, we should just stray and come back... like the Prodigal Son, right?"

We explained that, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone can repent... and we will be welcomed "back into the fold" with open arms! However, it is very dangerous to stray. Sometimes, if we start allowing ourselves to do bad things, we won't WANT to repent anymore, or we'll think it's too hard. Why stray when choosing the right AUTOMATICALLY makes it possible for you to receive everything Heavenly Father has?

Sister Hamzawi has a friend who strayed and has never come back to the Church. We will call him Aaron. Aaron's father got into a lot of trouble as a teenager, but he repented and is now a Stake President and a worthy Priesthood holder. Aaron said, as a young adult, "That's the way to do it. Have fun as a teenager, make mistakes, and then repent." How foolish! Aaron made so many mistakes that he had to wait a year to leave on his mission. Then, he was sent home from his mission after just a few months. He does not go to church anymore, and he says that he will never come back. We hope and pray that he will... but if he doesn't we'll be asking, "Aaron... was it worth it?"

Why risk it, class? It's not worth it, we promise. You don't want to sacrifice the blessings of a mission, being able to enter the temple, being sealed to your spouse and family, and living with Heavenly Father!

These three parables illustrate Jesus Christ's love for every single one of his brothers and sisters. He loves each and every one of us so much. He tries as hard as he can to "find" us when we wander off. He will always accept us and welcome us home. BUT... We should do everything we can to not wander in the first place.

We missed ALL FIVE OF YOU who weren't in class yesterday. Seriously, guys! Come back!

Love,

Brother & Sister Hamzawi

This Sunday's Lesson

Hi class! This Sunday (5/22) we'll be on Lesson 19: The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. If you want to come to class prepared, please read:

Luke 15, Matthew 18:12-14, and D&C 18:10-11.

We want to make this easy for you. Click on each of those scriptures, and they'll open up on the LDS website.

We have a fun surprise for you. See you in a few days!

-Brother & Sister Hamzawi

Good Sunday!

Brother and Sister Hamzawi just got home from church, and we cannot get over how AWESOME our class was today. We are so proud of you. Thank you for being the perfect mix of reverent and fun. You're a blast to teach!

Today, we talked about John 9 and Jesus healing the man "born blind." We talked about how there are two kinds of blindness: physical and spiritual. We talked about why we experience trials, and how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ help us weather our personal storms. Thank you all for your wonderful comments.

We brought a handmade poster of outer space to class today, to which we've attached a moveable rocket. When the class is doing well, the rocket blasts off. We will be using this poster to measure reverence and participation. Today, that rocket was as high as it could possibly go. Guys, you were on fire.



Check in later for next week's lesson and clues about our SPOTLIGHT individual!

-The Hamzawis

For Mother's Day!

Hi class! Welcome to our very own website. You can look here for announcements and fun games.

The lesson for this Sunday (5/8) is #17: "The Parables of the Sower and the Wheat and Tares." If you want to look at the lesson plan before class, it's on the Church website here.

Don't forget your assignments for Sharing Time this Sunday! We'll give you a call later this week to remind you.

-The Hamzawis