rich finlinson It is a pleasure for me to serve as Bishop of the Miami Beach Ward. This is such a unique ward - I always enjoy trying to see it from the eyes of the many visitors we get each Sunday (sometimes visitors make up a third of our sacrament attendance). I wonder what they think of the welcome they receive as they enter this building with its unfamiliar structure and layout. I wonder how they feel as they are handed a bag containing a freshly baked loaf of bread from Patrick - who every week greets those entering the building - directing them to the stairs to go up the chapel. I see them smile as Sister Philips praises out loud “Amen” during particularly moving parts of someone’s talk. I wonder at the conversations they have about the diversity of our ward and the juxtaposition of what may be new and different compared to their ward back home, with the familiar spirit that can be felt in chapels of our church around the world that is very much the same. Recently we had some of my family members visit South Florida. My sister in law, when asked what her favorite part was about visiting South Florida, could have responded with any number of things they did while here including the beach, the Everglades, boating etc, but she didn’t even have to think that long about it - her favorite part about visiting South Florida was going to the Miami Beach Ward. It is a blessing to be a part of this great ward
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