Terry writes on the blog all the time, so I guess it's my turn. I will try my best to let you know how I feel about my mission and the blessings that come through serving in the House of the Lord. I could not do this without a great companion, which I'm blessed to have.
As I enter the doors of the Temple today I wonder if my offering is going to be accepted by my Heavenly Father today. I know I try to do my best, but is that all I need to do.
I get dressed all in white with my white suit coat on. I look in the mirror and I look pretty good all in white but am I ready to serve. I guess. I go up to the second floor where I serve most of the time. Immediately I help someone get their clothes, and then the phone rings & someone wants to put a couple of names on the Prayer Roll. Sometimes they tell you the tragedies that these persons are involved in and I just listen and try to show compassion with words or by just listening. Then I collect all the names in the several areas of the Temple & take them to the altars and place them in the pouches and take just a minute to think of those persons. Then I go to the Celestial Room, and just sit and reflect and hope that my offering can still be accepted. Twenty minutes later I return to my desk, and record ordinances that have been done. Then I help someone get on the Family Search, and submit paper work so they can do their work for their mother, father, grandparents,or great grandparents etc. The look in their eyes tells you the love they have for their family. Sometimes I continue to help people get clothing and answer the phones. A brother wants me to help in the Initiatories, so I go, remembering that these blessings are for us personally. Each blessing is a reminder to me that Heavenly Father loves us. Today I did not officiate a session, but most days I do. I go back to my desk, and a sister wants me to help her get the card ready for her deceased parents, so she can be sealed to them. I cannot explain the spiritual experience that was to help. The Sealer asked me to go up to the Sealing Room and witness the sealing. After returning to my desk I am then called on to take four children to the upstairs waiting room to get them dressed in white so they could be sealed to their parents. These children were so excited. Today a baptism group came in, and there was no coordinator, so again it was given to me to perform this task. This is one of the special things that I have been called on to do, and I love to do it because I love working with the youth. This time each youth had family names of their own which made it even more special. This was a Portugese Branch so it was done all in Portugese. Most of them could speak English so I could communicate with them though. What a blessing to be with them. The time has come to record the last ordinance for the day, and return to the dressing room and change into my street clothes.
Each day in the Temple is different. That's what makes it special to me. Sometimes we need to be receptive to the needs of the patron because I'm sure that's what this work is all about. Each patron comes in with burdens from the world. Some are light and some are heavy. I hope I can do what my Heavenly Father wants me to do each day to help. As I leave the doors of the Temple today I hope my offering to Him will be accepted, and I know that I will get that confirmation someday. I love this Work!!!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Another Lesson Learned
Fall is coming to New England! The leaves are changing colors & falling to the ground. Last year we traveled through with Mom & Dad which was so much fun, but this year we are looking forward to experiencing the whole season.
Unfortunately it is fall in Alaska too, & with a huge windstorm it blew 4 trees onto our house. Thankfully the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been & at least no one was hurt. Having our sons with the skills to fix our house is a bonus. There were many times when we would be sitting in the jacuzzi with the wind blowing the trees & I would tell Rod that I was sure they would fall. Well, it finally happened. Too bad!
Since we have had a normal week we would like to send a story.
The Cookie Thief!
A woman bought some cookies & a book at an airport & sat down to read & nibble while waiting for her plane. She soon noticed a man sitting next to her, who casually took a cookie from the bag.
Although shocked & seething, the woman remained silent as the man, without the slightest sign of shame or gratitude, quietly helped himself, matching her cookie for cookie.
When there was one cookie left, she watched in amazement as he picked it up, smiled at her as if he were being gracious, & broke it in half. He ate one half & gave her the other.
Congratulating herself for maintaining her cool, she said nothing to this rude cookie thief, astonished at the nerve of some people.
Later, when she was settling into her seat on the plane, she rummaged through her purse & discovered the bag of cookies she'd purchased, still unopened. The moral message is contained in the poem's closing stanza:
"If mine are here," she moaned with despair, "Then the others were his, & he tried to share." Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
The message that we got from this story is that we shouldn't judge. I have judged others, which I am not proud of & I have been judged, which hurts when others don't know the facts.
We should always be charitable, kind & loving to others.
"CHARITY NEVER FAILETH".
We send our love to everyone!
Unfortunately it is fall in Alaska too, & with a huge windstorm it blew 4 trees onto our house. Thankfully the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been & at least no one was hurt. Having our sons with the skills to fix our house is a bonus. There were many times when we would be sitting in the jacuzzi with the wind blowing the trees & I would tell Rod that I was sure they would fall. Well, it finally happened. Too bad!
Since we have had a normal week we would like to send a story.
The Cookie Thief!
A woman bought some cookies & a book at an airport & sat down to read & nibble while waiting for her plane. She soon noticed a man sitting next to her, who casually took a cookie from the bag.
Although shocked & seething, the woman remained silent as the man, without the slightest sign of shame or gratitude, quietly helped himself, matching her cookie for cookie.
When there was one cookie left, she watched in amazement as he picked it up, smiled at her as if he were being gracious, & broke it in half. He ate one half & gave her the other.
Congratulating herself for maintaining her cool, she said nothing to this rude cookie thief, astonished at the nerve of some people.
Later, when she was settling into her seat on the plane, she rummaged through her purse & discovered the bag of cookies she'd purchased, still unopened. The moral message is contained in the poem's closing stanza:
"If mine are here," she moaned with despair, "Then the others were his, & he tried to share." Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
The message that we got from this story is that we shouldn't judge. I have judged others, which I am not proud of & I have been judged, which hurts when others don't know the facts.
We should always be charitable, kind & loving to others.
"CHARITY NEVER FAILETH".
We send our love to everyone!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
We have had so much fun the last couple of weekends. We went to Brewster Branch in Cape Cod to do a fireside. They had dinner for the Branch & then because it was late we got a motel. The next day we did some sightseeing. We went to Provincetown which is at the tip of the Cape. It is known for all of the gays that live there. We saw the Pilgrim Tower which is the tallest all granite structure in the U.S. at 252 ft. The Pilgrims actually spent 5 weeks considering Cape Cod as their home before deciding to sail across Cape Cod Bay where they found a more protected area for their settlement at Plymouth. We also saw a sign that said it was the farthest distance from coast to coast. From Long Beach, Ca. to Cape Cod it was 3,632 miles. We went to a Cemetery & walked around looking at dates. We found the oldest one at 1713. Then we went to Naussett Beach. It was beautiful & we would have loved to stay & spend the day but we had no chairs or blankets so we decided to go back another time. We spent another night in Cape Cod & came back in time to go to work. It was a long day after traveling for 2 hrs.
Sunday we went to Central Falls Ward in Rhode Island & taught the Temple Prep class & then went to Boston 1st Ward mtgs. Afterward we went to Cape Cod again & got a motel. Yesterday we went to the beach. It was a lot different from last week. The wind was blowing so hard & the waves were huge. There were just a few people on the beach so we put our backs to the wind & sat & watched the waves & the seals. After a while the windsurfers & kite boarders went out & it was fun watching them. We had to come home & wash our hair to get out the ground in sand but it was a very fun day.
We had a couple of neat experiences in the Temple last week. One sister came & wanted to do her father's work but needed help on the New Family Search. We are fairly new & there was no one else to help but we were finally able to print out his card. She was in the Baptistry when Rod took it down to her & he said it was such a special experience when he gave it to her. We also had a couple from Boston 1st Ward come in on Friday to receive their Endowments & on Saturday they came in to get sealed. It was really special to be a part of it.
In the August 2010 Ensign, Pres. Uchtdorf said, "While each temple increases the influence of righteousness in the earth, the greatest blessings, of course, come to those who actually attend the temple. There we receive further light & knowledge & make solemn covenants that, if followed, help us walk in the path of discipleship. In short, the temple teaches us about the sacred purpose of life & helps us get our true physical & spiritual bearings. For those who cannot attend the temple now for whatever reason, I encourage you to do everything in your power to hold a current temple recommend. The temple recommend is a symbol of our faithfulness & determination to serve the Lord. It is a symbol of our love for the Lord."
I will close with our testimony that the Church is true & the blessings of the temple will last for eternity if we remain faithful. We send our love to everyone.
Sunday we went to Central Falls Ward in Rhode Island & taught the Temple Prep class & then went to Boston 1st Ward mtgs. Afterward we went to Cape Cod again & got a motel. Yesterday we went to the beach. It was a lot different from last week. The wind was blowing so hard & the waves were huge. There were just a few people on the beach so we put our backs to the wind & sat & watched the waves & the seals. After a while the windsurfers & kite boarders went out & it was fun watching them. We had to come home & wash our hair to get out the ground in sand but it was a very fun day.
We had a couple of neat experiences in the Temple last week. One sister came & wanted to do her father's work but needed help on the New Family Search. We are fairly new & there was no one else to help but we were finally able to print out his card. She was in the Baptistry when Rod took it down to her & he said it was such a special experience when he gave it to her. We also had a couple from Boston 1st Ward come in on Friday to receive their Endowments & on Saturday they came in to get sealed. It was really special to be a part of it.
In the August 2010 Ensign, Pres. Uchtdorf said, "While each temple increases the influence of righteousness in the earth, the greatest blessings, of course, come to those who actually attend the temple. There we receive further light & knowledge & make solemn covenants that, if followed, help us walk in the path of discipleship. In short, the temple teaches us about the sacred purpose of life & helps us get our true physical & spiritual bearings. For those who cannot attend the temple now for whatever reason, I encourage you to do everything in your power to hold a current temple recommend. The temple recommend is a symbol of our faithfulness & determination to serve the Lord. It is a symbol of our love for the Lord."
I will close with our testimony that the Church is true & the blessings of the temple will last for eternity if we remain faithful. We send our love to everyone.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Enjoying Life
Well, it's been awhile since I wrote in our blog. I get so frustrated when I lose my internet connection & I have spent a lot of time writing. Oh, well, live & learn.
We just had the BEST weekend. Since Amy & Brad now live in Rochester, N.Y., they are a 6 hr. drive away & they were able to come for the Labor Day weekend. They got here Friday night at 10:30 when we were suppose to be in the middle of Hurricane Earl but all we got was a little rain. We had fun playing games, relaxing & playing with Natalie & Kaylee. We took them to Lexington where the first shot was fired in the Revolutionary War but other than that we didn't do any sightseeing. We went to Boston 1st Ward on Sunday & were able to show them off even though there weren't too many at church because of the holiday. I had to give the lesson in Relief Society & Amy got to play the piano since no one else could. Monday morning there was a special session at the temple so we took them to show them around & introduce them to the people we work with & then did a session. It was so special to have them there with us. I was so excited that they got to see the Celestial Room. It is my favorite place because of the beauty & the Spirit that is there. They left about 6:00 so it was a long night for them.
Well, I had another homesick moment. Brad was trying to teach us how to Skype, so we got to see & talk to Jason & Ryan & their families. I thought I was doing okay but just seeing all of them made me realize how much I really miss everyone. It was really special to see Tyson for the first time & to see that he is the spitting image of Nathan. Now we are looking forward to "seeing" & talking to everyone else. When I was in 6th grade, we were told that someday we would be able to talk on the telephone & see the person we were talking to. I didn't quite believe it but through all these years I have always had that in the back of my mind & wondered if I would ever see it. Well, it finally happened & I couldn't have asked for a better time than on our mission. It's amazing the technology that we are blessed with.
We have been busy doing a lot of things. A couple of weeks ago we helped with a reception in our yard. We went to Tanglewood in western Massachusetts & watched a performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in an outdoor theater. The next day after we spoke in church, we drove to Maine & got a motel because on Monday we went to a Cabbage Island Clambake & cruise with about 30 people from the temple. It was raining most of the day but it was worth it. We each got 2 fresh caught lobsters, & so much food. I have never liked lobster but when it is fresh it tastes just like Alaska king crab. The next Monday we went to a friend's cabin in New Hampshire on Lake Winnepasauke. We went swimming, canoeing, ate & visited. It was so beautiful & we had such a good time. It was one of our favorite days. I knew the name sounded familiar but I didn't know how until we mentioned it to Jason & he immediately knew it from the movie, "What About Bob?".
It is finally starting to get a little cooler here. We are anxious to do some sightseeing now that it is not so miserably hot & humid.
Last week we went to the temple & in the first half hour I heard Nathan's name twice, saw it once & saw his birthday. The first thing I do when I get to work is take the names for the Prayer Roll off the answering machine. There were 2 Nathan's there. Then someone called & needed a Bishop's #. When I looked it up he lived on Nathan Lane. Next, we have a stamp that has the date & BOSTO on it. One of them was old so I threw it away & asked where I could find another one. When I went to the drawer, there were about 10 sitting there so I just grabbed one. I put it on the ink pad & stamped a piece of paper so that I would know what to change to make it the correct date. The date on the stamp was, 04 Nov BOSTO, Nathan's birthday. I literally gasped. I had to share it with our secretary. She said, "Wow! What do you think that's all about?" I feel like Nathan is letting me know that he is close & is thinking about us & he wants us to think about him. It is so amazing to me that we are blessed to feel so close to him.
Two weeks ago, one of the sealers lost his son. They don't know what happened. His wife just found him. They have a 2 yr. old son. It is so sad. It kind of takes me back to those first few days & weeks. I am so grateful that we are where we are now & that we are able to feel the blessings of the Atonement.
We had to come up with our favorite scripture. That's hard when you have 2 people & each one has their own favorite. But we finally agreed. Actually, it's mine & Rod went along with me. It is, Alma 5:16. "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that you here the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day...Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?"
We know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church upon the face of the earth & we look forward to being with all of our family & friends in the presence of our Heavenly Father & our Savior.
We just had the BEST weekend. Since Amy & Brad now live in Rochester, N.Y., they are a 6 hr. drive away & they were able to come for the Labor Day weekend. They got here Friday night at 10:30 when we were suppose to be in the middle of Hurricane Earl but all we got was a little rain. We had fun playing games, relaxing & playing with Natalie & Kaylee. We took them to Lexington where the first shot was fired in the Revolutionary War but other than that we didn't do any sightseeing. We went to Boston 1st Ward on Sunday & were able to show them off even though there weren't too many at church because of the holiday. I had to give the lesson in Relief Society & Amy got to play the piano since no one else could. Monday morning there was a special session at the temple so we took them to show them around & introduce them to the people we work with & then did a session. It was so special to have them there with us. I was so excited that they got to see the Celestial Room. It is my favorite place because of the beauty & the Spirit that is there. They left about 6:00 so it was a long night for them.
Well, I had another homesick moment. Brad was trying to teach us how to Skype, so we got to see & talk to Jason & Ryan & their families. I thought I was doing okay but just seeing all of them made me realize how much I really miss everyone. It was really special to see Tyson for the first time & to see that he is the spitting image of Nathan. Now we are looking forward to "seeing" & talking to everyone else. When I was in 6th grade, we were told that someday we would be able to talk on the telephone & see the person we were talking to. I didn't quite believe it but through all these years I have always had that in the back of my mind & wondered if I would ever see it. Well, it finally happened & I couldn't have asked for a better time than on our mission. It's amazing the technology that we are blessed with.
We have been busy doing a lot of things. A couple of weeks ago we helped with a reception in our yard. We went to Tanglewood in western Massachusetts & watched a performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in an outdoor theater. The next day after we spoke in church, we drove to Maine & got a motel because on Monday we went to a Cabbage Island Clambake & cruise with about 30 people from the temple. It was raining most of the day but it was worth it. We each got 2 fresh caught lobsters, & so much food. I have never liked lobster but when it is fresh it tastes just like Alaska king crab. The next Monday we went to a friend's cabin in New Hampshire on Lake Winnepasauke. We went swimming, canoeing, ate & visited. It was so beautiful & we had such a good time. It was one of our favorite days. I knew the name sounded familiar but I didn't know how until we mentioned it to Jason & he immediately knew it from the movie, "What About Bob?".
It is finally starting to get a little cooler here. We are anxious to do some sightseeing now that it is not so miserably hot & humid.
Last week we went to the temple & in the first half hour I heard Nathan's name twice, saw it once & saw his birthday. The first thing I do when I get to work is take the names for the Prayer Roll off the answering machine. There were 2 Nathan's there. Then someone called & needed a Bishop's #. When I looked it up he lived on Nathan Lane. Next, we have a stamp that has the date & BOSTO on it. One of them was old so I threw it away & asked where I could find another one. When I went to the drawer, there were about 10 sitting there so I just grabbed one. I put it on the ink pad & stamped a piece of paper so that I would know what to change to make it the correct date. The date on the stamp was, 04 Nov BOSTO, Nathan's birthday. I literally gasped. I had to share it with our secretary. She said, "Wow! What do you think that's all about?" I feel like Nathan is letting me know that he is close & is thinking about us & he wants us to think about him. It is so amazing to me that we are blessed to feel so close to him.
Two weeks ago, one of the sealers lost his son. They don't know what happened. His wife just found him. They have a 2 yr. old son. It is so sad. It kind of takes me back to those first few days & weeks. I am so grateful that we are where we are now & that we are able to feel the blessings of the Atonement.
We had to come up with our favorite scripture. That's hard when you have 2 people & each one has their own favorite. But we finally agreed. Actually, it's mine & Rod went along with me. It is, Alma 5:16. "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that you here the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day...Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?"
We know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church upon the face of the earth & we look forward to being with all of our family & friends in the presence of our Heavenly Father & our Savior.
Monday, September 6, 2010
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