Eighth Week of Our Mission

Sister Thulasidass from India - A Day of Temple Work for Her Family

Sister Thulasidass - We Added Three Additional Souls from India That Day

Watching the 24th of July Parade from the Beehive House

 

 

Eighth Week of Our Mission

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

July 28, 2013

 

 

 

We had a wonderful experience today going to the Salt Lake Temple to do work for the dead for Sister Thulasidass from India.  As mentioned earlier, Taggart was asked to be baptized for her father who had passed away, Brother Creer was baptized for her brother and she was baptized for her aunt.  We also had the chance to do the endowments for these people.  This sister is remarkable, a pioneer in her own family.  Her cousins introduced her to the church but it took some time for her to be baptized.  Her mother disapproved of her baptism but is beginning to accept her daughter’s new found religion.  She is an “older” sister on Temple Square in her 30’s with a master’s degree.  What a commitment for her to come on a mission and be that light to others and her family.  We so admire her.  Also, just as a side note, while we were waiting in the temple hall to do the confirmations of these family members, Brother Neil L. Anderson from the Quorum of the Twelve walked in and shook our hands.  Sister Thulasidass was overcome with excitement and emotion and so were we.

This last week was also Pioneer Day.  It had been a long time since we had been to the Days of ’47 Parade and we were so excited.  Sometimes we just have to pinch ourselves that we are here because we had the great privilege of viewing the parade from the Beehive House porch.  Who really gets to be at the Beehive House anyway?  We had a perfect view of the floats and bands and got to mingle with our Mission President and the new senior missionary couple who will be joining us in October.  They are the Curtis’ from Arizona.  They seem like they are a great couple and we will enjoy serving with them.  Also to celebrate the 24^th of July we were able to go to the Conference Center and see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Concert.  We didn’t have tickets but since it was across the street, we took our chances anyway.  We were amazed because the host gave us two tickets about ten rows back in the center.  They were fabulous tickets and we had a perfect view of the entire performance.  What a great 24^th of July!

Also, this week we had fabulous news concerning the White Family.  Mimi is going to be baptized on the 24^th of August and her husband, who is an inactive member of the church, has committed to activity in supporting his wife.  We talked to them today in Kentucky and he told us that they are going to be sealed in the Temple in one year and he said they were coming to the Salt Lake Temple to accomplish this.  We cried because we will still be on our mission and can witness this wonderful event.  Of course, we are hoping that their children will embrace the gospel too and be baptized with Mimi.  There is nothing better than to see a family that is committed to be sealed for “Time and All Eternity.”

We had another great week meeting people from all over the world.  However, we did have a special experience with a family named Schmitt from Indiana.  They are a retired couple traveling at their leisure throughout the USA.  She has some ancestry of the Mormon faith.  Anyway, we met them at the North Visitor’s Center and they wanted to see the film “Legacy.”  They were very attentive and wanted to know more.  They accepted a Book of Mormon and wanted a D & C and Pearl of Great Price.  The mission does not give away the D & C and Pearl of Great Price, so we will be sending them one each.  We told them about a sunrise service at the Tabernacle on July 24th and they came.  We situated them on the parade route and visited with them during that time.  They told Taggart that they would like to know more about the church, so we are hoping against hope that when they return home the missionaries might visit them.  They are in our prayers because she has a legacy of faith from her own Mormon ancestors.

One other momentous moment this week…………we gave away seven Books of Mormon in one day!