Twenty First Week

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission
October 27, 2013

 

Today is our daughter Heather’s birthday.  We miss being with her but hopefully someday we can celebrate her birthday all together.  We did sing a rousing “Happy Birthday to You” over the phone.  Speaking of birthdays we celebrated April’s birthday on Monday.  Becky hadn’t been to her home for ages and so we brought her down on our P-day and got to see our little Alec and Scooter (Derek).  It is amazing to us how time marches on because we so remember our little girls and their birthday celebrations while they were at home.

 

 
We were able to go to the Temple this week with Sister Yedigaryan from Armenia.  She was completing her mission and wanted to do temple work for two family members, her grandfather and uncle. Elder Frost was baptized and confirmed for her grandfather and uncle. It was a very special experience to be with her and see the joy as these two loved ones were baptized, confirmed and endowed.   We went to lunch afterward and then said goodbye to a very dear sister who we probably will never see again.  It is very difficult, especially for those sisters who live so far away, to say goodbye because over the course of these five months we have grown to love them.

 

 

Sister Gillette and Sisters at a Leadership Conference

 

Also this week a Leadership Conference was held and we were asked to attend.  It was a very uplifting few hours for us and again we are amazed with the caliber of these sisters.  They taught us and had some inspiring things to say.  As always we go away feeling that today’s missionaries are so well prepared to serve the Lord at this time.  The work is indeed hastening forward.

President Gillette at the Leadership Conference

 

A very large group of Seventh Day Adventists came to the Square on Saturday.  Taggart had arranged with Public Affairs a very special tour for them.   Zone leaders were the missionaries guiding them around along with a PR person and a senior missionary.  They were very curious and had a lot of questions.  It was amazing to me how similar some of our beliefs are with theirs.  Anyway, Taggart was able to take a group of about twenty after the regular tour on an extended two hour tour.  He had a very good experience with these folks and many wanted to learn more.

We had another discussion with Tressa on Tuesday.  She needed to vent about a few things and so we just listened.  She is still very excited about the Gospel but needs to put her life in order.  We just hope that this happens because she so wants to be baptized.  Also, we again saw Cesar on the Square.  It is so enthusiastic about the Church and just wants to learn more and more.  He says his favorite place is Temple Square now and he brought his parents with him.  He so wants them to be accepting of his decision to be baptized and hopes they might have a desire to learn more.  We also got to go to his home today and teach a lesson to him with the local missionaries.  It was amazing to hear him testify of the things he knows to be true.  Truly he is a “golden” contact.  Our plan is to be a part of other discussions with him up to his baptism.

Fall Evening on Temple Square

 

The excitement tomorrow will be that Elder Dallin H. Oakes will be coming to speak to the sisters.  As I have said many times, we really are spoiled to have General Authorities visit our mission so often.  However, I have to admit that we all work very hard.  In fact, this week we worked so many hours beyond what was expected of us that we were exhausted by the weekend.  But, it is all worth it!