Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

January 19, 2014

President and Sister Gillette

This was a week when we said goodbye to the Gillettes and hello to the Poulsens.  On Tuesday night we had a very special farewell dinner for the Gillettes.  It was held in the Jade Room in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  We tried to surprise them but they were onto us.  But, little did they realize, that all their colleagues for the past two years would be there.  The food was fabulous, the decorations great and fun was had by all.  After the dinner, we put them in a carriage that went around the temple.  At each gate the sisters sang to them, “Called to Serve.”  At the North Gate the final number was, “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”  It was a terrific sendoff for them.  The Poulsens arrived on Friday and gave some wonderful introductory talks to the sisters.  We can tell that their style will be different from the Gillettes, but we look forward to the change.

President and Sister Gillette in a carriage

Rabbi Abraham

Our big new this week is that we had an opportunity to teach a Rabbi the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  His name is Abraham and he comes from New York.  Originally he was born in Israel and then migrated to the USA.  He is a very complex and interesting man well versed in the scriptures.  His main purpose in visiting Salt Lake City was to be baptized, see the Prophet and write for the Church.  We had to slow him down a bit and make sure he understood the doctrines of the Gospel.  So for five days we went through Preach My Gospel taking him to all the displays that are available to us on Temple Square.  He is a talker so hours were spent with him.  Tomorrow he goes home but he wants to return here to be baptized and live.  Needless to say, this was an experience of a lifetime.  We will talk to him weekly in New York, see how he is progressing and work with the local mission leader there.  He seems to embrace all the tenants of the Church and we are looking forward to his potential baptism.

Another wonderful event happened this week because we were able to go to Cesar’s Patriarchal Blessing.  His blessing consisted of everything we knew would be revealed about him.  He is going to be a great member of the Church and influence many.  What a joy it is for us to be part of these special events in his life.  We feel like proud parents!

We were able to teach Tressa this week.  Her circumstance has not changed so we really need to be bold on the repentance issue.  We may go up to Pocatello again as she goes to Sacrament Meeting and talk to her face-to-face.  Our other investigator, Jason, was unable to meet us again this week, but we have hopes of seeing him next Saturday.  Because he has no car, it is difficult for him to maneuver around.

Amazed at the Church Conference Center

We are amazed by these last nine months that we have been on Temple Square and the opportunities that have been afforded to us.  Even though we are exhausted most of the time, we wouldn’t trade a minute of our time here.  The Lord has truly blessed us greatly with opportunities to teach and testify.

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

January 12, 2014

Mid-January is upon us.  With the lights off at Temple Square, it feels more like winter.  This week has been cold and the sidewalks treacherous.  We have had to be very careful as we walk our many miles daily.  Winter has its beauty, but we look forward with great anticipation toward the spring.  We still have visitors coming to the Square, especially those who enjoy skiing in the mountains and the many convention patrons that come to Salt Lake City.

Peter Brineholt

 This and next week will be a time to say goodbye to our mission president and his wife, the Gillettes.  Our new mission president and his wife, the Poulsens, will arrive next Friday.  On Monday night we had a special musical presentation by Peter Brineholt and David Tolk.  These men are well known in the LDS music industry.  Their concert was uplifting and spiritual for all who attended.  Afterwards the sisters surprised the Gillettes by a very special New Zealand dance and Hawaiian musical number.  Each sister who was there presented leis to them.  By the time each sister had said goodbye, the leis were up to their noses.  It was a very emotional but happy time   for both of them.

Sister Gillette

President Gillete

We talked to Tressa on Saturday but she had been called into work so we couldn’t talk long. We were so happy to touch base with her and reconnect.  We have another appointment on Monday with her and hope to hear that things might be changing in her environment, that a repentance process might get started.  We only wish her the best and want so much for her to be baptized.  Jason is back in town so hopefully next week we might go forth and start teaching him again.  We hope to teach him about our Savior, Jesus Christ, something he knows nothing about.

Sisters Leaving their Mission

We will miss these sisters

We also had a transfer conference this week.  Again nineteen great sisters went home and thirty-one went outbound.  These events are very difficult for us because it is so hard to say goodbye to them.  Also on Wednesday, seventeen new sisters joined the mission.  This mission is always in flux and it becomes very hard to learn names and countries.  Personally, I just think I’ve learned the names of the sisters and then it all changes again.  Next week I start my ESL class and I will really get to know these new sisters!

We talked to Cesar this week and he always inspires us.  Because he is a ward missionary, he goes out with the full-time missionaries teaching the less active or new investigators.  It is amazing to hear of his stories and the testimony he shares with those people.  He invited us next week to be present when he receives his Patriarchal Blessing.  What a joy it is for us to participate in these special events with him.

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

January 5, 2014

 

Sisters in the theatre on New Year's Eve

 

We are into a new year, 2014!  It does seem incredible to us that 2013 is over and we are marching forward into 2014. Of course, we celebrated on the Square New Year’s Eve.  On Tuesday evening the sisters met in the South Visitors’ Theatre after getting various snacks, dips and veggies.  We again, made a Costco run for the goodies.  After a program they all toasted in the new year at 10:00 PM with apple cider.  They were then off to bed in preparation to begin a new year.

Sisters with Sister Frost waiting for the Trax at 6:50am

Religious Art at BYU

 

 

Our activities did not end with the New Year’s Eve celebration because on Thursday and Friday we went to Provo for a special art exhibit at BYU featuring works of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz.  We traveled by Trax and the Front Runner to reach our destination.  It truly was a once in a lifetime experience to view those works of art.  To see the original paintings of the life of our Savior up close and personal was truly inspirational.  The spirit was in abundance and personally tears came to my eyes as I contemplated His life and atonement.  After viewing those magnificent paintings, we were treated royally by a Provo stake that provided us with lunch and a program.  We were amazed by the love that was exhibited by those young folks who served us.  The sisters really need to realize how members appreciate their sacrifice and service.

 

 

 

Cesar after the baptisms at the South Visitors' Center
with Elders and Sister Missionaries

Another special experience happened on Saturday when we were able to accompany Cesar to the Salt Lake Temple to do baptisms for the dead for the first time.  Sister Mendoza and her companion and the two elders that taught Cesar were also there.  Sister Mendoza had brought with her family names and so Cesar was able to be baptized for some of her ancestors.   He was nervous but so excited and couldn’t believe that he was in the Temple.  He told us at that time that his sister had agreed to have the first missionary discussion.  When his father learned this fact, he told his daughter that perhaps she should be baptized because it would help strengthen her family.  For Cesar to hear this from his father, who is a devote Catholic, was incredible.  We know his father is seeing the change that has occurred in Cesar’s life.

We were also thrilled and surprised today to get a text message from Tressa.  She wants to talk to us on Monday.  She mentioned the fact that she missed our discussions and is looking forward to our conversation.  We don’t know what she will say, but we hope that it is positive and perhaps she will get herself into a position to be baptized.  Our fingers are crossed!  Also we heard from Jason and he told us that he is not back in Utah yet, so we hope against hope, that we will see him sometime this week.

Sister Tan on the left of Sister Frost - shared with us her
incredible conversion story in which her family rejected
her. She is 28 years old and just arrived at Temple Square
and is a very dedicated and beautiful sister.

There are so many sisters who come from such poor circumstances and their stories are incredible to us.  One such sister is a gal from Tahiti.  She comes from a family of fifteen.  As she came to the Square, she had very little by the way of clothing.  This week we were able to take her out to buy boots and shoes.  She wears a whopping size 12 shoe and it was difficult to find that large a size.  But, we are happy to report that we did it!  Another sister went with her and she is from Siberia.  She has as large size personality and we wanted to find boots for her too.  Unfortunately, we were not successful because she is very picky.  So, next week we will try again.

 

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

December 29, 2013

 

 

This was Christmas week and what a week it has been for us.  Of course, the Square has been packed with visitors, wall-to-wall visitors.  Amid all of this confusion it has been fun to mingle, answer questions, and feel of the spirit with the sparkling lights ablaze.  We have only a few more days before those beautiful lights will be turned off and then it will be just a happy memory.



 

 

 

Elder Frost as Isiah in the Tabernacle with the Sisters

On Christmas Eve it was a grand affair.  The Square closed at 5:00 PM and the sisters gathered at the South Visitors’ Center.  I was busy organizing the food in which Café Rio provided the main entre. Everyone ate enchiladas with all the trimmings and later we had cookies and milk.  A posada was held in which the sisters went to various stations seeking the Christ child.  Taggart portrayed Isiah and I was a shepherdess in those scenes.  The climax had a spiritual ending with music and the Christmas story being read.  It was a lovely evening so different from our usual caroling, clam chowder and holiday cheese ball.  Even though I missed our traditions, it will be a very special Christmas memory.

Sister Frost going home after our Christmas parties

Wednesday was Christmas and the sisters got to sleep in and call their families.  We went to April’s home and spent time with family.  It was a joy for us to be with our grandchildren, Alec and Derek as they opened presents from Santa.  After a special morning we headed back to the Square for Christmas with the sisters.  We had boxed lunches from the Honey Baked Ham Store along with cream pies later that evening.  Santa showed up and gave the sisters some wonderful gifts.  Many people were so generous and donated money to the mission for our sister’s Christmas stockings.  After two movies the sisters headed home after a long and special day.  To be truthful, we were really exhausted and looked forward to our day to sleep in after so many activities.

Cesar is going on a mission

An exciting event happened this Sunday when Cesar greeted us prior to the organ recital.  He informed us that he had really sincerely been thinking about going on a mission.  He felt he was too old and should get on with his life, but he told us he had reconsidered.  He said he had been selfish only thinking of himself that perhaps he needed to be on a mission to help someone else, another Cesar.  He then told us he had made the decision to go.  Of course, he would have to wait a year before he could get his endowment in the temple, but he said it would give him the opportunity to prepare himself spiritually.  We are so proud of his decision and feel so honored to be part of his life.

This next week we hope to visit with Jason.  Again he went away for the holidays to be with his family in Canada.  Hopefully, we can teach him, line upon line, precept upon precept and he will feel the influence of the Spirit.  We still pray for Tressa and maybe soon we will hear from her again.   Because we got a text message from her finesse, Ron, we know she still believes but needs to change.