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!

 

 

 

Twentieth Week

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission
October 20, 2013



 

 
This last Monday a transfer conference was held.  This is where the sisters go home, new sisters come from the MTC and those that were outbound come home.  We have been to three of these conferences already and it is wild.  There is a lot of screaming, yelling, and crying going on.  We so hate to see sisters that we love dearly go home and some go outbound for two to three months.  We will miss them so.  It is also difficult for us to greet thirty-three new sisters and try to remember their countries and names.  But, this is what missionary service is all about... 

We are finding ourselves getting involved in more administrative responsibilities.  When Elder and Sister Creer left the mission we picked up many of their duties.  However, we are sharing these assignments with Elder and Sister Curtis.  We are now having event meetings with the senior couples and trying to coordinate our efforts.  Taggart organizes the meetings and so far they are going well.  We will really see an increase in activities in the spring, but as for now we can plan for the future.  We will miss our schedule from last summer because our responsibilities will increase dramatically.

Tressa

We did have the opportunity to go up to Pocatello today to see Tressa.  We went to the Sacrament Meeting at the care center where she works.  We were so happy to see her face-to-face and discuss certain issues with her.  She has to work through a few things before she is baptized, but we are confident that this will happen.  In the meantime, we have a discussion this Thursday with her.  She has a testimony of the Gospel and is excited for this next step in her life.  She is always in our thoughts and prayers and we wish her only the best.

I had an amazing experience with a young man on Saturday.  Taggart and I were separated for a time and I met Cesar in the North Visitor’s Center.  I asked if he had any questions and then he just started to talk and talk.  Apparently over the past several weeks he has been studying the Gospel and has truly felt the spirit in abundance.  He told me he was lost and now he is found.  He admits that he can’t get enough information about the Church.  He is constantly reading, studying and praying about what he learns.  We talked about the Godhead, particularly the Holy Ghost, Joseph Smith, families, prayer and other topics.  He had invited an inactive member to meet him on Temple Square because he wanted her to get involved with the Church again.  I invited them to see “God’s Plan for Families” and they both just cried and cried.  He said he was going to Church on Sunday and would email us.  On Sunday evening he did send a lengthy email so excited about what he had experienced that day.  He met with the missionaries and is on fire.  His baptismal date is set for November 16^th and we will definitely attend.

That same Saturday night when I met Cesar, Taggart met with a man who said he wanted to be baptized.  Unfortunately, he is homeless and Taggart was concerned about his intentions for baptism.  In fact, he confronted him and wondered if he wanted baptism strictly because the Church would help him.  He said this was not the case.  Anyway, he went to stake conference on Sunday but was disgruntled with the members because he felt they were judging him.  Taggart made some calls and gave him the name of a bishop in the homeless community and wanted him to meet with him.  We will see what happens and the next step for this young man.

The Temple on Beautiful Fall Evening

Nineteenth Week of Our Mission

Nineteenth Week

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission
October 13, 2013

Creers, Frosts, & Elder and Sister Curtis
This week was interesting in that we trained the new senior couple (the Curtises) all week.  The Creers (the other senior couple) will be leaving on Wednesday and then we will be the oldest (in terms of time here) senior couple here on Temple Square.  We took the Curtis’ everywhere, loaded them with facts, initiated passwords, and got to know them well.  They are genuinely excited about being here and beginning their missionary service and we look forward to serving with them.  We also will have a new schedule and a new “P Day.”  This next week we will have Monday off and then be working more nights.  Our days at the Beehive House and the Organ Recital will be limited now.  We will be doing more administrative things and be wandering the Square and making contacts.  Also, as the winter approaches we will spend more time in the Call Center answering questions and chatting with people.

 

We can’t believe it but we are going into our fourth transfer.  The sister missionaries judge how long they have left on their mission by the number of transfers they have.  Each transfer lasts six weeks, so generally they complete fourteen transfers before going home.  Twenty-four sisters are going home this transfer and we will miss them tremendously.  At “Music and the Spoken Word” they were honored today and of course Taggart and I cried.  They have become so dear to us that we hate to see them go.  However on Wednesday thirty-three sisters will be joining us from the MTC and we will have to learn names again.  Personally, I have given up learning those names because with two hundred and twenty-three sisters it is almost an impossible task.  The Transfer Conference will take place tomorrow with new companionships announced, those going outbound learning where they will go, and of course honoring those sisters going home.  It is a time with lots of tears and screams of joy.

 

An interesting experience happened this week.  Many dignitaries were visiting Temple Square and the Church Office Building.  Apparently, they were from all corners of the world with important positions in their government and countries.  We just happened to go to the Church Office Building Cafeteria where they were meeting.  As we ate our lunch to our amazement four of the twelve apostles walked right in front of us.  They were Elder Holland, Oakes, Christofferson, and Nelson.  I just sat in amazement as they walked past.  Also, we met up with Richard Hinckley in the elevator this last week.  Really, where could we have such wonderful experiences and see so many Church leaders?

We had hoped to go to Pocatello today to visit Tressa, but she was working.  However, we do have a discussion with her on the phone Tuesday and she is seeing if she can get next Sunday off for a visit with us.  We are hopeful that this will take place.  Also, we had a “member present” discussion this last week with two great sister missionaries.  They were having trouble with a man who they were working with reading and understanding the Book of Mormon.  They asked us to participate in the discussion.  It was interesting because all four of us could not get connected, so Taggart and I shared our cell phone as we talked with him.  He certainly was a man who was sincere and genuinely interested in finding truth.

Today was a marvelous day in that we met with three women from Texas.  We spent most of the morning with them in discussion, laughing, teaching and building bridges.  One gal was 92 years old, the next was her niece in her mid-seventies, last of all was the daughter in her fifties.  They decided to go on a road trip together and were they ever fun.  They all accepted the Book of Mormon and readily asked questions.  We have their personal information and will keep in contact with them over the next few months.  The youngest gal said she had many more questions and we told her we would be very happy to answer any queries.

 

The saddest thing to report this week is that the flowers around Temple Square were pulled out and bulbs were planted for next spring.  As was mentioned in other entries, we dreaded the day when this would happen.  On Saturday, youth from all over Salt Lake were doing this task. Now we truly can say it is the end of the summer and our plush gardens.

Elder Frost with his beautiful granddaughter Avery on the porch of the Beehive House

Eighteenth Week of Our Mission

Eighteenth Week of Our Mission

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission
October 6, 2013

Wow, this was Conference Week.  It was a wild and interesting experience for all of us.  During the week there were several “Pump Up” meetings preparing the sisters for this great event.  Apparently each Conference a video is made to get the sisters excited for meeting and greeting members and getting referrals.  These videos are a combination of silly and spiritual motivations to help them get “pumped up” for the upcoming events.  There was a lot of laughing and a little bit of crying from everyone when we saw the videos.  This was quite the time for the sisters because they worked from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm with only 50 minutes for lunch and dinner.  Of course as a senior couple, we did not have the same schedule, thank goodness. 
 

 We were able to go to the Saturday Morning General Conference Session.  We were lucky enough to sit just a few rows from the front but on the side.  Taggart said it was unreal to see the General Authorities up close and personal and I thoroughly agree.  President Monson addressed us first and stressed the importance of missionary work, especially among members.  We then heard from Robert D. Hales, David Bednar, and Dieter Uchtdorf.  We particularly appreciated the thoughts about paying tithing and the subtle blessings that come from obeying this law.  President Uchtdorf told us to nurture the seed of faith and doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.  We loved all the talks given and the spirit reassured us that this Church is true!  We love being missionaries at this time and in this place.  Taggart was also able to go to the General Priesthood Session at the Conference Center and be uplifted.

As we roamed around the Square we were amazed at the crowds of people.  Of course, there were those who were completely oblivious to what was going on, they were just visitors coming to Temple Square.  We had a few comments from these people as to what was happening.  We were able to share why we hold conferences and what they are all about.  It was also amazing to us to see so many Saints coming from all over the world, so excited to be here and see a Prophet of God.  I think sometimes we take it for granted that we are here and blessed to go to Conference and see the Brethren.  In fact, as we were walking to the South Visitor’s Center this week we saw D. Todd Christofferson coming toward us.  He greeted us with a hearty, “Hi.” 

 We also had a good missionary discussion with Tressa this week.  We had a little difficulty at the “Call Center” being heard by her, but eventually after a few frustrating moments we got through.  We have another discussion tomorrow and at that time we will discuss a potential baptismal date.  We feel that perhaps we may go up to Pocatello next week and give her a face- to- face discussion.  Even though the “Call Center” is great, it isn’t like being there with the person.  We are thrilled for her progress and are anxious for this wonderful event to occur in her life.  We also are hopeful to find another “someone” who wants to embrace the gospel, so we are going to be working hard to accomplish this goal.  There are so many who need Christ in their lives and we pray that we can touch through the spirit those that are ready to learn.

 

We just want to give a “Shout Out” to the good sister missionaries on Temple Square.  They work so hard and try so diligently to fulfill their callings. This week several blessings were given by Taggart to them because often they are stressed and anxious that they do not live up to their missionary potential.  We love them and try to build them up whenever possible.  We feel sometimes that this is really part of our call to uplift, edify, and motivate them.

Dedicated Missionaries at General Conference

                                      Beautiful Sisters on Temple Square

 

 

 

Seventeenth Week of Our Mission

Seventeenth Week

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission
September 29, 2013

This week we were able to visit with our family from the state of Washington.   Jenny, Michael and their family came to town to celebrate Michael’s mother birthday.   Luckily, they were able to spend a little bit of time with us.  On Tuesday, we were able to take them around Temple Square and show them our territory.  Even though they didn’t see everything, we were grateful for the time we had with them.  Because the weather turned from warm to cold, our P Day was spent indoors at the Treehouse Museum instead of “This is the Place Heritage Park” with our grandchildren.  April and her family joined us, so we were all together for a few short days.  During this time with us, Michael was called into the bishopric in his ward.  Today we went to his mother’s house where he was given the Melchizedek Priesthood and the office of a High Priest.  We are so proud of him!

General Conference will be held next week, but last night I (Kimm) had the opportunity to go to the General Relief Society Meeting at the Conference Center.  Needless to say, it was wild getting all those women with their purses being checked individually into the building.  I waited in line for 30 minutes and missed most of the opening remarks.  April joined me and together we had a most difficult time finding each other.  But, we were seated in excellent spots and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  The spirit was so strong and we appreciated the words from our General Relief Society Presidency.  But of course the highlight was hearing from President Monson stressing the need for prayer and scripture reading.  Tears flowed from my eyes when he told us how he missed his eternal companion.  Many members on the Square have asked if we knew how he was doing.

 

Again, we have had some wonderful discussions with people from throughout the world.  There are so many that truly believe in Jesus Christ and hold tight to His doctrine.  Unfortunately, the fullness of the gospel is not in their lives.  Even though we testify to them they are satisfied with what they have.  But we love getting hugs and good wishes from our Christ-centered friends.  They uplift us and enrich our days.

We were concerned this week when Tressa did not respond to our calls, but we learned that it had been a very demanding week for her.  We also found out to our excitement that she and Ron became engaged.  So, with everything going on in their life we did not have a discussion with her this week.  However, one is planned for Monday and at that time we hope to narrow a baptismal date down for her.  So, we are looking forward to Monday and getting to talk to her again.

Sixteenth Week of Our Mission

Sixteenth Week

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission
September 22, 2013

Fall is in the air and we are saddened.  The flowers on Temple Square are magnificent and in a few short weeks they will be gone.   We are hoping that they will last until General Conference, but we will see.  Since we walk everywhere, we will remember the hot summer days and wish that they were here again.

This last week, we had a lovely Family Home Evening activity.  Our counselor in the mission presidency invited all of us to come to his stake for an evening of fun and food.  Groups of 20 sisters or so went to homes for appetizers before our wonderful dinner.  Our host family was so kind and loving and made some delicious treats.  The sisters ate and ate and enjoyed each other’s company and of course the food.  Then we went to the stake center that had a pavilion in the back which was perfect to accommodate all of the sisters.  They played volleyball, threw frisbees and had fun together.  The dinner was delicious with lots of Cold Stone ice cream to end the meal.  Then we went into the chapel for a team building experience.  All in all, it was fun for everyone to get away from the Square and into a new environment.

On Monday we had another discussion with Tressa.  Some of her friends are critical of her investigation of the Church, but she is standing strong in her beliefs.  She bore a strong witness again of prophets, the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.  Because the Call Center was down again, we used our cell phone to talk to her.  This was a bit difficult, but we plodded along.  At the end of the discussion, we asked if she would be baptized and to pick a date.  She readily agreed to the baptism, but wanted to talk to her friend, Ron, about an appropriate date for baptism.  We are hoping against hope that she will follow through with her commitment.

 

We have talked about going into the tunnels under Temple Square and this week we did some exploring.  There is a maze of tunnels that go from one building to another and if you aren’t knowledgeable you could get lost.  There seem to be no signs to lead and guide you, but we found our way to the Church Office Building, the Tabernacle where we found the dressing rooms for the Choir, the Temple, the  Assembly Hall and from there exited from behind the organ to the amazement of the visitors.  We thought we could use these tunnels in cold weather but maybe they are restricted.  It was fun and also kind of scary because at times we did not know where we were.

We didn’t have to go to the Beehive House on Friday because they were filming a movie there.  We got the opportunity to talk to a lady who is involved with Church films and she told us all about it.  Cast and crew were in the house preparing for the filming mid-week.  Apparently the movie will revolve around the first sister missionaries in the Church back in the 1890’s.  They did a couple of scenes in the Beehive House and then they will make their way to England to finish the project.  For the sister missionaries it was a thrill to hear about this endeavor.

We are beginning to go into the Call Center on a regular basis now.  We can chat and talk with people who have questions.  Sometimes you have to wait for someone to call or chat, consequently we feel we could use our time more wisely elsewhere.  Anyway, it has been interesting because oftentimes these calls or chats revolve around anti-Mormon questions.  In the winter our time there will increase because there will be fewer guests on Temple Square.  However, there are still people coming to visit.  As a matter of fact today we had almost 450 people attend the Organ Recital.  We couldn’t believe it because people were lined up to the South Visitor’s Center.

 

Fifteenth Week of Our Mission

Training at Zone Conference on the Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon Presentation to the Sister Missionaries

Elder and Sister Fagersten - Friends from Iowa

Elder and Sister Frost on Temple Square

 

 

 

Fifteenth Week

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

September 15, 2013

This was a very busy week for us with a lot of comings and goings.  We think that perhaps up until General Conference we will have many duties and responsibilities.  Our days and weeks are going by so quickly that we can’t believe that it is already the middle of September.  Winter will come and we will wish we had more activity.

Our investigator, Tressa, is really embracing the Gospel.  We had two discussions with her via the phone this week.  The Call Center was down with the first discussion so we used our cell phone and passed it between the two of us while talking to her.  That was a little awkward, but she bore a strong witness of prophets, God and the Book of Mormon.  Of course, I (Kimm) cried.  We just know that she will be baptized because all the concepts we present she readily agrees with.  This is really an out of this world experience for us with a golden contact.  No doubt if she is baptized, we will want to be with her in Pocatello for her baptism.

Also, we had two days of zone conferences this week at the Utah of the Daughters of Pioneer’s Museum.  As was mentioned earlier, we got to present both days on the Book of Mormon. We felt that we did a good job and really tried to inspire the sisters to teach from the Book of Mormon and have a burning testimony of it.  The spirit was with us and it seemed that the sisters were engaged and committed to using the Book of Mormon more effectively throughout their mission.  We are always amazed by the leadership of these good sisters and their remarkable presentations and commitments to teach the Gospel.  All in all, we had two great days of learning.

Today, we had a special visit from our friends the Fagerstens from Iowa.  Gary and Katherine are here in Utah getting ready to go into the MTC for their upcoming mission to the Dominican Republic.  It was really a thrill to be able to see them again to exchange memories, stories and confirming that we are brothers and sisters in the Gospel.  We went to “Music and the Spoken Word”, toured the Square and then came back to our apartment for brunch.  We love this couple and know that they will be terrific missionaries for the Lord. 







Fourteenth Week of Our Mission

Mimi with her Husband and In-Laws at her Baptism

The James Taylor and Choir Concert

 

 

 

Fourteenth Week of Our Mission

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

September 8, 2013

 

Probably the greatest news of this week is that Mimi White was baptized in Kentucky!  Yesterday was the big day and we were privileged to talk with her prior to the baptism.  She has been in our hearts and prayers for two and a half months.  She wavered at times and we didn’t know if this baptism would occur.  We are so proud of her even though the support from her husband may not always have been there.  But hopefully because of her example, Rick will come back wholeheartedly to the Church and they can be married in the temple within a year.  Because of her example too, the children may in the future embrace the gospel.  This event was truly a miracle for us!

As we mentioned in another entry, we are teaching Tressa from Pocatello, Idaho.  This last week we had a discussion on Tuesday and it went very well.  Everything we said she seemed to agree with and had no questions or concerns.  Then we were able to see her in person on Friday along with her friend, Ron, because they came to the James Taylor Concert at the Conference Center.  We were able to take them around the North Visitor’s Center and actually have several discussions.  It was great to talk face-to-face with them because when you teach via the phone the personal touch is not really there.  She seemed to accept everything we said, but she did have concerns about her position as a non-mother.  She wondered what her role was in the scheme of things in this Church.  We are going to be sending her a great talk by Sheri Dew which should give her a lot of comfort on this subject.  We have another discussion scheduled for Wednesday night.  We can’t believe that this golden contact fell right into our hands.  Tressa believes it was divine intervention and so do we.

Speaking of the James Taylor concert, we went on Friday and then again on Saturday until intermission.  This was quite the concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony.  James Taylor has always been one of Taggart’s favorite recording artists, so it was really exciting for him to be there.  The usual conservative audience went wild and he played several encore numbers amid the roars from the crowd.  It is really amazing to us and the guests on Temple Square how the community and Church can provide such a wonderful event for free.  Actually each day we are astonished by the beauty of the Square and the care that is taken to make everything look so perfect, clean, beautiful, and all venues are complimentary.  What a wonderful church we belong to!

We had our first “Hospitality Tour” this week.  There were about 45 guests in the group coming from all across the country.  They were escorted around the Square by the sister missionaries with us hanging out in the rear to answer any questions. The group then went to dinner at The Garden Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Actually, we had some great doctrinal discussions as we were walking around.  This was my first confrontation with questions about women in the Church, Blacks and the Priesthood.  Hopefully they went away with sound information and less negative feelings.  Taggart had two great discussions with men who shared their beliefs and wanted to know so much more about the Church.  These men seemed like perfect contacts and future members.  We shared our business card but had to be careful because of the nature of the tour to share a Book of Mormon.

We are preparing this week for Zone Conference.  President Gillette asked us to take a few moments to share a concept with the sisters.  We chose to talk about the Book of Mormon.  Taggart has worked so diligently on the presentation, as he always does.  Hopefully the spirit will be with us as we share our testimonies of this great book and the importance of its use in missionary work.

We missed one significant item for this week.  As we were walking to the Beehive House on Labor Day, Elder L. Tom Perry was walking toward us.  He was so kind and generous to us because he stopped and talked to us.  He was wearing casual clothes and he said no one usually recognized him when he was in informal attire.  We had a good chat about his son who Taggart went to school with and then he went on his way.  What other place but Temple Square could you see and meet an apostle of the Lord.  What a thrill for us!

 

 

 

 

 



 

Thirteenth Week of Our Mission

    Teaching Tressa (Our Investigator in Pocatello) from the Call Center 

The View from the "Roof" in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

The Flowers in Front of the Beehive House

Flowers in Front of Both Church Administration Buildings

 

 

Thirteenth Week of Our Mission

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

September 1, 2013

Well, we have been on our mission almost three months on September 3^rd.  We are getting into the routine now, getting up early and working the Square until mid-afternoon most days.  We still find ourselves tired each day because greeting and talking to people takes some energy.  However, it is a good tired and we are grateful each day for this opportunity of serving in such a terrific mission.  Our love for the sisters grows stronger with each passing day.  The trouble is when we just get to know and love them it is time for them to go home.   Several sisters are leaving next week and already we have shed a few tears.

We had our first discussion with Tressa this week.  We really didn’t have a true discussion because she just asked some questions.  They were difficult ones to answer, but she was satisfied with what we said. We scheduled another appointment next week, a real discussion on the Restoration and Book of Mormon.  She seems very anxious to learn more and we hope and pray that the Spirit will be with us and Tressa as we proceed.  It was our first time together in the “Call Center” and we had some difficulty with the technology, however with practice I know that we will be successful.  This “Call Center” is wonderful and we plan to chat and talk with people who call and have questions especially during the winter months when Temple Square slows down.

We had the opportunity on Friday to go to the Bountiful Temple with a group of sisters.  President Gillette gave the opportunity to each sister to go to and see the new film that is being presented there.  We really felt the Spirit and the film was wonderful.  Many of the sisters mentioned that they truly understood the temple experience for the first time.  Taggart got to speak to them before the endowment session and said words of inspiration concerning the temple.  Afterwards I got to hug each sister as they entered the Celestial Room.  What an experience for all of us!

On Thursday of this week all of the senior couples (part time and full time) who serve on Temple Square got together for a meeting and a dinner.  These part time couples basically handle the “Hospitality Tours” during the week nights.  Because of their dedication and diligence a special dinner was planned at the Roof Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  We weren’t involved with the “Hospitality Tours” this year, yet we were able to enjoy this dinner too.  The view was magnificent and the food was terrific!  Because it is such an expensive restaurant, we were treated royally with special boxed mints and even a rose to take home. 

We are hoping against hope that Mimi will be baptized this next week.  We went to the Deseret Book Store and bought her a special picture of the Salt Lake Temple and sent it off as a baptismal gift.  We are wishing that this picture will be a reminder of the promise from Rick to be married in the temple a year from her baptismal date.  Next week we expect to have great news to share about Mimi and her baptism.

Just a final note, this last week we took many flower pictures.  The grounds on the Square are so magnificent that each day we are struck by their beauty.  Soon winter will be here and those flowers will be torn out and we will be so saddened.  Our walks around the grounds and the beauty we see make our hurting feet bearable. Therefore, we had to have a visual record for our memory book in the form of pictures.

 

 

 

 

 



Twelfth Week of Our Mission

Our District - Attending the Temple

The Temple in the Morning

Beautiful Flowers on Temple Square

 

 

 

 

Twelfth Week of Our Mission

Salt Lake Temple Square Mission

August 25, 2013

We had quite the week of excitement as Temple Square missionaries.  On our “P” day the South Visitor’s Center was evacuated because of a chemical leak.  I (Kimm) had been manning the South Visitor’s Center just before this occurred because the sisters had a morning meeting and we worked for them.  Needless to say we were worried about the sisters, but only three had to go to the hospital.  Our main concern was that the chemical leak had been a deliberate act, however, a worker had just mixed the wrong chemicals that created this situation.  So, all was well, but there is always a concern that some mischief maker could play havoc on the Square.

Of course, as mentioned last week, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland came to visit the sisters and share his testimony.  The excitement for an apostle to come was electric and on the day of his visit everyone was in their seats promptly.  Unfortunately, he had a meeting that morning so he only got to stay with us a very short time.  What impressed us most was his love and concern for the sisters.  Missionary work was the theme of his comments telling us that we are all investigators and we must always do what we tell our investigators to do.  He also was very personal sharing from his own history.  We did not realize that he was a first generation member of the church and that each day, every day, he thought back to his own mission as a young man.  After his comments, he opened up the floor for questions.  The time went too quickly and so he had to go.  He had promised to shake all the hands of the sisters, but time did not permit.  He told the sisters that he would return and we hope he will.

Also, we had the opportunity to go to the temple this week with our district.  We so appreciate these sisters love and support for us because they waited for us to complete our shift on Temple Square before we went.  Sister Gillette (our mission president’s wife) had given us family names so it was extra special.  Afterwards, we treated the sisters to pizza and ice cream at our apartment.  It was fun to get to know them on a more personal level.  We love them! 

I (Kimm) had the opportunity to give a talk to the sisters prior to their hiking to the top of Ensign Peak this week.  I had not realized what a significant peak this was in church history and so it was fun for me to research this sacred site.  I felt the spirit in abundance and tears flowed freely. 

Well, we did have a minor miracle today.  As we were greeting people after the organ recital a couple from Idaho starting talking to Taggart about the Conference Center.  After that visit they then proceeded to come and talk with me and two sister missionaries.  The first comment out of their mouths was, “How can we get the missionaries to come to Tressa’s house?”  (Tressa was the non-member with the member.)  Anyway, they told us that they had tried to contact the missionaries without any success.  They had become very discouraged when no one responded to their invitation to come and teach.  We jumped at the chance to be part of the teaching experience.  So we called them tonight and tomorrow we start missionary discussions!  How great is that!