Instructions

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More Training

The Sacred Grove

What a wonderful week. We have been in the temple every day continuing our training. The Johnsons came in on Thursday to help train all of us in the baptistry. Friday morning Paul and several others went to help a family move and just as we were leaving to go get the mail President Jones called and said they needed help cleaning the temple and could several of us come down and help out. We all responded, that's why we are here. We then stayed and did a session with our Ward, the Palmyra Ward.

Saturday morning we served with the Palmyra temple workers. It was a very busy morning with own endowments, sealings, and baptistry groups coming in. We did some shopping in the afternoon and that evening we attended the Scout spaghetti dinner and auction. It was lots of fun and we came home with 2 doz rolls made on demand, 4 hours of family history training, and some raspberry jam.

The Scout Auction

Today we attended our Ward, the Palmyra Ward. We are all assigned to different Wards and Branches in the Palmyra Stake. Some go 45 minutes away and some of us are right here. The Young Women did the Sacrament Meeting. This evening Dee and Greg Amdsen invited us all over for ice cream. Dee is the office manager in the temple and she and her husband are also ordinance workers. They are so kind to us. They have a farm. Twenty acres with pygmy goats, lamas, chickens, cats, ducks, and geese. We got better acquainted with each other and had a great time.

Dee Amdsen--Ice Cream Social

Paul went in to the Ward Clerk today and got a birthday list for our Ward. He just loves doing this and can't quite give it up. It's been a part of his life for the last ten years.

Training Time

The weather has turned off beautiful and I believe spring may be here. We have gone from snow to 70 degree weather. The daffodils and tulips are blooming and a little green can be seen on the trees.

We have had a wonderful week of training and getting acquainted with each other and the area. Friday we met and were trained by Elder Koelliker from the Seventies and Bro. Rosenvall from the temple office in Salt Lake. We reviewed the training films and had instruction from these brethren as well as our Temple President, President Siebach. Friday we all went to the Sacred Grove where we held a testimony meeting. What a special occasion that was and Paul and I both were able to bear our testimony of the events which took place in this sacred spot. The spirit bears a powerful testimony in these places.

Friday night the Stake Activities had an activity, dinner and a movie. Really well done. After dinner we watched "The Other Side of Heaven". There were eight movies to choose from.

Saturday was a big day in the temple. The Stake RS were also having a big activity so the sessions were full and the Utica Stake brought their youth to do baptisms. We will be working in the office helping the recorder and the secretary so we shadowed them. Everything in this temple is done with appointment so it helps you to know what to expect.

Today was a special Stake Conference. Elder Tingey from the Seventies was here to make a change in the Stake Presidency. President Cook was called to be an area seventy at the last conference. I was able to sing in the choir. We sang "The Morning Breaks" and "I Know that my Redeemer Lives". Elder Tingey said it was an appropriate song because it all started here. He told us a little about President Hinckley saying the President Hinckley has said many times "I'm being kept alive by the faith of the members of the Church." These are the topics President Hinckley wants us to be aware of:

1) be optimistic--the church is in good condition 2) All our youth need to attend seminary and institute 3) we are building more and better chapels, we are building 1 1/2 chapels per day, about 500 a year 4) Humanitarian work, we help all people 5) a great generation of families coming into the church 6) The youth bring their Scriptures to church with them and use them 7) we are still being persecuted a little. I would worry if they didn't speak evil of us.

The thrust of all we have been trying to do: 1) build faith in Jesus Christ 2) We will do that by protecting and strengthening families, teach our families about faith, repentance, and the atonement. Go to the temple to keep the covenants in your homes.

We visited the Peter Whitmer Farm today after Church with another of our Temple Missionary couples, the Deckers from Idaho. We got the best tour from Sis. Sorenson. This is where the Church was organized and in 1980 President Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the chapel, visitor center, Peter Whitmer home from the very spot Joseph organized the church. This was the first time video transmission had been done.

Meet the Temple President & Matron

Here's a picture of the Hill Cumorah covered in snow.

Today the sun came out and the snow is about all gone. We are all excited because we have all been having cabin fever. However we can't get too excited because we hear another storm may come in next Tuesday but for now and over the weekend it is warming up. Wish we had brought some boots and gloves and scarves. Tried to find these in the stores but all their winter stuff is gone. We will survive.

Today we met with our temple presidency, what wonderful people. Pres. & Sis. Seibach are from this area but have never served in a temple before, Pres. & Sis Cederlof are from Bountiful, UT and have served in Bountiful, Manhatten and Nauvootemples; he is the recorder and Pres. & Sis Jones are from West Valley, UT and have never served in a temple before. They all came in November. We have couples from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Utah.

We received some of our assignments today. For the winter schedule the local temple district conduct five shifts Tue, Thur, Fri and Saturday. When the summer schedule starts it adds six shifts. So now the temple is open Monday a.m., Tue am. pm, Wed a.m. pm, Thur, am pm, Fri., and Saturday.

After the meeting we went into Palmyra and walked through the stores in the one block area. Came home and had a bite to eat and then went over to the church to help clean but no one showed up so I practiced the piano and Paul gathered garbage.

Tyler, we have ladybugs in our trailer. They have been hybernating and are all over the place. I have been so careful with them but Sis. Siebach told me they are not the good ones and they stink and are pests. Here's a picture of one.

We made it to Palmyra

Palmyra New York Temple

Zion's Camp at Hill Camorah
The Lewis' home

We are here where it all began. What a wonderful place. It has a special spirit about it. We arrived Thursday night and stayed in Victor, about 20 minutes away. Friday they moved our trailer to a new site, close to the laundry and restroom and FM Group building. We got in and got the heat going. It's been cold here and this morning, Monday, we woke up to snow and expect snow all day.

Our trailer is quite nice and has a pullout. The extra bedroom with the bunks has become our walk in closet. Thursday we met with Pres. and Sister Siebach in their home, above the temple, where we had a nice visit and were set apart to serve in the temple. We were called to be a shift coordinators for one of the days we work. Wednesday we all meet together with Pres. Siebach and Friday Bro. Koluker and Bro. Rosenvall come from Salt Lake to train us. Friday night we went to the temple and did a session. Saturday was our 17th year anniversary being sealed in the temple and so Saturday we did a session and some sealings. It's a really special temple and we are anxious to learn all about it. We found a book in the temple waiting room about the history.

Sunday we attended the Palmyra Ward in the stake center across from the Temple. Some of you who have known us a long time will get a kick out of this. We get to Church at 8:30 so we can greet people. Paul immediately picks out the last row of seats to sit in. This time not to get a quick getaway but so he can be close to the door to greet everyone. It was also very exciting to look down and see our Missionary Name Tags on us. We will all be assigned to different Wards in the area so by next week we will know which Ward we will be assigned to. Their Stake President, Pres. Cook, was sustained as an Area Seventy at conference so this Sunday they have a special Stake Conference to call a new Stake President. They have a choir and I am singing in it. It's got to be the best seats in the house. We made a quick visit of the Cumorah Visitor Center and the Joseph Smith visitor center. When we have better weather we will go more often. We went out and visited four of our fellow workers, Stoddards from Montana, Deckers from Eagle, Idaho, Etchells from Colorado and Jensons from Woods Cross, Utah. We do walk the Hill Cumorah each evening. The first night it was about 9:30 p.m. We had to take a flashlight to show us the way. We met the resident cat, Moroni, on our walk. He follows us up and back each time. We have already volunteered to help clean the temple, clean the chapel, help a family move and participate in a community walk fund raiser so we are filling up our calendar.

A message from the RS President in Palmyra Ward. We have experienced a long and cold winter. I feel like the little daffodils poking their heads up from the cold soil to reach the sunlight and experience the warmth of spring. As I was walking on the granite walkway up to the temple this week, and saw those tiny flowers, I felt like one of them. I want to have light and warmth in my life. This is what the gospel does for us. The knowledge of the fullness of the gospel illuminates our lives with truth and light. The warm and comforting feelings that come from the Holy Ghost are essential for our testimonies to grow and flourish. We are approaching springtime and a renewal of all living things. I look forward to springtime as a time of renewal in my personal life. I shake off the cold and dark of winter, the extra pounds I have gained from not enough physical exercise and I am excited for change. I anticipate listening to the prophet and apostles giving us counsel for the time in which we live. Their words give me hope for a brighter future and confidence that I can endure to the end of day. Psalms 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Have a great week. We love you and appreciate the positive influence you have been on our lives.

I just got my pictures together, sorry they are not with the dialog. We hope you enjoy them. Giant Turtle at Shedd Acquarium
Beluga Whale and baby


Newell K. Whitney store in Kirtland
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We are close!!

We attended Sacrament meeting with the missionaries in Nauvoo Sunday morning at 8 a.m. It was Fast and Testimony meeting and Paul's anniversary of being baptized 18 years ago. What a special day. He bore his testimony. We stayed for Sunday School and RS/Priesthood with the temple missionaries. They are expecting 44 temple missioanry couples this next week.

That evening we found ourselves in Chicago at the beautiful home of Kim and Helen, my brother for those of you who don't know him. They live right down town Chicago, what a wonderful city and very clean where we were. We had a great visit. Monday we bought a City Pass and dashed through the acquarium where we saw the beluga whales with a baby calf and the dolphin show. It's a great place. Then we went to the Natural History museum where we walked through the Ancient America exhibit and the Egyptian exhibit. We also got a picture of the giant dinasour. Then on to the planitarium and the Museum of Science and Industry where we saw the German submarine the US captured in 1944. As you can see you can spend days in this city.

Tuesday we drove over to the Chicago Temple where we did a session and some sealings. We met Everett Butler who knew the Madduxs when they were Mission President in Chicago, John Dieietrick who was the recorder at the Chicago Temple and Pres. Blickenstaff's brother-in-law, who was in the sealing session with us.

Wednesday found us in Cleveland at Paul's cousin, Mary's home. We spent the day in Kirtland where we took the tour and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls which were on exhibit at the Visitor Center. We also drove out to the Johnson Farm, one of our favorite places. We ran into the Deckers again and met the McEwens from Las Vegas, all of us heading the same direction, Palmyra.

Thursday night finds us in Victor, a city about ten miles from Palmyra. Our trailer isn't ready until tomorrow. We found the largest mall I have ever seen, it is huge. We said it would be a great placed to do our walking. Tomorrow we meet President Siebach and have our interview and get set apart. We are so excited.

Nauvoo the Beautiful

As we drove across the Mississippi River in our nice warm car we couldn't help but think about the early Saints. The sun is out but the wind is blowing and it is a biting cold. We had to dig out our coats, gloves and even bought a knit hat (for 25 cents) to try to keep warm. We had reserved a place on the 6 p.m. session and were there early enough to do some initiatories and were invited to be the witness couple on the session. It's a beautiful temple. Today we went over to Carthage Jail, another very sacred place. The Church has some wonderful films for each of these visitor centers. We will be here in Nauvoo for another day. We did go down and get ourselves a brick from the brick yard.

Courtney, Kaylee, Mallorie & Tyler, the visitors center has a Christus just like the one on Temple Square. We loved listening to the presentation. An Elder Smith, who is in a wheel chair and serving a 3 year mission from his home, showed it to us. It was very special. I know you remember walking up the long ramp at the SL Visitors Center.

Winter Quarters

We woke up in North Platt, NE to snow this morning. As we headed east the weather got better and by the time we arrived in Omaha the sun was out. Still very chilly here and I wonder how the Saints did it.

The visitors center and cemetary have a really special spirit. The Winter Quarters Temple is beautiful with some incredible stain glass. As we drove up we met the Deckers from Idaho Falls who are also on their way to Palmyra to serve in the temple. We were to look for them in Palmyra because they are related to Amy Bergeson's husband Matt. Small world. After doing an endowment session we drove over to the Tabernacle in Council Bluffs. It is replica of a meeting house built for the Saints in Council Bluffs. It was built in 18 days and is where the church sustained Brigham Young as Prophet of the church in 1846.

The Journey Begins

Paul and I are ready to take off. Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 4, we leave for Palmyra. We said our goodbys to Kimberly and family on Sunday, and tonight Kory and Kelly's families came over to dinner and we said our goodbys. We are excited to get started.