The Holy Temple

Boyd K, Packer said, “When members of the Church are troubled or when crucial decisions
weigh heavily upon their minds, it is a common thing for them to go to the temple. It is a good place
to take our cares. In the temple we can receive spiritual perspective. There, during the time of the
temple service, we are ‘out of the world. Sometimes our minds are so beset with problems, and there
are so many things clamoring for attention at once that we just cannot think clearly and see clearly.
At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can
‘see’ things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not
previously known. The Lord will bless us as we attend to the sacred ordinance work of the temples.
Blessings there will not be limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all of our affairs” (“The
Holy Temple,” Ensign, Feb. 1995)

MTC, Arrival In Hong Kong, Pen 3 Branch

We finished our service at the MTC by spending  four days at the Provo Temple with Elder & Sister Hammond.  We enjoyed training from the Temple Presidency, Engineer, Recorder, Laundry and a visit with Elder Chay, Seventy from Korea and his wife.  The Hammonds were terrific trainers and we learned so very much.  We were also able to participate in all the ordinances.  The Provo Temple has 4700 workers and does more ordinances per day than any other temple.  Of course, they have BYU and the MTC.  We said our goodbyes to the other couples who were also headed out to Boston, DC, Manhattan, Columbia, Argentina, and Kiev Temples.

On our way home from the Provo Temple we stopped to have dinner and say goodbye to our good friend an former missionary, Linn Justus in Alpine.  We served together in Slovenia.

Sunday evening we met with Brother & Sister Wilson of Sandy.  They had just returned home from the HK Temple as Counselor and Assistant Matron.  We learned many things from them.  And were told we were in for a wonderful treat.  

We spent Sunday, September 2, with Kory, Katie, Tyler, Josh, Gage & Kelly celebrating my  birthday.  We had already said our goodbyes to Kimberly and her family and Rob and the boys.  My favorite, rasleberry pie was birthday cake.

 Monday morning Kelly drove us to the airport.  We went early and dropped off our luggage so we wouldn't have a hassle with it. We meet up with the Victors at the airport and flew out to LA at 10:05.  In LA we transferred to Cathay Airlines and had a 15 hour flight to Hong Kong.  Just lets say that's a long time in a plane.  It was a great airlines and they treated us well, but just a long time sitting.  President Aki and Brother Lau met us with vans to take us to our apartments.

Elder & Sister Hathaway took over from there and gave us a quick orientation of the apartment and left us to go to bed.  We definitely were tired but who could sleep so we unpacked our four bags and finally climbed into bed about 2 am.  Wednesday we had as a p-day to get settled in.  The Victors called about 10 and we were all ready to get out and explore, at least a super market.  We caught a taxi to the nearest bank.  After getting some HK dollars we found a Park N Shop and did some grocery shopping.  Everything was pretty recognizable and we didn't have any trouble finding things we could eat.  We took a taxi home and waited for our host couple to come home from the temple to take us out again to a store called Justco.  Huge place that has about everything you could want.  Paul ended up going with Mr. Magic to get the mattress and things we had purchased from Denise Hagen, the Tuckers sister, and I went with the Hathaways down the promenade, which is right along the waterfront, to Justco where we picked up a few more things to make life more comfortable.

 Sister Rhysen walked us to the temple Thursday morning.  Her husband was recovering from hernia surgery.     Here we are outside the Hong Kong Temple.  We caught the shuttle to the TMC where we caught the train. Got off the train and walked across the walkway and up two streets to the temple.  It is not a bad walk.  We can relate with the Kenleys on the humidity.

Thursday was orientation for us.  We were made to feel so welcome.  What a beautiful temple.  The Hathaways, Deans and Rhysens showed us around the temple. Sister Aki had a wonderful lunch prepared for us.  We were set apart as ordinance workers by President Aki and more orientation by the Hathaways.

We are still getting use to the jet lag.  We have been waking up at 3:30-4:00 every day.  It's slowly getting better.  We served in the temple Friday and Saturday and were able to participate in most of the ordinances.  What wonderful local people we have as  coordinators and we met Sisters Tai and Wan, Assistants to the Matron.  We are very blessed to be serving here with these wonderful people.  Their stories and church service are amazing.

 Sunday, today, was a real treat.  We, along with the Victors, are assigned to the Peninsula Third Branch with President Collins, from Scotland, as Branch President.  He was out of town on business so Brother Wen, Counselor, was presiding.  Elder & Sister Castleton, from the area office, guided us to the building.  It's about a 45 ride on the TMR with three transfers and a walk through a huge mall, very Chinese with stalls of anything imaginable.  Sacrament meeting was great.  This Branch has three families with children so they have a Primary and they have two YM who are Priests.  One set of Elders and they passed the sacrament.  The youth talk was excellent, two sisters spoke and the choir sang.  I was able to join with the choir.  Sister Castleton is the choir director so we went early so she could practice with them. The speakers topic was "wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips".  After sacrament meeting they had a baptism.  Sister Jocelyn Rodriguez was baptized.

Elder & Sister Lewis, Jocelyn, Sister Castleton, Sister Collins, Sister Victor

 Elder & Sister Rippy are headed home in two weeks,Washington State, and the Branch had a going away recognition for them.  The Primary sang to them.  Sister Rippy has been playing the piano for the Branch,

and then a group of adults sang "And If It So Be That Ye Shall Labor All Your Days".

 This is a new friend, Alma.  She joined the Church ten months ago.  She sent a Book of Mormon home to her husband and son and her husband accepted the gospel and was baptized in August and next Sunday her son will be baptized in the Philippines. She works here.  As you can see, we are in for a wonderful experience with our Branch on Sundays.  Everyone has a touching wonderful story of how the Lord lead them to His true and living Church.  We look forward to hearing every one of them.  Needless to say our first week in Hong Kong has been a spiritual high.  We are grateful and humbled to be serving with these wonderful people.

This morning before our Church we were able to watch the River Ridge Stake Conference, Saturday night session.  What a great meeting, hope none of you missed it.  

Preach My Gospel Completed

We finished our training on Preach My Gospel. What a great book. You should all pull it out and read and apply.  Our last three days were spent on practicing what we learned.  The first day we taught a new couple, our first meeting.  We had to find out their spiritual background (15 min) and then present a lesson which would meet their needs (30 min).  Teaching by the spirit is the only way this can happen.  Thursday we moved to a woman who was a 2nd contact.  We had to determine if she had kept the commitment the missionaries gave her during her last lesson and proceed from there.  If the answer was yes we talked about her feelings, the blessings which come and complimented and encouraged her to continue.  Lucky for us our investigator had kept her commitment and we were able to move forward to the Plan of Salvation.  On Friday we became the inactive members and another set of missionaries taught us and then we switched places.  Talk about doing a hard thing and it becoming easier to do.  We all felt more confident by the end of the week.

MTC District:  Lewises HK Temple, Tarbets,(Jamestown NY), McPhie's (Philippians Manila Temple) Nelsons (Manhattan NY Temple), Brother Barney, Instructor

If we had any advice to give it would be, in whatever calling you have, INVITE.  Invite to pray, invite to read the Book of Mormon, invite to come to Church and invite to be baptized (if applicable). Inviting causes them to act.  Bringing the spirit into their lives will bring them unto Christ.

We spent a couple of evenings with our language tutor, Ammon Fong.  He has been a great help and support. (Neih-hou ma? Hello, how are you?  Mh-goi-saai   Thank You) He is from Hong Kong and served his mission in Australia and speaks Cantonese and Mandarin.

We came home for the weekend to finish packing and attended Church this morning.  Everyone was surprised to see us but nothing happens on the weekends at the MTC for the Senior Couples.  Tonight we are meeting with the Wilsons who have recently returned from the Hong Kong Temple.  The Victors are attending the fireside at the MTC for outgoing missionaries and we will exchange stories tomorrow.  Monday morning we meet at the Provo Temple and will be trained by Rex and Bonnie Pinegar.  We are in for a great week.  (I'll try to do the blog on Sunday or Monday)

MTC Day 2

Katie sent us a copy of our family picture we took Sunday.  We turned out pretty good.

Today we prepared lesson plans to teach lesson 1 or whatever our investigator needs.  We learned how to assess their needs and also how to invite them to the big 4:   1)pray  2) read Book of Mormon  3) come to Church  4) baptism.  We have great young return missionaries teaching us.  We are very blessed.

Tonight we had a Devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen and his wife Kathy.  First he reminded us it was President Monson's birthday today and when he saw him this morning he told President we would all sing Happy Birthday to him, so we did.  He then spoke of President Monson and some things he knew about him that we might not.  He gave us nine points:

1. Follow the Prophet.  All of us in attendance can say yes, because two years ago he asked all worthy young men and women to serve a mission and more senior couples and here we are
2. Do your duty--that is best, leave unto the Lord the rest.  
3. Trust in the Lord   Proverbs 3:5,6 
4. Let the Lord shape your back--those whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies--deep conversion of Jesus Christ you will see and feel His power
5. Smile, enjoy yourself
6. Love the people you serve 
7. Never ignore a prompting--pray for the feelings
8. Testify of Joseph Smith--those who love him, the Lord will honor
9. Become converted to the Savior--speak of Him--testify of Him--you will never have a wasted day.

MTC 1st Day

I better start with the weekend.  All our family arrived and Friday night we took Courtney and Kaylee to the Oquirrh Mt. Temple to do baptisms.  They have made it a goal to go every month and are doing great at keeping that goal.  Saturday we all went to Brigham City for the open house of the new temple.  It was beautiful.

Sunday we spoke in Church in the River Ridge 9th Ward.  What a great ward family we have here.  Everyone has made us feel so welcome and at home.  After Sacrament meeting we went to the Stake Center where President Snow, Duke, and DeMill set us apart as missionaries.  Elder and Sister Victor were also with us and were set apart at the same time.  We are blessed to be going with friends from our home ward. 

President DeMill,  Elder & Sister Lewis, Elder & Sister Victor, Karen Bradshaw, Bishop Bradshaw, President Snow and President Duke.  

Monday morning we checked into the MTC around 10:30 where we received our orientation and met the other 33 couples and 5 senior sisters who will be with us this week.  It is thrilling to hear where everyone is going.  Most are serving in temples throughout the world like Keiv Russia, Columbia, Argentina, Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Boston, Hong Kong, PA, Siberia, can't remember all the rest.  It is so exciting to be apart of this great work.  Some important comments we heard throughout the day.

• Thrilled to be here
• Bless the lives of those we serve
• This is a defining moment
• Keep a record for your posterity
• "I will go before your face" D&C 84:88 (this applies to you and me)
• Significance of doctrine of Christ taught throughout the Book of Mormon
• "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape"
• The most important thing you take with you on your mission is YOU
• The language you learn is an eternal gift which will be used throughout eternity

Josh's baptism January 2012

Preparing for Hong Kong Temple Mission 8/20/2012 - 2/20/2014

I have missed blogging and am anxious to get back to it.  Now that it is finally time to leave for Hong Kong it's time to get started again.  Just a quick update of the last 22 months.

• Returned from Slovenia the end of October 2010
• Went on the 4 day cruise out of Long Beach with the whole family (18)
• Spent Christmas in Island Park with family snowmobiling
• Started serving in the Jordan River Temple two days a week early morning
• Paul was called as Ward Mission Leader and I served as a missionary and Primary teacher
• Trip to Ohio for 50th High School reunion, on to Palmyra, took Mallorie (10)
• Attended family reunions during the summer
• Spent a week at Lake Powell with family
• Back to Island Park for Christmas 2011
• A couple of trips to California to visit friends in Camarillo
• More family trips to Lake Powell and Island Park

We submitted mission papers in January and received our call to serve in Hong Kong in the temple in March.   We were not available to leave until August 2012 because we wanted to attend three baptisms of three grandsons, Robbie Meier, Joshua Lewis and Brayden Radford.

  

Sunday, August 19, we speak in Church and will be set apart by President Snow, the Stake President, later that morning.  Monday morning we drive ourselves to Provo and check in at the MTC for a week of "Preach  My Gospel".  More news to come.  

Merry Christmas

The last weeks of a fabulous Mission

It's hard to believe the last month has arrived. Since Christmas time has flown by and now we are trying to get it all in before heading home. One last trip to each of our units.

Three weeks before it was time to go home we finally got our call to go to Trieste, Italy and pick up our visa sticker. We were hoping to see some country but it was a little too wet that day. One of the Elders counted the stamps in our passports and we had over 200. We never had any trouble crossing the boarders.

Sister Justus and I went to Idrija, Slovenia, to get some bobbin lace. Bojana's mother works in a shop there and she took us around and let us watch them make some lace and put them into pillows, etc.

Here's some history:

Bobbin lace: It is the careful handiwork of a patient lacemaker, created over long hours of sitting before a special pillow. The tradition behind this lace, however, is far older. Bobbin lace has existed in Slovene territory for at least 400 years, and for the last 200 most notably in Idrija, Ziri, Cerkno and Zelezniki. Over the centuries, special techniques of bobbin lacemaking and different lace designs have been developed which can be classified as Slovene bobbin lace, also called Idrija bobbin lace--certainly one of the greatest treasures of Slovenia's cultural heritage. Slovene bobbin lace, a local cottage industry, has long been appreciated by both local experts and those beyond the borders of the lace's origin.

Bojana and her two daughters Zala and Kaja Iskra. She took us to their summer home outside of Idrija. It is in a beautiful area and then she made a typical Slovene lunch for us. What a special woman she is. She has been a member for several years and is so faithful. We love her.

We attended one of our last baptisms in the Maribor Branch where we were with our friend Simona. She is 33. She has been to America, Idaho, where she trained in yoga. She helps take care of her grandfather.

Patricija & Dojanka Arsenuk from the Maribor Branch. Patricija is our only seminary student there and is taught by her father. She wants to serve a mission.

We were in Maribor for a baptism for Tomislav which was performed by a Branch member. What a great day for all. Tomislav went out and bought a suit to wear every Sunday. What a great example he is going to be for all his fellow Priesthood holders.

Simona and Maja's baptism in Ljubljana. Mother & daughter. We met them during the summer at Pres. & Sister Haglund's farewell party. They came with her cousin, who was the 2nd member baptized in Ljubljana 20 years ago. She had moved to Idaho, married and has four children. She came home for the summer and invited Simona to hear the missionary lessons.

Elder Maynes and Elder Johnson taught them and their family came with them.

The Slovenia Missionaries when Elder & Sister Schutze came for a mission tour standing in front of our building which was dedicated in 2008

.

The Lewises, Jure and Sister and Elder Schutze. Elder Schutze spent a lot of time with the YSA at the Poland Conference. He is a great champion of the YSA.

Our last institute in Zagreb with Tihana and Lahorka. Elder Schutze was giving a fireside for the YSA that evening in Zagreb. He was on a tour of the mission this week.

Ljubica Asler and myself. What a great woman we have here. She has been a member for over ten years and is so faithful. She is our institute teacher and also teachers her son, Daniel, seminary. We love her. She has many challenges but faces them with the help of the Lord.

We thought these corn stalks were quite beautiful.

Our trip to Zadar takes us by Plitvica Lakes in Croatia. It is a National Forest. It has nine lakes each cascading into each other by beautiful falls. We walk right by each of them and around the lakes. Half way up we catch a boat which takes us across the largest lake and we walk again from there.

This is a little village before you get to the lakes. The river flows through and under the houses. Some of the most beautiful countryside you can imagine.

Some are large waterfalls and some are small.

The colors were just gorgeous this time of year and there was plenty of water and not too many tourists.

Another view of a beautiful falls

Sunday night after District conference and YSA lunch, a few of us went down to the Hotel Lev to hear Oksana and Samuele perform. They are terrific. She was signing autographs afterwards. Oksana is a new convert to the Church. She is a professional violinist.

After District conference, the week before we left, we inivited the YSA to our last lunch. Sister Stampe, Uros, Luka, Monika, Jure, Davor and Stanka Majc were able to be with us.

Dora Glassford, President & Sister Swensen, former Mission President, were with us for the 20 year celebration. Dora is an amazing woman. She has served as PR in Slovenia for 20 years. Next year she hopes to serve a mission.

Jure and Monika, two of our YSA, performed during the celebration.

Damjan and Marija, our landlords, came over to check things out. They are such wonderful people. We really enjoyed them. They are so kind and thoughtful to us. We are happy the Taylors will be taking over our apartment and hope they enjoy it as much as we did.

Some of our Zagreb YSAs and us in the Mission Office.

We stopped by the mission home to pickup mail for our travels.

These two fine Elders are our new Assistants to the President. Elder Fowler and Elder Matson.

Friday night we spent in Ljubljana with Peter, Monika and Barbara for institute. We've got to grow there. We had a great group but they are moving on. Davor and Stanka got married, Elvi is on a mission in Ogden, UT, Urska is at the U of U etc. etc. A wonderful group of YSA.

Thursday we drove to Rijeka to meet with the Rijeka Branch and Institute. Our last goodbyes to Emma, Ivan, Dragana, Marija, Alexander and Roberto in the back.

We stopped in Zagreb on our way to Serbia to pick up Elder Christiansen who had been AP for the last couple of transfers and was now going back to Serbia to finish out his mission. Elder Fowler and Matson are the AP's now. Elder Woods is in the back. He is Zone leader in Croatia.

We attended institute in Beograd Saturday evening with Nikola Kovic, Branch President, Miso Vasica, teacher, Irena Metrovic, and Lidija Vasica. Irena and Goran are getting married November 27th. We are sorry to miss this wonderful event.

The Sremska Branch is made up of the Vucenovic Family and the Ivanovic Family. The Elders were moved out of this city but come to visit once a month. We were able to bring Elder Beumont and Elder Jasper from Beograd out to Sremska to speak and teach SS.

Our last Sunday we went to the Sremska Branch in Serbia. President and Sister Vucenovic invited us and the Elders to dinner after Church. We were asked to bear our testimonies in Sacrament meeting and that was a special treat for us.

Monday is kind of a free day for those going home. The Sisters had come in Sunday evening and Sister Justus and I picked them up and drove them to Bled. It was raining but we didn't care. They needed to see it before going home. We always need to stop at the Park Hotel and walk out to the restaurant where we sit and have some cream cake. A must try!!!

This is the group of missionaries who came out with us. Well actually there are a few more Elders but Elder Matson had just been called as Assistant to the President so he was with us. Elder Matson, Sister Fitsimmon, Sister Kelly, Sister Whitaker.

Monday night Sister Hill made a delicious gourmet dinner for us. She is a fantastic cook and it is always a treat to eat at her table. Afterwards we had a testimony meeting and answered the question from Preach My Gospel pg. 10. Which of these attributes made us feel successful as a missionary?

President & Sister Hill came to the airport to see us all, six, of us off. What a great mission couple. They have done a tremendous work and we were so privileged to serve with them.

Early, 5 am, we picked up Sister Justus at her apartment. She has not wanted to to leave this beautiful country. We got to her apartment and everything was dark. I said "Someone else must have picked her up". We wrapped on a window and suddenly a light came on. She had overslept, having been up really late the night before for her last interview with President Hill. Luckily she had everything ready to go and off we went. She was headed to England area for a week to look up ancestors and visit where her family came from.

We flew out of Ljubljana Airport to Frankfurt where we caught a Lufthansa to Chicago.

Sister Kelly traveled home with us. She lives in Sandy. Her family were waiting for her and it was a joyous reunion. She was a great missionary, she trained the two new sisters who came in to replace her.

Kelly, sweetheart that she is, met us at the airport at 11:30 pm and brought us home.

Our grandchildren had wanted to meet us at the airport but our plane was delayed in Chicago because of high winds and we did not get into the SL until 11:30 a little late for children who had to go to school in the morning. We went in and said hello to Robbie who had been waiting for us.

The morning after returning home from our mission in Slovenia, Croatia, & Serbia we woke up to 4 inches of snow. It was beautiful and we were happy when it only lasted the day. The next week was a beautiful week in the 60's.

We loved our mission and the people we met there. The Church is true wherever we go and there are wonderful Saints living the gospel all over the world. We are all Heavenly Father's children and He loves each of us. What a special blessing for us to have had the opportunity to meet so many of the great and faithful Saints.