Temple Celebration

This week has been quite the busy one, full of traveling, and other amazing experiences.   Monday we had Zone Conference.  This one was a bit different than others.  We had one of the Presidency of the Missions that cover the Southwest part of the United States.  He is Chinese and very energetic and straightforward about things.  His main messages included:  don’t do things for no reason - always have a purpose in mind (a goal), learn to become disciples of Jesus Christ (our missions are meant to be a learning and growing experience for us), and don’t just “try” - “do”.  Trying isn’t good enough - do it until you get right.  He also did a lot of hands on type of learning - almost like object lessons.  It was a really good Zone Conference.

Sis Shamo, Sis Smouse, Me, Walt and behind us other Elders in our District

Us and the Snyders at Zone Conference.

On object lesson about not filling people we teach with more water than their cups can hold.  Water being information.  The man with white hair in the back is Elder Wong.

All the Senior couples at the Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Wong

Two zones at the Conference.  

Our original plan was to drive to Sheridan after the Conference, so we didn’t have to drive in the dark with careful watch for wildlife.  You wouldn’t believe how many are hit.  Then we realized on Monday morning that we had left Walt’s pants and shirts at home.  So we just drove on home.  It worked out fine.  We did see 2 deer, but saw them in plenty of time.  It was good to be home in our own bed.  We still got to sleep in on Tuesday morning since we already had a substitute for seminary.

Walt's lesson on Thursday.  He is so creative.  The students would shoot the balloons with a nerf gun.  Inside were questions for each team to answer.  

The hot chocolate set up we have each morning.  Whatever it takes to bring them in.

Tuesday, we saw the Smiths.  It was a long visit, but didn’t get to see Renee.  She gets quite exhausted on shower days, so she was napping.  Richard is trying to get his home in Newcastle fixed up so it will be ready when he needs it; which might be soon.  I wrote down all the help he needed and said I would pass it on to the right people.   Walt ended up playing Shoots and Ladders, and shooting army men with a nerf gun.  Nic thinks Elder Vann comes over just to play with him.   We wanted to stop by and see Gary, but there wasn’t time.  We had a lesson and dinner appointment at 4:30 pm.  That went well.  That family sometimes gets extra food that would be thrown away from her work.  She gave me a lot of veggies to pass on to our widow sister who needs a bit more than she can provide right now.  That was so thoughtful.

Wednesday was lunch at the Senior Center.  On the way home, we brought our widowed sister a lot of food.  We had the food for Thanksgiving from Gary (a complete meal), and 4 bags of veggies from our appointment the night before.  That sister was so very grateful.  She had tears in her eyes, and kept thanking us over and over again.  I kept explaining that we were only the delivery people, and that my “sources” wanted to remain anonymous.  So we will pass on the appreciation.  Giving is such an awesome thing.  That’s why I love the Christmas season so much.  It seems most people are in the giving and serving mode. 

At 2 pm, I met a couple of other ladies at Lucille’s to decorate her Christmas tree.  Sis Greene brought us all homemade caramel popcorn - so tasty.  We just had Lucille sit while we unwrapped and hung each ornament.  I have never seen so many ornaments before, and she wanted ALL of them on the tree.  Her mom always said that you can never have too many ornaments on a Christmas tree.  Lucille is 92 years old and there’s a lot of history with her ornaments.  She calls it a historic Christmas tree.  I would have to agree with ornaments being a history of the many Christmases.  It was great to hear the stories behind them all.  Sis Greene has lost 2 sons and her husband in the last 5 years.  She hasn’t put up a Christmas tree in 3-4 years; it’s just too painful with all the memories.  We did some reminiscing over good memories - laughed and cried.  It was a good afternoon for us all.  Walt has skipped these get togethers for a while.  Us ladies are fine with that.  He did really enjoy the caramel popcorn.

Sis Minzel in blue, Lucille sitting on the chair

Lucille, Me, Sister Green, and Sis Minzel

Thursday morning after seminary, we were off to Sheridan.  We had a visit with Gary on the way.  We had our quarterly dental cleaning at Dr. Bailey’s.  This time I picked some Christmas shows to watch during my visit.  It’s great having a TV to watch instead of listening to the scraping and such.  We had to laugh because Dr. Bailey said we had pretty good teeth for someone our age.  Was that a back handed compliment?  We helped Amanda cook dinner, since she was busy running children around and trying to get packed for their Thanksgiving vacation.  The dish was a curry.  I wasn’t sure I would like that, but it was quite amazing!!  Since we did most of the cooking with instruction from Amanda, we know how to make it.  We even got to take the leftovers with us to eat during our break at the temple.

Walt cooking the curry

Friday and Saturday was the big 20 year celebration of the Billings Montana Temple being dedicated.  Kristy and Barbara were just finishing up their mission there when it was announced.  For the celebration, the temple would be open at 7 am on Friday and stay open through Saturday at 5 pm.  They were open all night long!!  There were be 20 sessions in that 24 hour period.  Quite the feat!!   The baptistry was fully booked for the whole period.  What youth wouldn’t want to enjoy the opportunity to be at the temple at 3 am?  

We got to the temple around 2 pm to do a little work before our first shift started.  Our usual shift is 4 pm - 8:30 pm.  Then we had a second shift from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am.  We weren’t really worried about being too tired.  We knew the Spirit would be strong and keep us going.  What an amazing experience!!  Every session was completely full until about 3 am, then it started to dwindle; and back to be being full by 7 am.  We went to the 1 am session after our shift was finished.  We were wide awake the whole time.  Then we went to the Solomons and slept for 6 hours and came back at 11 am on Saturday and stayed till nearly closing.  

When we finished our first shift, we went to the next shift coordinator to see what assignments we had.  They didn’t have us on the schedule.  Walt asked someone else and was assigned to the baptistry.  That was a lot of action, laundry, and herding the masses out of the hall.  There seemed to be a constant line to the baptistry.  I just went from place to place helping where ever there seemed a need.  It was sometimes just helping someone who looked lost or like they needed help.  I loved it!!  I couldn’t believe how full the temple was.  I wish it could be that way all the time.  Usually there are about 2, 000 ordinances completed in a week.  During those 2 days, there were over 10,000 ordinances completed.  Amazing.  

Beautiful sunset behind the temple.  Great way to end the celebration

The best experiences were in the sealing room.  Keith Aylesworth did the ordinances for his dad and then was able to be sealed to his parents.  That was a very touching experience.  I love putting families together.  Walt was the proxy for his dad for the sealing.  Then we were able to seal my great grandmother’s family together.  It was the parents and three children.  This grandmother was fondly called “Granny Tippy toes” and is my mom’s favorite person.  It was a moment she has waited for for a long time.  Going to Hungary last summer, while traveling in Romania with Kate, allowed it all to happen.  That is where Granny is from.  It was also great to see my mom again.  She moved to Missoula on November 5th to live with Kristy and Barbara.  It was so kind of them to bring her to Billings to be part of the temple celebration.

The Christmas decorations are up at the temple

Selfie with mom at the temple

We were able to go to dinner with Kristy, Barbara and mom after the temple.  We also seem to gravitate towards Texas Roadhouse or Olive Garden.  This time - Texas Roadhouse.  Barbara’s birthday was November 19th, so we tried to do a saddle birthday ride, but the saddle was too busy they said.  We did see it on the way out and Barbara got on for us.  Then we all went to the Solomon’s for a card game.  The boys watched football.  Not long into it, Walt went to sleep.  We didn’t get much of that on Friday night.

Barbara and Kristy at Texas Roadhouse.  Barbara finally got to sit on the saddle

Another fun thing about the temple celebration were all the cookies.  People had signed up to bring cookies for the workers.  The temple provided hot chocolate and punch.  There were soooo many cookies there, and they seemed to keep coming and coming.  By Saturday night, they were begging people to take plates of cookies home.  We took some, as did the Solomons and mom (for Barbara and Kristy).  I think I am all cookied out for a while.

Sunday we went to church with the Solomons.  They don’t go until 10:30 am; which was great with us - sleeping in.  There are quite a few members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Billings.  They have 3 stakes; which is about 30 wards!!  That just seems like so many when we are used to only 1 stake from Sheridan to Newcastle.  I looked up Richmond and there are now 22 stakes there.  When I was a teen-ager, there was only 1 stake from Danville to Charlottesville.  

After lunch, we headed back to Newcastle.  We saw some beautiful skies along the journey - especially when the sun was setting.  We actually made it home in 4 1/2 hours.  So we got home about 7:30 pm.  I had worked on my seminary lesson before we left, but I still had some things to finish up.  We will be happy when we have the holiday vacations - Thanksgiving is only a 3 day week for us, then we have off 2 weeks for Christmas.  It’s like being in school again.

Sunset on the way home from Billings over the Big Horn mountains

I’ll stop there so I don’t get my weeks mixed up.  I realize Thanksgiving is days away, but while on our mission the holidays just aren’t the same.  There isn’t all that preparation and excitement of seeing the family.  We are grateful  for the Smiths inviting us to their Thanksgiving meal.  We are bringing my homemade rolls and yams.  Seems like my usual thing.  

We send our love your way!  We miss you all, especially at this time of year.  But next year we will be with our family again.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all!