Week 2 from Grandma
Hi again from Palmyra!!!
It is so beautiful here!! We are so blessed to be able to serve here. It is still early but the trees come out more and more each day. I can't believe we have been here for a week and a half. In some ways it feels like we have been here longer and in some ways much shorter! We are settling in. We found a path that, if we walk around it twice, it is a little over 2 miles. We do that every morning. The only day during our regular schedule that we won't be able to do it is on Saturday...and, of course, Sunday.
Our week began in the temple with being greeted by the Presidency and matrons and then we were set apart. Such a sweet spirit!! It constantly amazes me how well our Father knows us and what we need at any given time in our lives. So humbling!! We then had a 2-hour tour of the temple....amazing because it is so tiny. I think we saw into every cupboard and closet and explored every knook and cranny in the temple!! We were also trained in some of our duties....the details would be given on Wednesday. We then went to the Temple President's house for dinner prepared by the 1-year temple missionaries and more training that could be done outside the temple. As soon as we were done eating, we got the neatest thing of the entire week:
The temple presidency and the mission president spoke to us. They were wonderful and made us feel so special!! They told us that the Palmyra Temple simply couldn't function without the missionaries who comprise most of the workers. We also got our schedules and ward/branch assignments. We are working the Monday shift (there's only one) - 8:00 to 2:00, the mid shift on Wednesday - 12:30 to 5:30, the mid and evening shifts of Friday - 12:30 to 10:00 and the morning and mid shifts of Saturday - 8:30 to 5:30. Of course, we would be working on Friday night....we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if we weren't in the temple on Friday night! In addition, we will be assisting with the early morning session (6:00 am) once in May and once in September. On Tuesdays, we are assigned to do our laundry in the morning. We will probably be patrons in the afternoon. Thursdays are our activity days...the 6-month missionaries don't really have a p-day. Dad and I and one other couple were assigned to be the activity coordinators. We have to come up with and coordinate activities/trips for the 6-month missionaries to go on every other Thursday. Every other Monday we also have FHE with all of the temple missionaries, 6-month and 1-year. Those are coordinated by the temple presidency. I think we will be busy but I can't wait to get started!!
On Wednesday, we had breakfast at the President's house and then had three plus hours of in-depth training at the temple. I was so humbled!!! I can't believe how much our temple presidency has to do. There isn't a separate recorder or office staff, no engineering or housekeeping, no laundry personnel. All of that has to be taken care of by the presidency and matrons and the workers. We will be assigned to work in the baptistry, office, laundry and at the end of each shift, we have housekeeping/cleaning responsibilities. They do have people come and clean for 4 hours on Thursday but other than that, we have to keep the temple clean and beautiful!! In addition to these and all of the Ordinance Worker responsibilities, there are plans in place for workers to fill in different areas of the temple if there aren't enough patrons. We are supposed to keep our packets close in case we are called upon to help or to be patrons. The only coordinators are the shift coordinators and the veil leaders.
The rest of the week we attended the temple as patrons and got to know our 6-month missionary friends better. On Friday, we went to the Martin Harris Farm and on Saturday we had a pancake breakfast with the other Zion's camp missionaries. That night we went to a fund-raiser dinner for a museum in the town of Palmyra. We had been encouraged to go to help with church/community relations. It was well attended by the senior missionaries and the young sisters and elders helped by serving the dinner and helping to clean up. On Sunday, we had the wonderful experience of attending our assigned branch, the Oneida branch. As soon as we walked in, the other senior sister came up to greet us. After introducing herself, she asked if I played the piano. I said yes and the organ also. She was so excited because they have been using CDs for their meetings. I was promptly given a book, the songs, and pointed toward the organ. I was happy to serve!! There is such a sweet feeling in that branch. We had fast and testimony meeting because next week there is a multi-stake conference. There were 33 people in attendance and 8 of those were missionaries and 2 were high councilors. I have no doubt that we will have many opportunities to serve.
Here are some pictures:
Our beautiful temple from the Joseph Smith Farm...trees still not out yet.
Martin Harris Farm
Our Pancake breakfast
Well, dear ones, that is all I have for today. Sorry it is so long!!! I think of you often!! I look at my grandkid collage every morning when I get up and every night before I go to bed. It is hanging on the wall of my bedroom right to the side of my bed. I pray every day that each of you will feel the love of our Heavenly Father and that you will make wise choices that will bring you closer to Jesus Christ.
Love you so much!!!!
Grandma oxoxoxoxoxoxox
It is so beautiful here!! We are so blessed to be able to serve here. It is still early but the trees come out more and more each day. I can't believe we have been here for a week and a half. In some ways it feels like we have been here longer and in some ways much shorter! We are settling in. We found a path that, if we walk around it twice, it is a little over 2 miles. We do that every morning. The only day during our regular schedule that we won't be able to do it is on Saturday...and, of course, Sunday.
Our week began in the temple with being greeted by the Presidency and matrons and then we were set apart. Such a sweet spirit!! It constantly amazes me how well our Father knows us and what we need at any given time in our lives. So humbling!! We then had a 2-hour tour of the temple....amazing because it is so tiny. I think we saw into every cupboard and closet and explored every knook and cranny in the temple!! We were also trained in some of our duties....the details would be given on Wednesday. We then went to the Temple President's house for dinner prepared by the 1-year temple missionaries and more training that could be done outside the temple. As soon as we were done eating, we got the neatest thing of the entire week:
The temple presidency and the mission president spoke to us. They were wonderful and made us feel so special!! They told us that the Palmyra Temple simply couldn't function without the missionaries who comprise most of the workers. We also got our schedules and ward/branch assignments. We are working the Monday shift (there's only one) - 8:00 to 2:00, the mid shift on Wednesday - 12:30 to 5:30, the mid and evening shifts of Friday - 12:30 to 10:00 and the morning and mid shifts of Saturday - 8:30 to 5:30. Of course, we would be working on Friday night....we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if we weren't in the temple on Friday night! In addition, we will be assisting with the early morning session (6:00 am) once in May and once in September. On Tuesdays, we are assigned to do our laundry in the morning. We will probably be patrons in the afternoon. Thursdays are our activity days...the 6-month missionaries don't really have a p-day. Dad and I and one other couple were assigned to be the activity coordinators. We have to come up with and coordinate activities/trips for the 6-month missionaries to go on every other Thursday. Every other Monday we also have FHE with all of the temple missionaries, 6-month and 1-year. Those are coordinated by the temple presidency. I think we will be busy but I can't wait to get started!!
On Wednesday, we had breakfast at the President's house and then had three plus hours of in-depth training at the temple. I was so humbled!!! I can't believe how much our temple presidency has to do. There isn't a separate recorder or office staff, no engineering or housekeeping, no laundry personnel. All of that has to be taken care of by the presidency and matrons and the workers. We will be assigned to work in the baptistry, office, laundry and at the end of each shift, we have housekeeping/cleaning responsibilities. They do have people come and clean for 4 hours on Thursday but other than that, we have to keep the temple clean and beautiful!! In addition to these and all of the Ordinance Worker responsibilities, there are plans in place for workers to fill in different areas of the temple if there aren't enough patrons. We are supposed to keep our packets close in case we are called upon to help or to be patrons. The only coordinators are the shift coordinators and the veil leaders.
The rest of the week we attended the temple as patrons and got to know our 6-month missionary friends better. On Friday, we went to the Martin Harris Farm and on Saturday we had a pancake breakfast with the other Zion's camp missionaries. That night we went to a fund-raiser dinner for a museum in the town of Palmyra. We had been encouraged to go to help with church/community relations. It was well attended by the senior missionaries and the young sisters and elders helped by serving the dinner and helping to clean up. On Sunday, we had the wonderful experience of attending our assigned branch, the Oneida branch. As soon as we walked in, the other senior sister came up to greet us. After introducing herself, she asked if I played the piano. I said yes and the organ also. She was so excited because they have been using CDs for their meetings. I was promptly given a book, the songs, and pointed toward the organ. I was happy to serve!! There is such a sweet feeling in that branch. We had fast and testimony meeting because next week there is a multi-stake conference. There were 33 people in attendance and 8 of those were missionaries and 2 were high councilors. I have no doubt that we will have many opportunities to serve.
Here are some pictures:
Our beautiful temple from the Joseph Smith Farm...trees still not out yet.
Martin Harris Farm
Our Pancake breakfast
Well, dear ones, that is all I have for today. Sorry it is so long!!! I think of you often!! I look at my grandkid collage every morning when I get up and every night before I go to bed. It is hanging on the wall of my bedroom right to the side of my bed. I pray every day that each of you will feel the love of our Heavenly Father and that you will make wise choices that will bring you closer to Jesus Christ.
Love you so much!!!!
Grandma oxoxoxoxoxoxox
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