Week 28 - Goodbyes
Dearest Children, Grandchildren, Family and Friends,
What a week this has been! “Bittersweet” is just not adequate to describe my feelings. My Missionary Sisters and I have marveled how we can be laughing one minute and then crying the next….and not always in sadness. The Spirit has been very close to us as we have done things “for the last time”. I cannot begin to tell you how much I have loved being on this mission and how sad I am that it is ending. And yet, as I was talking to one of my Sisters, we were marveling at how we were both feeling the “tug” of home. We decided that it was Heavenly Father’s way of helping us through the goodbyes.
Our first Goodbyes were on Monday. We had our last 6-month-missionary-only shift at the Temple. One of the other local couples who are shift coordinators came to take our responsibilities during preparation meeting so that we could all be together. It was so sweet!! The Spirit was strong and the tears were close to the surface! We had a wonderful shift and lots of patrons came which made our service joyful.
After the temple, we all met at a local restaurant, Muddy Waters, that we have all grown to love. The owner, Donna, loves us!! She usually isn’t open on Mondays but she opened just for us so that we could get together. Toward the end of our meal, we all sang, “God Be With You Till We Meet Again”, and she started crying. She told us how much we had helped her business but more than that, how we had changed her life. One of the previous missionary couples had given her a Book of Mormon, and we again encouraged her to read it. She feels something and I know that we have had an impact on her spiritual growth. The remaining missionaries will continue to fellowship her and love her. This is her place.
In the evening, we had a dinner in our honor at President and Sister Black’s home with the rest of the Presidency and Matrons. The dinner was great but the company was even better. We had put together a Memory book in which the missionaries had written their memories. We gave that to the Presidency, along with a temple packet with the Palmyra Temple on it. They were so touched. It was great. The Schwendimans gave us a bag with goodies and pictures….so sweet!! The Blacks gave us a picture of the Palmyra Temple which will be framed and put up in our house. The Miners gave us a bag for the trip home on Thursday. All three wrote notes that we will treasure!! We stayed a long time just reveling in each other’s company. No one really wanted to go home….yet the next day was another work day in the temple.
Most of the group!
Left to Right: Sister and President Schwendiman, 2nd counselor; Sister and President Black, President; President and Sister Miner, 1st counselor. How I LOVE these people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, the first of our group, the Athertons, left early due to some family responsibilities. We were sad to see them go, especially knowing that in less than a week the rest of us would be going. Dad will tell you a cool story about it. I just took pictures of some of my friends.
Steve and Michelle Miller....we nicknamed them Prince Steve and Snow White
Left to Right: Kimberly Perry, Kathy Atherton, Maxine Odd
John Cox, Ray Perry, my honey, Randy Odd
Carolyn Cox
Kimberly picking leaves on this gorgeous tree. She's going to press them.
Left to right: Kathy A, Maxine O, yours truly, Laura Gennings, Carolyn C, Michelle M.
John Atherton, ready to head out.....finally!!!
David Swenson.....he, obviously, plays the bagpipes and came to "pipe" the Athertons on their way.
Let me tell you.....this was like a funeral procession and we felt like it was as well!!!!
Wednesday was a regular work day at the temple….full of the Spirit and service. I LOVE the temple!!!! My testimony of the work we do there has deepened and grown so much!!
Thursday was another “Goodbye” day but it was indescribable!! We went to the temple, first of all, as a 6-month missionary group, minus the couple who left. There were also several of our dear 1-year missionary friends whom we will miss also. It was a huge session – 47 – because in addition to the missionary couples there were several “real” patrons!! Now, to our Utah family and friends that may not sound very big but our one endowment room is only supposed to hold 40!! They had to bring in 7 chairs and the aisle is not very big. Such a powerful Spirit was there and I can’t describe the feelings that filled my heart looking over at my beloved brothers as I sat among my sweet sisters. Toward the end, all 12 couples and a few more got up together. As we looked into each other’s faces, my heart swelled with love, as I’m sure theirs did. We lingered in the Celestial Room and I don’t think any of us wanted to leave. It was like Heaven!!! We finally did leave to go to a sealing session together and it was more heaven!! Hugs and kisses and tears followed. We finally left the temple to spend the rest of the day packing and cleaning.
That night we got together for a potluck. We were supposed to bring leftovers and clean out our fridges but I don’t think very many people actually did that. It was so wonderful to get together. We had several people share with the group.
Sister Hobson did a violin solo “Danny Boy” and substituted something about missionary friends, or something that fit. All of the other words were the same. She had us in tears!!!
Elder Ray told a really funny story from the temple and had us all in stitches. President Black thought he was serious which made it even more funny.
Elder Swenson recited two hilarious poems!!
Sister Odd became Edith Ann and brought the house down.
She kissed Elder Odd on the head....shocking!
Elder Layton, who MCed the event, had to bring us back into line with a wonderful video about family history and giving the Savior ordinances for ancestors for Christmas. So wonderful. He challenged us to find, and do the work for, at least one name for Christmas.
I came next with a medley entitled “Prophet of the Restoration”, that used “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer”, “Praise to the Man”, and “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief”. The final presentation for the evening was a slide show of all of our activities and events for the summer from pictures taken by the group. Again, tears were shed. We quickly cleaned up and finally broke up about 9:00 because most of us had two more days of service at the temple.
Friday and Saturday were wonderful days at the temple with plenty of goodbyes. The Henefers left on Friday night after their shift and the Reynolds and Laytons left on Saturday because those three couples didn’t work on Saturday. Everyone else will be leaving on Monday, except the Millers who will be leaving on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Friday morning, Dad and I took our last walk on the Hill. It was so sweet. He put the pictures in his blog including one of me being ridiculous that he refuses to take out....sigh..... We loved it and felt the great Spirit of the place fill our hearts. We won’t get back to the Grove because it started pouring down rain on Saturday and will continue until after we are gone. It would be just too muddy to go there. We will carry it in our hearts.
I had the most wonderful day on Saturday. Dad and I got to do sealings first of all, and we got to finish all the rest of the sealings we had ready to go. Then, he and I had the sweet privilege of being guides for a sweet couple who was being sealed. What a precious time that was. We were with them for the better part of two hours. We were able to help them with an ordinance before the sealing and it was wonderful. I ended my next shift in an endowment session with several of the missionaries and that was wonderful as well. The goodbyes were hard but survivable!!
Today, we went to our Branch and it was bittersweet as well. Our lesson on Charity was so special. We really felt the Spirit as we all shared our thoughts with each other, making it very personal for the kids. We ended with talking about how we can become more charitable….prayer and practice. We challenged them to pick an aspect of charity that they wanted to work on and then pray about how they can implement it and to receive strength. Then, they needed to practice it and continue to pray for strength. We told them to be ready to share their experiences in class next week with their new teacher and classmates. I was reflecting that this was a great plan for Dad and I to do as well….actually all of us would benefit!! Charity isn’t something that we will gain all at once in a moment. It is a lifetime pursuit.
Our class, left to right: Amy, Cameron, Kalista, Kaliana and Sarah, who is the new teacher. She is a newly baptized member, in August. She is the one who went to the temple for baptisms when we were there. She will be wonderful. She told us that sometimes she will teach the kids and sometimes they will teach her but they will learn together. I am so excited for their wonderful experience together. They already love her and she loves them.
We had a good 5th Sunday discussion and then we took a branch picture and had a potluck “Linger Longer”. It was fun to say goodbye to everyone in a relaxed, fun environment.
It was hard and tears were shed but….it is over….truly now it is!!! My emotions are close to the surface but I definitely feel the “tug” of home now that all of our mission responsibilities have ended. We have been invited to an ice cream social tonight….one last hurrah…with the missionaries who haven’t gone home yet. It will be fun….and we have been instructed to leave our tears at home. Well, I didn't publish this before we had to leave for the social so I can report that it was so fun but all of us are getting anxious to go. Many of us felt the weight lifting from our shoulders when we finished in our branches today. Interesting. We almost left all our tears home but it will all be good. Most of us are leaving tomorrow even though there will be rain and wind. We had a prayer together that asked for protection and that the Lord would temper the weather. All is in His hands!!
Well, dear ones, we will only have two more blog posts to record our journey home…..so…until next week…..
Love you and miss you!!!
Mom/Grandma/Sandy oxoxooxoxxxxoxooxox
What a week this has been! “Bittersweet” is just not adequate to describe my feelings. My Missionary Sisters and I have marveled how we can be laughing one minute and then crying the next….and not always in sadness. The Spirit has been very close to us as we have done things “for the last time”. I cannot begin to tell you how much I have loved being on this mission and how sad I am that it is ending. And yet, as I was talking to one of my Sisters, we were marveling at how we were both feeling the “tug” of home. We decided that it was Heavenly Father’s way of helping us through the goodbyes.
Our first Goodbyes were on Monday. We had our last 6-month-missionary-only shift at the Temple. One of the other local couples who are shift coordinators came to take our responsibilities during preparation meeting so that we could all be together. It was so sweet!! The Spirit was strong and the tears were close to the surface! We had a wonderful shift and lots of patrons came which made our service joyful.
In the evening, we had a dinner in our honor at President and Sister Black’s home with the rest of the Presidency and Matrons. The dinner was great but the company was even better. We had put together a Memory book in which the missionaries had written their memories. We gave that to the Presidency, along with a temple packet with the Palmyra Temple on it. They were so touched. It was great. The Schwendimans gave us a bag with goodies and pictures….so sweet!! The Blacks gave us a picture of the Palmyra Temple which will be framed and put up in our house. The Miners gave us a bag for the trip home on Thursday. All three wrote notes that we will treasure!! We stayed a long time just reveling in each other’s company. No one really wanted to go home….yet the next day was another work day in the temple.
Tuesday, the first of our group, the Athertons, left early due to some family responsibilities. We were sad to see them go, especially knowing that in less than a week the rest of us would be going. Dad will tell you a cool story about it. I just took pictures of some of my friends.
John Atherton, ready to head out.....finally!!!
Wednesday was a regular work day at the temple….full of the Spirit and service. I LOVE the temple!!!! My testimony of the work we do there has deepened and grown so much!!
Thursday was another “Goodbye” day but it was indescribable!! We went to the temple, first of all, as a 6-month missionary group, minus the couple who left. There were also several of our dear 1-year missionary friends whom we will miss also. It was a huge session – 47 – because in addition to the missionary couples there were several “real” patrons!! Now, to our Utah family and friends that may not sound very big but our one endowment room is only supposed to hold 40!! They had to bring in 7 chairs and the aisle is not very big. Such a powerful Spirit was there and I can’t describe the feelings that filled my heart looking over at my beloved brothers as I sat among my sweet sisters. Toward the end, all 12 couples and a few more got up together. As we looked into each other’s faces, my heart swelled with love, as I’m sure theirs did. We lingered in the Celestial Room and I don’t think any of us wanted to leave. It was like Heaven!!! We finally did leave to go to a sealing session together and it was more heaven!! Hugs and kisses and tears followed. We finally left the temple to spend the rest of the day packing and cleaning.
That night we got together for a potluck. We were supposed to bring leftovers and clean out our fridges but I don’t think very many people actually did that. It was so wonderful to get together. We had several people share with the group.
I came next with a medley entitled “Prophet of the Restoration”, that used “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer”, “Praise to the Man”, and “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief”. The final presentation for the evening was a slide show of all of our activities and events for the summer from pictures taken by the group. Again, tears were shed. We quickly cleaned up and finally broke up about 9:00 because most of us had two more days of service at the temple.
Friday and Saturday were wonderful days at the temple with plenty of goodbyes. The Henefers left on Friday night after their shift and the Reynolds and Laytons left on Saturday because those three couples didn’t work on Saturday. Everyone else will be leaving on Monday, except the Millers who will be leaving on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Friday morning, Dad and I took our last walk on the Hill. It was so sweet. He put the pictures in his blog including one of me being ridiculous that he refuses to take out....sigh..... We loved it and felt the great Spirit of the place fill our hearts. We won’t get back to the Grove because it started pouring down rain on Saturday and will continue until after we are gone. It would be just too muddy to go there. We will carry it in our hearts.
I had the most wonderful day on Saturday. Dad and I got to do sealings first of all, and we got to finish all the rest of the sealings we had ready to go. Then, he and I had the sweet privilege of being guides for a sweet couple who was being sealed. What a precious time that was. We were with them for the better part of two hours. We were able to help them with an ordinance before the sealing and it was wonderful. I ended my next shift in an endowment session with several of the missionaries and that was wonderful as well. The goodbyes were hard but survivable!!
Today, we went to our Branch and it was bittersweet as well. Our lesson on Charity was so special. We really felt the Spirit as we all shared our thoughts with each other, making it very personal for the kids. We ended with talking about how we can become more charitable….prayer and practice. We challenged them to pick an aspect of charity that they wanted to work on and then pray about how they can implement it and to receive strength. Then, they needed to practice it and continue to pray for strength. We told them to be ready to share their experiences in class next week with their new teacher and classmates. I was reflecting that this was a great plan for Dad and I to do as well….actually all of us would benefit!! Charity isn’t something that we will gain all at once in a moment. It is a lifetime pursuit.
We had a good 5th Sunday discussion and then we took a branch picture and had a potluck “Linger Longer”. It was fun to say goodbye to everyone in a relaxed, fun environment.
It was hard and tears were shed but….it is over….truly now it is!!! My emotions are close to the surface but I definitely feel the “tug” of home now that all of our mission responsibilities have ended. We have been invited to an ice cream social tonight….one last hurrah…with the missionaries who haven’t gone home yet. It will be fun….and we have been instructed to leave our tears at home. Well, I didn't publish this before we had to leave for the social so I can report that it was so fun but all of us are getting anxious to go. Many of us felt the weight lifting from our shoulders when we finished in our branches today. Interesting. We almost left all our tears home but it will all be good. Most of us are leaving tomorrow even though there will be rain and wind. We had a prayer together that asked for protection and that the Lord would temper the weather. All is in His hands!!
Well, dear ones, we will only have two more blog posts to record our journey home…..so…until next week…..
Love you and miss you!!!
Mom/Grandma/Sandy oxoxooxoxxxxoxooxox
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