Week Eight...

Another week has passed.  We have now been out on our mission two full months.  In some ways it seems like forever since I have been at home in Ogden and sometimes it seems like we just left.  First a report on the weather.  It is still pretty warm and muggy outside.  We spend most of our time inside so it hasn't been to bad but on our days off it would be nice to go on a hike or be out in the beauties of this state but when you are in it you sweat pretty bad so we stay in.  We try and walk in the mornings or evenings and even at that my scalp just drips-and I usually don't sweat much.  Last week we spent Monday with Keith and Debbie helping them look for fabric for valences.  I will be helping make them tomorrow.  I am always a little uncomfortable doing things like that for people incase they don't turn out like they want them.  Hopefully it will work out ok.

Tuesday afternoon we have meetings in the temple and then we worked Wednesday morning, Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon.  It was a pretty good week in the temple.  I have been training a few of the college students who work in the temple as ordinance workers.  I really enjoy the interaction with them and teaching them how to perform the ordinances to the expectations of our Father in Heaven.  It is interesting because some of the students are from other countries.  They have been on missions for the church and are now attending BYUH.  I am training a young girl from Korea who served her mission in Korea.  She had a brother on a mission at the same time also serving in Korea.  Her two brothers attend school at BYU in Provo and she is here.  I am also working with a young girl from Mainland China who served her mission in Australia.  Sometimes there is a bit of a language barrier in teaching them the ordinances. They do not understand all the English words so I have to explain them.  Interesting that my patriarchal blessing tells me that I will be instrumental in teaching people from other lands and even though I am not teaching them the gospel per se, I am teaching them while here in Hawaii.

As I was talking to a mother of a young man who received his endowment this week, she mentioned that he would be fourth of her children to be on a mission at the same time!  I was in awe at that.  I have met some wonderful, spiritual, devoted sisters dedicated to the work of our Heavenly Father in His holy house.  One sweet sister (Kindra Bingham) has come from Idaho sort of on a "healing" retreat.  She has taken it upon herself to work in the temple as often and she can, but as an ordinance worker and as a patron.  She lost her husband last year and just sent her last son on a mission.  She just needed to come here to serve and heal.  She has been such a blessing to some of the coordinators.  She also serves in the PCC when not in the temple.  What an example of Christ centered service she is to me.

I talked to one young sister who is studying to be a high school English teacher and her mom is a home economics teacher.  She was so excited when I told her that I had been an English teacher.

Our neighbors and fellow temple missionaries, Judie and John Fry, invited us over for root beer floats tonight so I took cookies and we had a fun night of just talking.  We seem to get along very well and they are happy we are here serving in the temple with them.