Last Half of March 2014

Seems like we are so busy we haven’t had time to keep our blog up to date. We will try to do better in the future.

March 16th we had Stake Conference. It was a broadcast from S.L.C. Rich was asked to usher at the Visitors’ Center so we were able to watch on the huge screen in the auditorium. It seats about 1500 people. It was great. That evening we attended a fireside given by a couple that had served in Durbin Africa. They also had several participants that were recent converts. Like a week or so. One of the brothers that spoke looked like a return missionary. He said he was accused of that a lot.

On Monday we had another snow storm. About 5 inches. We took this photo the night before at the fireside.

We stayed in the whole day.

During the week at the Temple we were in training on all the various things we are asked to do as Temple Workers. In this Temple we are asked to serve in different capacities each day. And the assignments change each week on the same shift. We never do the same thing 2 days in a row or 2 weeks in a row. So we are getting a lot of different training from different shift coordinators. It is quite confusing. But we are sure we will eventually catch on to all of it. 

On Thursday we decided to venture out to find a Walmart. The only one we could find on the internet that was fairly close was about 20 miles away. According to our map app. it was 30 minutes away. Well after about an hour and a half of traffic we arrived. It was an okay store but nothing like what we are used to in a Walmart. We purchased what we needed and headed back. Traffic was moving at a snail pace all the way home. It took over 2 hours. We decided we needed to find somewhere else to shop. That didn’t make Sister R. very happy. (BTW, we later found a Walmart 16 miles away which is a much nicer store.)

On Friday a bomb shell was dropped on us. We received a call to meet early with the Temple Pres. We were asked to serve as Assistant Coordinators for the Friday mid shift. We looked at each other and the expression on our faces probably scared the Temple Pres. to death. We don’t even know how to do the things we are being asked to do. And they want us to be in charge???? Needless to say, we are in shock!!

On Saturday Rich was asked again to serve at the front desk to organize the baptism groups as they come in. That is such a spiritual experience. Rich would enjoy being assigned there forever. But in this temple that won’t happen as our assignments change all the time. That evening we attended the Washington DC Temple Orchestra presentation at the Visitors’ Center. It was really good. 

Sunday evening we invited the next door couple over for dinner. They are Dale and Gwen Evans from Pocatello. They were our host couple when we arrived and we have enjoyed going out to eat and visiting with them.

Monday evening we held a “Hail & Farewell” as they call it here. It is a get together where new couples introduce themselves and leaving couples speak. We didn’t have any new couples this time so we just heard from the 2 couples leaving.

Thursday evening we attended a local presentation of “Savior of the World” at the Visitors’ Center. It’s a production put on in S.L.C. during the Christmas season. The local talent was not quite as good as in S.L.C. but it was still very spiritual and uplifting.

https://www.lds.org/church/events/2013-savior-of-the-world-production?lang=eng

On Friday we experienced our first day as Assistant Coordinators. Interesting day. We pretty much just followed the assistants we are replacing around to see what they do. And it appears they just put out fires. There are always people who don’t show up and so things they were assigned to do need to be covered. And quite often groups will show up for baptisms that are not scheduled so we have to shuffle people around to cover that. Then if there is a very large session we have to shuffle people to cover the veil for that. Most all the shifts in the temple are short of workers to cover all the assignments so it is a real challenge to cover all the bases. That evening we went exploring to find a Mexican Restaurant. We found one in the basement of a building over by the Costco store (or at least in that area). It was pretty good. Quite authentic atmosphere and workers.

Saturday the temple was only open half a day because of the General Women’s Meeting. So we were asked to attend as patrons. That evening Sister R. went next door to watch with Sister Evans and Rich stayed home and worked on genealogy.

Sunday was Fast Sunday due to Conference next week. Rained all day and turned to slush in the evening. We invited the Williamses over for dinner. They came here the same time we did but they did not go to the training in S.L.C. They are from Canada and winter in St. George. That evening we went to a fireside (presentation) by Bro. Adams on Isaiah. He was a professor at BYU and had some really interesting insights on Isaiah.

Monday the 31st a group of us went to Alexandria. VA. 

We drove our car and took 2 other couples. We only got lost 2 times going and 1 time coming back. After parking we walked a few blocks to the center of town. On the way we came across a cute little shop.

We all had fun shopping there. 

And Sister R. bought a bunch of cards and stuff.

We went up and down King Street on a local trolley type bus that stops every couple of blocks. 

We visited the Torpedo Factory Museum where they used to make torpedos for World War I and II.

It is now pretty much an art museum. 

Then we went all the way up King Street to the Metro station and up to the George Washington Masonic Temple.

On the way back down we stopped at several places and visited buildings like:

Freedom House which was a slave trade business place.

Several old churches,

and other buildings. Note the quality control on the construction here.

Looks like they started the ground floor with the slope of the street. Then added extra bricks in to get the next floor level.

Then we stopped and ate at a pizza place and ended the day with ice cream.

Then on the way back to the car we went by that same little shop again. Only this time on the other side of the sign it said:

  and Sister R. just couldn't resist.

We returned home through the center of Washington D.C. and just could not believe all the buildings there.

Still no cherry blossoms so tune in later for that.

Last of February and First Half of March 2014

We experienced our first Sunday here. The Ward is made up of only the Missionaries called to work in the Temple. Rather an interesting Ward. We think we will really enjoy working with so many strong members of the church. All the callings except the Bishop are of the Temple Missionaries.

Then next day was our first outing with a group here. We went to the National Air and Space Museum. What a HUGE and interesting place. They have many of the original airplanes and space craft from all over the world.

We saw the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

It could fly over 2,000 miles per hour. It could fly from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds.

And we saw the space shuttle Discovery. 

And we saw many of the first airplanes to fly. 

Not a lot we can report on of the activities in the Temple. But suffice it to say that we are really enjoying it. We work every day except Sunday & Monday. So that’s been a little hard to get used to. Each time we go it seems like a new week so we get a little confused on which day it really is.

On March 1st we were able to go to the temple with Caleb Snedaker (Kyle and Donna’s missionary out now). He has actually been called to the Brazil Mission but due to visa problems was sent here to the Baltimore Mission until he gets his visa. (Which has actually come now so he will be leaving soon for Brazil). That was neat to see and visit with him a little.

On March 3rd we had a really good snow storm.

Luckily that was our day off from the Temple so we didn’t even try the roads. The area we live in is very hilly with really narrow roads and lots of cars parked on the roads so the least little bit of snow just shuts things right down.

March 9th we served at the Visitor Center from 6:30—8:30. Met some of the Senior Missionaries that serve there. We also met a lot of the young Sister Missionaries and a few of the Elders. One Sister Missionary is from Zambia. 

She knows Sister Phiri that served with us in Arusha. It was fun to talk with her.

On the 10th we went on another excursion down to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

and to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Photography is not allowed so we don’t have a lot to show you.

We left early (7:00 am) with 3 other couples (Lee & Judy Evans, Dale & Gwen Evans, and Richard & Rhonda Williams). We took the MTA  Subway into D.C. That was quite an experience.
The escalator going down was the longest we have ever seen.

On the 12th Sandra organized a surprise birthday party for Rich. From his journal, “I really had no idea what was going on. I thought when several showed up at our door and sang “Happy Birthday” that this was probably something they do for all the birthdays. We had wall to wall people. We started bringing chairs from the neighbors for people to sit on but soon realized there was not even standing room for all the missionaries. But some started leaving after a few minutes and it all worked out.” We all had a great visit.

Saturdays here at the Washington D.C. Temple a really busy. For the past 2 Saturdays Rich has served as the Director at the front desk of groups coming to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. At this temple they come in the front door and need to be organized into groups and escorted down to the baptistry. They are grouped in the foyer and then escorted over the “bridge” to a conference room. There they are greeted by one of the Temple Presidency or the Matron or her assistants. Then they are escorted on down to the baptistry. Rich says it is a very spiritual experience. Some of these groups travel a long way to serve in the temple. Like over 150 miles. And we have a lot of spanish speaking groups. We had one group from a Spanish Branch.

We are settling in and getting adjusted to life here. We are looking forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Looks like it will be late this year.
Watch our next blog to see if it comes in late March or early April this year.