How You Grow From Doing Temple Work

It is Saturday afternoon:

I am so-o-o tired I can hardly push down the keys on this keyboard. It’s a good thing I’m not having to type on an old-fashioned typewriter. (Any kids reading this better ask their grandparents what they were like.) We got up this morning and couldn’t even see out of the windows because they were being pelted with large drops of rain.  Of course, my first thought was: Well, maybe this won’t be one of those crazy Saturdays at the temple with patrons coming out of the woodwork and our meager amount of temple workers trying to cover all the bases, etc. WRONGO! Listen, around here, when the heavens weep, the saints don’t sleep. (They come to the temple!) As ‘trainers’, Niel and I are the ‘go-to’ temple workers who—oh, how shall I say it?—do everything that needs to be done. What a day! 

But we are still alive and breathing.

Monday morning:

We are starting to recover. Maybe by Tuesday, I’ll be able to walk without limping. Sunday was a remarkable day. We went to the Crawley Ward in a rain storm, but were so thrilled to see that the speakers for our Sacrament Meeting were Elder and Sister Pinegar, who are the directors of the Visitor’s Centre, here on the temple grounds. They are both wonderful people and I knew from the start that we were going to be ‘spiritually fed’. They didn’t disappoint us. Sister Pinegar talked about the purpose of the members of the Godhead. She only had enough time to talk about Christ’s role. She had some very insightful things to say about Jesus and what He was trying to teach us, here on earth. She mentioned the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying for 40 days, and how, at the end of that time Satan tried to tempt Him. She said that everything Jesus spoke was and is scripture, so He could have told Satan just what He was thinking in answer to the temptations. But, what did Jesus use? THE SCRIPTURES! What a wonderful example. Therefore, everyone who is reading this, I hope you realize how important is it for you to read, know and study the scriptures. I always think it’s so wonderful when speakers or teachers or anyone can divine important doctrine from what happened during Christ’s visit to the earth. Brother Pinegar also spoke about miracles. He is so tall (and so is she) that when he stood up to the pulpit, they had to almost pull the microphone out of the stand to reach him. He is one of those speakers who you cannot repeat exactly what he said, but, you get this heavenly feeling (the Spirit) so strongly from him. He really is a gentle giant (physically and spiritually). 

Okay, now, back to Monday. We spent an absolutely delightful day browsing for antiques in the little hamlet of Nutley. Most of you know how much I love to look through antiques stores and this was my first real experience on our mission. There was loads to see and ooh and aah over. I found some beautiful little doilies and I even found some tatted ones, but they were in too rough of shape. I brought the doilies home with me, though. I found Niel an old bamboo fishing rod, which he didn’t buy, but he did buy an antique book on fly fishing. I was shocked. He made the excuse that it had some knots in it that he didn’t know how to tie. I hope he can use it. We also stopped to see some gorgeous restored cars. Niel fell in love with a 1995 MGB. He would have bought it on the spot, but it was too pricey at 25,000.00 pounds. Too bad. 

 In the evening, we went out with a group of about 25 fellow temple workers to a farewell dinner for Leighton and Arline Jones. They are such a special couple. We have worked with them the whole time we have been serving in the London Temple. We have visited them in their home in Wales (Merthyr Tydfil). When we get back, I will attempt to speak with a small Welsh accent, so that you’ll know what Sister Jones sounds like. She has been so sweet and loving. (Only she says, lovin’) The Welsh people are great singers and, I think, they sing when they talk too. 

Goodbye Dinner for the Jones

Tuesday: 

We are almost recovered from last Saturday and ready to begin what we came here to do, temple work. I will finish the laundry chores and cook a small dinner/lunch, make our lunches for later this afternoon and off we will go to serve the Lord on the late shift. Doing this temple work is the best thing, ever, for our hearts and souls. We love these people (They are still coming from Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Africa, Germany, Norway etc.) too. Last week there were usually two to three languages spoken in most sessions. What is so wonderful to experience, though, is to interact with people with whom you can’t really communicate, but you both believe in the same religion and, therefore, you feel that common bond and love for each other. It’s great!

I almost forgot to tell why I chose the theme of this particular blog. It has to do with why we are here on earth. The Lord sent us here to refine ourselves by experiencing trials, tests, giving service, gaining knowledge, getting married and having children and, in short, over-coming the world. I, unfortunately, along with several of my offspring, have only been able to learn through trial and error. The ‘refiner’s fire’ works over-time in my life. But, since serving on this mission to the temple, I have been so thrilled to realize and experience that serving, being and participating in the temple on a regular basis is the best kind of ‘refiner’s fire’ there is. I can truly testify that what we do in the temple and, if we do it on a regular basis, refines us more than we realize. It is more of a blessing than you would ever think. 

That is a truth!  

Now, I hope it sinks in and all will avail themselves of the blessings of the temple.

We hope you are praying for us as much as we are praying for you! 

Love to everyone.

Niel (Grumpa) and Carolee (Gram)

"Hi" to Sister Coleen Freeman from Mill Creek, SLC

Our good friend Nick Palmer, Head Temple gardener

Will and Julie's Visit

We are so thrilled to have another set of our kids (they’re grown-ups, really) come to visit. 

The weather has been lovely and mild. We have showed them around the area in which we live. Will has even jogged into Lingfield. Tomorrow, we are heading west to see Stonehenge, Bath and finally Port Isaac. Port Isaac is where “Doc Martin” is filmed and it is on the west coast. It is a quaint little sea port-fishing village and a fun place to visit. 

Yesterday, whilst Julie and Will took the train into London to see the sights and Niel and I worked in the temple, I had a “special” experience with a dear little sister, who was 82 years old. She came into the temple to do just one female family file card. She was so excited and happy to be there and as we sat together before we started, she shared with me why she had come with this particular name. As a little seven-year-old girl, during the bombing in WWII, she, along with hundreds of other London children, were evacuated and farmed out to foster families outside of London. She spent 2 years with a couple, who she grew to love. She said it has taken all these years, since, to realize that this foster mother has been trying to get her to do her temple work. So, there she was, doing work for a lady she had loved as a little girl. It was touching to talk to someone who had actually been through an experience like that and then see it come full circle in the temple. She was delightful. I was so honored to have been there and hear her story.

Oh, and we had another experience when we decided to have breakfast at McDonald’s that morning with Julie and Will. We were standing at the counter discussing what to order, etc. and when I turned to find a seat, I came face to face with a young Brit who beamed at me and said a big, loud and friendly, “Howdy”. I guess he had heard our American accents and decided to greet us in our own language. It was a sweet moment and a good opportunity to say, “Howdy” back to him. It made our morning. 

Much Later--------

We have been a traveling quartet. Our little car just putts and purrs around England. We saw Stonehenge, Bath and Port Isaac. We wavered about going all the way there because Julie said that on the last episode she watched, Doctor Ellingham did or said something that really disappointed her and she almost changed her mind. Luckily, we went anyway. 

Julie and Will at Stonhenge

We participated in a wonderful Easter service at the Bath Cathedral

A gull on it's eggs

Port Isaac

Port Isaac - Doc Martin's Surgery

The weather was fabulous! The scenery, spectacular and we couldn’t have had a better trip. Loved all of it.  Honestly, it couldn’t have been more beautiful. Julie kept saying that there was no way she could take a bad picture, because every landscape was brilliant. 

(She didn’t say ‘brilliant’, I thought I’d just throw that in.)

We took them to the airport yesterday and, happily, they made it home without missing their connecting flight. Julie did have to endure a THOROUGH bag search, twice. She said it was a humiliating experience, having to let everyone see all the chocolate and Nutella packets she had accumulated. Apparently, our other daughter, Jill, had to go through the same procedure when they flew home, too. I am totally shocked that any T.S.A. person would think they looked like suspects who were trying to hide something.  

Julie...NOT amused at her second search!

Niel and I wept all the way back to our digs. We did our shifts at the temple and came back and tried to sleep off our depression. We love to see these kids, but really hate to send them home without us. Oh well.

By-the-way, Niel and I have been new assignments in the temple. We are the ‘trainers’ for our shift. We can’t tell you how extremely thrilled we are to shoulder this calling. We were kind of thinking the temple president may call us to be Shift Coordinators. Niel was not ready for such an involved calling. Little does he want to admit that he could have quite easily done it. He’s done a lot harder things in his life. However, we are happy to serve where ever we are needed. Being a ‘trainer’ encompasses training all the new and returning ordinance workers as to the proper (London Temple proper) way to carry out the work we do in the temple for the living and the dead. This week, in fact, we have been training a delightful couple who have come to us all the way from Laramie, Wyoming. They are going to be a real asset to the London Temple. They are very capable, friendly and knowledgeable. 

Elder and Sister Cooper from Laramie, WY

The only thing that has been a little bit of a hurtle for them is to deal with three foreign languages in one session.  This week we have had patrons from Portugal, France and Spain. It’s been great and we love for them to come.  They like to bring their children (who are apparently out of school) with them. As I was leaving the temple this afternoon, two darling young boys were kicking a soccer (football) between themselves. It got away at just the right moment for me to kick it back. Instead of kicking it to his companion, this little boy kicked it right back to me. It about laid me out flat. I guess he thought I could actually play with them. (I was honored.)

We hope spring is coming your way. Ours is going to be ever so lovely. The Rhododendrons are starting to blossom as well as the Azaleas. The Daffodils and Tulips are almost done. 

They were wonderful. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to send a picture of our tulips and Forget-me-nots too.

Love to all. We are tired, but happy.

From Niel (Grumps) and Carolee (Grammy) 

RyRy and Kristy are here!

Well, they came and they went and we are sitting here drying our eyes and blowing our noses. We have had a wonderful visit, though, as many of you have seen from the pics Ryan posted each day. We covered a lot of ground, going from the coasts of Normandy, across the Channel and up to London. Niel and I kind of hobbled around with them, but were able to keep up. Though, I hope we didn’t hold them back too much. Kristy told me this morning that the highlight of their trip was the WHOLE day they spent in the temple with us on Saturday. We were able to help them through many of the things they participated in and they had a real spiritual experience doing sealings with the British patrons. The weather totally cooperated, too. Here are some of the pics that we took in France:

Our Ferry leaving Portsmouth (pronounced portsmuth)

 We loved our seats on the Ferry. They were front and center, and the seats reclined enough for us to fall asleep, where upon Carolee snored so loud she drowned out Niel.

 The following pictures are of Omaha Beach...Heart wrenching

Part of Omaha Beach...a tretcherous climb

Overlooking Omaha Beach from the Cemetary

American Troop grave markers. Of the several thousand buried here it only amounts to 40% of those who died. The families had the others shipped home for burial.

Part of the British Cemetary in Bayeux

Lower Omaha Beach looking toward Utah Beach

Utah Beach where the climb was steeper

Lots of German defenses

Bomb craters

Bunker built by Germans

The Germans had months to prepare

It took lots of bullets to finally take this bunker

Inside a bunker

Anglican Church used to care for the wounded soldiers--near Utah Beach

Blood stained pew from American wounded

Trees leading through the cemetery. The Americans do the upkeep.

Troops fought in this terrain after securing Utah Beach

Our first night was at this 200 year old guest house that Kristy found...Loved!

The view from our bathroom window

Stained glass depicting American Airborne troops

Going to see the tapestry of Bayeux. It was tremendous!

Niel at the Confessional

Chapel used as an aid station

Church tile damaged by mortar that didn't explode

Damaged ceiling where mortar fell through

Inside the cathedral, a salute to Allied Forces

Cathedral almost next door. When we entered the organ was playing. 

It changed the whole atmosphere

A river runs through this town

French shopping cart (trolley)

I’ll put our days in England on the next blog. Just as soon as I can get them off the camera.

Oh, and by the way, Niel passed his driving examine! WooHoo! That was about the most stressful thing he has done so far on this mission. Besides having to absorb a tremendous amount of knowledge about his car, how to drive it, the road signs etc., and first-aid as well. It was costly in terms of cash as well. But it is over and he has his official UK driver’s license. 

Bewl Water fishing after passing the driving exam!!

We will be working all the way through Saturday, finishing about 2:30 pm and then we will be able to watch the Saturday morning session of General Conference live!  We will be watching conference sessions seven hours behind you, into the night. Maybe, we will wake up to watch. Conference is something that we look forward to with great anticipation. Niel will be at the computer, doing a little tax work and I will be listening whilst doing some hand work.  Hope you all will enjoy it as much as we will. 

General Conference April 2014

Happy Birthday to Beckie. We couldn’t reach her in person. Hope it was a good one. Love and best wishes to you, girl.

Love and best wishes to all. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts, we need them.

Cheerio, Niel (Grumpa) and Carolee (Granny)