Sister Sumsion: 9/6/23

 

TEMPLO

 

Heloooooo friendooos and familioiooos 

This week was filled with many sweet and tender moments that just made my heart so full and I have a greater testimony of the mission the Lord has called me to serve. I am so grateful for HIs timing and for the wonderful blessings that patience grants. 

I was able to see SO MANY amazing people from my past three areas and it really has been so tender to see them and remember all the memories of my mission. Many of my reunions have been by chance of being in the right place at the right time and I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in my life. 

Other than those sweet experiences serving in the temple has been a refining time for me to step back and truly see these people as children of God and fully welcome each and every one of them to the House of the Lord. In missionary work it is extremely easy to fall into the trap of numbers and immediate results when in reality those kind of successes are few and far between. True discipleship and conversion is a PROCESS like turning a cruise ship. I have seen that in teaching people but also in myself and my own conversion. I know that God works line upon line precept upon precept and I have to accept the process and whatever step I am on at any given time. 

EPIC MOMENT: Banana man

While we were standing on the temple grounds directing the few people going on tours on a thursday afternoon we saw this old man in a bright yellow shirt and brown pants slowly shuffling his way towards the temple. His name is Phil and we asked if he would like a wheelchair and he said no and that he was perfectly capable. we walked him up to the doors and finally convinced him to go in a wheelchair and we were able to push him through the temple. He had a couple questions and we learned that his wife had passed away and he decided to come to the open house on his own. Even though he goes to a different church he still wanted to see this beautiful structure. We made it to the celestial room and it was just us and a couple other volunteers. They were chatting on the other side of the room (sidenote: the open house has been crazy busy and the celestial room is almost never ever quiet) this was a rare moment to have it mostly to ourselves but the volunteers were chatting it up and Phil looked over at them with a disapproving look and then at us with a shhh finger to his lips. It was so tender to know that this man of another faith with no loyalty or apparent connection to ours recognized the sacredness of the celestial room and desired to respect it in the way the Lord deserves. So many others have shown such reverence and respect for the temple we love and I know the Lord is blessing all of his children with temples, not just members of the church. I know God prepares them to hear the word of God. 

I hope you all seriously consider your relationship with God this week and say a sincere prayer with intention to act. write down some of your short and long term goals and how you plan to achieve them and then take them to God in sincere prayer and I promise the windows of heaven will be open to you in ways like never before. 

I love and miss you all! remember to spend time in His Holy House!!!