A TEMPLE! A TEMPLE! WE HAVE A TEMPLE!

Sept 26 is a day I've been waiting for for 5 years! It finally came that we got to go in our temple! That it would be open to the world to view. Oh it was a happy day. I was so eager to take friends and family inside. And to volunteer as much as I could during the Open House. 

Our friends Stacy and Hayley from our previous neighborhood asked if they could go with us. I was so happy they reached out and gladly went with them. They loved it and asked questions along the way. We made similar comparisons with their church and ours at the end of it. I know they felt the spirit and I was moved to tears many times. 

I got to volunteer several times but my first impression of the open house is worth sharing. As we pulled into the parking lot on a hot day, I looked at the faces of the parking team. They were joyful! You could see in their faces they were so happy. It would be easy to complain about doing the "lesser" job or standing on pavement in a dress or that it was hot and uncomfortable. It brought tears to my eyes to see this joyful service. 

When it was my time to volunteer I was an usher outside the celestial room at the top of the beautiful stair case. As I stood and watched the room fill with rainbows as sun broke through the stained glass, it was a glimpse into heaven, then as I watched patrons ascend each with a look of awe on their face. Some with tears, some reverence, some excitement that just ran up those stairs, I was sure this is what heaven would be like, each person joyfully making their way to the top. 

Chad did cart driving and had fun with that and getting to meet people and hear where they came from. We also got to do parking duty together one day and that was so nice to bask in the sun and direct traffic at the House of the Lord with my spouse. 

Later I got to be an usher near the sealing rooms on the third floor. Again, it was an incredible experience. 

I really wanted all my kids to be able to serve there but sadly bri and ry weren't quite old enough. Carter did parking duty a few times and I was sad when all the apts were taken to get my other kids there. One day while I was doing parking duty I had the impression to look again for volunteer spots. Surprisingly, there was an appointment for shoe coverings at 11am! (It was 10am). So I quickly went and got Mollie from school and let her change and she got to do shoe coverings! An apostle was visiting at the time she was there, can't remember who, but she did say she saw him. 

And my good friend Alex said she was just going to go show up and take her daughter and expect to volunteer. She wanted to take Brielle too. I was hesitant but I so badly wanted her to be involved in the open house of HER temple that she would be attending soon. I let her go and she did get to serve and had a wonderful time. 

 I know the Lord cares because he provided these opportunities for my children that I wanted so badly. Mollie took a few of her friends after school one day and they all loved it too. 

The grounds were stunning and everything was absolutely perfect and beautiful!