New Temple Missionary Couple

A new couple arrived on Thursday night. They are the Nelson's from  the Logan area. They know Sharon & Ladell Hoth, my Sonberg relatives. Small world! They both speak fluent Spanish. Hermana Nelson is originally from Torreon, Mexico and Elder Nelson is an Idaho boy. He served a Spanish-speaking mission in the mid-60s. 

Yesterday we had a special temple session at 6:30 pm. Usually the temple closes at 1 pm on Saturday, so Pres. Boren asked if the missionaries would help out. Of course we did! I was the only sister missionary to not take some part within the session because I was coordinating and they needed me at the end. Jim and a three other elders also stayed out to help at the end. This provided Jim and me time to study. Jim's almost got the session ordinances memorized in Spanish! He just has a couple of pronunciation errors to correct!

The Area President had requested it for all of the stake presidents and their wives throughout Panama. There are some very young stake presidents! There were 16 sisters, including Hermanas Boren, Nelson and Mojica. There were about the same number of men, but President was the only non-stake president. Some travelled 8 hours to get here. It was marvellous to see the church leadership, of Panama, all gathered together!

Today they were all in our ward's sacrament meeting, seated in the choir seats. The Area President spoke at the end of the meeting reminding us to prepare ourselves for the sacrament every Sunday and to think about the Saviour's atoning sacrifice as we take the bread and water. He said if we don't, then we are just taking bread and water and not the Saviour's blood and flesh upon us. I'm going to really try to make an effort to do this more purposefully. 

The leadership all came to the patron housing after for the quarterly training. 

What a privilege it is to be serving here in order to have this kind of experience!

I love the temple! It is only in the Lord's Holy Temples where families can be sealed together forever! I am so glad that I have been sealed to my family, Jim ,and Stacy and Craig! One day we hope to be able to go with Neal too! 

It is such a comfort knowing that even those who have died can receive this ordinance through proxy! Thank you Al and Ann for sending us family names! We have been able to do all the baptisms and are still working on the other ordinances. The work for two of the names has now been completed.