We have had a busy week with our home teaching families between illnesses and surgeries. We’ve had contact of some kind with our four families every day this past week. John gave three blessings on three different nights and we also took dinner in another night. We are grateful that that they are trusting us and sharing critical information about their lives without having to bluntly ask.
We’ve been to the temple four times this week; each time was an unusual spiritual experience. Wednesday we attended an endowment session in the Jordan River Temple in Spanish with Brother and Sister De la Rosa. They were baptized a little over a year ago in the Spanish Branch. Brother De la Rosa was assigned to be John’s home teaching companion and they developed a close relationship. As they taught the gospel principles to their home teaching families they shared their testimonies and experiences. John was thrilled as he heard Bro. De la Rosa tell others, “Since I have paid my tithing, my children have never gone hungry.” His work is irregular and this was a great blessing. It was marvelous to see that the temple film has been synched into another language so that the characters speak in Spanish and even their mouths pronounce the words in Spanish. Saturday night they were sealed to their five children. The sealing session was in Spanish with warmth and dignity. It was so special to be in the temple twice with our beloved friends from the Spanish Branch.
We went with our students to the Salt Lake Temple on Friday to prepare them to Go Forth to their new assignments. John did not come to the meeting in the JSMB Chapel though he did come to the temple. His young elder student developed some pustules which looked like chicken pox. The doctor or nurse weren’t in at the JSMB to they went to the medical center in the Church Office Building. The regular doctor wasn’t there so the doctor who cares for the General Authorities came to see the young elder. He then referred the young elder to an infectious disease specialist at the U of U for a 11:30 AM appointment. The Young Missionary Zone Leader took him to his appointment with the specialist. We found out later it was an allergic reaction to Sun laundry detergent. We get to know wonderful missionaries. The Algers are from Columbia, Missouri, half way between Kansas City and St. Louis. They had three children and were unable to have anymore. Their youngest child was nine when an opportunity for a year sabbatical in Washington DC came for the husband so they decided it would be a wonderful learning experience for the family. As soon as they moved the wife became pregnant and delivered their fourth child while they were there. The miracle is that the baby had a severe heart defect which at that time could have only been detected in the Washington DC area. Also there were surgeons who corrected the problem and their daughter has grown up normally. When they returned to Missouri they also had a fifth child. So often we don’t know what the Lord has planned for us when we are looking into the future.
Saturday we went to the Jordan River Temple so John could do an endowment and so that I could to baptisms for the dead. It was very crowded with young people so I would have had a two hour wait. I decided to have the young people do the baptisms and I would do initiatory. I was proxy for a sister from Michoacan, Mexico, where I served my mission. The spirit was very strong and it was like a love note for my missionary service there. It was a week of sweet missionary moments.
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