No Better Place to Be

In preparation meeting today at the temple, our cute temple matron shared with us the thought that celebrating birthdays is something we all love to do.  We love to go to our friends' homes and wish them "Happy Birthday."  She continued on by saying what better place to go to think about and commemorate the Savior's birth than His house...the temple.

Friday night of the week before Christmas is possibly not the best night to go to the temple, but there were a few intrepid souls....Kasper among them.  The spirit inside that peaceful place is well worth the effort when almost everywhere else, there is much bustle and hustle.  We spent the better part of our day there, since we have to allow an hour -one way - to get there on the bus system.  It is always such a lovely contrast to step through the doors into that haven.

At one point during the evening, SK and I served as proxies for sealing families together.  The gentlemen who performed them is Swedish, a former stake president and patriarch.  He has snow white hair and a rugged face....kind of like Burt Lancaster.  He spoke in Swedish, and I understood next to nothing of the words he said, but my heart understood everything he said.  He spoke with feeling as he read the names from years past and repeated the ordinance that unites families.  He got a little teary-eyed a couple of times.  It was a sweet experience.

That experience always makes me think of our family so far away....I see individual faces and hear in my mind their voices.  Images of them at various activities flicker through my thoughts.  I think of one here or there who may need a little help and send up prayers on their behalf.

Except for a few conversations, I listened to most everything in Danish, and was shocked to realize that I am getting more and more of what is said.  I have a long way to go before I will ever be carrying on conversations with ease, but it is exciting to comprehend more.

Well....I'm off to bed.  Got to get up early to make cinnamon rolls for tomorrow evening's Christmas get-together at the center before we take off for points west to inspect young missionary apartments.  I love doing that because it gives us a chance to visit with those kids and see how they are doing just before Christmas.

Good Night!