started with a 10:00 sack lunch at Central Park followed by the 12:30
session at the temple. One of the elders in our group had a couple he
had baptized earlier in his mission getting endowed in that session,
so it was really neat. Me and sister Taggart got to be companions for
the day again and it will be the same again in the mission home
tomorrow, so we are getting some good bonding in haha!
Sunday was a day of absolute pioneer status miracles. The Philadelphia
Temple open houses don't officially start until August 10th, but they
set up something special for investigators to be able to come on July
24. The deal was that missionaries could bring investigators if a
member would drive us. So no members could go unless they were driving
investigators, and missionaries couldn't go if they didn't have
investigators coming. So Saturday night we were driving around like
crazy trying to invite people and calling others, but by the end of
the night it didn't look like it was going to work out. Which was
fine, but kind of disappointing. But then Sunday morning we got a text
from one of our investigators named Rebecca saying she wanted to come
and her dad had given permission! Miracle! But then we had to find
someone last minute willing to spend about 6 1/2 hours total out of
their day to drive all of us. But fortunately that worked out too!
There is a young couple in our ward just for the summer and they are
going back to BYU on august 10th so they were excited to get to go to
the open house early!
After church about 6 people we had invited showed up from a place we
do service and they wanted to come as well, which was great but it
sent our ward mission leader scrambling to find rides for them, but it
all worked out!
The open house was beautiful and everyone was very impressed. I think
a lot of the people from service will want to learn more, so that will
be awesome! The temple was breathtaking. The interior as well as
exterior mirror the unique history of the city of Philadelphia.
Plus, another miracle from yesterday, we had run out of water bottles
at our apartment and we're kind of stressing about it and when we got
to church a member had randomly decided to bring a case of water for
us! Tender mercy!
I couldn't have asked for a better last Sunday as a missionary. The
scripture that has been the theme of my mission is Doctrine and
Covenants 123:17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us
cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand
still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for
his arm to be revealed." Yesterday was a prime example of that
principle in action.
I will never be able to thank the Lord enough for my experiences here
among the Jerseyites. I intended for my mission to be my offering to
the Lord, but in every way it has been His gift to me. My life has
been changed for the better by every companion I've had. I've learned
so much from the wonderful saints in each ward or branch I've served
in. And it has been a sacred privilege to be a representative of Jesus
Christ in inviting others to join me in following our Savior and
embracing His glorious plan of salvation. I can unequivocally say that
I have absolutely loved my mission with my whole heart. God is so good
and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His kingdom
here on the earth.