August 26, 2018

Working Out in the Temple

It is truly incredible how different each week can be considering that we’re essentially doing the same thing day for day. This past week was really very busy, and our primary visitors were from the Czech Republic. They have become very good friends and are almost as recognizable as the regular temple workers who are here virtually every week. But this time they really brought a very large number of members to perform a variety of ordinances. They had quite a group of young people prepared to perform baptisms, had a number of names ready for the initiatory ordinances and because the regular endowment sessions that would be performed in Czech were scheduled for the 9 AM and 11:30 sessions, they wanted to make sure that the preliminary work was completed before those sessions began. We usually start our initiatories at 8 AM and follow them with two potential sessions at 11AM and 1PM. Each session can easily require an hour of work and so if we started at our usual time of 8, we would not have been finished in time for them to make the 9AM endowment session. So, they requested that we be ready to go at 7:30 with the initiatories. Our morning preparation meeting starts at 7AM and usually finishes about 7:25 though it is not unusual to go a little over. So, we had to make sure that we were prepared and ready to start right off the bat. The actual physical stress of administering an ordinance proceeds as follows: The endowment leaders have virtually nothing they have to say because it’s all pre-recorded. Next comes the baptizing which does require a fair amount of speaking, but the baptizers change reasonably frequently. Confirming would be next in the order but again it’s easy to change periodically so your voice doesn’t wear out too easily. That brings us to our current coordinating responsibilities with the initiatories. There are three different compartments in which ordinances are performed and its pretty much steady talking. One gets a small break while each ordinance is sealed or confirmed by another worker but then you’re off again on the next patron. When we are fully subscribed with up to three patrons at a time, it results in a pretty continuous never-ending process. Not only are we always talking but we’re generally also standing up with our hands on someone’s head, so you can really get a pretty good back ache. Who ever thought temple work could be so physically demanding? We’ve decided, however, that the most physically demanding assignment in the temple is that of the sealer. He is virtually talking continuously throughout his entire calling. No wonder they are very careful to make sure he is supplied with a glass of water to ease the burden on his throat. I guess it’s a blessing that most of us don’t have that assignment, but we can appreciate the sacrifice that goes along with the work.

Speaking of sealings, that brings us to one of the special events of the week. It you refer back to our April 29th letter, we spoke of meeting a young engaged couple that knew Warren and Marilyn quite well, Gerrit Wellecke and Tanya Ilina. I had forgotten Tanya’s last name but was conducting several initiatory ordinances with Russian names on a brother Ilina as I reported last week. As scheduled, she had taken out her endowment at the Helsinki temple and they had all now gathered here at the Freiberg Temple to witness their governmental wedding which took place on Thursday, and then follow up with the sealing  that same day. It was very fortunate that I was able to free myself up for the sealing as it took place though Rusty wasn’t. They had a very interesting sealer that we hadn’t previously met who conducted the ceremony in Russian but also knew German very well and translated a good portion of his remarks for Gerritt’s family who all reside in Braunschweig, Germany. As I shook their hands in the reception line after the sealing, I passed along warm greetings from President and Sister Clark!

We’re slowly getting prepared for the temple maintenance closure in about three weeks. Our plans are gelling a bit, but we’ve found out that in spite of registering over a month in advance, they have no patron housing available in Stockholm for the week we’re planning on being there. So, we’ll start looking around for a hotel in the area. The plan is to drive to Berlin our first night and attend church in the chapel which still exists where the two of us had some joint missionary assignments while serving there. We found out today that two of our local young missionaries, one sister and another elder, have both been transferred next week to Berlin. One of them will for sure be there in Dahlem so we’ll have a friendly face to greet us when we arrive for services. We’re still finalizing our trip plans and it looks like we’ll probably rent a car for the trip as our partners, the Linfords, have indicated they’d like a car as well as they head to Prague, Budapest and Vienna, all of which we’ve seen.

So only a few pictures this time as we were not doing much sightseeing this past week and unfortunately, I couldn’t get any pictures of the sealing while I was otherwise still working after the ceremony. The first was a classic which I felt needed the available opportunity presented. Can you detect someone’s shadow blowing into my shadow’s ear?

The next is of us and Sisters Strong and Lewis, Sister Lewis (in the checkerboard dress) being transferred this week to Berlin.

The next is a picture of all of us who welcomed back the Bonners who left as temple missionaries back in March and have now returned simply as assigned temple workers on their own. We used it as an opportunity to say goodbye to the sisters as well. From left to right we have Bro. Lindsay, whose wife took the picture, next the Bonners, President and Sister Erlacher, the Ashbys behind the two sisters, followed by the Mosses, and then the Linfords and of course, us.

MOM: This last Monday I had a little adventure in which Grampa didn’t have any interest. I went with the Linford’s and another sister, Ellen Bonner, whose husband also didn’t have any interest. We had a great time driving thru little villages and getting lost and finally stopping and asking for directions. I was  the only German speaker, so I hoped I could get it all straight as to what they were telling me. After following a long, serpentine, winding road we arrived at the bottom of a hill, right on the spot. It was a small Mill, not run by waterwheel any longer, but water power for electricity. The Rolle family had owned it before DDR took it from them and the father offered to work for the government and to supervise. So, after the wall came down he was able to buy it back from the government for a nominal fee of around a 100 Euro, which the family thought was worth it to get it back. Most of their business is with bakeries and some local customers. They had all kinds of grains, health food and local honey. Just right for some of our senior missionaries.

     I, also, enjoyed working with some of our friends from Vienna, who had become new temple workers, and came with families who were related to each other and had daughters taking out their endowments and preparing to go on missions, one to the “Utah Ogden mission” and the other to the “England Birmingham mission.” Plus, we had the Czech sisters who were learning to be temple workers. There was a beautiful spirit present working with them all in such a sacred place. It really is a privilege to work in the temple.

        Thinking about all the grandkids going back to school. Loved the pictures and waiting for the pictures of Kenna and Makenzel starting Kindergarten. Such a fun time of year.

         Love and miss you all, Hugs and prayers, Grammy, Grampa, Mom, Dad, Elder and Sister Parker

PS. In the picture of the party, for one of the Sister missionaries, who is being transferred, she has been here almost as long as us.