I'm sharing a couple of pictures from previous experiences.

This is the day we went to Costco.  Spencer had on a backpack and two insulated bags to carry home.

Appreciate being able to hop into a car to go shopping.  It is a blessing we rarely think about.

These are the three sisters from Mexico that I ended up visiting with for 10-15 minutes while we stood in line for the bathroom in a pizza place near the 9/11 memorial.

They have family members living and working in NYC.  One of the sons noticed and came to ask if he could take our picture together.  The family was intrigued with our long conversation.  They reminded me of the people in Guatemala.  I was able to visit with them in Spanish for the entire time.  They were darling.  We compared numbers of grandchildren and great grandchildren.  I had the most!  Surprise, surprise.





Now for our post from this week.  No photos though--and you will understand why!

September 10, 2017

From Spencer:

After a very slow week at the temple because of Memorial Day, families starting school, tourists returning home, etc. there hasn’t been much to do at the temple.  We recently made the shift from day shift (9 AM to 5 PM) to the afternoon shift (3:30 to about 10 PM).  In the evening there are more local temple workers, so there are more people to share the limited work.  Jeanine and I had the assignment of “last couple out” this past week.  We were responsible for all of the close down activities such as making certain the trash is emptied, supplies are restocked, lockers are closed, clothing is returned to the laundry and sorted to be washed the next day etc.  The last couple out checks to see that there aren’t any patrons left in the building so that a member of presidency can lock the doors for the night.   

The adjustment to the later shift caused me to be a little tired.  But two events have re-energized me.

While serving at the recommend desk, I was checking recommends when a creepy guy moved into the flow of people and sneaked by me.  He moved toward the elevator.  I saw him has he moved quickly ahead.  Seeing what he was trying to do made my adrenaline run high.  I rushed over and headed him off and escorted out to the street.  He seemed frightened of me.  I felt pretty tough.  I’m glad I didn’t put my hands on him because I was really pumped—I’m sure that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do.  He had a hippy head band on his head with a bird feather in it.  He had a cigar stub in his fingers and ragged clothes.  That reinforced to me the sacred importance of serving at the recommend desk.

Then, later as the last session was ending, I was preparing to close things down for the night, when I heard the 4 minute bell alerting me it was time to head to the veil area.  The coordinator told me I would be presenting at veil six.  When I went in to room I saw our temple president seated in the session and thought, “I need to be attentive to the guidelines we have been given for this responsibility.”  I moved to my assigned spot and then here came, none other than Elder Russell M. Nelson, president of the quorum of the twelve.  You realize he is next in line to become the prophet.  I just tried to be calm about it.  It seemed to go OK.  I learned from that experience the sacredness because he spoke every word slowly and clearing with feeling and spirituality.  What a great experience.  He is a spiritual giant of a man.

Then next came the temple president to my veil.  Just before I started, I gave him an elbow and said, “I can get through anything after that.”  He was chuckling at me.  Maybe that was a good thing, because I was having to pull it all together.  Following President Bench there were two church security brothers to present.  Then came Bishop Waddell of the Presiding Bishopric.  He was followed by Elder Gong of the Presidency of the Seventies.  Oh my goodness!

I headed to the dressing room to finish the clean-up procedure and here all of them came, returning from the Celestial Room.  I directed them to their lockers and took their temple clothes.  I noticed that all of the brothers traveling with him were attentive and reverent.  President Nelson is older and was definitely the presiding person.  Elder Gong was very personable even while being reverent.

All of them were in town for a special Priesthood leadership training that was occurring all day on Saturday.  

Elder Gong was the guest at our Westchester Stake Conference today.   I was uplifted by the conference as well.

From Jeanine:

On Saturday morning there was a Stake RS conference with the wives of the General Authorities.  We heard from some of the local leaders first, such as wives of all of the mission presidents and Sister Bench the Temple Matron.  Then we heard from Sister Waddell, Sister Gong and Sister Wendy Nelson.  Sister Nelson was the keynote speaker.  She has been a motivational speaker in the past—and she was amazing.  I had a seat on the second row, so I didn’t miss any facial expressions or anything.  It was a beautiful experience.  The temple missionaries on the afternoon shift went to it together.  We had to leave a few minutes early in order to get back before our shift started at 1 PM.  We were already floating high before we even arrived at the temple.  I figured out/learned part way through the afternoon that the General Authorities and wives would be in our 5 PM session, but I never saw Spencer, so I wasn’t able to share that information with him.  It had been kept very quiet—I’m sure they didn’t want all of the ordinance workers gawking or anything.  As Spencer explained, everything went off without a hitch. 

However, I had a really odd experience as the temple was closing.  The temple elevator is not accessible from the 2^nd and 3^rd floor under normal circumstance.  The chapel is on the 3^rd floor and Distribution Center, and other church offices are on the 2^nd floor.  When the temple is closed, doors close the elevator off from the temple, another door opens and suddenly, the elevator is a 2^nd elevator for the chapel and access only floors 1, 2 and 3. 

One sister was very late changing because she had been visiting with Sister Wendy Nelson.  Everyone else was out.  The assistant to the matron and I were waiting.  When she finished changing, I gathered up the temple clothes.  The patron stopped in the restroom.  Sister Bean said she would wait for her so I could go on down to the 4^th floor laundry.  I sorted clothes and the temple matron said that the Recorder was waiting for a patron to come pick up a family file card.  I said I would go back up to the 5^th floor and see if she was the one and if she was still there.  I normally use the stairs, but thought she might come down the elevator, so I opted to use it.  I entered the elevator and pushed the 5.  But the elevator went to the 3^rd floor instead.  I was so confused, since it normally doesn’t go there at all.  The door opened to the foyer to the chapel.  I pushed 5 and 4 again.  But the elevator would not go back up. I realized that the elevator had been switched from temple mode to chapel mode and I was locked out of the temple the minute the elevator doors closed!

 I went to the 1^st floor and tried to figure out how to get back into the temple.  The front door was locked and no one was at the recommend desk anymore.  Some other temple missionaries were in the building lobby visiting and we used their phone to call the temple office—it went straight to the recording.  We called both President Bench and President Bean.  I knew they wouldn’t answer their personal phones because they were in the temple.  Finally, we called the other counselor, President Nixon at home.  He said he would come help me.  He called a secret number to talk to the presidency member in charge and see if they could come to my rescue--as I stood at street level all dressed in white.  

 In the meantime, Spencer came down and was so confused about where I had disappeared to.  He LEFT ME there and went home.  I’m not sure what he thought I would do.  My street clothes and wallet were in my locker in the temple.  I needed my MTA card to ride the subway to stake conference.  After a while, President Bean came down the elevator and we went back up the stairs where he had unlocked the gate to the 4^th floor.  I changed faster than you can imagine since they were waiting for me and then headed home.  I met President Nixon on the sidewalk as I exited the temple.  What a night!

While I was so frustrated, and a little frightened, I couldn’t help but think this must be the beginning of a good sacrament talk about what it felt like to be at the door and locked out of the temple.  I wouldn’t want to make it to the door and be locked out of the Celestial Kingdom!  It was a nerve wracking feeling.

I suspect there will be a review of the policy of the elevator being switched before the “last couple out” is truly “out”!  We live and learn in life and hope that all experiences promote growth.

Even with getting locked out of the "Celestial Kingdom" I have to say that this has been a truly marvelous weekend.  Rarely do we hear the wives of General Authorities speak "off the cuff" and share personal, entertaining and inspiring stories.  It was beautiful!!