Monday, October 9, 2017

Monday holidays are a great opportunity for working patrons to attend the temple, and it was open until 2:00 p.m. today--Columbus Day.  We had early assignments and had to be dressed and ready by 6:10 a.m.   It was a busy day and the sessions were fuller than we have seen since being here.  At the beginning of each shift—and often the night before via email—we receive a printout of our assignments.  I love knowing exactly where to go and how much time I’ll be spending in each situation. 

My assignment ended earlier than Glade’s which gave me a chance to go to the stake center and do some organ practice for Sunday.  I happened to be talking to Tracen on the phone and was standing near a window for better reception when I saw Glade walking up the hill.  I waved him inside and then finished my practice.

  

As we were leaving the parking lot, a young Latino named Saul approached us asking for help with his car.  He was doing his best to speak in English, but Glade finally started talking to him in Spanish so we could understand exactly what he needed.  It turns out that he was actually from Honduras and was here living with his brother and driving his car for Uber.

[Glade is writing now] His car battery was dead and his jumper cable was no good so I used ours and the car started.  (That’s the second time we have used our new jumper cables in the last two weeks!)  I talked to him about the Church and the temple. He knew some Mormons in Honduras and had visited both the church by the temple and the Temple Visitors Center here. He gave me his name, address and phone number and agreed to talk to the missionaries.  I called the Washington DC North Mission, gave them the referral, and told them to call and make sure that he was home before going to see him because his brother was “kind of a bad dude and would probably slam the door in their faces.”

I know the Lord wants to use us in His work in more ways than just in the temple. He provided the way for our paths to cross with Saul from Honduras through a series of unusual events today.  There are a lot of Spanish-speaking people here.  Saturday was Spanish day in the temple.  In the priesthood room on the seventh floor more the 600 Latinos met and, either before or after the meeting, participated in ordinances.     

[Back to Bev] It was rainy and very humid again today so we didn’t walk this afternoon/evening.  Glade did go to “The Sweat Shop” for a while, however; and then we stopped for a few groceries.  It seems like we need something different every day.  Groceries are very expensive here!  We are glad we are not shopping for a large family right now, or everyone would have to get jobs and we would definitely have to depend on a garden!

We have to serve early again tomorrow--and Wednesday, so it's off to bed!