Temples All Over the World!

The first week of our mission was spent in Salt Lake City for 3 days of training at the Salt Lake City Temple.  "Out of their poverty" the early Saints built temples in Kirkland, Ohio and Nauvoo, Illinois. The Salt Lake Temple was the first temple to be started by the pioneers out west, but 3 other temples were completed during the 40 years of its construction.  When I started college there were only 13 temples in the world.  Today there are 156 operating temples with 29 more either under construction, being renovated or announced...185 temples.







When we got to Salt Lake we went to dinner at the Garden Restaurant on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  That's where I took this picture.  Our good friend Teri came up and talked with us as we ate.  After each day of training she was there with a "Dirty Pepsi" (Pepsi with coconut syrup and lime).  She fed us, helped us with our errands, treated me to a lovely pedicure, took care of us and loved us.  Thank you Teri-Rae.  We love you.

     I won't go into the training, but I would like to mention the other missionaries that were there.  There were 23 couples and the exciting thing is that we were being sent all over the world!  (They have this training every month...for new temple missionaries.)  These are the temples represented:

• Freiberg, Germany
• Cochabamba, Bolivia
• Paris, France (5 couples--new temple)
• Manhattan, NY
• Johannesburg, South Africa (us!😇😇)
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Washington DC (4 couples)
• Palmyra, NY
• Nauvoo, Illinois (2 couples)
• Apia, Samoa
• London, England
• Sapporo, Japan
• Panama City, Panama
• Boston, Mass
• Asuncion, Paraguay

When we first got there...I have to admit that I was taken aback by the fact that every temple we had "requested" was represented in this group.  (I know...it's shocking that South Africa was not on our wish list!)  It gave me pause.  I concluded that even though the other temples were options, Heavenly Father wanted us to come to South Africa.  We have felt very loved and welcomed here; by the other members of the church and strangers on the street.  We were checking out our groceries at the Pick and Pay across the street and the checker was helping us (we're obviously still new here).  And then he said: "I have your book."  I was a bit confused...and then it dawned on me....we're wearing our missionary tags (we forget we have them on sometimes) and I said:  The Book of Mormon?  "Yes," he said.  So we talked about his reading and the friends who had given it to him.  It was kind of cool!