WOW! What a Beginning!

2 April 2018

 

The  Mission "officially" began 2 April 2018 but the real fun began Friday 30 March 2018.   We arrived in Salt Lake City Wednesdy, 28 March to meet our new co-workers, the Bushmans, and to see our new work place at the Church Office Building (COB).  

We went all the way to the top ..... and then some!   The regular elevators go to the 26th floor where many have been to what is called the observation floor.   There you can see all four corners of downtown Salt Lake City and beyond.  Our new offices are on the 28th floor.  The 27th and 28th floors are where all the interpretations take place. 

 On Friday 30 March we moved into our new apartment which is a 7 minute walk to the COB. 

Outside the trees were budding and the flowers were just beginning to poke their little heads out.   It was a welcome change to snow.  Finally, after 44 years in Canada, I am getting to see green grass, daffodils and tulips in March and April.   

The walk was delightful even if it was at 7am on Conference Saturday.   Everything was beginning to bloom.   But  I had no idea of how the Church was about to burst forth and flower with her new directives. 

 Even though (I now realize) that all the interpreters that I met that morning had already read all the talks, yet no one was saying a thing.   There was no talk or idle chatter of all the new and exciting changes that were about to be revealed.   On Sunday there was no talk about the new temples.   There is a contract that they have signed but more importantly an honor code that they all seem to adhere to in regard to not revealing what they read from the talks that they interpret.  It was most interesting.   I have a deep respect for these people.  

Of course, it is always comforting to see the Temple from almost every view. Because the GeneralAuthorities were in and around the Church Office Building and the Conference Center,  the COB was locked down tighter than a tick!!!  Around the noon hour we couldn't even go downstairs to the ground level cafeteria because  the General Authorities and their families were having their lunch there.  

Even in the very early morning we could only enter the building through the "Roundhouse".   As I entered the Roundhouse I thought I was going to have to say something special like "beam me up" but instead a push of the elevator button seemed to transport me to the correct floor.   The Roundhouse leads you through the parkade and down to the cafeteria, then you go past security and up 2 separate elevators to get to the 27th and 28th floors.  

I learned many things during this conference. 

1. I am going to walk many miles each day.   Sister Bushman had her Fitbit on and she walked 21,000 steps and 10 flights of stairs in one day.  I was by her side most of that time.   
2.  It doesn't really matter what shoes you wear.   On Sunday morning I was finally able to sit down for a breather at one point thinking, "My feet are killing me!"   I looked at my watch only to see that it was only 9:45am.   I had only been there 3 hours and Conference hadn't even started yet!  And I had on some very sensible flats! 
3. The people I am going to work with are magnificent.  They all welcomed me with open arms.   They were pleasant, charming and very humble about their gift of tongues.   
4. We ran into 5 of our former Cambodian/Vietnamese Missionaries who were serving as interpreters:  Sister Macy Jeppson, Sister Ryley Spangler, Elder Todd Tran, Elder Shandon Pendleton, and Elder Sears.  This was such a pleasant surprise.   I love them and are so glad to know that I will see them again in October.  I also bumped into Taylor Jensen, another former missionary, that he and his wife Chloe frequented Phnom Penh during our stay there.  It was good to see him too.  
5. We have connections everywhere!   We crossed paths with a multitude of people either knowing someone with the Leavitt name or Alberta connections.   I met Naji an interpreter for the Farsi language.  Naji, a Persian by birth met and married a Leavitt who was a descendant of Dudley Leavitt (brother to Thomas R. Leavitt).  Once we found the connection Naji called me "cousin" for 2 days!   People would ask, "are you REALLY cousins?"  I woud reply, "Absolutely.  Can't you see the family resemblance?"  
6. I don't think it will matter as much to the Saints on the other side of the world that there is no more Home Teaching or Visiting Teaching, or that a quorum has changed, or that young sisters can now learn along side the Relief Society sister how to minister but they will gratefully recognize and sustain a new prophet and new apostles. Southeast Asians will be elated to see Elder Gerritt Gong sustained since he, just a few years ago, visited and taught Cambodians and all other countries around often as being part of the Presidency of the Area Seventies.  
7. The Lord is in charge!   He is at the helm.   I am sure He touches the interpreters lips and voices (they would be the first to admit that).  The Spirit flooded the building the moment interpretations began at the stroke of 10am.   It was very evident.   I didn't get to see very much of the Conference talks but I surely felt it.  It was very clear that mysteries of the gospel were being unfolded throughout the world at that moment.   It was an honor and privilege to be there at that time and at those conference sessions.  And this was just the beginning.....