…and I love the Temple!

Dear Family:

Can I just tell you, if coveting wasn’t against the commandments I would totally covet Hermana Blackham being able to have lessons at the Santiago Chile Temple so regularly! ha ha.

We had to make a day of it with Shawn and Judy on Saturday. (Thankfully, our mission president gave us permission to go way out of our area to take them.) It was amazing! They didn’t know you could go if you weren’t a member and they were really excited when we told them they could walk the grounds and even go inside and sit in the waiting room. They were counting down the days until our mission merged with Columbus so we could go with them. It was so tender!

So finally on Saturday we made it! We had a lesson outside the temple, and then went inside to look for a minute. And who should be waiting in the waiting room but one of the counselors in the temple presidency! It was perfect! He got to know them and talked with them for a few minutes about what they thought and how they felt. I am so grateful Heavenly Father knows what He’s doing.

Judy is just so in tune with the Spirit! I love that about her. She explained perfectly how the temple feels when she said your mind is clearer and you feel so peaceful. We had a good conversation about how Satan has no influence within those walls so that is why our minds feel clearer and our hearts feel so much peace. I just love her and Shawn…

…and I love the temple!

Going twice this week is just what I needed to fill my soul! ha ha. Seriously! I have to tell you our other temple miracle. So I know I confused you, we went to do a temple session on Thursday not Monday. I just wasn’t sure if I could email on Monday because we had to change our p-day to Thursday.

Anyway, our little temple miracle: We were driving up to the temple with the Walls family. Bobbi was going to do a session with us while Dale watched the kids outside. Well, we were supposed to leave at 9am, 9:30 at the latest. So we got to their house a little before 9:00, waiting for Dale to get back from H&R Block because of a “tax emergency” that came up. 9:30 came and went so Bobbi called them and found out he hadn’t left yet and he was still on hold with the IRS. She hung up, told us the story, and quickly gathered the family and us in the living room. We knelt down and asked Heavenly Father to help us get to the temple on time so we could do a session. During her prayer I felt so much peace. No worries, we’d be fine.

After we prayed, no joke, 12 minutes later Dale walked in. That means literally he had to have talked to the IRS right when we prayed, got in the car and drive home with NO traffic (which never happens because Wilmington is being overrun with construction). It was our temple miracle. We pulled up to the temple at 10:55 for our 11:00 initiatory session (another miracle that we chose to do initiatory first and not an endowment session).

I love the gospel! Satan will do all he can to thwart righteousness, but in the end God is always more powerful. He’ll provide a way, even deal with the IRS for you. ha ha

Being in the temple after so long was a very powerful experience. It felt incredible! One of the cool things was how real these principles and doctrines have become for me. I’ve always known they were true, but they aren’t just teachings any more they are reality. I love that feeling. I decided going to the temple is like going on a hike (work with me here).

It makes me think of one of the hikes I took in Costa Rica- on the way to the submit you get very few limited glimpses of your altitude. They are just too many trees, you can’t see through them. But finally you climb to the submit, emerging from the trees and you are able to see the beautiful vistas and the climb you made. It’s just like the temple, in life we get those few glimpses of perspective through all the trees, but in the temple we can see beyond all the trees in a perfect, limitless perspective. Sure, you need an experienced guide to point out the things you are looking at – but even without it you can appreciate the beauty of the breathtaking view. Ah! I love the temple.

I’m sorry, any of our investigators could tell you that when I get excited I talk a lot. Ha ha. I do that in my emails all of the time. Thanks for being patient with me.

To answer your questions Mom, the changes with the new mission aren’t too bad. President and Sister Jensen are wonderful! They have really been a blessing to my companion and I. Sister Cahoon has been pretty stressed about going home, but gratefully we’ve seen so many tender mercies along the way.

OH! Heather and Jared are engaged! Wahoo! I am so excited for them! Marriages and babies, marriages and babies. I thought that life at home was supposed to stop while I was out here. Ha ha. Guess not. Will you let Russ know that I expect pictures pronto when that baby is born! Otherwise I might have to disown him as my cousin.

Sorry I talk so much! Ha ha. I love you lots and lots and lots. And I love this work lots and lots and lots!

Thank you for all you do!

Sister Painter