However, a few months ago, after serving several years as an ordinance worker in the Seattle Temple in the summer, and the Dallas Temple the rest of the year, for some reason I began to think about the desirability of serving a temple mission for a year sometime in the future, perhaps in the spring of 2019.
I first thought Manhattan would be a wonderful place to serve, but immediately felt that thought might be influenced by a selfish desire to attend concerts and operas in my free time, since the temple is located across the street from the Juilliard School and Lincoln Center.
As my desire to serve increased, I started to focus on volunteering to serve somewhere in Latin America, where I could use my Spanish. If I went to, say, the Dominican Republic, I would be also able to enjoy the association with many people whom I had come to love when serving there with David. A hot, humid climate has always been a challenge for me, but I was sure that Lord would bless me to endure it well a second time if that was where He wanted me to serve.
When we had our Stone family reunion at the end of June, I mentioned my then firm resolve to serve a temple mission, everyone was very enthusiastic and supportive. I also mentioned my plans to my dear friends Mark and Dorothy Bench, who are presently serving as President and Matron of the Manhattan Temple, and they, too, thought it was a great idea.
In mid-July, I wrote down the strong impression I received during the Sacrament Service of my Mays Pond Ward in Washington that I should, “Pursue plans to serve a temple mission and the way forward will become clear in time.”
Thus, when President and Sister Bench called me August 6, to say they had thought of me when they were looking for a single sister who spoke Spanish to replace a Manhattan temple missionary who had to be released early to care for a seriously ill family member, I almost immediately felt that I should say, “Yes!” As my mind started churning thoughts about how I could possibly settle my affairs in both Washington and Texas, I felt I should not worry about the logistics of leaving for NYC as soon as possible. I was reassured that everything would work out. After receiving a strong confirmation through prayer, I told the Benches that I was sure this was the mission opportunity that the Lord had prepared me for, and I would do whatever was necessary to start serving as soon as possible.
After meeting with my bishop two days later, and beginning the online missionary application process, all the roadblocks that suddenly sprang up were soon cleared away, and in less than a month I flew from Seattle to Dallas to pick up winter clothes, and then on to New York City, which will be my home for the duration of my mission. I was able to serve as a local temple worker until my paperwork was processed, and on October 22 I officially started my service as a temple missionary.
Serving full-time in the Manhattan temple is indeed, “the way forward that [became] clear in time.” In the temple here I get to use both my Spanish and my French––skills I had come to consider of little use in recent years, but which are now greatly needed and appreciated.
And as an important side note, the abundant cultural perks of living across the street from Lincoln Center I now gratefully regard as coming to me not as the result of a self-centered wish, but as an unexpected tender mercy from Our Father in Heaven.
As my desire to serve increased, I started to focus on volunteering to serve somewhere in Latin America, where I could use my Spanish. If I went to, say, the Dominican Republic, I would be also able to enjoy the association with many people whom I had come to love when serving there with David. A hot, humid climate has always been a challenge for me, but I was sure that Lord would bless me to endure it well a second time if that was where He wanted me to serve.
When we had our Stone family reunion at the end of June, I mentioned my then firm resolve to serve a temple mission, everyone was very enthusiastic and supportive. I also mentioned my plans to my dear friends Mark and Dorothy Bench, who are presently serving as President and Matron of the Manhattan Temple, and they, too, thought it was a great idea.
In mid-July, I wrote down the strong impression I received during the Sacrament Service of my Mays Pond Ward in Washington that I should, “Pursue plans to serve a temple mission and the way forward will become clear in time.”
Thus, when President and Sister Bench called me August 6, to say they had thought of me when they were looking for a single sister who spoke Spanish to replace a Manhattan temple missionary who had to be released early to care for a seriously ill family member, I almost immediately felt that I should say, “Yes!” As my mind started churning thoughts about how I could possibly settle my affairs in both Washington and Texas, I felt I should not worry about the logistics of leaving for NYC as soon as possible. I was reassured that everything would work out. After receiving a strong confirmation through prayer, I told the Benches that I was sure this was the mission opportunity that the Lord had prepared me for, and I would do whatever was necessary to start serving as soon as possible.
After meeting with my bishop two days later, and beginning the online missionary application process, all the roadblocks that suddenly sprang up were soon cleared away, and in less than a month I flew from Seattle to Dallas to pick up winter clothes, and then on to New York City, which will be my home for the duration of my mission. I was able to serve as a local temple worker until my paperwork was processed, and on October 22 I officially started my service as a temple missionary.
Serving full-time in the Manhattan temple is indeed, “the way forward that [became] clear in time.” In the temple here I get to use both my Spanish and my French––skills I had come to consider of little use in recent years, but which are now greatly needed and appreciated.
And as an important side note, the abundant cultural perks of living across the street from Lincoln Center I now gratefully regard as coming to me not as the result of a self-centered wish, but as an unexpected tender mercy from Our Father in Heaven.
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