Catering to the local membership

Well, we stay busy in the temple – but often only serving ourselves.  For some reason the local members, site missionaries and visitors are coming but only in small numbers.  Perhaps after Memorial Day things will pick up.  For a lot of the year, the temple primarily serves us missionaries.  We are grateful to be here and are glad to serve and to be served as we attend the temple often – both as ordinance workers and as patrons.  I only hope that we will still be able to handle the crowds that continue to be predicted to start arriving at a future time.

Last Thursday we went to Iowa City – it being our P-Day.  Becky had need to see an eye doctor and was hoping to go to a Lens-Crafters store.  The closest ones were all about one and a half to two hours away – so we chose to go to Iowa City to see the one there.   Her prescription hasn’t changed much, but she did need to get her frames adjusted.  On the way out, we had hoped to see the place there that has been raised as a memorial to those who started their hand-cart journey to Zion from there.  But luck would have it that the weather was not obliging so we have left that visit for another day.

Sunday again found us in Mt. Pleasant to attend church.  Again I translated for the Hispanics in the branch.  Becky and I were also asked to speak in their Sacrament meeting this coming Sunday.  At least we do not have too long to think about it.  After the block of meetings, we went to the home of the first councilor in the branch presidency where we had been invited to come for dinner.  Being from Guatemala, we enjoyed the dinner that he prepared which was after the fashion of that part of the world.  They invite the senior couples over on one Sunday each month, the younger missionaries on a different Sunday, family on another Sunday and in-actives or non-members on the other Sunday each month.  Need I say, he likes to cook!

The cold of winter is gone, and in its stead we have gotten a sporadic glimpse of what summer could threaten to become.  The heat is on and yesterday, we also “enjoyed” a very humid day.  With the humidity, it doesn’t have to be real hot to get sticky and uncomfortable.  It’s a good thing that we spend most of our time in the temple.