Sometimes, I think about sleeping just a little bit to much. My body is going all wacky from the different schedules we´ve been having this week. There just isn´t a sleeping routine anymore. BUt it´s okay because we receive blessings! Like working in the temple. It was great. We went last Wednesday - leaving at 6 in the morning taking a little breakfast break in capital and still managed to make it to the temple by 10 o´clock!...we were supposed to be there by noon. We were definately not late! So we were able to have some study time while we waited for our shift to start. We went and had lunch with Pte Gulbrandsen and Hna Gulbrandsen in the CCM that is behind the temple and then started to work. Hna Lobos and I started in the reception tent. Essentially, after the tours, everyone is led to this tent where there are chairs to sit down, a few snacks/goodies and time to reflect on how you felt and what you saw. Our job was to invite everyone (specifically those that weren´t members) to fill our a commentary card and to answer any questions that they had. It was a fun opportunity because a lot of the people were members - so we got to ask about their conversion experiences, and help them understand a little more about the temple. Talking with those that weren´t members was also really fun because we were able to teach mini lessons. They had really good questions, but it was just amazing to see the changes in the people for going through the temple. One Hermana told us that a man in our group started the tour being a little cocky, having only come for his daughter, not really wanting to be there. But throughout the tour he began to feel the spirit and by the end was very reverent and had a touching experience. Many people came out crying. The tour ends in the sealing room talking about the family and everyone having the chance to look in to the 2 mirrors into the eternities.
Then around 9:30 when everyone had finally left we were able to go up to our rooms....except the lock didn´t work. So we trooped back to Pte Gulbrandsen our mission dad to fix the lock. And he acted in a very dad-like manner. First, he was laughing at us because we were all so tired we were slap happy. Hermana Whitehead was dying. She was laughing/crying at everything (to be fair, we as the farthest missionaries had gotten up at 4 in the morning to be at the temple) and Pte Gulbrandsen just laughed at her. We figured out that the key didn´t work because it had been next to an i-phone all day (which I´m glad, because if Pte had opened the door when I couldn´t I would have felt like an idiot). So, first, like any good dad - he tried to jimmy the lock with his credit card. When that didn´t work, he went to go look for a spare master card. We eventually made it into bed.
9 o´clock the next day we start up again. This time we are in the entrance. There´s a hostel/building where the tour begins with a 10 minute video explaining the temple and the Hermana´s give a 30 second presentation of the videio and then we leave. That´s all. It was definately more routine/robot-esque but good at the same time. In the down time between groups we were able to read our scriptures.
And then when the next shift of Hermanas came in at 1 we were free to leave. And we started traveling and were back in Zarate at 7. Just in time to do daily contact with our 3 baptisms this week!!!
It was an amazing experience, we were able to spend a lot of time with Pte and Hna Gulbrandsen. Hna Gulbrandsen is hilarious. When we ere in the reception tent we spent a lot of time with her. And even though she still struggles with Spanish, she throws herself into the work. She just makes sure she has a translator with her at all times. But she was totally being our mom too - making sure that we were okay, keeping us busy, happy, entertained, and then helping with the people. She´s wonderful. I love our mission president and wife so much.
Okay, that´s pretty much the most exciting thing that is going on. Sunday morning was an adventure because it had rained like crazy the night before. Small little rivers that nearly kept us from getting our investigators. We had to cross over on a makeshift bridge. And then one little cranky girl almost didn´t go to church because "she was tired". Honey, you don´t know tired, get out of bed. I didn´t say that, but I thought it. Instead I just got some water and splashed it on her face.....done with love. It got her out of bed and she was able to enjoy el día del niño at the church. Afterward she thanked me for waking her up. Oh the joys the gospel brings.
Alright, I´m heading out. We´ll be going to the temple again tomorrow. So I´ll be giving you an update on the works again next week.
Love you!
Hermana Reed
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