Everyone met at the church at 7:30. I was really impressed by the number of youth attending to do baptisms. I loved, loved, loved doing baptisms before I was endowed, so I was really happy to see our youth equally excited. I would guess there were close to 20 young men/women. There wasn't nearly as large of a turn out for adults, which I was a little sad to see.
The trip takes about 4 hours. I have never been north of Casper, so I was actually looking forward to the drive. A newer member, named Jean-Claude (he is from France) sat up front with Ryan. His wife works and was unable to attend. We also had two young women travel with us and they sat in the very back. They were a blessing because they helping entertain Mr. P. Pierscen was under the weather that weekend, so I was grateful for the extra help in cheering him up.
I learned that Wyoming is actually a REALLY beautiful place. Just not so much where we live. Haha. Honestly, Casper isn't that bad. But it's also not that great. I had no idea how lush and beautiful it is farther north. Unfortunately it was rainy, so we couldn't see the Big Horn Mtns, but the landscape was still beautiful. Much more diverse than the flat expanse of the southern half of Wyoming. Buffalo and Sheridan were particularly gorgeous. Ryan and I both agreed that retiring to Sheridan would be a good option. :)
I had hoped to do a session, but when we arrived there were only 2 sessions left for the day: one that started in 15 minutes and the other that started at 2 pm. The latter would have been too late, and I wasn't prepared to do the mad dash to make the first one, especially because babysitting arrangments hadn't really been secured and as mentioned, P was pretty cranky. It didn't help that he refused to fall asleep until the last 15 minutes of the drive, so he was REALLY tired.
The bishop's wife and one other sister who had come up ahead of the group and had already done a session, volunteered to watch P and the other kids while I went and did inititories. That was a cool experience. I was the only one there to start with. By the end there were a few other sisters, but it was really neat to be in a small temple and be able to do the work for those who have gone on before us. I also thought it was interesting that of the five names I was given, only one of them had anything other than a name listed. Meaning, normally they have a birthday, year, and location. Or at least as much as possible. The last name I had listed "Illinois" as the location but that was it. None had birthdays, years, or places of birth. Crazy!
I think my favorite thing about this temple is that just beyond the front desk there is a long open skylight in the waiting area. I could have sat there for hours watching the clouds float by. It was so serene and peaceful. I also loved that right in the front doors there were two fountains/pools surrounded by gorgeous botanical plants. WAY pretty.
Like all temple grounds, it is absolutely gorgeous. It was wonderful to be able to walk around and feel the peace and calm. No where else on earth is quite like that. The moment you drive onto the temple grounds, the weight of the world drifts away.
Ryan went with the youth to the baptistry. From what I understand, he did a lot of baptizing. I am glad he was able to participate.
About twenty minutes after I came out of the temple, some crazy storms clouds came rolling in, the temperature dropped, and the wind picked up. We moved into the building designated for those who have traveled a ways and need to change or shower before going to the temple.
When the youth and other leaders finished up, we all drove to Pizza Hut for lunch. Scrumptious. :)
I tried to take some pictures of northern Wyoming, but they aren't very good. We learned as we were about to head back to Casper that there was a thunderstorm and tornado warning in effect for the Casper area. We drove through some really bad rain for a while, but by the time we got home, the storm had moved on and everything was fine again.
I am grateful for the chance we had to go the temple. Hopefully we will be able to make it more often. We always try to go the temple whenever we are in Utah. It really is amazing how easy it is to take things for granted when you are surrounded by them. I mean, I think there are at least 12 temples within the same distance we drove to get to our temple as there are Utah.
When we got back to the church, we were the first to arrive so we needed to wait around for the others so that the young women with us had a ride home. P was getting really impatient and tired, so I took him out of his seat and put him in the back row. He has never been back there and I think the novelty of being out of his car seat and roaming free in the back was pretty exciting.
The boy was a trooper. He was more than grateful to be home and to go to bed. And the miracle of it (not that anyone wants to know, but,) he had a dirty diaper when we got home. I was honestly thrilled. He hadn't pooped in a few days and I know that had to have been adding to his crankiness. So there you have it - blessings of going to the temple. ;)
It will be interesting to see if our district changes at all when the Star Valley temple is built, but our guess is that it won't. Even though it will be in Wyoming, the route to get there will likely take longer than going to Billings or Denver. We'll see.
Anyway, the church is true. For those of you who live close to the temple and don't go - what are you waiting for? Go! I was thinking about how many names are done on a daily basis around the world and part of me wonders how we haven't run out of names. But the truth is, we have been told the work will continue through the millenium. There is a LOT of work to do. There are millions waiting for the chance to hear the Good News and have their work done. Jump in. Take part.
This month's Visiting Teaching message was about the Joy in Family History. The idea of being able to find my own ancestors and do there work is really exciting, but it is also really intimidating. I don't even know where to start. But I need to stop using that as an excuse and take the first step and visit the geneology library.
And if by any chance, there is someone reading this who is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is wondering what on earth I am talking about, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability. Or you can visit mormon.org. What I can tell you shortly (without delving into the depths of our history and beliefs) is that I know this Church is true. I know I am a daughter of God, a literal spirit child of a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and cares for me. I know that my purpose here on earth is to learn, grow, and make correct decisions that will bring me closer to God and ultimately return to His presence. I know that through this Gospel, we can be united with our family for not just this life, but for eternity. I know we have a living Prophet who guides and directs us. I know it is easy to think that Prophets and Apostles were for olden times, but if there were ever a time when we needed that direct guidance and help, wouldn't it be now? I know that the Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ and a companion to the Bible. The truths we gain from the scriptures provide us with answers and directions to life's many challenges. This church has brought me meaning and happiness. It brings joy and fulfillment. It brings purpose and truth. I challenge any who may stubble across this to learn more. You will find the peace and direction you are seeking. Of this I bear witness, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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