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After our session President Halversen took us to a sealing room and gave a short talk about the temple and the covenants that are made there. He then took the time to answer questions. Some of the missionaries then went back to the Celestial room to pray and hold on to the feeling that is there a little longer. It was a beautiful experience and worth the 7 or so hours of driving.
When we were back in Plantation we all went to the Mission home where Sister Anderson had prepared a delicious meal which was followed by the President asking each missionary to share one spiritual experience and then bear their testimony. We left at that point so the assistants could drive us back to the chapel to get our van and head home.
It was a very long but a very rewarding day for us.
Loving your journal entries! Your pictures of the Orlando Temple brought back good memories. The temple was out of our boundaries and for the first 9 months no missionary could go to the temple. Then the priesthood tried an experiment to see if the missionaries would be obedient when going to the temple (no shopping, just to the temple and back and had to be with members from their area of service or a senior missionary couple of which there were 3. Just before we left, we were given permission to take the 3 sisters that we baptized along with their already member husbands to do baptisms for their ancestors. These women were so hungry for the temple and it was almost as wonderful for us then, as it was when we flew back out to attend the temple with them as they received their endowments. The husbands also received theirs. The temple is beautiful and the experiences were fantastic.
We hope that President Anderson will let us go with the ward when they make another temple trip. They are going on the 10th but I think that is too close to when we went so we will try for the next time.
We hope that we touch as many lives as you did when you served here in Florida. There a many opportunities to work with part member families.