New Assignment and then Some Sad News

 New Assignment - Temple Trainers

Moroni slightly askew from the quake

Shortly before we went on break, the three missionary couples and one Filipino couple were asked to serve as temple trainers. Although we were excited about this new responsibility we also knew it would mean giving up some of our time as temple workers but training is so important and we happy we could use our experience and knowledge to help new workers.

There had been a sister who handled training for the morning shift, but for several months there hadn’t been anyone training the sisters in the afternoon. The brethren had a full-time trainer, but he wasn’t always able to cover everything that needed to be taught. It soon became clear that the training—both for men and women—wasn’t quite what it needed to be.

As we began observing and visiting with the new temple workers, we realized there wasn’t really a structured system in place to help them feel confident and prepared. Everyone was doing their best, but there just wasn’t a process to build on. So, the missionary couples decided to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The sisters met together and the brethren met together, and between us we created a four- to five-day training program for new temple workers.

When we presented our plans to the temple presidency, they were so excited and supportive. They loved the idea and approved it right away! It was such a wonderful moment—seeing how inspired teamwork and a little effort could make a real difference in the Lord’s house.

Because the presidency wanted a trainer on each shift, we also had to rearrange our schedules quite a bit to make sure everything was covered. Dad and I now train on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, and our baptism coordinator shift was moved to Thursday mornings instead of Thursday afternoons. We also train on Friday mornings.

However, when I told my Friday afternoon shift coordinator that I would be switching to mornings, she asked if I could please stay because she really needed a veil coordinator. So now… we work all day on Fridays!

The only catch is that Fridays are long—really long. Instead of the last session being at 3:30 p.m., there are also 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. sessions. That means we start our shift at 7:00 a.m. and don’t finish until around 8:00 p.m. By the time we walk through the door of our apartment, we’re absolutely exhausted. Thankfully on Saturdays we work only the afternoon shift and we don’t have any special assignments and get to be “just temple workers” and we love that.

Still, even though Fridays are tiring, there’s something deeply satisfying about the work. Training new temple workers has become one of the most rewarding parts of our service. Watching their confidence grow and seeing the light in their eyes as they catch the vision of what temple service truly means—it’s worth every long day.

We work hard throughout the week, but training the new workers has brought us so much joy. I love their eagerness to learn and the humble way they approach their assignments. They’re often a little nervous at first, but their faith and desire to serve shine through. As I watch them progress, I’m reminded of how I felt when I first began serving in the temple—grateful, a little unsure, and deeply aware of the sacredness of the work.

These experiences continually renew my own sense of wonder and purpose. Each time I step inside the temple, I’m reminded that this truly is the Lord’s house, and that He allows each of us—no matter how small our part may seem—to help in His great work of gathering Israel. What a privilege it is to serve here.

Then We Received the Sad News…

Just as we were getting our feet wet as trainers, we received the heartbreaking news that Dad’s mom wasn’t doing well and had been placed on hospice. She seemed to be doing quite well when we left for our mission, and we had hoped she would still be with us when we returned. But that wasn’t to be. On September 19th, she peacefully passed through the veil.

We were heartbroken knowing we wouldn’t see her again in this life, but comforted by the thought that she was reunited with her dear husband and other loved ones who had gone on before. I feel so blessed to have had her as my mother-in-law. She was such a kind and righteous woman who loved her family deeply. My life will always be richer because of the example she set and the many things I learned from her.

Shortly before she passed, Dad talked with his sister, who said their mom was sleeping almost around the clock and was very hard to wake. Dad asked her to call if she woke up so he could say goodbye. A short time later, his sister called back and said, “She’s awake.” They put the phone to her ear, and Dad told her it was Joe. Goodie said she seemed to recognize his voice. He told her he loved her, and even though she couldn’t speak, she mouthed the words, “I love you too.” She soon went back to sleep and passed away shortly after.

It was such a tender mercy for Dad to be able to say goodbye and tell her he loved her one last time. Moments like that remind me how aware our Heavenly Father is of each of us—how lovingly He arranges even the smallest details to bring peace and comfort to our hearts.

We are so thankful Grandma Andreasen was able to come to our 

missionary farewell and thankful we were able to 

get this last family picture with her. 

We Arranged to  Go  Home for  a Week to Attend Grandma’s Funeral

Although we wouldn’t dream of missing grandma’s funeral, it was hard timing since we were all adjusting to our new shifts and in the process of implementing our new training program. The other two couple missionaries were amazing and willing to divide up and cover our training and baptism shifts. We felt bad knowing they would work several full day shifts and how exhausting that can be. But they were wonderful about it which made it so much easier to leave the work. We told them to make a list of things they were missing from the ‘States” and if possible we would bring back what ever we could. 

We flew home on October 1st and stayed for a little over a week. Since we were almost half way through our mission, we called this our “Mission Intermission”. It was so wonderful to see everyone even though it was due to sad circumstances. Kristy and Heather met us at LAX and we all shed a few tears at the joy of seeing each other and being together again. By Saturday, all our children and their families had gathered for the funeral. It was a beautiful funeral, with many heartwarming tributes and beautiful musical numbers.  A fitting tribute to a wonderful woman. 

Dad and his siblings after the funeral

At the cemetery

Our family at the cemetery. 

We are missing Savannah who is on her mission in Chile 

And we have a couple additions, Timmy’s fiancé Kacy and Nathan’s girlfriend Allie.

We were also able to make it to one of our family's 

favorite restaurants - Apollo Burger. 

We almost filled up the entire restaurant!

The time at home went by so quickly. We tried hard to eat all the foods we’d missed, shop for things we can’t get in the Philippines, and simply enjoy being together as a family. Dad even managed to fit in a couple of rounds of golf, which he really enjoyed—though he admitted his game was a little rusty.

It was wonderful to be in our own home and sleep in our own bed again, yet I couldn’t shake the strong feeling that I wasn’t really home. Our home right now is our small apartment on the third floor of the patron house in the Cebu Temple Complex. I kept thinking how strange that was.

I’m so grateful for the chance to see my family and spend time with them. I miss them more than words can express. I’m deeply thankful for their love and support as we serve our mission, and it warms my heart to know they continue gathering for holidays and family events. I think that’s one of a mother’s greatest hopes—that her children and grandchildren will want to be together and enjoy each other’s company, even when we can’t be there.

Our time went by far too quickly, and before we knew it, we were getting ready for the long flight back to Cebu. Our flight was scheduled for early Wednesday morning—so early, in fact, that we got mixed up about the day and missed it! Yes, we were supposed to leave on Wednesday, but our flight departed at 12:50 a.m.—that’s 00:50 in military time.

I’m not sure whether the timing confused us or we just had “Wednesday” stuck in our minds, but I woke up at 3:00 a.m. thinking about our flight and realized there was no way we could possibly make it to the Philippines if we left when we planned. I got up, grabbed my iPad, and checked our flight status—it said “departed.” Sure enough, we had missed our flight.

I tried to let Dad sleep, but I was too anxious, so I woke him up and broke the bad news. He got up, called the airline, and thankfully was able to rearrange our flight. We felt so silly, but the kind lady from the airline assured him it happens all the time. That made us feel a little better. 

Love and miss you all. Thank you to those who write - I love hearing from you and hope you all  are enjoying the blog.

Sending love and hugs,

Sister Mom/Beth Andreasen