Dear Loved ones!
Today is Saturday here in a very cold Madrid, Spain. We were on the morning shift in the temple. I was assigned to the Celestial Room for a couple of hours and I want to share with you some of my feelings. We had many many people in the temple this morning from all the countries in our district. One couple from Italy was here for several days. He could barely walk and had to have help in sitting down and standing up and dressing. His wife helped him alot and so did the temple workers. The wife shed many tears in the Celestial room and I thought about her and how hard she works to help her husband come to enjoy the temple. I saw people hurrying to go on another session today because this is there last day for several weeks to be here. I thought about how different the people are. Some are smiling and happy, some are very serious, some seem sad and unhappy and I thought about the love our Heavenly Father has for all his children. He wants them all including us to be happy and successful. It isn't that hard for most of us to get to a temple as often as we want but most of these people this week came long distances and great expense. The air traffic controllers went on strike today so many of the members are having to find other means of returning to their homes. I wondered about one sister who I never saw smile the whole time she was here. I wish I could have helped her in some way. One other sister who I was training was from Barcelona. She told me that she had not had too much schooling but that she could do anything she wanted and needed to. I noticed that she couldn't write very well. I also found out that she is the Stake Relief Society President in Barcelona and has been the Stake Primary President as well as President of the YW. She is a very elegant and charming sister. She is a professional seamstress and was wearing a beautiful white dress in the temple that she had made. She was so warm and loving with me and tried so hard to learn what she needed to be a temple worker. She gave me many hugs and kisses as she left today. I will miss her! We really learn to love and appreciate the wonderful members here. I think that you will enjoy seeing some of the attached pictures. The Skousens and us went down to the Plaza Mayor on Monday to see the Christmas decorations and kioskes. While we were there it started to snow! The first snow of the season came quite early this year. We will get out the heavy coats and hats now. Our missionaries have gone and only 2 new ones came in. We have 30 waiting for visas in the states. These two are from Portugal and speak perfect English. Hurray! We can teach in English. Just trying to share feelings in a different language is muy muy hard!! This last week our friend Hugo Morelli asked us to be with him when he came to the temple for the first time. We loved being with him and tried very hard to help him get ready. After the session in the temple he expressed his love for us and told us how happy he was to finally have his endowments. It was a special day for all of us. He joined the church after reading about the church on the internet. He is a successful business man, 32 years old, single and very nice looking. He is part Italian, Swiss and Argentinian. We hope he will visit us sometime in Arizona.
