Oakland Temple Visitors' Center

What a GREAT week! We've just had referrals popping up all over the place! I can hardly believe how many potential investigators we have right now. As for investigators, that is going really well too. Remember those two new investigators that I told you about last week? Well, we went to the Oakland temple visitors' center with them this past Saturday. It's a two hour drive from Monterey to the Oakland temple (I don't think I've ever lived so far from a temple, what a blessing) so we had lots of quality time in the car with them. We also went with their member friend family that we also met last week--the Harrop's. The Harrops are such a great example of how the gospel can bless a family. Brother and Sister Harrop have solid testimonies of the gospel and I can tell that by the Spirit you feel when you're around them. They have four kids (probably under the age of 10) and they have incredible patience with them. It was great to be able to go to the temple visitors' center with them too. Probably the best part about going to the visitors' center was being able to show John* and Lindsey* the family presentation: God's Plan for His Family. It is a video presentation that they have at Temple Square and it really shows what the gospel looks like in action. Lindsey recognized how the family in the presentation was unified and the spirit of love that was between each other. John said that he liked the example of the father in the presentation who put off painting the house so that he could play baseball with his kids. John and Lindsey are pregnant with their first child so it was wonderful to be able to show them how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ really is relevant to them. 

 

After the visitors' center we walked around the roof of the Oakland Temple. It was really neat because we could look over the entire bay area--Oakland and San Francisco--with the Golden gate bridge in view. I love that you had such perspective from up there because that is exactly what you can get by going to the temple: perspective. When you're in the temple it is almost like you have a chance to look down on your life from a higher perspective and realize that everything really is going to be fine. Heavenly Father still has you in His hands and He'll guide you to the where you will be happiest, if you'll let Him. 

 

John and Lindsey came to church yesterday too! Since the Harrops are moving we wanted to integrate them into the ward that they actually live in (John and Lindsey had been attending the Harrop's ward before). It was incredible how the talks in Sacrament meeting and the lesson in gospel principles were incredibly relevant to their needs. Also, since being in the San Jose mission I've really realized just how important members are in helping people become not only active in the church, but also active in the gospel.

 

At church yesterday I was also asked to speak at the YSA sacrament meeting about Temple Square and missionary work. We'll see how that goes.

 

*I changed their names