Saturday, April 25, 2009 - Temple Trip! (and big feet)

Hey!

How's it going?

It's been yet another crazy week in the TLM.

Thanks for the cooking ideas. We've been asking around and we got some more. The other day, we had sauerkraut and wieners, which was a nice change from the regular penne.

And how can you have 26-degree days?! It's only April! Not only that, *we're* having 80-degree weather...

That reminds me, we got to help Brother Mortensen trim some trees and bushes in his backyard this morning. He took us to Taco Villa for breakfast, and then we sawed away and carried away branches and tall grass stalks. Fortunately, there was a cool breeze all morning. It also felt humid, so there may be some rain today.

Also, we got to go to the Temple on Thursday! The Mortensens go every Thursday morning and they invited us. Elder Northey hadn't gone his whole mission (20 months or so), so we definitely had to go. We thought they go through each week, but it turns out that they work there those mornings. They've been working there every since the temple opened. It's amazing every time. I'm starting a list of how often I get to go and when. This week was my fifth time. I also re-read that little booklet by President Packer, "Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple". It's cool how the temple is yet another good fruit of Joseph Smith; testifying to his calling. Also, it's yet another thing that he definitely could not have done on his own.

On Monday, we drove over to Amarillo to close another apartment. All the neighbours knew the missionaries and were really friendly to us. Elder Northey used to serve there, so we visited some people that he knew and went to a small diner that sold giant breakfast burritos. Oh, and we took some pictures of some really big feet.

After what I think was three weeks without the time/chance to do proper grocery shopping, we finally went to Wal-Mart and got some food. Even after all that, I didn't get that much. But this is the first time I bought hot dogs on my mission. That was cool. Also, Elder Northey picked up a George Foreman grill in Amarillo that he left behind and made some burgers. That was good.

And, I'm not sure if I've told you, but Elder Philpot has been so excited the last few weeks that he was teaching someone who agreed to be baptized on his birthday. Sister Jarrett, serving in the singles' branch, had the same thing. Turns out, their birthdays are on the same day! I thought that was pretty cool. That, and Elder Rasmussen gets to give some birthday beats. We'll probably help him.

Last weekend, President Robison went to a mission presidents' conference in Arizona. He said it was good and he came home with some ideas from the conference and from the other mission presidents. He asked us to pick him up from the airport Sunday evening, so we decided to make a big sign that said "President Robison" on it and hold it as if we were the valet parking. Sister Robison suggested that we make a big "Welcome Home President Robison!" banner, as if he were a returned missionary - if we had more time, we would have done that.

Despite going to the wrong airport exit (how were we supposed to know that tiny airport has more than one exit!?), he loved it. Before he arrived, a stranger walked up and jokingly said, "Thank you; I'm President Robison". Another walked past us, met the person there to pick him up and after she asked him how he was, he said, "I'm fine. I'm definitely not President Robison, that's for sure". Maybe being a valet is more fun than it looks...

Umm... anyways, that's all I've got this week. Tomorrow, we're speaking in sacrament meeting in Brownfield.
I'll talk to you later, and hope that none of us get the swine flu.

The Church is true! If you don't believe me, go to the temple.

I love you!

-Elder Brandon Wong

Something I wish I knew before my mission: what sauerkraut tasted like.