We were assigned to do the refreshments for our shift's family home evening this past Wednesday. The assignment was given by Brother Guenther who said to just keep it simple - cookies and punch or something like that. Because Sister Burkinshaw enjoys making cookies and we have a new oven in our flat, we decided to do cookies and punch! We asked around for others who enjoyed making cookies and assigned several other sisters to bring two dozen cookies each. Preparing punch was a little more complicated, as we discovered the UK doesn't have frozen juice concentrate. We adapted by purchasing cartons of orange juice and mixing it with carbonated raspberry lemonade. It turned out aesthetically pleasing, good and everyone seemed to quite enjoy the homemade cookies. Sister Burkinshaw made peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip bar cookies and iced lemon sugar cookies - all using recipes from melskitchencafe.com. They went fast, especially the iced lemon cookies. Many commented on how much they enjoyed the simple cookies and punch. We realized later that, as often happens in the church, family home evening treats had become, with the best of intentions, a family home evening meal. Since we didn't have any previous experience, doing something simple turned out to be a nice and a much appreciated return to the original intent for everyone. We forgot to take a picture, but the table of cookies and punch with a cute napkin and borrowed table clothes from the London South mission looked very nice, but SIMPLE.
Brother and Sister Rogers did a trivia activity which was lots of fun and Elder and Sister Page did an excellent lesson on family history. Two things that stood out from the lesson was a story Sister Page told about her niece and a poem called "The Dash", both of which were reminders of how closely connected this life is to the next.
The story...
Sister Page has a niece with three small children who has gone through a divorce and the associated challenges. The niece worries about her small children who are away from her often due to shared custody and so she decided to do family history work during this time. She recently sent Sister Page the family name cards for two ancestors, sisters, to have their ordinances performed in the London Temple. After completing the work, Sister Page had a very specific message come to her mind: "Tell her (the niece) we are keeping our promise". Not understanding the distinct and specific message she had received, Sister Page nevertheless shared it with her niece. The niece choked up as she told Sister Page that, while researching the information for these sisters, she had promised them that she would spend the necessary time to prepare their work if they would watch over her children while they were away from her. These sweet sisters from the other side of the veil wanted her to know that they were keeping their end of the promise.
And the poem....
The Dash
by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real.
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more.
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile.
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash.
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
© by Linda Ellis, Copyright Inspire Kindness, LLC 1996, www.thedashpoem.com
This week, we have been reminded of how much we love and appreciate the faithful patrons who come to the temple and how we can feel of their spirit of service despite language differences. Many London temple patrons come and stay at the Accommodation Center (patron housing) for several weeks. While here, they are in the temple first thing in the morning and often are performing proxy ordinances until evening. As a result, we come to know their names and feel of the spirit they bring with them. We had a sister from Germany, Sister Kreuzmair, a retired teacher and basketball coach, who was here for a month and always had a wonderful spirit about her. She spoke more English than many do and learned to do many of the ordinances in English. We also had a French couple, the Grassier's, for three weeks and when they communicated that they were leaving last Friday afternoon, there were many hugs exchanged as they said their farewell. Sister Grassier also had mastered the veil in English by the end of their time here. It is inspiring to see their faithfulness and dedication.
We were on the early shift this week and served as the veil coordinators as part of our training. With most temple assignments, couples do not actually see each other very often, if at all during the day, except maybe for lunch/dinner during the shift. However, as veil coordinators, we work together, so that has been a treat! We will train as veil coordinators for two weeks, one week on the early shift and one week on the late shift before we will be certified. This has also given us an opportunity to work together on learning the veil ordinance in Portuguese. Elder Burkinshaw has passed that off and after next week Sister Burkinshaw should be ready to do the same. The veil is often referred to as the highlight of the temple experience.
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| Uncle Linne Marlin Olson, October 7, 1923 to May 19, 2018 passed away peacefully in St. George, Utah at the age of 94 with Aunt MarJeanne, his wife of 70 years, by his side. Elder Burkinshaw and I worked with a man in the Oklahoma City temple who had Uncle Linne as a bishop while living in Rawlins. He shared with us his story of conversion and how he had been working hard to prepare to go to the temple with his wife, but was having a hard time measuring up. When he went into Bishop Olson's office for his temple recommend interview he was discouraged. He shared his struggle with Bishop after which Uncle Linne looked at him and said, "I am going to sign this recommend and you are going to promise me that you will do what it takes to be worthy of this recommend from this time forward." That was what he needed, he did and was so grateful for Uncle Linne's confidence and support, he said it changed his life. |
With Uncle Linne Olson's passing this week, the symbolism of the veil took on deeper meaning and made for a very tender week. In receiving the message of his passing from Aunt Kary she shared what she had recorded in her journal about Grandpa Steven's passing 16 years ago in May of 2002. She shared:
"This has been an unprecedented week for me. I left early Tuesday morning to fly to Utah to be with my family as we prepared for Dad to pass away. I arrived in Salt Lake and Micah picked me up at the airport to take me to Provo. I went straight to the hospital and found my family in Dad’s room. He was very incoherent and I don’t know if he recognized me or not. Shortly after my arrival Aunt MarJeanne and Uncle Linne arrived. Dad did seem to respond to Aunt MarJeanne’s voice.
We spent the afternoon visiting and talking. Mom, Micah and I stepped out around 6:00 PM for a bite to eat. We then returned to the hospital where I spent the night. During the afternoon they did take the glucose away that they were giving Dad to keep his blood sugar levels stabilized. I think we all expected him to go quite quickly after that, but there was little or no change throughout the night.
I left the hospital around 5:30 AM to shower and change. I returned at about 8:30 AM. Family was coming and going for the next 2 hours.
Chris and Jana had started for home. Tony & Mary who had come to the hospital at 5:00 AM to relieve Stacey and I, had returned to the house to shower. We had Dad cleaned up around 10:00 AM, changing his bedding and bed pad. Patti had also returned to the hospital, but left to take Rayde to Salt Lake to catch a ride back to Idaho.
Aunt MarJeanne and Uncle Linne came back to the hospital to visit one last time before returning to Rawlins. As they were preparing to leave Uncle Linne asked mother if he could give her a blessing. She agreed and then I suggested to Mom that we ask Uncle Linne to give Dad a blessing. He did so, humbling requesting the Lord to take Dad home and release him from his mortal suffering if it was “His” will. Uncle LInne and Aunt MarJeanne departed. We (Mom, myself, Stacey, Lori and Julie) just sat down and were quietly talking. I suggested to Mom that we get some music for Dad, since one’s hearing is the last sense to go. Mom reached over and turned theTV speaker to a music channel and sat it by Dad’s ear. He seemed to respond to that and acted as if it was uncomfortable to him. When he showed a response, something he hadn’t done, we turned the music off and stood around him talking and expressing our love. He smiled as we talked and seemed to understand that we were there. At 10:40 AM his breathing momentarily stopped. We thought that he was gone. We called Tony & Mary and asked the nurse to come in. Dad’s breathing continued and was laborious for several more minutes. He then took two deep sighs and died at 10:49 AM. It seemed relatively peaceful to me and almost natural. We called Tony again, but he’d already left for the hospital and we also called Patti who returned quickly.
Others came, Jessica Burkinshaw and Chuck Watts (cousin). When we were all there we knelt in prayer. Tony gave a beautiful prayer which touched all of us. During that time before we had all gathered we contacted the funeral home in Lovell. They’d made arrangements with Berg Mortuary in Provo who arrived promptly. They explained to us what needed to be done. After they stepped out of the room we again knelt in prayer requesting the Lord to watch over Dad’s mortal body as they prepared to move his body and prepare it to be transported to Wyoming. After that we left the hospital and returned to the house in Provo. We then sat down together to plan the funeral services. Jeff, Stacey’s husband, had provided us with a suggested program. It was a great help and Dad’s funeral service fell quickly into place.”
We are grateful for Aunt Kary's journal keeping and I would just add a few other remembrances. Aunt MarJeanne and Uncle Linne were both very good to Mom and Dad. I do remember Aunt MarJeanne being quite concerned that perhaps enough hadn't been done medically to help Dad. Jessica, who had spent the first night at the hospital with Dad, also expressed concern over hearing the nurses discussing that Dad's treatment had not been handled properly. In the end, however, I believe it was Dad's time and he would not have been content with limitations that he would have had if he had lived. I do appreciate more now, than I did at the time, how difficult it must have been for Aunt MarJeanne to say goodbye to the last of her immediate family and to lose this younger brother that she loved and who had been so loving and committed to his immediate family as well as his extended family.
Aunt Kary mentioned the time right before Dad's passing, which I, (Sister Burkinshaw as Elder Burkinshaw was still in Oklahoma taking care of the family and would later drive out with Uncle Ryan and all the kids) remember very clearly. I have pondered many times the feeling that the veil was very thin and that Dad, as he did respond to us, was also aware of those who had already passed beyond the veil. It was, particularly the last 30 minutes, as though he was without the veil and had a vision of those he loved on both sides. His passing was peaceful because those there knew it was only a temporary separation and that he was being welcomed home with love from his parents and brothers as well as Scott. We are so grateful for the opportunity to work in the temple where ordinances and covenants bind families together eternally.
One of the challenges of working in the temple is to avoid sharing more information about the ordinances and experiences than is appropriate. Below is a couple of paragraphs of President David O. McKay's address delivered at the Salt Lake Temple Annex, Thursday, September 25, 1941. to those about to go through the Temple for the first time. After discussing the ordinances of the temple he shares this about the veil:
"If in our souls we can accept these laws we are then ready, spiritually prepared to enter into the presence of God provided we can obey the Law of Consecration, the next step. The law of consecration—my time, my talents, all I possess, are placed upon the altar for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, and then man can attain to that spiritual achievement they can merit what Christ said to Zacchaeus, a money-maker, a man who I think sometimes had dealt dishonestly with his fellowman. He was a publican, a tax-gatherer. One day the Lord said to him: “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down,” (he was in a sycamore tree looking at the crowd in Jericho. “Come down; for today I must abide in thy house.” I do not know what happened at the dinner table. Nobody knows, except by inference, but we do know that Zacchaeus' heart was touched, and he recognized Jesus as a man of God, and when that testimony, even that glimmer of a testimony entered his heart, he said: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods”—(I wish he had said all, but he did not) “I give to the poor.” That was a wonderful thing for a rich man to say…. “Take half of what I have....And if I have taken anything from any man be false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” And Jesus said unto him, “This day is salvation come to this house.”
"And when you and I can stand at a certain place in the House of God and say conscientiously and truly, “I will consecrate my life, my time, my talents to the advancement of the Kingdom of God,” we are prepared through inspiration to enter into His presence. And that is what you do at the veil, symbolically, when the veil is drawn asunder and you enter into the Celestial Room."
On Saturday while we were directing the veil, we had the opportunity to welcome the Relief Society president from our new ward to the temple as she received her own endowment. Even though we have only been to the ward twice, we have quickly grown to love the members and were so excited for her. Her husband is not a member of the church, but Bishop Nabrotsky came, along with several of the other sisters in the ward. We know that her efforts to go to the temple will bring many blessing to her life, to her family's and to many others.
It has a busy week, but a good week. We finished it by going out to dinner and to a concert in East Grinstead with Brother (Barry) and Sister (LuAnn) Wolsey. Barry Steele, who has a wonderful voice, did a tribute to Roy Orbison who was from Texas and an "American singer, songwriter and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark emotional ballads....while most male rock-and-roll performers in the 1950s and 1960s projected a defiant masculinity, many of Orbison's songs instead conveyed vulnerability. His voice ranged from baritone to tenor, and music scholars have suggested that he had a three- or four-octave range. During performances, he was known for standing still and solitary, and for wearing black clothes, to match his dyed jet black hair and dark sunglasses, which lent an air of mystery to his persona." The concert was well done and although we don't remember a lot of music from the 50's and 60's, we did recognize many of the songs. Barry Steele also had an amazing range and interestingly did the concert standing still and solitary wearing black clothes. At the intermission we visited with the man sitting next to us, in part because during intermission he came back with ice cream instead of alcohol and it was easy to start up a conversation about ice cream. He was from the East Grinstead area, but upon learning we were from the US, he mentioned he had an Uncle who lived in Salt Lake City and was an artist. The artist is Ian Ramsay who is famous for his watercolor scenes, which are wonderful!
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| Ian Ramsay Watercolor of a Farmyard, Midway ,Utah |
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| Ian Ramsay Watercolor of Dawn, Astoria Harbor. |
Monday was a "Bank Holiday" meaning it was a nationwide holiday and for that reason the temple was open for four sessions 8:30, 9:30, 11:00 and 12:00. We had a good turnout of patrons and both shifts worked. We ended the day with a picnic on the temple grounds and a game of 5-crowns as it was nicer (cooler) outside in the shade than in our flat. This also gave us a great opportunity to get some pictures of the other full time temple workers.
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| Sister Burkinshaw, Elder Nigel Rogers, Sister Denise Rogers, Elder Raul McQuivey and Sister Karen McQuivey. As you can see we have a Kentucky Fried Chicken in East Grinstead which makes for easy picnic food! |
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| Elder James Guenther (Canada), Elder Clyde and Sister Teri Page (Shift coordinators for B shift - South Jordan, Utah), Brother Wade (Trainer for B shift - UK). |
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| Brother Wade and Brother and Sister Vowels (UK). |
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| Sister Susan Freeman, Assistant to the Temple Matron and President Christopher Freeman, Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency. President Freeman worked for Phillips Petroleum before retiring in 2001. |
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| Sister Dougherty (UK), Sister and Elder Ludlow (Bountiful, Utah), Sister Haines (recently arrived from Tucson, Arizona). |
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| Sister and Brother Perry (Shift coordinators for A) and Sister and Brother Linford (Casper, WY). |
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| Brother and Sister Whitehouse (UK). Brother Whitehouse often drives the temple van. |
We are very grateful to be here and to serve in the London Temple. We have checked on-line for a window air-conditioner, but we will give it a few days and see if what they say about the British Summer is true. : ) If not we are making another Amazon purchase.
Love to all,
Elder and Sister Burkinshaw
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