We did it all. We delivered some Christmas presents for a missionary serving a here in our ward, whose family lived close to where we were staying.We saw BYU, the MTC, the Bountiful, South Jordan, Draper, Provo, Salt Lake temples and our new favourite, the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We saw Micheal McClean in the Forgotten Carols, we ate at the Roof restaurant, Kneaders, saw the new City Creek Center, the Church History Museum, Salt Lake Cemetery, The Lion House, The Beehive, Temple Square, Music and the Spoken Word, and the First Presidency Devotional. We didn't sleep much squeezing so much into 3 days, but it was so incredibly wonderful.
I honestly felt a little like I was on the verge of tears at any given moment. So many things would take my breath away and I felt very close to the Spirit on this trip. Every time we turned around there was something else that would just amaze me. The view from the Roof Restaurant when we sat down at the table with a magnificent view of Temple Square lit up with over 700,000 lights or when we turned the corner in the museum and were face to face with a life size Angel Moroni statue, or sitting front row in the conference center and watching the choir rehearse and perform, seeing a another beautiful temple anytime we drove anywhere, it was almost too much.
Meeting Sister Elaine Dalton, the General Young Women's President at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building was one of the big highlights for me. We just happened to run into her, and she just kept telling me it wasn't by chance that we were able to meet. She was one of the most sincere, down to earth, beautiful, Christ like people I had ever met. The best way to describe her is the real deal. She made me feel like a million dollars. She was with her husband and her son-in-law and her only daughter (she has 5 sons) and her beautiful grand daughters. They had just watched the girls perform in a choir, and I didn't want to bother her, but she insisted we stay and chat and take pictures. We talked about the Young Women and she told me to go back to Canada with a hug for all of them and the message that they are "powerfully pure" and we talked a little bit about what that means. She would've let us stay there and talk all night, she was truly amazing, and it was exactly what I needed to jump start me in this new calling with these wonderful girls in our ward.
The next day in the very same chapel, we attended sacrament meeting. We were sitting in the first row and right before the meeting started, Elder Russell M. Ballard slipped in and sat on the stand. This was his home ward, and was just attending for a regular fast and testimony meeting. We had the chance to let him know that the first baptism he attended as a mission president was actually the baptism of my father-in-law Maurice Regimbal. The AP picked Elder Ballard up at the airport and drove straight to Moe's baptism. It's a story he's told in our family many times. So lovely to meet him in person and shake his hand. He told us anyone from Canada was alright with him. What a blessing it was to meet him.
So special! That's awesome.
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