What I needed.

I have been praying for a while to feel the spirit, to have a spiritual experience.  Something to shake me out of the sadness of hard times and losses our family has been dealing with lately.  And I was so blessed on Saturday to have my prayer answered. 

Tim and I attended the Phoenix Temple Groundbreaking.  Because of the neighbor opposition to the building of this Temple, the church had to be very mindful of the chaos it could have caused.  And so, this Temple groundbreaking was by invitaion only.  And every Bishop in our Temple district was given a personalized invite for him and his wife.  We received it just 4 days before the groundbreaking and only knew of the event for a few days before that. 

When Tim was called to be Bishop, the Stake President told me there would be sacrifices and blessings to being a Bishop's wife. This was an amazing BLESSING. 

I was nervous as we drove to the Temple site.  Everyone was asked to carpool so traffic wouldn't be an issue.  We picked up Bishop and Sister Vernon at 8am for the be there by 8:30 time request.  And honestly almost everyone was there by 8:30.  Very few people came in late and no one after 8:45. 

Elder Rasband and Elder Pickard walked down the rows and shook hands and personally greeted us.  The calm spirit they brought was amazing.  We heard beautiful music, talks and testimonies about the sacredness of the Temple and how each of us should be involved and support OUR Temple.  It is so good to think soon we will have a Temple just minutes from our house.  I was sad to hear later that so few of our ward members took the opportunity to watch the broadcast at the Stake center.  Many may have thought it is just a field of dirt.  But that is now sacred dirt!  Dedicated to building a House of the Lord.  Once in my lifetime event. I wish everyone could have come.   (Melissa, Amy and Emily even saw us during the broadcast and Harry saw Tim and said "Papa's hair".)

To be in a chapel filled with Bishops, Stake Presidencies, Patriarchs, President and members of the Seventy, President Monson's daughter and family--whoa.  When we sang it was so loud and the spirit so strong.  Goosebump moments!  Tim leaned over and told me he felt overwhelmed that he was Bishop and could be a part of something so wonderful. 

After the closing prayer we all made our way out to the Temple site.   Not the stampede you would expect of an everyday experience.  It reminded me that the House of the Lord is a house of order.  Everyone was talking, smiling, courteous, offering seats and taking pictures for each other. No one was a shovel hog and not one bit of dirt got thrown.  Ahhh, my kind of world. 

First Elder Rasband, Elder Pickard, Elder Walker and Elder Wright offically broke ground.  We all applauded.  Then they called up Stake Presidents, added their wives, added former Stake Presidents and city officals.  Elder Walker told everyone to look up for the pictures otherwise all we would see is the tops of everyone's head.  They even called up all children under 10.  (Stake Presidencies got to bring their families).  Elder Rasband said President Monson did that when he broke ground on the Russia Temple and it was his favorite part.  So he figured it should be done here, too. 

After that, they opened it up for all of us to take a turn with a golden shovel and turn a bit of the dirt our Temple will be built upon.  FUN!!  (While we were driving there, Tim told us he hoped we would have that opportunity.)  So for the next half hour or so, we shoveled dirt and took pictures, pictures, pictures. 

Bishop Vernon asked Elder Rasband if it was ok for him to take some dirt for his Primary children.  He said yes.  And Bishop Vernon kindly shared that dirt with our ward, too.  Saturday afternoon Melissa and I went and found 200 small ziplock bags and put dirt into them.  Sister Vernon scaned the picture of the Temple off the program and made little cards.  We laminated the cards and stapled the bag of dirt to it so each primary child could have some sacred Temple ground dirt.  Bishop's love their Primary children.

All the way home I kept telling Tim what a great day it was.  I feel very blessed to have been able to attend the Temple groundbreaking.  And I am grateful for the strong spirit I felt.  Very grateful.

Here are a few of the 100 pictures we took. 

The official groundbreaking

President Monson's Family

Our Stake Presidency

Our Stake Presidency and Bishops

US!!

Tim shaking Elder Rasband's hand