We Continue To Be Blessed

This could easily be an email, but I would like this experience to be recorded in a more permanent manner than just an email.

Coming to the Washington DC Temple as regular temple ordinance workers has been a very rewarding experience.  We are able to enjoy the blessings that continue to be showered on us. We have been content and happy.  But slowly more and more responsibilities have been added to our plates.

The first piece of additional responsibility came in the form of being called to be assistant shift coordinators for the Tuesday mid shift. Your dad is fine with being the SCA, but it has been a struggle for me. Then came the call to be second in charge of the spring two-week temple cleaning closure; which means we are now in charge of the fall temple cleaning that is fast approaching. No problem.  Your dad is handling all the organizing. Meanwhile I am  getting a little accustomed to being a shift coordinator assistant, just in time to be called in again to President Foulger's office.  This time we were asked to be the Baptistry Assistants for the Wednesday mid shift.  No problem, we can handle that.   Not more than a week later, another summons to President Foulger's office.  Baptistry Assistants on the Saturday mid shift? Sure, why not.  (All of us have been trained to never say "No" to Church assignments, right?) So far, so good.  Then the bomb was released:  "Brother and Sister Eddington, with the Cannons' mission coming to a close, we would like to call you to replace the Cannons as the Temple Baptistry Trainers."  GREAT.  I am now totally out of my comfort zone!  Your dad and I have spent the last month "Getting Ready to Get Ready."  The bomb finally landed and exploded last Tuesday as I was mindlessly helping organize the sisters' schedules.  Sister Davenport (the Shift Coordinator, and my boss): "Sister Eddington, you remember from our conversation last Tuesday, that you and your husband will be training a group the first two hours of our shift?"  "Are you kidding me? No, I DON'T remember!"  "Well, you are on the schedule."  "Great." At that point I FREAKED out.  I started making mistakes on the schedule organization. I finally apologized for my ineptness, dropped the schedules I was working on, and announced I was totally on overload. I told both Sister Davenport and Sister Scott it was a nightmare come true.  I used to dream there was a whole row of administration sitting at the back of my classroom ready to observe my teaching.  I nervously searched through millions of piles of papers, looking for my lesson plans....which I never found.  After having told them of my past nightmare, I excused myself, found your dad and told him of our dilemma. We started planning for our training meeting.  I was still freaking out, which meant my mind was totally turned off. Your dad told me to settle down.  Yeh, right!  He then offered a very sweet and comforting prayer.   I immediately felt calm and reassured.  I was able to concentrate,  to get organized, and felt confident. After about half an hour, I walked back into the women's study where Sister Davenport and Sister Scott were still organizing schedules. They looked at me and exclaimed, "You are a different person than you were half an hour ago!  You are cool as a cucumber."

It is very humbling and testimony-building to know how much Heavenly Father watches over us and cares for us.  How much He helps us accomplish our assignments, whether they be Church assignments or otherwise. He not only helps us to succeed for our own progress, but for the progress of the Church through our successful efforts. He loves us and knows each of us personally.  All we have to do is ask, and He is there for us.

Our mission is a source of joy and is so rewarding.  We have been forced out of our comfort zones and are learning so much. We are blessed daily, as are all of you.  We love all of you and continue to pray for you.