convenants – Latter-Day Saints

We have been in France for nearly a month now. We are mostly over COVID although Catherine has some residual dizziness and balance problems. We walk a lot here. The mission office is just over a mile away, shopping is close with many bakeries, butcheries and markets surrounding our small apartment. When we go out, Catherine holds tight to my arm to keep her balance. The clinging to my arm is not a problem at all. We pray that her dizziness will abate.

After our home bound COVID experience, we traveled to Frankfurt, Germany to train on the tools and processes used in self-reliance and humanitarian projects. There were two other new humanitarian couples there, assigned to Spain and Poland. Several couples newly assigned to the area office also attended, both to train and to be trained.

Lobby of the Central Europe Area office

The staff in the area office are knowledgeable, gracious and faithful saints. While there, we spent an evening at the Frankfurt Christmas Market. I haven’t seen crowds like these since I was in China visiting my brother. Ether, the man on the right in the picture above and yes, that is his name, came from Italy to help with the training and chauffeured us around in a van owned by the area.

Frankfurt Christmas market

The integrated programs of welfare and self-reliance are taking off in Europe, with programs open not only to the Saints but the community as well. Humanitarian efforts in Eastern Europe are expanding as the Church learns how to manage projects in these foreign cultures.

Murals in the Central Europe Area office

The church is moving forward at a dizzying pace, reaching out with all it’s resources to lift as many people as possible.

We returned from Frankfurt just in time to attend a gathering of senior couples from the France Lyon mission. Once a year, they come from all over the mission to share a day of testimony and an evening at the Lyon festival of lights.

Smorgasbord set out for the couple missionaries

The spread awaiting us as we arrived the the mission home, assembled by the mission president’s very talented daughter.

In 1643, the city of Lyon was struck by plague and municipal Councillors promised the city would pay tribute to Mary each year if the town was spared. It is a celebration with homes throughout Lyon placing candles in the windows and an entire city celebrating light.

Cathedrale St John

The crowds were even larger than the Frankfurt Christmas market but were orderly and respectful.

Cathedrale St John

In several of the plazas, light shows were projected on the buildings, surrounding us with image and sound.

Lyon Fetes des Lumieres

The pictures from my phone camera do not begin to do this justice.

Catherine in front of Catedrale Notre Dame

It is not without it’s temptations here. A French patisserie on every corner, not to mention the chocolate shops, we passed at least six on our walk last night. Chocolate Christmas trees, chocolate nativity scenes, exquisite Yule logs on almost every corner.

Chhoooollllooooccatttttee

It has been quite a welcome to France. We are now settling into our apartment, gathering materials both printed and online concerning the responsibilities. The more we study, the more it is apparent to us that the Church is not standing still. The prophets and apostles are leading the Church forward as fast as the saints and the world can keep up. The programs and materials are inspired. They understand and work according the principle taught by Boyd K Packer:

‘The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. . . . That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel.’ (“Little Children,” Ensign, November 1986)

We love our mission. We miss our families, we miss them terribly. Birthdays and baptisms and other events will pass us by, but we are on the Lord’s errand and our families will be blessed. We pray for them each day, both collectively and individually.

Tim and Catherine Frodsham

Portland Temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the temple is the most sacred of edifices. It is a place of ordinance, covenant, learning. Some years ago, after loosing my wife, I considered serving in the temple as an ordinance worker, but felt uncomfortable. At the time, single men, divorced or never married, were barred from serving in the temple. The only exceptions were widowers like me who were single, but sealed in the temple.

I wanted to serve in the temple, but it did not feel right to serve when men, more worthy and righteous than I, were barred from temple service simply because they were single. After considerable thought and prayer, I requested and accepted a calling as a temple engineer. I arrive early Saturday mornings, wake up the audiovisual equipment, then check out and log the boilers, chillers, air handlers, fonts and fountains. It takes about two hours for this process, then I wait in the engineering office for calls or wander the temple for the rest of my shift. While sitting by the phone, I tally a lot of indexing.

During my shift, I trouble shoot audiovisual problems, change light bulbs, plunge toilets (yum) and provide backup for security during emergencies. When the temple is shut down for periodic maintenance, I rewire fixtures for LED bulbs, and anything else the full time engineers need. This last shutdown, I worked in the ordinance rooms, pulling apart chairs to reupholster. The fabric used was a bit thicker than the original, and it took some gentle persuasion with a large mallet to convince the newly upholstered chair backs to slip into position. I stopped to ponder the incongruity of this situation. Here I was in one of the most sacred rooms of the temple, wailing on the back of a chair with a mallet. I apologized for the noise, then sat quietly and took the time to listen.

Under normal circumstance, the noise and tumult I was causing in the temple would be inexcusable, but there is a time and place for everything. Even His house needs maintenance, and at times, it is appropriate for bedlam to reign. I gathered my thoughts for a few moments. Here I was, in the holiest of rooms, white clothes smudged with dirt and grease, dripping sweat and pounding on a chair that would soon sit people experiencing the most sacred of His ceremonies. I felt the spirit and power of that room. His house. I was filled with the need to clean and repair my own life. A little chaos and commotion was appropriate, and even necessary to right so many wrongs in who I am and things I have done.

As imperfect and out of place as I was, hammering on those chairs, I was welcome in His house. I need to make Him welcome in the chaos of mine.