Labor Day, Trainings, and Denny's Breakfast

 A little over a week ago we found a little friend our the window next to the door leading out of the apartment building. We couldn't resist taking a picture. I forgot to share it last week.

This week has been busy and fun. Because of Labor Day weekend we actually had Monday off and took advantage of it. Steve has been wanting to take some closer pictures of the work on the Salt Lake Temple. He says there is only so much he can see from our office window. This first one was taken from our balcony. They have recently added scaffolding all around the Temple. They have also brought in a third huge crane to help with the work they are doing on the roof.  The rest throughout this post are from around Temple Square.

After visiting around the Temple for a while we decided to go into the Tabernacle since it has been years since we have been there. One of the Organist was practicing so that was a treat. He was doing a concert later. One in the Tabernacle and then a repeat in the Conference Center. We listened to him practice in the Tabernacle and then listened to the concert in the Conference Center.

After the Tabernacle we went to the Church History Museum.  I think my favorite exhibit was the Children's section. They have made a beautiful setting that focuses on the Temple. Part of the room makes it feel like they are in the Temple. They have lots of interactive things that help point them to the Temple. 

They also have one of three identical pulpits that were made from President Hinkley's walnut tree. One, of course is in the Conference center. We touched that one when we were on our behind the scenes tour right after we got here. The second one is in the Church History Museum in the Children's section. The kids can touch it and stand at it and pretend to give talks. It is very cool and an exact duplicate. I think they said the third one is in the Tabernacle or perhaps it is also in the Conference Center where they can move it to different rooms for broadcasting the different events they do. I can't remember. One interesting thing about the pulpit is there are little fans in it that gently blow on the speaker to cool them from the bright lights that are on them when they speak.

After the museum we went to the Conference Center for the organ concert. It was really quite nice. The organist had us all move up very close as he said it sounds better up close. I thought is sounded great. The organist told us that the Tabernacle organ is best heard from the opposite end of the Tabernacle, but the Conference Center organ is best heard up close.

Then we headed to the airport to pick up Eva and Djeryd. We had a wonderful couple of hours with them before they headed home. After stopping for dinner we took them to the Church Office Building for a special tour. Since it was a holiday there wasn't anyone else in the building. If we would have had more time we could have toured the whole building. Instead we just showed them the three floors we work on. Djeryd's favorite part was seeing the Fiji Interpretation booths.

They really like the view from our windows and enjoyed seeing everything. We took them back to our apartment for another hour or so before they had to leave. They got to meet our Family Home Evening Group and even participate for about a half an hour. Everyone really enjoyed them and they seemed to enjoy everyone. It was a lot of fun. We played a game called "In the manner of the Adverb". Perhaps we'll play it in a couple of weeks when some of us are together for the wedding!

On Tuesday and Thursday we had area training events for Primary and YM/YW in Canada. We also covered North America Central in an event that overlapped the YM/YW for Canada by 1/2 an hour. We served dinner for both groups, although we only ate for one. lol 

Wednesday they did a Sunday School training for North America Center on Zoom so we didn't have to do a meal for that one. 

On Friday I finally finished setting up the General Conference Plunet order. That is the program we use for invoicing the jobs for the Interpreters. It is a massive order as you can imagine. Now I get to populate it with over 1000 interpreters for the 5 different sessions. I don't have to add all the names as many of the other countries will add their own names. But still, it is a lot of work. I spent much of the day trying to figure out how to get some of our Interpreters who are also employees for the Church into the Plunet system. We don't pay them but we do track their hours. It is a NIGHTMARE to get them in the system and supposedly if they are not in the system they can't interpret. Apparently many of them have been doing it for years without being in the system. I apparently have opened a can of worms. Eunlan, the supervisor over General Conference this year, asked me to set up a meeting for next week with all the people we need to talk to to see how we can get these people in the system, because for some languages they are the only ones who can interpret. Wish me luck on Wednesday!

Saturday we had a morning event for the Northern Area Arizona Area Conference. We ordered breakfast from Denny's as we wanted to serve a hot breakfast and since the COB Catering isn't open on the weekends we have to go offsite. We also wanted to try them out because we have MTC Devotionals coming up on Thanksgiving morning and Christmas morning and we want a nice breakfast. We are also considering making breakfast for them. I think that would be very fun.

That pretty much finishes our week. We have the Face to Face with Elder Bednar event today. I think we have over 30 people involved in Interpreting and supporting this event. We have been working on it for almost a month. I am anxious to see the finished product. I hope you will all be able to see it. 

With any luck we can take tomorrow off!

All our love,

Elder and Sister Wilcox

Concrete lateral supports for North side of Temple

North Side of Temple

Big Hole between Temple and Conference Center. North Temple is right behind the green barricade which is at street level.

More of big hole. Temple is to the right. It is currently 38 feet below street level and still going down.

Both of these pictures are of the tower cranes.

North West Temple Corner