#10 - On our way...at LAST!

A lot has happened in the last three weeks. 

           The first week in March we left our individual trainers, Sister Cogdell for Bonnie and Elder Fred Jayne for Glen (see photos).  They were terrific trainers who helped us a lot.

 

Sister Dolberg sits here at her computer with Sister Cogdell, her trainer.

 

Elder Dolberg enjoyed training from "the BEST trainer" Elder Fred Jayne where they both worked at computers on the 3rd. floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

There was a "big" event at the end of February honoring a long-time worker in the Family History Library.  Sister Erma Rosenhahn celebrated her 100th birthday on Feb. 28, 2015. 

 

With appropriate German decorations this special cake was part of the 100th Birthday celebration held in the Family History Library for Sister Erma Rosenhan

 Even Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency came to honor her.

 

Surrounded by younger (only in their 90s) friends and staff members of the Family History Library, Sister Rosenhan was delighted to have Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf come to her celebration.

Erma Rosenhan, of the Forest Dale 1^st Ward, Salt Lake Lake Granite Stake, has spent most of her life working on researching the names on her family line.  According to her nephew, Dan Mackintosh, she has completed the temple work for more than 400,000 names.  Today, Sister Rosenhan takes the bus from her home in Sugar House, a Salt Lake City neighborhood, to the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake City to continue her family history research three days a week.  We often see her either on Mon., Tues. or Wed. working on her genealogy. 

 

This is Sister Rosenhan's workstation, a microfilm reader desk in the Family History Library.

Sister Bingham then took over as our general trainer in the International Zone.

 

Sister Bingham provides training and leadership in the International Zone.

The International Zone is located on the first level down from the main floor in the Family History Library. 

This building that matches the Church History Museum like two siblings facing each other has three stories above ground and two stories below ground level.  Our International floor is B1 - the first story below ground level.

Our next challenge was to complete the "lessons" in the Level I workbook.  Sister Dolberg has been especially diligent.

 

Here Sister Dolberg sits at the desk in our apartment's front room working at her computer.

We finished those at the end of that first week and were recognized as "graduating" from Level I.

 

Pictured are left-to-right, Sister Keeler, Sister Gatt, Elder & Sister Dolberg, Sister Cherneski, Elder Palmer, & Sister Paniagua.  They all achieved some level of training expertise that earned them a bit of recognition.

Each day as we walk the short distance from our apartment to the Family History Library we marvel at the beautiful world around us.

 

Since we arise early and join an early-morning devotional shortly after 7 a.m. each morning, we often get to see the beginnings of a new day near Temple Square!  This picture was taken while we were on our way.

It has been a delight to see the progress in all of the spring flowers which are in the well-maintained flower beds all over Temple Square.

 

Thousands of flowers are showing their glowing faces more each day as Spring progresses.

This photo was taken from our 3rd story apartment balcony.  This is the inner court yard of our apartment buildings complex.

 Now we're are working on the Level II workbook.  We work on workbook assignments whenever there are few guests who need help in doing their own research using the many computers located on our floor.

 

Elder Urena-Perez, one of the young Elders on our floor, works here at the "Pager Desk" while Sister Dolberg and Sister Loynd stop for a few seconds to say "Good Morning".

Although most of the missionaries and volunteers are our age, we do have a few young Elders assigned to work on our floor.

 

These Guests gave me permission to snap their picture as they enjoyed the help of Elder Urena-Perez' companion, Elder Hyde.

Our days are filled with helping "Guests" to learn the many computer programs - mainly Family Search.

 

There are many Guests from all over the world who look into the  Family History Library to learn more about their ancestors.

Although we have lots of regular family-history-related books and literally tons of microfilms & micro-fiche, we also have over 40 computers with big screens and the latest in technology.  The constant technological improvements keep us challenged to learn them.

 

Sometimes every computer has a user.

So far we've been able to enjoy The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Spoken Word a couple of Sundays.

It is quite an experience to witness the production of the 30-min. international program as it happens in perhaps the world's largest recording studio - the historic Tabernacle.

 

It is a BIG thrill to experience this magnificent choir in a live performance.

The first broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word was on a hot summer afternoon in the Tabernacle on Temple Square, 15 July 1929.  The announcer climbed a ladder to speak into the one and only microphone, suspended from the ceiling.  He stayed perched on the ladder throughout the half-hour program.  An audio engineer was alerted by telegraph when to start.  Hand signals cued the announcer.  He began: "From the crossroads of the West, we welcome you to a program of inspirational music and spoken word."  Those words, from more than eight decades ago, still open the program. 

 

The Tabernacle is definitely one of its kind - an architectural marvel.

Music and the Spoken Word has endured as the world's  longest continuously running network broadcast.  The program's longevity is a tribute to its heartfelt messages and the desire of an increasingly global audience to find refuge in its weekly messages.  Today Music and the Spoken Word is produced by Bonneville Communications and is broadcast by more than 2,000 radio, television and cable stations worldwide.  Each station donates the airtime, worth millions of dollars annually, as a public service.  The 360 members of the choir donate their services each week, continuing a tradition of volunteerism that has lifted hearts for three-quarters of a century.  Together, they contribute to the welcome reprieve that the program offers listeners of all ages and circumstances.

 

Elder & Sister Roger & Marilyn Smith from England stand here with Elder Dolberg in front of the SLC City Library.

One Saturday we took our friends from England, Elder & Sister Roger & Marilyn Smith who have no car here, with us grocery shopping.  We also went to the Salt Lake City Library and discovered that it is in a magnificent, new building.

 

This building is certainly awe-inspiring.

If you ever get to SLC, do visit the library and go to the top of the building where there is a lovely garden from which you can see all over the Salt Lake valley.  It is really a spectacular view.

Finally just last week we attended a concert by the BYU Symphony orchestra.  BYU has truly risen in the world of academia now ranked among the top 20 universities in the USA.  With 31,000 students seeking degrees in every field of advanced education, BYU seeks to develop students of faith, intellect, and character, who have the skills and the desire to continue learning and to serve others throughout their lives.  BYU is known for its academically minded and internationally experienced student body and its world-class teaching especially recognized for its extensive language programs.  The concert was in the Abravenel Hall in SLC.

 

A world-class, world-traveled symphony orchestra - one of BYU's finest.

The hall itself is a marvel of modern architecture.

 

The inside of Abravenel Hall is also quite fantastic including the rose-colored two-story glass sculpture in the main foyer.

And it was extremely fabulous to experience the magnificent music from the softest note to the supreme power of the 80-piece orchestra.

 

From the chandeliers on the ceiling to the 3-tiers of balconies this building is amazing.

We are learning and progressing.  We now are looking forward to the LDS General Conference in April and also we are excited that our son Paul and his family are going to be with us a few days during Conference.