Post # 16 - Fall Is In The Air!

Early in the mornings on the way to Monday morning devotionals, we can now see the world in the light of the moon.  We have to arrive around 6 a.m. so Sister Dolberg can lead the choir practice before the devotional.  See more about the choir below.

We had a leave of absence from our mission for a week just after writing our last blog since Glen had some minor hernia surgery, which went quite well for him.  We were back at work in the family history library within 10 days.  We were just grateful that we could go home to our Herriman house for his recuperation.  But we were glad to get back to the Family History Library where we could enjoy helping guests find records about their “families.”

       Shortly after getting back we attended a family event in Lehi:  the wedding reception of Adam Bushman and his wife MaKayla.  Adam is the son of Bonnie’s niece Julie Baer Bushman.  This is their family picture taken at the reception. Can you see us too?

Elder & Sister Dolberg join the big cheer for Adam & Makayla as they kiss (center)

Elder Dolberg in his P-Day (Preparation Day)
clothes on the steps of the Pioneer Museum

One day we had some time off in Salt Lake City and we walked up to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum, just a few short blocks up the hill from our apartment.  We spent a full FOUR hours in the museum, so we didn’t miss much!  A highlight of the museum was a group of the original handcarts from the Mormon Handcart Pioneers, which were much smaller than we had imagined. 

Original Pioneer Handcarts dating to 1800s

It’s hard to believe a whole family had all their earthly belongings plus food for the several months’ journey all on that small handcart they pulled across the plains. 

Brigham Young arrived into the SL valley in this gray wagon.

  We also saw the larger council wagon that Brigham Young was riding when he first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.   

One of the most unusual things we saw were a bunch of “pictures” and other items made from weaving human hair into designs and flowers.    

Wreaths & Framed Pictures were made from human hair.

  We highly recommend a visit to this museum!  While we were there a couple visiting from Florida recognized Glen from his lectures on the Disney Magic cruise ship!  Small world…

One evening we went with our Social Group (missionaries who trained with us when we first arrived at the mission) on an outing to the Salt Lake Pioneer Cemetery, where we saw some of the gravestones of famous LDS people.  

Orrin Porter Rockwell was
the notorious bodyguard of
 Joseph Smith & Brigham Young

                                             

Marker for Mary
Fielding Smith 

A historian from the Church History Library gave us the tour, telling stories about such notables as Orrin Porter Rockwell, Mary Fielding Smith (wife of Hyrum Smith and mother of Pres. Joseph F. Smith), and some of the prophets of the Church and their families.

Around this monument
are several Smith graves.

A large memorial was erected to honor Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum who were buried in Illinois after their martyrdom there.

Last week we attended the Greek Festival held at the Greek Orthodox Church in SLC. We joined with the crowds to enjoy the delicious Greek food.  

Corner of 3rd West & 3rd So.

Our favorite dish was a baklava sundae – ice cream with the rich baklava pastry crumbled on top! There we met Sis. Hair, one of the missionaries on our floor who is Greek and does Greek research, and met her lovely mother and two daughters.

Elder Dolberg reviews the menu

 

Sister Hair (2nd from R.) with
her daughters & mother

We enjoyed viewing the inside of the beautiful church, and learning a bit about the beliefs of the Greek Orthodox faith. 

Inside of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

A pair of baptismal fonts are on the side of the chapel – the larger one on the left for adults, and the smaller silver one for babies, since they believe in baptism by immersion. 

To the left see the step-in font
(like a ceramic tile bath) for adults
& the silver font for babies.

Danese Hammond with Elder & Sister Dolberg on 10th floor of JSMB (formerly Hotel Utah)

We love it when family and friends come to visit.  We spent one afternoon with Glen’s only blood-related niece, Danese Cox Hammond, enjoying showing her around Temple Square and teaching her more about Family Search at the Family History Library.  It was a super wonderful afternoon.

Bonnie is continuing to enjoy directing the men and women in the Elijah Choir.  We are the only mission in the Church (that we know of) that has a choir.  The choir has over 70 members. 

Sister Dolberg always makes
the choir sound AND look good.

Many of the men in the choir are young missionaries.  Here is Bonnie fixing the tie of one of the missionaries – the “mother” in her comes out once in a while!  Elder Kitchell, who is new to the mission, says he’s only 6’8”, but he looks taller here in comparison to Sis. Dolberg’s 4’10”!

Some of you may have seen the centerfold article about our Family and Church History Headquarters Mission in the Sept. 10, 2015 issue of the (LDS) Church News.  Here’s a link to it if you didn’t see it.  There are 35 pictures in the online version: 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636455/Hundreds-serving-in-Family-and-Church-History-Headquarters-Mission.html?pg=2