Visitors Center Trip

Hey Everybody!

So the meeting with Elder Perry was awesome! All the missionaries got to go and shake his hand and tell him where we are from and how long we have been out. He is such a funny man, during his talk, his phone rang. After a few rings he turns around and says, "that's not mine is it?" His wife nodded yes and he said, "Oh I hope its not President Packer!" Then he told us a story about when he was speaking in a ward once and his phone rang while he was speaking and he looked at it then tossed it to his wife who was sitting a few rows back and she caught it with one hand! And he was just kind of going over how advancement in the Quorum works and he says, "Elder Anderson is number 12 right now, but when one of us drops, which shouldn't be too long now, he will move up to number 11." It was super funny. Then he talked to us about working with the ward leaders, which was super awesome.

So on Saturday, we were able to go up to the Oakland Temple Visitors Center with Kennan. That was a super neat expirence and Kennan really enjoyed it. Things that he really liked were this one exhibit they had about all the service and things that the church has been doing and also a presentation about families and things. That was super awesome. We got to walk around the terrace on the temple and it was a really clear day so we could see San Francisco and the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. We had a lesson with him at the Bolz's house (Brother Bolz is our Elders Quorum President and that's where I called from on Christmas. Kennan is really good friends with Sister Bolz because they have done musical theatre together). Afterwards he asked for a blessing because he has been hurt by some friends and he has just been having really malicious thoughts toward them and he really wanted help with that. But thats the kind of person that he is. He just really wants to love everyone, and if for whatever reason he dosn't love someone, he finds a way to make it happen. We brought up baptism again, and he said that he really wants to take his time and learn everything, finish the Doctrine and Covenants and the Peral of Great Price and everything like that. He says that he really loves everything about the church, but he really wants to have a strong testimony that its true, and I guess he doesn't feel like he does yet. But he is getting there, and I'm confident that he will feel comfortable with it soon.

I was sorry to hear about Sister Jorgensen's daughter, please send her my love. Well that's about all I have for today. I love you all and still really hope to hear from you all soon!

Love,

Elder Spencer Grant Harbold
(Letter written 3/13/12)