Boston [Mission] Strong: Temple Open House

Hello Everyone!

These last couple weeks have been amazing! Last week Sister Demuth and I drove down to CT and moved in with members of the ward down there. We will be staying in CT for the duration of the Hartford Temple Open House! We have been able to help with the tours this last week and it has been an incredible experience so far!

On Friday of last week we got to go inside the Temple. We were the first official tour! This temple is amazing. Absolutely spectacular. It just fits so well with The Farmington Valley area and I love all the artwork inside. There were 8 paintings commissioned for the temple- all of which have inspiration from the area that the temple was built. I am a little biased, but I do have to say that this is the most beautiful temple I have ever been in. (the photos online do not do it justice) But please take a look online!

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/hartford-connecticut-temple-open-house?cid=HP_TU_27-9-2016_dPAD_fEVT_xLIDyL2-3_

On Saturday we did tours for the contractors and the neighbors of the temple. It was so fun to talk to people and to hear about their experience inside the temple. Everyone had such positive feedback, and they understand why it took so long to be completed. That night we also went to the General Women's Session of General Conference. It was a great session and I learned a lot! It made me even more excited for General Conference this weekend!

On Sunday we went to the Avon ward. This was the ward that I started my mission in and it was so much fun to see everyone! All the kids are so grown up.... and I've only been out of that area for 9 months! I can't even imagine how much everyone at home has changed! That night we did tours for missionaries and their investigators! So that was fun to have missionaries take the people they are teaching to have an enlightening and spiritual experience inside the beautiful building.

On Monday we had a training by Elder Wilson of the seventy. He took us on another tour of the temple. This tour was a lot more detailed. We learned more about the architecture and design of the building. It was really neat to learn about some of the details that went into this beautiful temple. The last room you go through on the tour is the sealing room. We all were able to sit in there and just listen to him talk. He told us that everything we do in the church, (meetings, programs, etc) helps prepare us to be sealed. I thought that was really interesting. But I guess it is true that being sealed is the crowning ordinance.

This whole week we have been able to meet a lot of people! This week was the VIP tours and today the open house to the public officially started. It was great to be able to answer questions and to hear about peoples' experience inside the temple.

On Thursday night Sister Demuth and I drove back to Weston to spend pday in our area and also to watch General Conference in our area as well. We will go back to Hartford on Sunday and stay down there for the duration of the tours. Today for pday we went to Boston! We had a great time! We got lost on the T (subway) but we were able to see a lot of cool sites! So it has been a great week! I am really looking forward to General Conference! It's hard to believe that it has been 6 months since the last session! Oh how time flies!

I hope everyone is enjoying fall! The leaves are still turning colors and it has been beautiful!

I love you all!

Love, Sister Egan