Sunday, February 14, 2016

Good-bye Hotel Utah and hello, LDS hospital


So I wrote about how fun it was to go to church in the old Hotel Utah and how fun it was to walk down South Temple, past Brigham Young's house and the Lion House and blah blah blah. Remember? Baroque white and gold and painted portraits of the prophets?

How long were we there?
About a month?  Six weeks?  The powers-that-be assigned us to work in the LDS Hospital branch.

So now we go to church at LDS hospital.  We get in our car and drive up the hill at 8:30 IN THE MORNING.  (We went at 11:00 at the Hotel Utah--the perfect time for church.)

Still, we said yes.  Don't cry for us Argentina, because most people who get this little plumb of an assignment don't leave it ever.  It involves visiting patients, giving them and hospital staff the sacrament and then, ARE YOU READY? Then we have a half  hour sacrament meeting and a half hour Relief Society meeting (men have Priesthood meeting).  One hour of church meeting.  The rest of it is trying to make people feel better. Holding hands and being congruent. Hanging around the halls with other nice people.

And there's a basket of candy on the table should you need a sugar spike.

The universe has shifted.

We also go a few times a month to visit patients during the week.  This is basic stuff, and I like it.

Our new home teachers, Harold and Ilene came this week and they are also assigned to the LDS branch.  He was an AG teacher and she had googled us and already knew way too much. We liked them immediately.

This morning, Harold told me he would take the Maidenfern and repot it. I live in the same building as Mr. Horticulture Man! If he saves that plant, he has super powers, and I'll have to make him a cape.

After church, they had a "Linger Longer," which was a full meal.

Sing Hallelujah!




2 comments:

  1. This sounds like an engaging adventure. We had linger longers once a month in the Harlem ward. I do miss that. I also miss the more interactive style of sacrament meeting. For example, if you get up to speak and say, "Good morning!" the congregation says it back to you. I've grown to love my ward in Midvale. But there are definitely things I miss. I also miss Kent Larsen's bow ties. I don't know any other bishop who wears bow ties.

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  2. This sounds like such rewarding--and sometimes hard--work. You two will brighten lots of days there.

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