Go To The Temple in a Foreign Country

One of the things I have been interested in doing since I first started going to the temple is going to the temple in another country. I was going to go to the temple in Europe during a multi-country trip in 2009, but that trip ended up getting cancelled and I was pretty bummed out about it. Then, when I decided to move to Malaysia with Troy I looked up which temple was the closest and found that we would be living in the Hong Kong Temple district. I’ve always wanted to go to Hong Kong and see what that city is like, so I was super excited about that.

Unfortunately, the price to fly to Hong Kong has been super expensive since the day we got here, so after checking and rechecking prices for a few months to see if they were ever going to go down, Troy said we wouldn’t be able to go to Hong Kong. I was really really depressed about that. I’d gotten my hopes up really high about being able to go to the Hong Kong Temple and had planned a tentative itinerary where we would be doing activities around the temple one day so as to maximize the use of our time. But, that wasn’t to be.

After accepting the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to go to the Hong Kong Temple, I pretty much just gave up on the idea of being able to go to the temple while in Malaysia. But then, in February or March, Troy started making plans to go to Australia. And then he bought tickets to Sydney. I didn’t think much about it at first, but then it smacked me in the back of the head and I got super excited again. Australia has a temple! Ohmygoodness! A temple in a foreign country! I just about jumped out of my skin I was so excited.

The only thing that put a damper on my excitement was that the Sydney Temple isn’t exactly close to any of the things we wanted to do. It was pretty far out of the way. Instead of just losing the two and a half hours inside the temple, we’d be losing about two and a half more just to get there and then back to our hotel. But, I really wanted to go, so Troy told me to pick a day and make a plan for that day and he’d get me to the temple.

When I was packing my suitcase, I was just so excited about being able to go. I made sure I had my temple clothes in plastic bags so that if my shampoo or something exploded in my bag or if the airport workers needed to go through my bag and had dirty hands that my clothes wouldn’t get dirty. I packed a special bag to carry my clothes in and checked every day, and several times the day we left, to make sure my recommend was in my bag. I was just soooooooooooooo excited.

Unfortunately, when I was double checking my bag the night before going to the temple, I found that I’d missed one article of clothing for my dress. I felt a little silly because I’d packed my little bag of accouterments, but didn’t look inside the bag because I’d forgotten I’d had one piece sent out for cleaning and had hung it in my closet when it got back. I knew it was possible to borrow things at other temples, so I did a quick search for the Sydney Temple online and felt my heart sink when I read that there is no clothing service there. I felt a bit disheartened and very disappointed. This was something I wanted so much and I knew it was a righteous desire. So, I prayed and asked God if He could make things work out. I so very much wanted to go to the temple.

The next morning I got up early to get ready and be out the door on time. Troy likes to give me a hard time (in teasing) about not being able to get anywhere on time. I try, but sometimes I don’t do as well as we’d both like. So, I made sure to get up a little earlier than usual so we could leave on time. We drove the hour or so to the temple to make the 9:00am session, leaving plenty of time to stop by the LDS clothing store next to the temple. When I had gotten discouraged about being able to go the night before, Troy had looked up to see if there was a distribution center nearby where I could purchase the item I had forgotten. Thankfully, there was one attached to the temple. We arrived there about 45 minutes before the session was supposed to start.

When I’d decided I was just going to buy another piece before going to the temple, I didn’t take into account that prices in Australia are almost double what they are in the US. EVERYTHING in Sydney is insane when it comes to the price. Considering a cheeseburger is $5.00 (just the burger, no meal) and parking is $7-9 an hour, I should have realized clothing would be just as expensive. I almost cried when I saw the price. I didn’t want to pay that much for an item I already had, but I REALLY wanted to go to the temple, so I picked it up and went to buy it. Troy stopped me and asked if I was SURE they didn’t lend clothing inside. He said every temple he’s ever gone to has lent clothing out because there is always someone who has forgotten something. He told me to ask and double check before spending money I probably didn’t need to. So, I did. And I was so relieved when the lady told me they lend out clothing to people. I was so soooooooooo happy. God answered my prayer and made everything work out so I could go to the temple and not have to spend money I didn’t need to.

When I got inside the temple I was so overwhelmed with peace and love. I knew I was in the right place and where I needed to be. Everyone there was so nice and friendly. They got me the clothing item I was missing and then that lady showed me to the dressing room so I could change into my temple clothes. Whenever I told someone I was new and didn’t know where to go, they walked me to the area I needed to be in. When I was in the bathroom, my dress wasn’t zipped up all the way and another lady reached over and helped me with it. Everyone there was so friendly and nice.

The session itself was beautiful. It wasn’t the session in another language I’d been wanting to do deep down inside, but it was a session in a temple in a foreign country. And it was exactly the same as every session I’ve been to in the US. I’ve been to the temple in Washington, DC; Oklahoma City, OK; Mesa, AZ; St. George, UT; and Salt Lake City, UT. Every single session is exactly the same. That was a really great testimony to me of how the Lord’s gospel is true and constant.

After the session I was able to sit outside on a bench under the trees and wander the grounds a little bit before Troy came. The day was just beautiful, the weather was nice and even with a busy street being in front of the temple, it was peaceful and quiet. I really love the beauty and peace of being around the temple.

The whole experience was just really great and I’m really glad I went. I’m so happy everything worked out so that I was able to go to the temple and not have to buy the item I was missing. I’m very thankful I made the choice to go and was given the opportunity to finally attend a temple session in a foreign country. The temple is such a wonderful place and I miss it so much. Living in Malaysia has made it so I haven’t been able to go to the temple for most of the time I’ve been here. I went during a trip back to the US and then on this trip, which were all really nice experiences. I’m so thankful we have temples and can experience the feelings of love, joy and peace that are within those walls. The temple is a beautiful place and God’s love is so strong on those who are in it’s presence.

ASIDE

There are many people in the poorer parts of the world with a strong desire to attend the temple, yet they are unable to do so because there are not temples in every country. A majority of the countries in Southeast Asia do not have temples and the members here must save for months or even years before they have enough saved to take themselves and their families to the temple. If you have the inclination, please click on this link to donate to a fund that is set aside to help those who are desirous to attend the temple, but cannot do so because of a lack of financial means. Any donation, even $1.00 would be greatly appreciated by these people who love the Lord. The money donated to this fund is strictly used for impoverished members who are trying to go to the temple. This fund is not used for any other reason. Please rest assured that the money you donate will go straight towards helping an underprivileged member or family feel the love and power of the Lord as they attend and receive the blessings of the Temple. Thank you for any donation you can give. It is greatly appreciated and you will be blessed for your selflessness.