September 14

Today we went to the temple at 8.  We had decided to do a session before we went to the Primary School guard's family sealing.  As we walked in we met Abraham and his wife walking in to meet with the Temple President.  It was not until we were sitting in the session that I realized that once again we had not understood.  Communication among the Fijians is not good, but between the Fijians and foreigners it is awful.  When Abraham told us to be in the temple at 10, it was for the endowment session not for the sealing which is what we heard.  So, we just did another session with Abraham and then went to the sealing after at 12.

Watching a family be sealed for all eternity is a very spiritually, emotional thing.  After the marriage Abraham's five children came in looking like angels in white.  The youngest boy (3 or 4) just stole my heart.  He was grinning from ear to ear.  He had on a white shirt, a white bow tie, and a little white sulu.  The other children were very solemn and it was obvious that they understood the gravity of the occasion, but not the little one.  He was on an adventure.  He was excited, and pleased with it all.  He never quit smiling, and his eyes just sparkled.  At the alter, he was so short that he had to stand.  From the moment the children walked in, I was emotionally caught up.  When they stood in front of the mirrors as an eternal family, I just sobbed.  This is why we are here!  This is why we live the way we live.  This is what it is all about.

After the sealing we grabbed our camera and took pictures for the family outside the temple.
What an honor to be included in this amazing event.  Just as an aside, Scott was one of the witnesses.  Later I ask why and he explained that the wife's father was doing the sealing.

Another amazing thing happened today in the temple.  Our MTC Fijian Tutor's mother and father were in both temple sessions and the sealing.  As I walked into the sealing room, I walked over to greet Sister Vuikadavu (voo ee kan da voo).  She reminded me that Lakote was getting married in Utah tomorrow.  I told her how sorry I was that she could not be there for the wedding.  Her reply was, "That is why we are in the temple all day today, so we can feel a part of his life."  It is times like this I wish I were wealthy.  I would fly them to Utah.  She is a wonderful woman.  I told her how much I admired her children as we also had her recently returned-missionary daughter in our Wednesday class.  "It is all their father," she replied.  I told her I was sure that he had not done it alone.