London Temple. :)

Friday, May 11, 2012 - Day 17

Well, my life just got a little bit more magical.  Didn't think it was possible after my crazed Harry Potter experience - but was I ever wrong!!

First, did you know that the London temple isn't actually in London?  It's just right outside of London.  Therefore, in order to get there, we took the Overground train (which we actually took to get to Harry Potter too... different train though, obviously--different directions.) and then some temple workers came to pick us up at the train station.

The train station we traveled to...

Artsy. ;) 

Cute little cottage-y house!

LOOK HOW GREEN!

Pretty good for taking it from the mini-bus window, eh? ;) 

This temple?  Is gorgeous.  Super simple-- but some of the most simple things in life are also the most beautiful, right?  Right. :)  Oh- and the other best part about it?  The sun was out for us today :)  One of the... maybe 4 or 5 days it's actually been nice, and not rainy.  Miracles DO HAPPEN! ;)

And, yes.  I was also able to do baptisms for the dead in the London temple today.  Greatest experience I've had yet?  Completely - by far.  Takes the cake :)  And I'm not sure anything can top it.  I still remember back before I had even applied for this trip, and I was just reading about what we would be doing.  When I saw "London Temple trip" on the list, my excitement level shot through the roof.  My expectations from how excited I was for this temple?  Definitely fulfilled today. :)

There's always such a sense of peace in the temple, no matter where you are, no matter who the workers are, no matter who you're with.  Granted, you also have to be in your right mind set, having prepared yourself for the fact of the people you're helping.  But, along with this today, I realized just how comforting of a place it is.  And, maybe it did help a little bit because the people in my group were the only ones there, but the comfort I felt there today was more evident than ever before.

It was also pretty cool having the opportunity to have my professors to be the ones confirming, and baptizing me.  Definitely not so much a "normal every day" thing that happens in life.  I'm just so grateful today for the wonderful people my professors really are - the things they teach us, the strength they give us, and the examples they are.

And now, for some beautiful temple ground pictures :)

TEMPLE!
(From the mini-bus window. Haha.) 

The grounds are surrounded by all these paths-- I love little paths :) 

See the BLUE sky?? And no, this photo is not edited. ;) 

See?  Paths. :) 

And of course, Temple grounds = flowers.
And pretty flowers = Kenzie's taking pictures. 

Standin' on the lil' bridge :) 

Have I mentioned how green things are here? 

Soakin' in the Vitamin D :)

The temple duck! --He's even white! 

They also have a Visitor's Centre right by the temple :) 

Holly & me in front of the Temple :) 

Artsy. 

On the train back home :)

And some more pics, through the train window, on the way back into the city... 

Such a beautiful, perfect day for a temple trip - don't ya think?? :)

Song of the Day:  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing -- Chris Rice