Have you ever tried so hard to get to the temple? Maybe you had to rearrange your schedule, ask a friend to help you with your kids while you were away, or leave a newborn or maybe you renewed your recommend or traveled a long distance to get there...then after all that effort you put into it something goes wrong, you forget your recommend, you didn't make the session where you were planning to meet someone or something else happens that keeps you from actually doing the sacred work you have set out to do...Has that ever happened to you?
It is in those sad moments that God whispers to you that His house is not just for performing vicarious work to save souls of those who have passed on, it's also made to save us, the living. Yes, sometimes just standing inside that holy place even when all has fallen apart can heal you, can make you feel whole, can fill a void, and comfort an aching heart...That is why going to the Helsinki Temple was for me like going home, even though all my planning and and wishing and longing for the perfect temple experience didn't work out as I had planned.
At the end of July I realized that my temple recommend would shortly expire so I set up an interview to get it renewed before leaving for our trip. I knew that Russia had no temples, but I hoped with all my heart to be able to make a pilgrimage to Helsinki to attend the recently erected temple there. I later found out that my sister Ali had the opportunity to visit Helsinki during the time we would stay there. We planned to meet in Helsinki, attend the temple together and then return with her to Saint Petersburg for a short visit here.
Derek Lovingly offered to stay behind with the kids so that Chrissy and I could be more free to make the journey. I invited my David (my 10-year old) to join us as he is always up for an adventure. After staying the night in Vyborg we took the train into Helsinki where Ali was miraculously befriended by a stake President and his wife who brought her to the temple to meet us. Because Ali had been traveling for many hours without rest we decided to let her sleep as long as possible the next day. We were so excited to be in the temple together as sisters and Ali had brought some family names which we would be doing the work for. Everything was just perfect!
When we first caught a glimpse of the temple, I literally felt like I was home. It's funny how each temple across the globe is so very distinct in its architecture and even landscape reflecting the beauty of the land upon which it is built, and yet each temple feels like
your temple when you see it with Moroni atop, with its declaration of :
Holiness to the Lord and you feel its warm invitation to enter in and feel of its spirit. As we entered in that holy house we handed our recommends to the brother at the desk. He looked up at us kindly and tried to explain that on Saturdays the Helsinki Temple closes early and the last session had just begun.
I was beyond shocked! I had been planning this trip for weeks, had taken 3 trains and a bus to get to this place and here I was on the other side of the planet with my dear sisters and there was no possibility of doing temple work!
Then before leaving we asked the brother if he would allow us to walk around the temple and feel the spirit of that magnificent building. He agreed. What a lovely experience it was! Just being in that Holy place brought indescribable joy. We prayed there, we read the scriptures there and we submitted names to the prayer roll. On that glorious day I knew that God has seen my desire to serve in His house. He knew of my planning and my longing and He helped me to know that at that moment, it was enough. By the time we return to the states I won't have been able to attend the temple for many months, but instead of feeling like a failure (which I am so good at), I felt peace, I felt joy, and even though I was as far from home as I had ever been, I felt like I was home:)
The rest of the trip was awesome.
As a consolation for enduring hours of shopping with 3 women, David was able to buy himself a Spidey costume which was a huge hit with all the local children and their mothers:).
We were blessed to be able to meet a dear friend Marrtaa whom I had known as a missionary who had moved to Finland. After 15+ years since our last meeting she was just as I had remembered her!
