Chapter 6 - Farewell

My parent's mission date moved to February 23, 2005. If my parents couldn't come to the actual wedding, I was going to try my hardest for them to see me go through the temple for the first time. I talked to my Bishop of the singles ward and he told me that he would, but he didn't feel that he knew enough about me to make that decision. He sent me to my Home ward bishop (My parent's bishop who knew me for a long time) for him to make that decision. If you don't know, they don't like to have bride or groom to go through the temple until it is a week before the wedding because of separation issues or the possibility of breaking the law of chastity in the wait until the wedding. I knew that it was a long shot but I had to at least ask. Endrit accompanied me to the church where I had my interview. The bishop talked to us together to see how we were as a couple. He talked to me for a little while and proceeded to ask me the temple recommend interview questions. In the end he signed it and set my date to go through the temple for February 19, 2005. The weekend before my parents left for their mission. I went to talk with my stake president who also had to sign my recommend. I learned that the Bishop had called the stake president to ask for council for my situation. He wanted to make it where my parents could be there for at least one big step. The stake president wisely stated that if the bishop were to sign a rocommend, he would sign it as well. So, sitting in my Stake President's den, I got my first temple recommend and I was able to go through the temple with my parents at my side the weekend before they went on their mission. a Full 3 months before my wedding date.

It was a wonderful experience of trust on Endrit and I's part to indeed get married in the temple and be worthy of doing so. It was bittersweet because I knew that it would be a long time before I would see my parents and it killed them and me to have them miss my wedding.