Yet Another Temple Construction Progress Report

When I had the chan e to do so yesterday (the 15th), I checked out the LDS Church Temples website. Once again, just within the last 24 hours or so, the progress that has been reported has been most wonderful and marvelous to read about. I share my latest version of my assembled report. Let me know your thoughts. And yes, I do know that this is one day old now that it is past midnight. Because I have a doctor's appointment in Salt Lake City in about 12 hours, I will likely not have a chance to check on temple progress again until our return home. Any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated. Thanks.

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 12/15/16)

Current Temple Status: 155 operating; 1 scheduled for dedication; 11 under construction; 1 scheduled for rededication; 2 undergoing renovation; 10 announced; (NOTE: Up to 3 additional temples may soon have a groundbreaking announced).

Dedication scheduled:

156. Paris France Temple: Interior work underway; open house and dedication dates announced; scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday May 21, 2017.

Under Construction:

157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Exterior lighting tests underway; welcome center reopens in stake center; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Fencing progressing; entrance plaza created; garden and natural landscaping areas defined; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Pouring walkways; erecting fencing; installing art glass windows; completion anticipated sometime in late 2017.

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work progressing; completion anticipated sometime in 2018.

161. Concepcion Chile Temple: Attaching building wrap to exterior walls; adding landscaping structures; completion anticipated sometime in 2018.

162. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Building the exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime in 2018.

163. Durban South Africa Temple: Pouring temple foundation; setting rebar for missionary housing walls; palm trees planted along entrance road; completion anticipated sometime in 2018.

164. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Exterior walls rising; completion anticipated sometime between 2018 and 2019.

165. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Groundbreaking held Saturday December 3, 2016; completion anticipated sometime between 2018 and 2019.

166. Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Concrete forms going up for second floor exterior walls; completion anticipated sometime in 2019.

167. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Laying meetinghouse footings and foundation; excavating for maintenance building; temple site cleared; completion anticipated sometime in 2019.

Scheduled for rededication:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; rededication scheduled for Sunday June 4, 2017.

Undergoing Renovation:

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication anticipated sometime between late 2017 and early 2018.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; some exterior stone removed; foundation exposed; old meetinghouse razed; rededication anticipated sometime in 2018.

Announced:

168. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Approval and construction preparation phase; official site announcement anticipated in early 2017, with the groundbreaking anticipated to take place shortly following the site announcement.

169.  Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: Governmental approval phase; preliminary environmental license issued in November 2016; groundbreaking pending.

170. Arequipa Peru Temple: General contractor selected; groundbreaking pending.

171. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

172. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

173. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

174. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

175. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Red text denotes changes from the last posted temple progress update.

We have been the recipients of a miracle

I know I posted a comment about this on my last post, but I wanted to make it an official blog post topic for today. We have been the recipients of a miracle, the likes of which we never would have been able to believe had it not happened to us personally.

Today (the 16th) is my 30th birthday. Since my wife's nephew and I share a birthday, Amy's family has habitually visited me for my birthday the night before my special day. And so, yesterday night (the 15th), they did visit us.

We appreciated their visit. We have not been around them a lot lately because health has prevented it. But their visit brought us much needed comfort.

As if that weren't enough, I was beyond grateful for the many prayers and expressions of love and support we have received. We have been the recipients of a Christmas miracle for which I at least am most unworthy. The details aren't important. But suffice it to say that, thanks to things happening the way they did, we will be more than okay throughout the rest of this month, until I get my next check from the government. Our Christmas miracle, such as it was, was a direct answer to our prayers, and we will be forever grateful for the reminder that the Lord does hear and answers prayers. And sometimes, those answers come in the least expected way.

Maybe it's not much by the standards of others, but it means the world to us. And the really amazing thing about the whole situation is that the Lord has always seemed to know whenever we do need the help. I have been bailed out of situations created by my own stupidity and poor choices more than I can count. We wish we didn't, need such miracles, but we are grateful that the Lord knows our needs and meets them in miraculous and unexpected ways.

I am eternally and everlastingly grateful for this additional witness and confirmation to us that the Lord is very much aware of our situation, and, in His mercy, He always sends what we need when we need it. I am humbled and overwhelmed. I feel we can truly say, as have so many others in the past, that God is in His heaven, and all is right with the world.

Thanks to all who have so willingly offered help and prayers in our behalf. We appreciate it more than we can ever express. We hope that, at some point, the Lord will bless us to the point where we can pay it forward and do for others what has been so willingly done for us. Thanks again.