Nephi

How did Nephi feel as he went back to Jerusalem?  He was different from his brothers who rebelled. Why did he go back to Jerusalem after failing the firsts time to obtain the plates?

 He was led by the Spirit.

Faith cannot force our will upon God. We cannot force God to comply with our desires--no matter how right we think we are or how sincerely we pray.  As we go through trials, we should eventually realize that it was a blessing and thank God for not answering our prayers the way we hoped.  He always knows better what we need.

I love that Nephi stands and looks down on the city of Jerusalem and has no idea what he will do.  He just trusts that God will lead him.  I have felt that in my life.  I know what I desire, but is that the best thing?  I know that it took faith for me to let my will be swallowed up in the Lord's in order to submit mission papers.  Yet, here I am and I love it!  The Lord truly knows best if we let Him lead us.

Red Cast

There are three casts for Sunset By the Mississippi.  We are in the red cast.  When we arrived on June 10th we were given that assignment.  Since the practices were long over we needed to learn the dances on our own.  Each night for at least a week we went to the shows.  We met some of the people in our cast and they wanted to know how soon we would be dancing with them.  

We got the words/actions from Sister Whiting.  It helped a little.  We decided to video record the dances we were in so we could practice them at home.  And practice we did.  I got some help from Sister Prettyman and that helped a ton!

Last Friday was the last time for the Jensens to dance before they went home and there is no way to get the entire cast together for a photo during the show.

Therefore we got a photo of the Elders and Sisters.  Elder Monaco made the comment, "Look at all those big bellies!" after seeing the picture.  The sisters didn't have that problem.  I just put my phone above the feet and hoped for the best.  I got a good one!  I believe we're missing a few sisters and brethren in each photo.

Since we are Facilities Management missionaries, we don't associate with the site missionaries very much.  This production gives us the chance to get to know some of them.  I love these people!  We are, I'm sure, the youngest of the senior missionaries.  One of my best friends here is 71!  I love her so much.  Most everyone is in their 60's and 70's.  Age just doesn't make a difference when it comes to friendships.  I knew that before we came here and it has been reinforced once again.

Restitution

One of our first weeks here I would always drive the truck home after finishing my work at noon.  I always drove forward across the grass.  One day I was thinking about that and decided I should back out of my spot.  I'm not quite used to driving the truck as our car was much smaller.  I got in the truck and put the windows down because it was so blazing hot in there.  I backed out of my spot and heard something crunch.  I pulled forward and saw a van with this dent in the tailgate.

I was sick as I knew I did the damage.  I didn't feel my bumper hit the van but I did hear it so I knew it was my fault.  I went to the office and asked Sister Corder whose vehicle it was and she told me it was the Christensens.  Afterward my husband asked me why I didn't use the backup camera.  We have a backup camera?

I waited for Sister Christensen to come and she didn't for some time.  She was busy practicing backing the van with the trailer.  How's that for irony?  When I saw her coming, I went and told her what I did.  She laughed and told me about one of the FM employees who had damaged their van over the winter because he was sliding on the ice with his vehicle.

Each day after I went to work and cringed at the damage I had caused.  I thought about how it is like sin.  The damage is there and it needs to be taken care of.  Repentance is the key but sometimes restitution needs to be made.  We got an estimate before they left for home and then sent another one from their home.  It was $200 cheaper.

I wrote out the check rather than send it to insurance and pay for it over and over and over.  I was never so happy to write out a check.  I sent it off and knew that now my "sin" was truly forgiven.  Once their lift gate is replaced, no one will ever see the damage I caused. 

The whole thing was a very visual way to think about the Savior's atonement for our sins.  He doesn't just fix what's wrong, he replaces it with new.  It was an expensive lesson but it made a lasting impression I shall never forget.

Storm Damage

On Wednesday afternoon, I saw the sky darken after a very hot day.  I looked off to the north and saw a storm coming so I check the radar and knew it would be here shortly.  I went outside to find the temperature had gone down about 10 degrees.  I took a video of the clouds.  The dark clouds were pushing the white puffy ones away.  "Isn't this the way a tornado begins?" I said to my husband.  A few minutes later the rain began; horizontally and in sheets.  This was going to be a real whopper with the winds whipping the trees.  

We drove around afterward to find the damage.  Limbs and branches and leaves were down everywhere.  I guess I know what I'm doing for work tomorrow.  Major stick run.  A stick run is when we grounds sisters get in the van and go out to find downed sticks.  It's one way to keep them out of the way of the lawn mowers but also they don't look very good.

 Thursday morning we didn't have to water the flowers since the storm did that.  We began our day at 6am as usual with picking up debris.  We decided the most visable places should be where we start.  We cleaned up Main street and went around the block to the blacksmith and then Brigham Young's home. 

 After break we went to the information kiosk.  Well, some of us did.  My van got hijacked to stop at the "German house" to clean up before we got to the kiosk.  There are walnut trees here and there were so many nuts down.  It was crazy the amount that we picked up.

We were fortunate enough to have one of the girls who was an intern here last year come and help us.  Her name is Bailey and she is a worker!  We also had Elders Nelson and Pleshek who came and helped with the bigger limbs. The extra workers made so much difference in how much we were able to get accomplished.

Today we had a family stop by us at the Exodus point and help pick up walnuts.  God bless them.  I use a steel rake to gather them and then scoop them into the buckets.  

 The RV was probably the biggest piece of damage caused by the storm.  The women who were in this thing heard a loud bang and thought they were hit by lightning until a branch came through their wall and roof.  No one was injured.

 I have never seen a tree split like this because of wind.  It reminds me of pulled pork.  We still have a lot of clean up to do but with so many youth in town for the pageant, they have taken to helping clean the debris.  They bring the stuff and put it in piles at the side of the road.  Great youth and leaders!

The worst part about all this damage wasn't that we have to clean it up, it's that the temps are in the 90's.  I've been making sure that I'm drinking plenty.  I use wet handkerchiefs around my neck and forehead to help keep me cool but also to absorb the sweat.  I found out once again that I am a sweater!

Security

We were asked to sign up for a day or two or more to work with the parking for the pageant.  We're actually part of the security team as well.  We were assigned to work the main entrance.  There we were really crossing guards but were also given the assignment to keep people safe.

We were warned ahead of time that a local who is a very vocal non friend of the church may be there. He is called "the screamer."  He stands just off the street at the main entrance to the pageant grounds and does a lot of yelling as the people enter.  I had a feeling that that was the place where we would be assigned.

Once again, the Spirit witnessed to me ahead of time.  Brother Anderson, who is the head of all of this looked at the two of us and asked if we would take the main entrance.  Of course.  We will do whatever is asked of us.  He wasn't there initially but came walking down the road with his sign.  He does a lot of yelling and ranting about how we worship Joe Smith and how he's a pervert and a bunch of other nonsense.  We're instructed not to engage him.  He records anything possible with his cell phone and then edits it to put on his Youtube page.

He taunted the sister missionaries and called them cowards for not wanting to talk to him.  Some people did engage him which just fuels his fire.  Not many, just a few.  I was so thankful when the bagpipe band marched over and began playing their concert as they drown out his rantings.  They also bring the Spirit as they play such wonderful hymns.

I was feeling a bit intimidated by him which I now recognize as the adversary.  I looked down and saw my name badge.  The feeling was overpowering.  I am a representative of Jesus Christ.  I wear His name on my chest every single day.  I was so empowered.  My conversion of Him being my Savior deepened in that brief moment.  I was no longer intimidated but strengthened.  Little did this small minded man know what he did for me.  This is what it means to "Stand as a Witness"!

I am once again grateful for the opportunity to serve in this seemingly unimportant way.  My job was to keep people safe from being run over.  I hope my smiles and welcoming words helped someone tonight just as this crude man helped me.  I made a difference.  It may not have been something extraordinary, but I made a difference!

This Week's Happenings

There were a few strange and emotional things that happened this week.  First of all, one of the interns showed me this.  This was the strangest.

 This is underneath a truck.  Some bird put her nest on the under side of a pickup truck.  These little birds were making a ruckus which made Maddie look.  Dumb bird. I'll bet she put her nest here while the truck was at home but it is gone all day long so these little things get really hungry.  Not only that, they'll be fried in this heat.

Early in the week, this little raccoon was following this intern around the compound.  So she picked it up and brought it to our meeting in the morning.  Later that morning we were cleaning up a yard where some of the Young Performing Missionaries live.  This little guy showed up again and began following us around.  Sister Nelson picked him up and gave him to Richard's (our boss) son.  Cute little guy but he/she will grow up and be a pest.

Last night we went out to dinner with the Nelsons who are our district leaders.  We love them so much.  I work with her every day and Pat works with Elder Nelson.  They have become such wonderful friends.  They will be leaving us on the 22nd.  I cannot bear to think about them not being here with us.  I'm amazed at how quickly we feel so close to people we've only met a month ago.

This is Sister Christensen.  She leaves us on the 15th.  Yesterday was her last day of work as she gets today to begin her packing.  We had to take a photo in the van as that's the place we pile in each day and go to work.  She's such a precious friend.  The six of us shed some tears together when our day was complete.  I believe having people leave and go home will be the most difficult part of this mission.  We work hard every day but it isn't emotional until one of us leaves.  I will miss her so much.  Easily Thursday was the most emotional.

Elder Don R. Clarke - Mission Training

This week in mission training we had Elder Don R. Clarke, emeritus member of the Seventy speak to us. 

He was amazing!  I wish we had more time in training.  We meet at 8am and the sites are opened at 9am so we have to be finished.  He gave us the 7 principles of conversion.  In other words, he told us that if we follow these seven things, we will never fall away from Christ's church.

1. Knowledge - Find Christ in the Book of Mormon and do the Come Follow Me
2. Faith - Act and apply.  Nothing changes until we act.
3. Testimony - we have to gain one.
4. Repentance - Do it daily.  In order to change habits write down the things you want to change in a place you will see it.  Sisters, on the mirror.  Elders, on your plate!
5. Sabbath Day - Observe it!  Partake of the sacrament.  Observance of the sabbath day is the greatest difference between those who make it and those who don't.  The sacrament is a time to pray to receive forgiveness; to come close to Christ.
6. Holy Ghost - Good revelation comes when we learn how to listen to the Spirit and act.
7. Obedience - Do these things daily and you will stick!

He closed with D&C 100:1-3.  As a missionary if I care about those around me; God will take care of my family better than I can. I want my family cared for in our absence.  Who else could care for them better than me?  Only God.

The mission training given by President Lusvardi or some other visiting authority are the highlight of my week.  I so look forward to being fed spiritually.

Random Nauvoo Events

We weren't here very long when Sister Nelson asked us if we would go to the temple with she and Elder Nelson to do sealings.  The Bailies and Grigsbys came with us.  We had a wonderful time together.  I'm so thankful for these wonderful people whom I work with and have come to love dearly.

We watched the Sunset show several times and then recorded it so we could learn and dances.  We started doing one of the dances and then added the others.  We are still not experts and have some to learn but it's coming.

Jeff was assigned to come to Nauvoo as the nurse therefore, Sammi brought the children and Tom to spend a few days with us.  We've had a good time.  We were scheduled to dance in Sunset on Tuesday night and I asked if Evelyn could be one of the people asked to come up on stage.  She was chosen to be  "Deputy Jones" in the musical melodrama.  She did a great job!

When this beautiful sister asked Evelyn if she was scared, Ev told her that she was nervous. This wonderful young woman knelt down and had a prayer with her.  What a great example!

This morning, July 4th, we had a wonderful flag raising service.  Tom, of course, loved it.  His dad took him to the temple this afternoon and he did 3 baptisms.  I'm  so thankful for his willingness to do something that he finds scary.  Tom has never liked to have his head under the water.  He loves to be in the temple but would rather not be the baptizee.  

Our house will be quiet when we get back from work tomorrow morning when they are all gone back to Gresham.  Still, I'm grateful that they came.