Livin' it Up at the HLJ

Man, oh, man I love serving at the Historic Liberty Jail. I listen to the same narrations everyday, multiple times a day and I still love it! I haven't gotten sick of it yet. I am constantly learning more and more about the history and constantly improving my presentations there. It has also been a really neat experience to serve as sister leader because the jail is really "young" right now. There is only 1 sister that has been at the jail longer than a 6 weeks and I am the only other sister that has served at the visitors' center for longer than 6 weeks. So this makes our job really important-- to help teach and inspire the sisters how to help the guests have meaningful experiences. ALSO that means that I have to figure out how to do that in a very short amount of time. I have really felt like my Heavenly Father has been teaching me and inspiring me how to teach and inspire others. I LOVE that feeling. I feel like I have already grown and learned so much and I have been here just over a week.
 

One of our good friends, Joel, is getting baptized on Saturday! He is the best! He seriously has come pre-taught. It's funny because we will ask him about a principle or commandment and he will give an answer that is word for word out of the book. Sister White and I typically look stunned and he is always asking if what he said was ok because we look so surprised... basically we should just have him teach us. Miracle, miracle... I love seeing how the Lord prepares people's hearts and minds.
 

OK. Freak out time. People keep asking me how long I've been out and I tell them "just under a year"... and that is true! It really is just under a year. I have four transfers left, which is NOTHING. I can't believe how fast this time is flying.

Brother Sanders took this picture of me and texted it to my mom.  She loved it!

The Sanders family came in to the Jail and I got to take them through a tour! It was the best! It's so nice to see a familiar face and to get to show them this place that already means so much to me.

The wonderful Sanders Family (minus Katie who is serving a mission)

On a funny note I answered the phone at the jail this week and a lady said that her cousin was there. So I went upstairs to check and realized that her cousin isn't at the Historic Liberty Jail, but is at the Clay County Detention Center. So I gave her the phone number. I can check that off of my HLJ bucket list.
 

Here is my favorite scripture for the week. I've been using it in all my presentations. It is from the very last verse of the revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Liberty Jail and is from a letter written to the church, while the prophet is in prison.

It says:  "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power. Then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed."
 

I love that. It teaches me that as we go through our trials we can be cheerful, we can stand tall. I love knowing that the Lord can change us through our difficult experiences. We must do everything in our power to serve our Heavenly Father, to follow our Savior and then we can stand still... I love that imagery. We can stand firm knowing that he will help us. I have seen that in my life, and especially this week.