life after the 50th anniversary...

It's been a lot more low key this week. No general authorities... what? It has taken awhile to get back into the swing of things to be honest. The jail has been slowing down almost exponentially. I took 0 tours yesterday. Not one. In six hours. I got lots of study time though.

This last week has been a miracle! I can't remember if I wrote about Sherry last week. She is by far the most golden person I have ever met on my mission. She is so prepared. Her fiance had attended church in Kearney for awhile and they both came to church on Sunday. She has read over 40 pages in the Book of Mormon so far! I don't even ready 40 pages in one day of the Book of Mormon. It is amazing how you can create an instant friendship with people and that is what we feel with J.R. and Sherry. I am so excited to see how they progress and grow in the gospel.

In other news Tracy is getting baptized this weekend. I am so grateful for the chance I have had to teach her. I have literally watched the Lord change her heart. In the past 4 months she has gone from not answering the door, to setting but cancelling every appointment, to not reading and praying, to a complete change of heart. She loves coming to church. She loves the sacrament. She quit smoking virtually on her own... she threw out her own coffee pot. Now she is teaching her kids about the gospel and encouraging them to strengthen their testimonies. She has literally changed, her whole countenance and demeanor. She relies on God and is happier because of it. It is a huge blessing to have been here from start to finish. That isn't always the case as missionaries. I'm so excited for Saturday! 

Transfers are coming up in 2 weeks... right along with my birthday. I know it's still a ways ahead but I am almost positive I'm being transferred. I don't want to go though! My whole mission is going so quickly. 

This quiet time has given me lots of opportunity to reflect on how I've grown, especially as I prepare to leave the Liberty Jail. It's kind of fun because by the time I leave I'll have been at the Jail 4 1/2 months. Just a little bit longer than the prophet Joseph. I hope that by the time I leave I'll have grown in smaller, but similar ways. I've learned a lot about opposition and the atonement. It is so necessary. It is actually vital for us to go through difficult experiences. Even from the beginning of the world. Growth and progression only stemmed from opposition, that is where our choices come from. We are in control of who we become and what we accomplish. I've learned that more on my mission than at any other point in my life. Trials and tribulation help us understand the Atonement, and when we look at it with that lens we become empowered. I think about how miserable each tour would be if Joseph hadn't relied on the Atonement. It would be terrible, downright depressing. It would be about how cold and smelly and miserable that place would have been. That was the story of probably hundreds of other prisoners held in the jail during its 25 year lifespan. But Joseph's story is different, the Spirit that we feel in the jail is different, because he relied on the Atonement. I know the Atonement is real. It is powerful. I am grateful for my trials that have helped me put it all to the test so that I can know for myself that the Savior of the World is who He says that He is. 

So there is my very pensive email. It's been rainy/foggy/gloomy for the past few days, which always calls for some contemplation.

Love you all! More "fun" updates next week.

this week may have topped last week.

Ok. I am trying to organize my thoughts in terms of most awesome to least awesome, but there is so much to talk about. Let's start with the General Authorities.

On Friday 30 mission presidents, their wives, a number of members of the Quorum of Seventy, AND Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles came to the jail. Yes. To our jail... and what I often think of as my jail. They were all here for a mission president's seminar and wanted to have a little field trip to some of the church history sights. They were supposed to arrive at 5 and we got off shift at 5... so you can imagine how I was scrambling to find some reason to stay around because it would be really convenient if we just happened to be there... right? So it worked out. Our dinner was supposed to pick us up at 5:30 giving us just enough time to meet and greet and hopefully get a handshake from Elder Christofferson. Problem was I ended up being on a presentation RIGHT before they came in (it really wasn't a problem because it was an awesome group and I was glad to do it, PLUS my friend Ryan Ogden was part of that group... happy day!). So I missed the entrance procession and the handshake opportunity. But I held out faith that there might be one more chance, especially because our dinner pick up was running a little late. 

So the group finishes their address with Elder Brenchley and starts heading out of the history room and there are a few sisters gathered in the hall.  Naturally we assumed Elder Brenchley would take them into the rotunda, but Elder Brenchley assumed a sister missionary would take them into the rotunda, so then we hear down the hall... "So which of the sisters will be giving us the presentation?" 

In that moment I knew it was going to be me because I am the senior sister at the jail... I have on record from reputable bystanders that my first words were "oh crap"-- as I grabbed my stomach! (obviously I need a bit more refining on my mission). Down the hall Elder Brenchley confirmed my feelings... "Sister Call, where is Sister Call? You are up!".. and then I went into panic mode. I grabbed my clicker and scriptures and said a prayer while running around (literally), with people telling me that I didn't have time, while Elder Brenchley is giving me very specific instructions-- "DO NOT ask them questions... they don't want to hear your questions". AHHHH. Of course I enter the rotunda masking the fact that my heart is going to pound out of my chest... with a few lame jokes and some stuttering in the beginning we are on our way. Honestly the presentation turned out really well. It was as near of an out of body experience as I'll probably ever have. I was not the one teaching those presidents. I opened my mouth and it was filled. I knew what to say. It was eloquent and concise and very professional. I was able at the end to bear my testimony of the atonement and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was able to testify of Joseph Smith and his experience here. It was amazing! I got to bear MY testimony... my personal knowledge and feelings of the gospel to an Apostle of the Lord... And 30 mission presidents.  Afterward, Sister White said, "Wow you've added some new material to your presentations... that was the best one I've seen!" That's because it wasn't my presentation. 

After the presentation we were able to linger around for awhile and meet Elder Christofferson. He was so kind. We got to shake his hand and I said, "Well, that may have been the most nerve wracking presentation I've ever given..." and then he patted my neck! It was sweet. What was even better is that Meredith, our investigator who was going to be baptized the next day, ran in because she had to use the bathroom. She and I found ourselves in the hall with Elder Christofferson. He shook her hand and I told him that she was being baptized tomorrow. He was excited and wished her well. Then she and I walked in the bathroom and I told her that she just shook hands with an apostle... she freaked out. It was the best pre-baptism present. The whole evening worked out perfectly and it was amazing to see how the Lord allowed for these great experiences for both Meredith and I. 

So that was Friday. I am still freaking out that that ACTUALLY happened. To me. On my mission. I feel pretty darn blessed.

Saturday Michael and Meredith were baptized. That was amazing as well. Really those two are such miracles. Both of them have overcome so much in the past few months and have really taken hold of the gospel. They read scriptures as a family every night, go to youth activities, and Meredith said she even wants to go on a mission! I just can't believe what a miracle it was to find and teach them. Michael is really a miracle because up until a few weeks ago he wasn't even taking the lessons. We kept inviting him to join and finally realized that the Elders need to stop by... Duh! So they did and here he is 3 weeks later with a strong testimony of the gospel and ready for baptism. He is so excited about the Priesthood and being a part of the church. Michael and Meredith were both baptized on the 19th. It was so special to see Brother and Sister Jensen's joy as their grandchildren became members of the church. I have come to love that family so much and I know we will be friends forever.

So here is a picture from the mormonnewsroom article about the 50th anniversary last week...

I am famous... ok, not really but you can see me in the picture at the back standing up by the door. That was my post :) Here is link to another article about the 50th Anniversary... A Prison Temple

M. Russell Ballard at the Historic Liberty Jail. (I am standing by the door on the left)

We have had so many other miracles this week that I don't even have time to talk about. SOO many. I am so grateful to be serving here. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. It is the best.

Elder Ballard and the Ultimate HLJ Birthday Party!

This was the week! Elder Ballard came to the HLJ and we celebrated the 50th Anniversary. In my humble opinion we really outdid ourselves. The whole weekend was marvelous and stressful and wonderful and spiritual and everything in between. Soooo I suppose we will start at the beginning. I literally don't even know where to begin. 

Sister Moon, my sister leader partner in crime, and I spent 100 hours last week (ok. maybe more like 10) getting the schedules all drawn up for the sisters. Let me tell you, those things were a work of art, color coordinated, etc. I think UPS should hire me because I have logistics down, returning sisters, companions, cars, all had to get figured out. But by Friday night it was done and we could rest easy. I don't know how I got to be so lucky to be able to play a part in the organization and creation of this great weekend. 

Saturday Alex Baugh, Susan Easton Black, and Daniel Peterson, professors from BYU came. They gave lectures about the history of the Liberty Jail IN the Liberty Jail. How cool is that?! It was really neat to see so many members from all over come to learn and celebrate. We had far more people come than we thought would. There wasn't even enough room in the rotunda. I had the privilege of being part of the musical number for the readers theater. They had Smith family descendants read portions of the letters from Liberty Jail and we sang, what is now one of my favorite songs, My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee. It is all about Joseph's revelations in the Liberty Jail. The best.
 
 To top off the day, between all the guests and lectures and craziness, we have an unscheduled bus tour of 25 Japanese members show up... who don't speak any English! I entertained them (through a translator) for a half hour and then we went into the rotunda, which was nuts with all the lecture stragglers. I kept thinking about what would make their experience really special, in the 5 minutes we had to show them the jail. So we sang to them. We sang I Am a Child of God and then they sang it back to us! It was so special and really made the day perfect-- because what birthday party isn't complete without a Japanese bus tour?!

Sunday was AWESOME. I don't even know what to say. It was just too good. Sunday afternoon there was a reception at the jail for community leaders and old time members of the church in Liberty, Missouri and Elder Ballard of course. I was lucky enough to be stationed near the front to greet people. Awesome. I got thrown into some photo ops with community leaders... kind of awkward when I have no idea who these men are, but I know they are important. But hey, I could make it on mormonnewsroom or the Church News! Keep an eye out. Elder Ballard spoke to everyone at the VIP Reception. I was really surprised when he just threw down Lesson One. We were all watching and he taught about the Savior's earthly ministry, then the great apostasy, the restoration, then the Book of Mormon. I got to see an Apostle of the Lord teach a number of community leaders about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was the best! It made me want to be so much more bold when I am speaking with people. He taught it as fact, because it is a fact. It really happened. But there was no beating around the bush. 

Elder Ballard at the Historic Liberty Jail

After the VIP we scarfed down some of the leftover reception food and literally raced over to the stake center to practice our song for the fireside. Melba, and Tracy, and Tracy's boys, and another returning member all came to the fireside! It was a miracle, but then again it's pretty easy to talk up an Apostle. We got to sit on the stand in the choir seats right behind Elder Ballard. Whoohoo! The fireside was the best. President Keyes, Elder Gaye of the Seventy, and a historian all spoke. Every single one of them talked about the Liberty Jail and missionary work. My two favorite things! It was a dream. They all encouraged the members to get out there and do missionary work. Ok here are my highlights:

- I feel such a greater appreciation and reverence for what happened in the Liberty Jail. Elder Ballard spent a lot of time wondering what Joseph Smith would want to say to the Liberty Stake. I need to do that... be thinking about what Joseph would want me to teach, and remember that this was a place that came to be sacred because of great sacrifice. I am SO grateful to serve here. 

- There was a huge sense of urgency... we are in a HURRY to share the gospel. We need to be constantly praying and asking for missionary experience. There isn't enough time... that's what Elder Ballard said, and I believe him. 

- I realized that we are literally working and serving to establish the kingdom of God.... that's a literal thing. I love that. 

Mostly I just felt the deep urgency and importance of the work that I am doing. I am really grateful for this recharge of my spiritual batteries before the last 2.5 transfers of my mission. I know it's not a countdown, but I've always been the type to look forward to what is coming up. I love my mission. I love the Liberty Jail. I will be eternally grateful to have been here during this historic time. To serve in the very place, within feet of the very stones Joseph knelt on and offered up the feelings of his heart. This place where the Savior came and taught the prophet the depths of the atonement. This was a place crucial to the restoration of the gospel. I have the opportunity to teach and testify and serve Heavenly Father's children in this very sacred place. These are days never to be forgotten.

transfers but not transferred.

 First. I didn't get transferred! I am still here at the HLJ! WHAHOOO! I'll get to shake Elder Ballard's hand.  Miracles really do happen.  Sister White was transferred to Kearney with Sister Ogletree, and my new companion is Sister Harding, who was just serving in Kearney. Crazy! They just switched places. I love Sister Harding. She was in the MTC with me during VC training. So we are reunited again. Our missions have been completely different-- she's been full proselyting almost her whole mission and I've been at the VC my whole mission. I realized I probably hold the standing record in the mission. 10 out of 12 transfers in a Visitors' Center... I'm not complaining. I love these places. Thursday was transfer day. Talk about crazy-town. Sister Wilson got transferred to the Visitors' Center, and Sister Moon is now the new sister leader up here. We have so many little details to work out for the 50th and that's been a bit hectic. I wish I could post the beautiful schedule we created. It's a work of art really, color coordinated, perfectly balanced schedule.

Kara in Kentucky

This week was truly a miracle week.

 Last Friday. Kara got baptized! Kara, from Kentucky that I have been teaching on the phone every week was baptized! I love this girl and I am so excited for her. She is so excited about the gospel and has grown so much since we "met" on chat a few months ago. I have been amazed to see Heavenly Father answer her prayers and to watch her relationship with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ grow. I feel so blessed to be a part of her conversion, even if she is many miles away.

Tuesday we were FINALLY able to go to the temple. We started out the week super bummed because Melba missed her interview and wasn't going to go and this was the last day we would be able to go before transfers. On Monday we had dinner with the Bishop and he was like, "well I'll just interview her in the morning..." MIRACLE. So we get it all worked out with Melba and she is good to go and we are SO stoked. Tuesday morning we get a text at 6:30 AM from Melba that says: I'm sick. I don't know what to do. BAHHHH. So I tell her to start praying and I start praying and I run around the Liberty house telling everyone to start praying because Melba needed to go to the temple! She decided to go to the interview and see how she felt. She got a blessing and decided to go! It was a miracle and so amazing. She had such a wonderful time and love, love, loved the temple. Favorite Melba quote from the day: I can just see them rippin out of there (as I was being baptized for those that had passed on... she was referring to the spirits rippin out of the spirit world). Hilarious. Sister White and I had a great time in the temple. I wish I could go back everyday. The feeling there is so peaceful and perfect, like time stands still. I love the House of the Lord.

Melba at the Temple

Friday we had a lesson with Meredith. This girl never ceases to amaze me. On Monday we watched the Joseph Smith movie and she loved it, of course. She loves everything. We invited her to pray to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. She said, "I don't have to, I already know! He is a prophet because he translated the Book of Mormon, where else would it come from?" I love that answer, so much faith, and it's true, it does make perfect sense! But I also knew that she needed that spiritual witness. So we invited her to pray to confirm what she knows and we promised her that if she prayed that evening she would be able to know by the power of the Holy Ghost. So Friday we followed up. She did pray. She did recieve an answer. She said that when she prayed that night she felt as though the whole room was warm, and as though she had a hand on her back. I wish you could see her because she is relating this experience in the very colorful language of a 13 year old. She is like "SO I was like well Heavenly Father, I get it, I get it! He is a prophet!" So funny. Another funny Meredith quote... "oh yeah, I'm almost 14."

"Well when is your birthday?"

"July... it's only 7 months away."

Haha. I love that girl.

Michael and Meredith

This weekend is going to be THE BEST! Elder Ballard is coming! Whahoo! He's going to be in my jail... well our jail. I think every sister that serves here has a sense of ownership over this place. All the sisters that were transferred will get to come back and everyone will be happy! Yay! I cannot wait. I am so so so grateful to serve here during this time and to have played a part in the orchestration of the events. What a blessing!

Rollercoaster.

Whew. This week has been an emotional roller coaster. Some weeks you just REALLY need a p-day! This was one of those weeks.
 
Up and down. Yesterday was really up and down, the lowest of lows and then the highest of highs. I won't dwell on the lows. I spent most of the day rather depressed, but it really only takes 30 minutes and a bit of an attitude adjustment to turn things around. I was able to lead a really great presentation and un-invite myself to my pity party....then later on that night we had a tender mercy from the Lord.
 
We were pretty bummed all day that Tracy and Melba didn't come to church, when we thought both of them were going to be there. We visited Tracy, all good there... she is still recovering, but no response from Melba still. That hurts, I think that's one of the reasons why missionary work is so hard is that these people become our dear, dear friends. We think about them all the time, we pray for them daily, and we really want them to be happy.  Here's the tender mercy. Sister White needed to grab her journal from a lady in our ward, Sister Pancic. She is the best. We get talking to her and she tells us how she went over to Tracy's, just for the heck of it (did I already mention that she is the best?) and Melba was there. Melba and Tracy had been reading their scriptures together because they didn't go to church and wanted to make Sunday special. That made me feel SO good. I realized that my perfectionist personality had been worrying way too much about little things. Sure, church is really important. It is. But how long did it take me to figure out how important church was? It took a really long time to fully understand that or to even partially understand that.  Tracy and Melba were worshiping and strengthening their testimony to the amount that they understood, on their own. That made my whole day. It was such a miracle that we randomly stopped by Sister Pancic's on the way home, so that she could fill us in on how Melba was doing and so that I could go to bed feeling good. Thank goodness for tender mercies!!!!
 
This is my favorite scripture about tender mercies: 1 Nephi 1:20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had ^acast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also ^bsought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender ^cmercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ^ddeliverance.

Meredith is doing great. She is the cutest. I got to bust out a few of my teaching skills on Saturday. She is a little behind in math and we went over and I tutored her for about an hour. It was so fun to teach. I have realized that I am a much better teacher because of my mission. I haven't stepped foot in a school classroom in over a year, but I think all around my teaching skills have improved. Funny how that works. I know that all aspects of our lives are blessed through gospel service. We did this really fun lesson on goals and creating a vision for our life. We cut out all these pictures from the New Era magazines and put them on a poster for her. It was neat to see how much her life can change as she grows in the gospel. Her goals included serving a mission, getting married, going to college... which was a far cry from what she looked forward to a few months ago. She told us that her biggest dream in life before moving was to go on a booze cruise in Greece. She doesn't even know about the Word of Wisdom yet and she already thinks that past goal is a stupid idea.

I'll be honest here. I am STRESSED about transfers, well kind of. Mentally stressed, but not emotionally stressed. I just really want to stay. I love my area, I love the people we are teaching, I love the jail, I love Elder Ballard and I really want to shake  his hand! It's really all up in the air though. We will find out tomorrow night. I cannot believe it is October and that the 50th Anniversary is in 2 weeks and that conference is in one week. So excited!
 
I am really excited for General Conference! It is the best as a missionary/also just the best. One of my favorite stories from the history we teach at the Liberty Jail is that of Jacob Haun. I have learned a lot from this story about our consecration, and I know it changed my attitude about General Conference and following the prophet. So Jacob Haun was one of the earliest settlers in a settlement of church members called Haun's Mill. It was a small settlement located near the outskirts of Caldwell County, the "safe" county for the members of the church. Violence was increasing throughout the counties and Joseph Smith had recommended that the members of the church in the outlying settlements move in. Jacob spoke with Joseph asking for permission to stay explaining that if they left they would lose their mill, their land, their homes, and everything they had. Joseph explained that it would be far better to lose their property than to lose their lives, and said again that they should move in to Far West. Jacob Haun continued to protest. He gave excuses and plans for how they would be kept safe and could be exempt from the counsel. Ultimately Joseph said that they were at liberty to do as they would... he commented that Jacob hadn't come for counsel but only for permission to do as he already had made up his mind to do. We know that just a short time later that same settlement of Haun's Mill was massacred by a mob and 17 people were killed and 14 badly injured.
 
This really got me reflecting about my commitment to following the counsel of church leaders and the Lord. Is our commitment conditional? Do we follow only when it is convenient and when the sacrifice fits into our ideals or schedule? I've realized more and more that safety lies in following the counsel of church leaders. They stand as watchmen, ready and willing to warn us and help us prepare temporally and spiritually. As our hearts are open we can receive that counsel, but we are always at liberty to do as we will. I'm excited for general conference and I hope we can all prepare to have open hearts and minds.

what in the world!

This week has been another amazing week! I'm trying to eliminate "what the heck" from my vocabulary right now. It's not really working... so that's where the "what in the world" comes from. But most of the time I say that it sounds lame. So everyone out in the real world should send me some substitutes.  I suppose I could say as Canon used to say... "what in the jorge regula is going on here?!" I still don't know what that means, but it's catchy.  Ok. But seriously. I feel so blessed to be here. Most of the time I wonder how and why I am so blessed and so lucky to be serving the Shoal Creek Valley ward at this time. It is the best. We have amazing members and so many amazing friends that I have the opportunity to teach and learn from!

First miracle of the week: Tracy is getting baptized! She set a baptismal date for October 11th! We are so excited for her and she has come such a long way. She quit smoking and drinking coffee all on her own, which is a miracle. That is one good thing that came from her hospital visit. She has been reading on her own and praying on her own, and keeping her appointments. Setting a baptismal date was merely a formality at this point because she has been talking about her baptism since she was in the hospital. We have seen such a miraculous change in her sincerity and growth. It is amazing how much I love that family. We have visited them at least twice a week, usually more, for the past 2 months. It has been amazing to watch them progress.

Meredith is doing really well. She is such a cutie and loves the gospel. She was even excited to go to Stake Conference yesterday... so awesome! Speaking of... here's a joke. Why don't the vampires like to come to the Missouri Independence Mission?-- because there are too many stakes in Zion... haha. Man. I won't be funny at all when I get home. Meredith is really funny though. Here's a snapshot of how our lessons usually go. We compared the celestial kingdom to a beautiful ball that you have to prepare for and then Meredith is like "oh yeah! One time on Facebook there was this picture talking about Jesus and it was of four bald princesses and it said bald princesses are the prettiest, everyone should shave their head in support of cancer." Good point. Not completely relevant. I tried to bring it back by saying... "yeah, it's great to do service and that will help you get to the Celestial Kingdom." Sometimes following the thought process of a 13 year old can be a little tiring. 

Sister Wilson and I planned a completely inspired and awesome training for the Visitors' Center sisters in Independence. It was the best. We had 0 time to prepare and we were a little bit stressed about it. Welcome to the life of a sister leader (btw we had a zone conference on how to deal with stress and the more they kept talking the more I realized how much better I could be at dealing with my stress, which stressed me out. Funny, huh?). So we were at the HLJ at 9:45 p.m. prepping for the training the next morning and we kept getting idea after idea and it was amazing. Sister Wilson and I were both taught very important lessons about the Liberty Jail, our ideas came together, and we were able to prepare a really meaningful and powerful training.  Thank goodness for the gift of the Holy Ghost! 

Here is some of what we pulled together... these are just a few of the highlights:

 

- I have often wondered WHY. Why did the saints face so much persecution? Why did Joseph have to stay in the Liberty Jail? Why would God try the faith of these early church members so much? WHY? As I've really studied I've come to some answers... there are probably many, many more reasons, but these are just a few thoughts that are a little more out of the box. 

 

1. The most obvious reason to me would be that adversity brings refinement and growth, and that was certainly true of the members of the church.  

 

2. The suffering that these members went through helped Joseph Smith and the Saints to better understand the atonement. I love this quote by Elder Holland. It was true for Joseph. It is true for missionaries, and it is true for all of us..."I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation was never easy. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, He is our Great Eternal Head. Why would we believe, why would we think, that it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? In turn, how could we possibly bear any moving, lasting testimony of the Atonement if we have never known or felt anything of such an experience? As missionaries we are proud to say we are disciples of Christ-- and we are. That means we must be prepared to walk something of the path he walked, to feel something of the pain He felt, and to at least occasionally sometime during your mission shed one of the tears of sorrow that He shed." Isn't that the BEST! It's been my theme this week... and something that I know is true. Joseph was learning in a very real and physical way the depths of the atonement. Our trials help us with that as well. 

Well, there is a small snippet of what I learned and talked about in the training... that is probably one of my favorite lessons of the Liberty Jail.

Transfers are coming up already. This month has flown by. I'm freaking out because I am afraid a part of me will die if I get transferred before the 50th Anniversary. Really I'm being dramatic, I'd get over it, and probably pretty quickly, but it sure would be a bummer. 

Congrats to Rachy, my cousin who just got her mission call! Pueblo, Mexico won't be the same after you get there. If my calculations are right, you go into the MTC the same day that I come home!

50 years of the HLJ.

It's nice and cloudy outside, about time to bust out the boots and sweaters. So stoked. But unfortunately that has left me a little foggy headed... that, and the fact that I thought it was a good idea to wake up at 6 AM to play morning sports with the other missionaries. Sometimes I think that is a good idea and go, sometimes its not. Like today. Frisbee at 6 AM is only enjoyable about half of the time. That being said I hope my email makes sense. It has been a great week!
 

Meredith is the best! We love teaching her so much. She's always so excited about everything... and so eager to learn. We took her and her brother Michael to the Liberty Jail on Monday and had the best lesson. We watched the restoration video and she loved it. When the movie got to the first vision she was like "woah... that is cool." It is cool... its the second greatest thing that has ever happened on the earth! It's amazing to watch her learn and witness her pure faith in all of it. She is so eager about the gospel, I could be more like that sometimes. We also taught her part of the Plan of Salvation the other day... she loved it. We were teaching about the Savior's atonement and she was like "what are those dots and why are they always on his hands?" What a neat moment to be able to teach Meredith about the atonement, for maybe the first time that she had ever heard it in her life. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. Sometimes I get home at night it hits me how awesome my life is right now.
 

Tracy has been in the hospital this week. She had pneumonia and the doctors didn't catch it... so she ended up in the hospital. Bummer...but it's actually been kind of a miracle (there's always a positive right?). So prior to this it had been hard to get lessons with Tracy... she would be sick or things would come up, or something. She was finally starting to progress and then boom pneumonia. So we were expecting things to drop off, but NO... she is reading the Book of Mormon on her own, and wanted us to come read and teach her. She is soaking it up and really internalizing the gospel. She wants to have faith. She wants to repent. Not only that but she is doing it! It is amazing. We asked Tracy when she might want to be baptized because she keeps talking about how excited she is, and she was like "well, I should probably wait until I'm out of the hospital." She was dead serious about that too.. haha.

Anyway... I don't even know if I can express how amazing it is to watch these new friends of mine learn and grow. It is the best.
 

Yesterday was the 50th Anniversary of the reconstruction of the Liberty Jail, I suppose at that point it became the Historic Liberty Jail... we have to be very careful to differentiate or else people think that we work in a penitentiary.  So I suppose it would only be fitting to talk about how much I love this place, and how much I have learned here. So here are a few of the lessons I have learned at the Historic Liberty Jail
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1. Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet of God. I always knew this, but I really, really know it now. It has been amazing to teach and testify of who he was and how the Lord used him to bless his children.
 

2. The Liberty Jail itself testifies of things that last and that don't last. The jail... didn't last. Here is this impressive building with 4 foot thick walls, built of stone and after 50 years it was falling apart, unable to fulfill it's designed purpose. Although that prison held Joseph Smith and kept him confined, it had no power to confine the beautiful teachings that would come from that place. The revelations received at the Liberty Jail is something that has lasted. I remember going through some hard times in high school and miraculously finding sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It was like I had stumbled upon solid gold. I love it. It helped me through that trial. The revelations recieved there have not only lasted throughout time, but that testimony and knowledge has become a part of so many people's lives over the years.
 

3. Obedience. I came across a great quote this week... one that really made me think. I'll paraphrase it. It said something along the lines of "Jesus' obedience was perfected by his suffering." Wait... Jesus was already perfectly obedient, suffering or not, so what did that have to do with it. It made me think of sacrifice. The suffering that Jesus Christ endured for each of us was voluntary. It was a sacrifice made from love for each of us, but it was also to perfect the obedience he was offering to his Father in Heaven. Joseph Smith's obedience was also made more perfect because of his sacrifice. He sacrificed all that he had- family, stability, comfort, and eventually his life-- all for his testimony of Jesus. As we are obedient, even and especially during those times where it comes as a sacrifice, we can be more perfect and made more perfect because of the ultimate sacrifice by our Savior.
 

So there you are... I'll try and pull together a few more thoughts as the weeks go on about what this holy place has taught me. The 50th Anniversary celebrations will be ongoing throughout the upcoming weeks. We have an open house coming up during the Fall Fair here in Liberty. The big events will be happening on October 12th and 13th, when Elder Ballard will be coming to the JAIL! Yes. That's right. I can't wait! I'm trying not to freak out becuase transfers are the week before. I'm really wishing I had some musical skills so I could play the piano or the violin for the VIP event, like some of my fellow jail birds are. I'm trying to study up on my history so maybe they will bring me back to give some presentations if I get transferred.