SPRING BREAK TRIP

We had a wonderful experience going back east to see some of the church history sights over spring break last week.

First we visited Winter Quarter's and saw the beautiful new temple there next to the cemetery where 300+ pioneers are buried. We had a wonderful sister missionary from Tonga share the stories of these saints and bear her testimony to us. We learned so much about the Mormon Battalion and the role they played in Sutter's Mill and clearing the road over the pass in the High Sierra's for other people to come through.

We then visited the tabernacle in Kannesville and headed to Nauvoo. I can't even begin to describe in words the feelings I felt as we drove down the main road into Nauvoo and I caught my first glimpse of the temple. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I saw this beautiful building standing where there had only been a huge indentation for so many years. That temple stands as a testament that nothing will stop the work of the Lord. God will triumph no matter how hard Satan and other people try to destroy the work.

We visited several of the sites in Nauvoo and Scott and I attended a temple session on our second day. Jason was going to do baptisms but he was ill and spent the whole day in bed. It was a wonderful experience to see our friends Dennis and Carolyn Horan who are serving a mission there and also the Mc Ghies from Alpine who are there on a mission. We attended the Rendezvous that the missionaries perform in the evening and it was a wonderful show.


I was especially touched by this statue of Joseph and Hyrum on horses. The plaque tells of how they rode to the top of the hill and looked back on the beautiful city of Nauvoo and then Joseph looked at the temple that was partially completed. He then said to Hyrum something like, I fear the saints have no idea what trials await them. Joseph and Hyrum then rode off to Carthage never to return again.

We reluctantly said good-bye to Nauvoo and went to Carthage to see the Carthage jail. My dad's cousin and her husband are serving in that area also and they were at Carthage to take us through on a tour. They made it very special by sharing with us some extra things that are not told to everyone.

We stopped for several hours in Carthage to get Jason to a doctor and got a prescription for his sinus infection and headed south and west for Adam-Ondi-Ahmen. We were fortunate to have one of my friends from high school set it up so that we got to meet with some of the missionaries serving in the Independence Missouri mission. It was a wonderful meeting at Adam-Ondi-Ahmen. Not only did we learn so much from Brother Brickey who spoke to the missionaries but the spirit that was there was so powerful and sweet.


After the meeting we visited Far West, Liberty and Independence. We met another beautiful sister missionary in Independence who shared with us the stories of the Saints and her wonderful testimony. Jason really connected with her and they had a wonderful conversation. She told us that she was from Murray, Utah and that she was the only member in her family. She shared with us how she was working very hard to get her family to join the church. As we were saying our good-byes that evening she asked if she could write to me. She told me that she needed a mother who would understand her and what she was doing. She needed a mother to get excited with her about what she was doing and to give her some encouragement. My heart ached as well as being touched by this request.

Then it was time to head home. We stopped in Denver long enough to see Garth and Lisa (Sorenson) Jensen. What a beautiful house they have which is filled with the spirit!

It was a bitter sweet feeling as we pulled into the driveway. We had felt the spirit the whole trip and had learned so much and met so many wonderful people. We didn't want that to end, but to see Christine and Brad and the boys, and to sleep in my bed felt so nice.