March 29, 2012, 6:43:
Rushing as usual! Also Playing catch-up, as usual! I am scheduled to go to the Print Shop site and Elder Scott to the Family Living Center today.
catch-up, March 24:
Elder Scott and I were scheduled and went to the Carthage Jail site in Carthage, Illinois. It's always a joy to go that direction because we drive right along the Mississippi River for 12 miles. I love seeing the birds and there are turtles on logs right out in the river. If you watch real close you can see them. Here's a picture of the Mississippi and the turtles.

They are always there and soooooo cute. Don't you think? There are some pull-offs on the way and Elder Scott stopped at several of them so I could get these pictures. I really appreciate him and love him very much.
Anyway, we gave a tour at Carthage Jail. The spirit is so strong there, you don't hardly have to tell the people anything. The spirit just overwhelms you, especially in the martyrdom room. We play a tape of what happened when they were killed and everyone, even little kids just sit there in silence for a few minutes trying to take it in after. I knew before but I know even more now that the Prophet Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and he did restore the Church of Jesus Christ back to the earth in it's fullness. It was cute, a little girl about 4 or so was there with her parents. After a few seconds of the quiet, she said in a very quiet voice, "mom, there not talking anymore". That was my cue to bear my testimony. I just had to smile though, she was so cute. I love children. They are so genuine. They filled out a quest card and gave it to me. That seems to be my thing right now. I've had several quest cards turned in. It's not me, the spirit is so strong it touches their minds and they think of people they want to share the gospel with.
Catch-up, March 25, 2012:
We went to church at 8:00 am. Sister Bird, a cute little lady boar her testimony. They were at the MTC with our group of 18 couples. She's such a good example to me. I just love her. She was at the Family Living Center when I was there last Thursday.
We then had the privilege of going back over to the Carthage Jail Visitor's Center and gave another tour together. I felt really off in that tour (Aunt Shelda told me later that I'm expecting too much of myself to soon) but the dad knew more about what I was supposed to be telling them than I did. I told him I appreciated his comments, to please go ahead and add his knowledge to the tour and teach his family (they were the only ones in the tour) and I would learn from him also.  It's kind of fun to give tours together. Usually we are assigned at different sites. They said we would be assigned at least once a week together so that will be nice.
Three people, two men and a woman about Joe of Walter's age, I don't know, came in. I was catching a bite to eat. We were expecting all the missionaries that had come in from the MTC (16 couples or so, I believe) right at that time so Elder and Sister McBride asked the three if they would mind waiting for that tour. They didn't come and they didn't come for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, Elder Scott took them around the waiting room where there are pictures depicting Joseph Smith in the sacred grove and restoring the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth and other pictures of interest, including a picture of Jesus Christ appearing in the upper room to his apostles after he was resurrected.
The couple moved away but the one young man stayed with Elder Scott all the way around. I went over to them. I felt impressed to get a quest card, so I walked across the room to where the Book of Mormons and the cards are. I knew nothing about the young man. I felt impressed to pick up the Book of Mormon also. There wasn't a full quest card there so I turned around and started back toward them. About half way back, I turned back around and went in the office, picked up a quest card and a Book of Mormon and went over to them. I asked him if he had seen the quest cards. He said no so I told him about them. Then I asked him if he knew about the Book of Mormon and he said no. I kind of explained that it was a history of the people on the American continent at the same time Jesus was in Jerusalem. Elder Scott told him about the promise in Moroni 10:3-5 and we both boar testimony of it. He took the Book of Mormon and told more than once that he was very interested and said he would read it. He also filled out the quest card with his own name and gave it to us. It was interesting in that he not only put his name and phone # on it but his home and email address and in the spot for religion preference, he put agnostic.
I'm so grateful and feel humbled that the Spirit is working through us to help others start the process of coming to Christ. I'm grateful for the training we got at the MTC. It's strengthened my testimony and renewed my knowledge of the gospel. I think we take it for granted living in Utah and being amongst mostly members. We forget we are in the mission field there also.
We went for a ride after practice again and saw two deer. Gotta love it.
Later, hopefully. Love you all.