Mom and I had the closing shift today at the Visitors Center. We had the entire morning off and took advantage of the time together. We were up early and had our morning prayers before our long morning walk here in the Carthage area. We love walking out in the outskirts of Carthage and down the roads next to the long rows of corn and soybeans. The morning air was cool and crisp with an average amount of humidity.
Then we came back to our home and enjoyed a work out of stretching and aerobics. We had breakfast together and then enjoyed reading our Scriptures. The morning was relaxing and I even had a rehearsing session for the Editor! We arrived at the Visitors Center at 12:30pm to begin our shift.
I had three tours this afternoon and enjoyed sharing my thoughts and testimony with these visitors. It is always a pleasure to give these tours and field some wonderful questions from our guests. I especially love to take questions about Joseph Smith's run for the Presidency of the United States and talk about his platform. We are certainly in need of that platform he stood for in today's society!
I had a interesting encounter with our custodian this afternoon. He came into the Visitors Center visibly upset. When I spoke with him he indicated he had just been fired. When I asked him why he was fired he said someone had accused him of coming to work yesterday drunk and on drugs. Well, Elder and Sister Price both were here, and the only ones who talked to him when he came in last night at closing time to clean, and they indicated he was not drunk or on drugs.
I immediately made a phone call and began the process of finding out who the accuser was, even though I had an idea. My idea was confirmed and I went to bat for our custodian and let his boss know that she had false information in my estimation. I also told her if they terminated him on this kind of information, they could face a wrongful termination case. even in a right to work state.
Well I found out tonight that the supervisor reversed her decision and she admitted she was under pressure from her boss to let him go based on this erroneous information. But after she had spoken with me, they both agreed that the termination was not in the best interest of their company or the Church's, since the accuser was a missionary here at Carthage who "assumed" he was drunk and on drugs. I actually got a little excited over this questionable move and I was happy that our custodian was re-instated.
Our custodian came over to the house this evening and thanked me for going to bat for him. He tries to do his best, and I knew that, and I had to take a stand for him.
As I was closing the Visitors Center this evening I had Sister Saunders come in with two of her daughters. She is the Seminary Teacher this year and we were discussing some of the arrangements for her class. After this discussion, she was telling me about a sister she had been talking to about her path to moving to Carthage about 11 years ago. This sister does not live close to Carthage but was very touched, and very emotional, by Sister Saunders story. I will relate that story as I told it back in April when I first heard it;
The Saunders were living in Houston, Texas about 11 years ago. Brother Saunders was working as a General Manager for major hotels and was on his way to an interview for one of these positions when he got the distinct impression that if he went to the interview he would be offered the job. And he further felt that he should not accept the position! So, instead of going to the interview, he went to the temple to figure out these conflicting impressions. It was there that he felt he needed to move his family to Illinois, and specifically to the Nauvoo area.
This impression was shared with his wife who, at that time, was an aspiring opera singer attending a prestigious opera school in Houston and on the path to accepting a position in New York City. She told him that was impossible and that she wasn't going to even entertain that thought. Well, he told her she had to come to her own conclusion as to which way to go, but that he was going to be leaving for Nauvoo the next day..... She was "astonished exceedingly", to say the least! She had to know what this was all about so she too went to the temple and got no impressions to move.
However, she had always relied on her Scriptures to help her with major decision so she turned to the Scriptures.... nothing initially, until she opened up to the Doctrine and Covenants and read in Section 125; ..."let them build unto me a city.... Nauvoo". That was her answer and they moved to the Nauvoo area and settled in Carthage within a few weeks. On their first Sunday at Church, they found out that the Nauvoo Stake had been fasting 40 days for help to strengthen the members here. The Saunders were one of four families that answered that fast without knowing it!
Well, back to her friend I spoke about initially. She was very emotional, not because of the faith promoting story that the Saunders had, but that she and her family had also received that impression 11 years ago, .... and did not act upon it.
Now is the time to make ourselves ready to receive promptings and inspiration. We must have that Divine help from a loving Father to get through this maze of mortality. That is the only way we will make it safely through!
As I was closing the Visitors Center this evening I had Sister Saunders come in with two of her daughters. She is the Seminary Teacher this year and we were discussing some of the arrangements for her class. After this discussion, she was telling me about a sister she had been talking to about her path to moving to Carthage about 11 years ago. This sister does not live close to Carthage but was very touched, and very emotional, by Sister Saunders story. I will relate that story as I told it back in April when I first heard it;
The Saunders were living in Houston, Texas about 11 years ago. Brother Saunders was working as a General Manager for major hotels and was on his way to an interview for one of these positions when he got the distinct impression that if he went to the interview he would be offered the job. And he further felt that he should not accept the position! So, instead of going to the interview, he went to the temple to figure out these conflicting impressions. It was there that he felt he needed to move his family to Illinois, and specifically to the Nauvoo area.
This impression was shared with his wife who, at that time, was an aspiring opera singer attending a prestigious opera school in Houston and on the path to accepting a position in New York City. She told him that was impossible and that she wasn't going to even entertain that thought. Well, he told her she had to come to her own conclusion as to which way to go, but that he was going to be leaving for Nauvoo the next day..... She was "astonished exceedingly", to say the least! She had to know what this was all about so she too went to the temple and got no impressions to move.
However, she had always relied on her Scriptures to help her with major decision so she turned to the Scriptures.... nothing initially, until she opened up to the Doctrine and Covenants and read in Section 125; ..."let them build unto me a city.... Nauvoo". That was her answer and they moved to the Nauvoo area and settled in Carthage within a few weeks. On their first Sunday at Church, they found out that the Nauvoo Stake had been fasting 40 days for help to strengthen the members here. The Saunders were one of four families that answered that fast without knowing it!
Well, back to her friend I spoke about initially. She was very emotional, not because of the faith promoting story that the Saunders had, but that she and her family had also received that impression 11 years ago, .... and did not act upon it.
Now is the time to make ourselves ready to receive promptings and inspiration. We must have that Divine help from a loving Father to get through this maze of mortality. That is the only way we will make it safely through!
There is our story for tonight! All in a days work for two Nauvoo senior Missionaries! Thank you for checking in with us!
Good job helping out the custodian! and Good reminder to follow promptings!
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