August 25, 2015 - Tuesday in Carthage

OK, I have to admit that time is slipping away at an increased rate.  This last week in Carthage is flying by and I am becoming more aware of the void this will create as we have worked hard with some of the best missionaries ever.  I wrote each of our senior couples a letter of gratitude tonight as our time together in this part of the Lord's Vineyard is coming to a close.  We have served over 55,000 guests together this summer, and that is an awesome achievement.  You can't help but love the people you serve with, and have experienced such marvelous days together without a noticeable feeling of separation....

Now, back to this morning!  Our day began early this morning with our morning devotional and prayers.  We were out on our walk by 6:00am and finished our morning workout by cleaning the jail one last time.  Here is a picture of the sunrise over the cornfields and the soybean fields this morning;

August 25th along our county walk in Carthage

 

We had the mid shift today which meant that we reported for work at 10:30am and got off at 5:00pm.  The visitors were few, but the Hansen's and the Price's and the Lasher's were able to talk about this wonderful experience together here in Carthage this summer.  Certainly memories that will not soon be forgotten!

Sister Price had a fun tour this afternoon.  She gave a tour to Elder Carlos H. Armando, an emeritus member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.  He was just released in October of 2014.  He and his mother and his daughter were here on a Church history tour.  His home was Guatemala City where our son Bob Jr. served his mission.  It was so much fun to talk with him and feel of his very kind Spirit!  I had to take a picture with Sister Price and the Armando's;

Elder Carlos H. Armando and his wife, daughter and mother with Sister Price

I had some time today to review the Editor part in Rendezvous.  I stood in the movie room and gave my presentation to mom who played the part of prompter, and the key missionaries I interact with during the Rendezvous Play.  The practices have been a huge help and I have one of my final rehearsals tomorrow after the mission training meeting.  That should be interesting as I will probably get my assigned debut date then.

As far as my tours went today, I had a wonderful experience with one family.  They came this afternoon and the sister was actually the niece of the husband and wife.  She was active in the Church in a ward near Chicago.  Her Aunt and Uncle were from Salt Lake area.  The uncle was a member and the aunt was not.  I got a heads up on this key information before the tour started, and I wondered what Heavenly Father might have me say to this wonderful family.  Well, in the movie, this family was joined by another family, all adults, (and grandparents), heading to the East coast for the baptism of their granddaughter.  

As the movie ended and I began the tour I wanted to give the information more to the wife who was not a member.  This was fairly easy to do until I shared my testimony in the Martyrdom room.  After I completed my testimony, everyone lingered in the room, as only those who have been there can imagine, and then we began to leave.  Of course the family with the non member wife left first.  As I continued to talk to the other family we took some picture and then went down the stairs.    

Then, as we gathered outside, these grandparents had a few more comments and the non member was slipping away.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see them near the end of the brick-way as I was just wrapping up my discussion with the grandparents.  I said goodbye and headed for the non member and her family.  They were just getting in the car when I approached them and thanked them for coming.  They got back out of the car to talk with me.  I had mentioned earlier that I was a convert, and the niece asked me about my conversion story....

What a great lead-in question!  I told them about my friend, Ellen, and how she invited Jackie and me over for a "Family Home Evening".  And I told them that when I first saw a picture of the temple and asked Ellen what that building was, I was told it was a place that families could be sealed together forever!  I then mentioned the death of my dad and how that affected my interest in finding out more about the Church! This precious non member sister seemed attentive....

I was so grateful that I could share my conversion with this dear non member sister here in Carthage!  Is it possible that she might want to learn more because of that conversion story?  I probably won't ever know in this life, but I also know that it was no accident that I could catch up to them before they drove away, and answer that very special question about my conversion story....

Carthage, Illinois.  A life changing experience every day!  Thank you for checking in with me tonight!