CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Monday, May 28, 2012

Palmyra!

Hello!

This last week was good.  The family we are teaching is doing well.  They are beginning to make small changes in their lives to live in greater harmony with what they know to be true.

We also had a BBQ Monday we were invited to and got a sweet member referral what we will begin teaching hopefully this week.

Palmyra was amazing!  Monday night I picked up Elder Shrader in Herkimer and then got to the mission home around 9.  There are only 6 of of left in our group, and we were going to pick up one of them in the morning.  We got to bed then woke up at 4:45 in the morning, then got out the door around 6.

The weather was all over...

We got to Palmyra and went first to the temple.  It was crazy being there again.  We took some pictures, then went inside.  The weather was good.  We sat down in the baptistry and had a 45 minute Q&A with the temple president.  Talk about an amazing experience! Both mission and temple president later said that it was probably one of the best q&a's they have had.

We then went through an endowment session.  AMAZING!  It is literally one of the best feelings in the world (or I should say out of the world).  For the rest of the day, as we visited the other sites, we made reference to the covenants we make in the temple.

Afterwards, we had dinner with the temple president and his wife, who lives next door, because it was the Bullochs last trip.  As we said prayer a huge storm came in.  It did not last long and cleared up as we left.

Then we stopped by the Book of Mormon print shop.  Right when we stepped in the storm took off again, only this time with heavy winds.  It has not changed much since we last went.  But it was cool to listen and watch how the sisters taught as they gave the tour.  Different teaching techniques.  The weather calmed down as we were leaving the shop and bookstore. 

Then we went to Alvin's grave only for a few minutes (it was raining a bit then).  After that we stopped by Martin Whitmer's farm.  Then went to the Hill Cumorah.  We went down to the basement and had a sweet training from President Bulloch about Joseph Smith and Moroni and the training he went through, and how it applies to us.

Then we went up the the hill, took a few pictures, and ran to the grove... and the grove was closed!  (because of the storm they had it closed.)  So we had a prayer, took the tour of the log home and Alvin's home and the other buildings, hoping that it would open before we left.  President even called the other mission president to see if he could pull any strings.  But they made some arrangements while we were on tour and they let us in.  They soon after opened it again.

We had a chance to walk around by ourselves for an hour (no companion), and enjoy the grove.  It was such a powerful experience to be back and to think about what has changed since the first time.  There is a special spirit with both temples so close together, and being in both. 

Then we had McD's and went back to the Utica.  I left this morning, and got back for my last district meeting, and am now just getting back to Greenville.  Today we are going to help one of our new investigators we picked up this last week (Mary) in her yard.

All and all, it was a great trip.  For sure, it was a powerful experience.  This last week is going to be surreal and fast and crazy.  I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Shurtz

The Home Bound Elders
The Sacred Grove

This is where Joseph Smith hid the Gold Plates for safekeeping.

0 comments: