Ok I don't even know where to start... This week was the best ever! Oh yeah.. Thanks for all of the emails this week. That's so exciting that both Mickle and Alisha are now real missionaries out of the MTC. Congrats girls! Ok so this week I celebrated my one year mark. It was so weird. Thanks mom for the package. I love the note cards! Sister Ahrendsen took me out to eat for it and we celebrated. Connee, Cory and Chuck also came. They told the waitress that it was my birthday so they came and sang to me. Haha.
This weekend Elder M. Russel Ballard , Elder Robert Gay and Walter C. Selden came to Kirtland. It was amazing. This weekend marks the 10 year anniversary of Kirtland being dedicated. Friday night we had a very exclusive VIP party to celebrate. Both city and state government people came as well as local members that have a part at Kirtland. The day before they had some talk with us about making sure that we looked really good and that we were on our best behavior. Sister Gee and I took pictures of our "VIP party" outfits and they are on her computer so when I get those I will send them your way. The party was so much fun. They did a really nice job. We were allowed to wait in line to shake all of their hands. Elder Ballard said that he lived in Holladay and that he knows Grandpa Frampton. That was really cool. After the party we all went to the stake center for a program about Kirtland. Karl Anderson spoke at it. He is basically the most knowledge church historian. He wrote this book. Elder Sorenson (the visitors' center director) also spoke. He had all the visitors' center sisters stand up and he said some really nice things about us. Elder Ballard them spoke. His great great great grandpa is Hyrum Smith. He talked about him for a minute but then he went on to talk for the rest of the meeting about Parley P. Prattt (my grandpa!!!!). It was really cool. The next morning there was a mile walk and breakfast scheduled at the visitors' center. He told us to choose someone that was here in Kirtland and use the time the next day to walk a mile in their shoes. It was so perfect because that day Grandma Schaar sent me papers about one of my favorite Kirtland Ancestors Harriet Wheeler Decker. I walked in honor of Harriet, Parley and Brigham Young. There was a HUGE turn out Saturday morning. We were really impressed. Saturday night was the adult session of Stake Conference. We got there 2 hours early and it was already packed. We had to sit on hard chairs. Chris (our recent convert) and Chuck (who is getting baptized Oct. 26) came. It was a really powerful meeting. Elder Selden really got mad at everyone. He is the area 70 and used to be the Kirtland Stake President. He said that the members need to repent and be better missionaries. It was so powerful. He gave the members ways that they can help us missionaries. He told everyone to go and buy THIS book. Now I am going to tell each of you to go and buy that book. Everyone out here has been talking about it and they love it. Get doing missionary work peeps!!!! Elder Ballard gave a really spiritual talk about the importance of recognizing spiritual promptings. The Spirit was really strong that night. Sunday morning was stake conference. we also go there 2 hours before it started and it was PACKED!!!!!!! You can always put your money on an apostle. People will come to church when he is there. I just love the Kirtland Stake. I love that I know so many people in it. I feel really comfortable looking around and saying hi to tons of people. I feel like I am right at home. (For all of you new missionaries: Don't worry in a few short months you will feel right at home in your new stake.) Connee, Judd (her weird husband who lives in a different home) and Chuck all came. The meeting was so spiritual! I loved it!!!Elder Ballard is amazing. He told everyone how amazing Kirtland is and to take advantage of it. At the end of the meeting he had everyone stand up and put their hand out. He air shook everyone's hand and then he said "Ok now go home and write in your journal that you shook my hand." Love him. Later that night we called Connee to see how she liked stake conference and this is how the conversation went.
Connee: Guess what I am doing right now? Going to the store to buy herbal tea so I won't drink coffee anymore.
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