District Meeting-Day One (Friday, August 25)

The Kansas City Missouri Temple---It was a beautiful (and hot) day with blue skies

We arrived just before 9:00 am to do some sealings before we attended the session with the whole group.  Two of the other couples also came to do sealings.  However, we got divided up--they went together to one sealing room and the three of us joined another couple and an older man in the second sealing room. It was a sweet opportunity and they put Jena right to work as well.  Near the end of our time, the sealer asked if I had any other family names of couples to be sealed.  I checked and I did so he invited Jena to represent the wife while Gary represented the husband.  Later she said that was embarrassing "to be marrying your dad," but we reminded her that she was acting in behalf of someone who is now very happy.  I loved it and appreciated the sealer's invitation to her.  Afterwards, the sealer said that he had a grandson with special needs who is five years old.  He said as soon as he saw Jena, it reminded him of his grandson and he felt emotional the entire time as he realized that his grandson might some day serve in the temple like Jena.  The older gentleman said that the last 20 years of his career he taught post-secondary education for individuals with disabilities so he loved sharing time with Jena as well.  What are the odds----in God's timing, 100%!

I had one other sweet experience that morning.  We returned to the dressing room between the sealings and to prepare for the endowment session.  I was standing near Jena as we were getting ready for the endowment session.  A woman--dressed in street clothes--as she was leaving the temple after an earlier session--tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if Jena was my daughter.  When I said, yes, she asked if she could ask me a question.....Of course (you know me, happy to talk any time!).  She then indicated that she had a daughter who was 20 with Down syndrome and she was wondering how we need Jena was ready to be endowed.  This started a whole conversation in which she asked more questions.  Then she stopped and said, "Are you from Kansas City?" "No, we are actually from Utah serving a mission in the Arkansas Bentonville Mission.....etc,"  She said with tears in her eyes, "I know we are here right now so that we could talk.  This has answered some of my questions and given me the direction I have been looking for.  Thanks for being here." I gave her my phone number in case she ever wanted to call me. Again, God's timing is perfect!  Sometimes, it is nice to know that you can be that little cog in the right place to do the right thing.

I use to think it was a bit "other the top" to make goals to visit all of the temples in the US or whatever.  After all, it is the work not the location.  However, I am getting a bit hooked on visiting new temples.  Each is unique but similar. Kansas City reminds me a bit of the Brigham City Temple in the inside  --the themes and colors are similar (but without the paintings by Boyd K. Packer.).  They are built around the same time-- Kansas City was the 137th dedicated temple and Brigham City was the 139th.

Elder and Sister Moffat, us in the back, Sister and Elder Gremlich, 

and Elder and Sister Ellis with Jena in the front

We headed to lunch at Cheddar's--Gary and Jena waiting for our table.

Our waiter was great and recognized our tags and immediately said he knew what we didn't want to drink  (they have a bar in this restaurant.) He said that they get a lot of "Mormons and Mennonites" in this restaurant so it was important to be aware of the cultural "differences."  He is a master's student at t nearby seminary studying ancient Biblical languages with a goal to teach the Old Testament to high school students in a private Christian high school somewhere.  A few minutes later, he brought another waitress who was a member of the Church to talk to us.

This particular restaurant was being closed for good in a couple of days (due to the higher lease costs for the building.) and the staff had just been notified on Monday. So the staff was in a weird place--relaxed but also wanting to do a good job to the last moment.  The food was excellent! It was a fun lunch/dinner plus district meeting as we shared about our service and things that we are doing.

Then it was off to Independence..........

which included going back over the Missouri River--and bridges...

I like it when builders add an actual bridge over the water and not just a road.  This one is interesting because it has a different pattern in the beam work on the two side by side bridges.

This is a view of the Independence Visitors Center owned by the Church.

Across the street is the Community of Christ temple (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).  Their temples are open to the public (they also own the Kirtland Temple site.) and are places of peace and education.

Group picture inside the Visitor's Center.  It was fun to talk to the missionaries there especially the senior couple serving there.  They go home in about 2 weeks so it is  tender time for them.

The sister missionary giving us our tour....

After the tour, we headed out to the Independence temple site--in the 105 degree weather and took some pictures around the site.

This is a small building with another visitor's center for the Community of Christ church who owns this location.

Another view of their temple.

Love these ivys growing through the bushes...everywhere!  Groundskeepers probably hate it...

but heart shaped leaves are fun everywhere you can find them.

Location where the temple site was dedicated by Joseph Smith.

Can't forget the historical marker on the site.  It is not clear to me why the Community of Christ church did not build their temple on this spot.......

Back over the bridges again heading north to Liberty Jail...

The River

The things you see along the way.

Flowers outside of the Liberty Jail Visitor's Center.

Gary and Jena--behind the brush

The jail is located in the historic area of Liberty and there are some cool old buildings around.

The reconstructed jail building.

One of the original stones from the jail.

Liberty Jail was not an easy four and half months for the prophet Joseph and those who were with him.  But how lucky we are to have Doctrine and Covenants Sections 121, 122, and 123! These are some of the most beautiful scriptures which can help us in our own trying times of heartaches, sorrows, and loneliness. It is one of the things I want to thank Joseph personally for in the eternities.

After leaving Liberty Jail, we followed the sisters' recommendation and headed a few blocks away for some ice cream.

Saw some cool stuff along the way.....

Below is a historical marker indicating that this spot was the location of the first daytime bank robbery by Jesse James and others.

They made the old bank into a museum and a gift shop.

We tried out Icebergs and it was yummy.  Italian ices and gelatos. 

It was a small little shop perfect for a hot day and ice cream.

When we drove to the ice cream shop, I noticed a little library down the street so after our treat, I walked down a few blocks to get some pictures.

Past the Clay County Archives---I notice stuff like that since working at the Church History Library.  No time to stop today and check it out, however.

An old millstone from the 1800s

Here is the Little Library, but no books in it currently.  It is also used as a little free pantry and it was filled with pantry items.

They also have vegetable plants growing in the park way strip for people to harvest--tomatoes, peppers, and beans were ready for harvest.

Fun idea!

We then headed up about an hour to Cameron, MO where we spent the night.  It was a very good day!