We're not in Utah anymore!

We continually realize we have to make a little more effort and sacrifice with the church here in Missouri. We are in the Nauvoo stake. Nauvoo is about 2 hours away. We love going over there, as we sense a strong spirit of love and sacrifice from the earlier saints. It was interesting to attend Stake Conference. We went to the Saturday night session and realized my cousin was speaking! It was good to get reaquainted with her. We got a hotel room in a town 15 minutes from Nauvoo so we didn't have to travel so much. The convienance of having church buildings on every street corner in Utah was way too nice.

We actually have 2 wards here in Kirksville, which consists of many medical students because the school accepts a good number of LDS people. Tyler has been called into the young men's, which requires him to go to mutual on Wednesdays and to teach on Sundays. On Saturday the youth have a stake volleyball tornament three hours away. Tyler gets to carpool at 6am and dedicate his day to that. I just got called to being on the Enrichment Board, which I am way excited about. Visiting teaching has been another testimony builder as well. I have to visit 3 sisters who live an hour away. They are all older and 2 are inactive. To me, I sense a little deeper how important it is that I visit them. Yes it takes more sacrifice and effort in getting it done, but I have an amazing companion which has made it easy.

Don't think I'm complaining.... I just know we are not in Utah anymore! I actually find us still very blessed, because I know there are many saints who make tons more sacrifices to get to church, attend the temple, and to get their visiting teaching done. We are in the midst of amazing church history sites (Nauvoo, Carthage, Far West, Haun's Mill, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Independence, Liberty Jail). The history becomes more real and personal as are able to see these sites often.