nine days, field trips and the scriptures

Nine days...it has been nine days since I have written. Also it is nine days, my roomate reminded me, until the day of her wedding. Seemed like an appropriate day to post something. I attempted yesterday only to blunder and hit a button that deleted EVERYTHING that had taken me 20 minutes to write initially. (Boo hoo, I know) I gave up after that and went to bed. I know, what kind of dedication is that?! I strive to be better. :) Here I am.

Today was our long awaited field trip to the United States Post Office. For WEEKS we have been waiting in anticipation as we have slowly inched closer to the little yellow school bus on the calendar on the wall of our classroom. "How many more days until we go?", "Is today the day we go teacher? Today was it. In connection with Valentine's day, each child wrote a letter (with a teacher's help) to someone they love: parents, siblings, aunts. They were very sweet and coated with heart stickers and drawings. The first part of this week we worked on addressing our envelopes and getting our stamps on in the correct spot. They were so excited, although some were saddened to learn we wouldn't be keeping the letters-that we had to put them in a mail slot and not get to take them directly home. That is a normal feeling when you put so much work into something, only to give it away.

On our trip we got to go on a little tour of the post office: we were able to see our letters go into the mail slot and watch others come out the other side. We saw the inside of a mail carrier truck, mail slots were mail is sorted, we got to get inside the back of a semi truck full of mail that was headed off on a long journey. I think I was just as excited as the kids were to be there and experience all they did. Another reason I love being a teacher: you can still get away with things like field trips and playing dress-ups under the title of 'teacher', without too many strange looks. :) Did I mention I love my job? (I have yet to say I love all the paperwork, but I do love being in the classroom :) ) I will have to post some pictures once I download them off the camera.

It was a good day. I then couldn't keep my eyes open, so I came home and took a nap that I didn't want to wake up from. I then went to the store to get the rest of the things I needed for dinner. We had the missionaries and our hometeachers over for dinner. I love the missionaries and the spirit they bring into our home. Elder Jones shared several verses of scripture from 2 Nephi 3 where Lehi speaks prophetically of the Joseph's of old and of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (v15-19), and he also spoke of a video he had watched recently to pre-view before showing it to an investigator. It was one by Truman Madsen concerning Lehi and his families journey to the Promised Land. Elder Jones shared his reflections on watching it: all that Lehi and past/future Prophets have gone through to bring us the word of God. He talked about all they have sacrificed so that we could have the scriptures in our hands today and receive the guidance and direction we do, and will continue to do. My impressions were caught up in the value of every sacred word written in the scriptures. A feeling of gratitude washed over me as I reflected on scriptures I have read in the past and will continue to draw strength from. I felt so blessed to have them and wanted to take them from the elder's hand and start to devour them. Not to physically INGEST them, of course: but feast from them as many prophets in the past have invited us to do. How blessed we are to have the written record of some of those who have gone before us, that we might draw from their experiences and find strength and direction in our own lives today from them.

"We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ and we write according to our prophesies, that our children may know to what source they may look to for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26