25 July 2016

Well another week has come and gone and we have had some pretty good experiences. Monday we decided to go down to Ground Zero and go through the tour they have of the attack on the World Trade Center Towers back in 2001. I remember that attack well and was afraid that it was going to put us into war and thought "What would happen to my boys." I have always been afraid of them having to go to war because is messes them up so much.

We took a 1 hour tour of the 9/11 Museum and it was one of the most moving experiences that I have had. To see the miracles of lives saved and the bravery and sacrifices of so many really made me stop and think of what a wonderful country we have. With all of the political garbage that we see and the criticism that we are so quick to place, it is still the best place on earth.  Even though we lost over 2,000 people, they were able to evacuate over 40,000 people  from the towers. In any given day there were about 50,000 people in the towers.

There were many people who were willing to share some of their most sacred and last recorded moments with their loved ones as they faced death. We heard the challenge of the plane that the passengers who forced the plane down before it could kill any more people. I stood looking up at a actual video they had when the towers collapsed and it looked as though it was falling on me.  The cameraman lost his life while filming as the cloud of smoke from the falling towers filled the air and overtook him.  The sensation was incredible and made me feel as if I were there experiencing it.

The story that hit me the hardest was one of a dog named Siri and his commander and friend. Siri was trained to find explosives and would go through all of the vehicles before they were allowed to enter near the tower. His owner was responsible for keeping all explosives away from the building so when he felt the explosion and looked up, he thought that he had failed his job. He told Siri that he would leave him there while he ran up to the top of the tower to assess what had happened and to try and get as many people out as possible.

As the elevators were gone, this man ran up 94 flights of stairs twice getting people out. On his third attempt he collapsed and later woke up in an ambulance. He told the medics that he had to go back to his dog but they would not let him. After he had been checked out at the hospital, he went back to the site where he had left his dog Siri, but the buildings that once stood were a seven foot high pile of hot metal. Siri did not make it, but his owner said that he hoped that his dog would know that he had kept his promise to return to get him.  This is what he returned to.

When Siri's remains were found, he was awarded  the medal of honor and full military services for his burial. The owner of Siri donated his leash, his medal, and his own hard hat for the museum with a picture of him and Siri. All I could do was cry because of the love that I have for the unconditional love of a dog. It made me miss Cricket but I was so glad that I have such a good memory of my love for her.

Ladder 3 Engine was the first one that arrived at the twin towers before dispatching others after they realized the severity of the situation. One very humbling comment that was made in one of the recordings was when some of the fire fighters were coming out and the medical teams were waiting for victims, they asked them, "Where are the people needing help?" Their answer was "There are none!"

This blue wall is the memorial to all of those that did not make it out of the towers, Behind it is an active coroner office where they are still trying to identify the remains. The most recent victim identified was in 2015. The families of the victims have asked they not remove the remains until  they have been identified through DNA testing. About 40% of the victims remain unidentified.   In the meantime, this will remain as their memorial.

One of the experiences that I had in my family history calling happened last Thursday. I had about eight members of my descendant ancestors that I needed to do their temple work. I went prepared to do their initiatory ordinances and then I was going to take one for the endowment. Marte Olsdatter had a son waiting to be sealed to her and his father, but I had to wait until her other work was done. Before going to the temple, my prayer was that I would be able to share in the joy that they were experiencing on the other side of the veil.

As I entered the initiatory room, they already had three patrons and two waiting. I could not wait that long so I asked if I could have someone do them for me. I also asked if they would watch for Marte as I wanted to do her endowment afterwards. They were short on temple workers and asked if I would sub until someone else came, so I became an ordinance worker for about 15 minutes. The second name that came for me to perform the ordinance was for Marte Olsdatter. As I looked in the eyes of the patron, I saw her look at me with tears in her eyes and I knew that we were both seeing  and feeling that Marte was there. Tears filled my eyes as I performed the ordinance and my heart was full of gratitude for sharing the joy that Marte was feeling. It was great.

During this same time, Golden was involved in what our mission president, David L. Smith, called another mission miracle.

The morning of July 23, 2016 we planned to attend the Manhattan Temple to perform
initiatory and sealing ordinances and endowments for several of our family file relatives
before serving at the Family History Center that afternoon.

No sooner had I (Elder Adams) changed into my temple “whites” and came out of the
dressing room about 8:00 a.m., that Sister Roberts, temple assistant matron, informed me
that a brother and his escorts were in the office hoping to perform the temple work for
his son and father. He had received his own endowment the previous week. Because
he did not have family ordinance cards, they informed him that they were not able to
help him.

I met Jose Manuel Araujo Holguin (from Dominican Republic) accompanied by Eduardo
and Matilde Cariello from New Jersey. Jose did not speak English but Eduardo said he
could translate for us. I told them I would get my key to the Family History Center and
we could see if we could prepare the necessary ordinance cards. With a prayer in my
heart that we would be able to clear his son and father for their temple work (knowing
that Family Search may require filling in the permission form since they were born within
the last 110 years), we proceeded.

We set up Jose’s FamilySearch.org account, and with Eduardo’s help, we were able to
enter the data for his parents and son, and his son’s mother who had died when the
child was two years old. The mother required the permission form (which Salt Lake
would need to approve prior to ordinances being completed—2-4 days away), but we
were able to produce the necessary paperwork for Jose’s father and son.

As we returned to the temple, there was a large group of young people readying
themselves for baptisms and I left the three there to begin the process of completing
their desired goal.

Sister Adams was able help provide initiatory ordinances for her people, and a family
from Gilbert Arizona visiting the temple for a sealing session,with President Roberts,
assisted in the sealing ordinances I had prepared. We attended the 11:00 am
endowment session while the sealings were completed. So our goal was also
accomplished.

Often, as we are willing to serve without prior knowledge on our parts, the Lord directs
us to fulfill His purposes and provides us His tender mercies. We just need to be in tune
to recognize His hand in our daily activities as He uses us as tools to accomplish His
purpose in the lives of His children.

The next experience started out in the Family History Center. A sister from Russia came in that could not speak any English. Our missionary friend, Liz Hanson, happened to be there and she began trying to work with her but was having quite a problem with communications. I had been playing around with Google Translate, the audio version, and had had some success working with Spanish. I showed her what I had done, so she pulled out her cell phone and selected Russian. Although it was not perfect, they were both able to complete 4 days of putting together her family in Family Ttree and getting several of her family members ready for the temple.

Friday morning she came back to the center to see if I could help her find her cards. I took her up to the recorders and they were all aware that we were trying to get this temple work done before she left for Russia on Sunday. They were able to get all of the baptisms done and the names were in initiatory waiting for those ordinances.

 I took her up to the temple office and explained the situation to the temple worker up there and asked her to stay with her to keep the names moving.

I went down to the dressing room and got dressed to go through the endowment session with Sister Hanson (the missionary who worked with her) and our little Russian friend. I would try and write her name but I cannot as it was in Cyrillic Russian. The three of us were able to go through the session together and then I went back down to the FHC to help Golden. Sister Hanson and our little Russian friend were able to go through a sealing session in a way that she had never experienced and it was really a choice experience. The miracle of communication and gift of tongues through technology is real. We could not have done anything with her without that gift.

Our friend from Russia could not have anyone of her family know that she was a member of the Church as she had been Islamic before her conversion and she would be totally disowned by her family. When she goes back to Russia, she will live in silence when it comes to the gospel and her family. I am not sure how she does it, but she said that she was able to attend church with a few members in Russia. When we heard her story, we were all so grateful to be here and free to enjoy the gospel with family. What a great blessing that is.

 I hope that my family will always take time to enjoy the gospel and the blessings that we take for granted. The ordinances that bind us together forever and sanctify us in preparation to meet our Savior are some of the most wonderful gifts we can enjoy.

It is Pioneer day today in Utah. Although I am not in Utah right now, my thoughts have been those of gratitude for the sacrifices my ancestors made to travel over 2,000 miles to Utah in wagons for the purpose to strengthen Zion and put roots down where the gospel could grow and scatter throughout the earth. What a great witness of how powerful and sure the Lord's promises are.  I hope I can continue to grow stronger in the gospel and endure well to the end.