So, this week I had to travel to Salt Lake City for training at the Family History Centre in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I was seriously nervous about how I was going to get there and yesterday, was a witness as to why I should have reason to feel that way.
Last Friday, the Travel Office told me that I was supposed to be at their office by 6:45 a.m. so a Shuttle would take me to the Front Runner Train. I was given printed instructions. Of course, I had two alarms set for the morning so I could get up and make myself look presentable, get to the 'bag breakfast/lunch' part of the cafeteria to grab breakfast and lunch for my day, because the cafeteria wouldn't be open yet.
The next morning, sure's shooting, I was up, ready, got my bag lunch and was at the travel office by 6:40a.m. just to be sure that I wouldn't be late. There was a big blue bus there and I presumed there would be others coming as well. As time went by, nobody showed up. Just after 7:00 an employee came by and I asked her if she knew when the bus would be leaving. She called a number and handed me the phone. Apparently there was some sort of mix up and I didn't have a ride to catch the train. A few minutes later, one of the security officers picked me up and drove me to the train stop. I sort of had the idea that the ride would be about an hour, but it was slightly longer. It left the station at 7:47.. I arrived at the Salt Lake Station just before 9:00 then had to take another TRAX train to Temple Square. By the time I got to where I thought I was supposed to be going, my phone rang, and it was my instructor, Sister Lewis, asking me where I was. She said I could cut through Temple Square and they would meet me at the other end and take me to our classroom. By the time I got there and sat down, more than flustered, it was almost 9:30. Good part was that by that time, I had put on more than 2,000 steps. (Love the walk metre on my watch).
Returning from Salt Lake wasn't quite so bad, but by the time I was picked up at the Provo Station, and got back to the MTC, it was just after 6:00 and the cafeteria was ready to close. I did receive an email from the Travel Office apologizing for the mix up. It really wasn't a big deal, but it certainly wasn't the way you would want a Monday to start.
Today was better. I got there in sufficient time, and there were about 16 or so missionaries departing for the Front Runner train to the airport to go on their missions. Coming back, I took the wrong TRAX train, but got off in sufficient time to catch the Front Runner back to Provo.
BUT, let me tell you about the Family Research Centre in Salt Lake. SO AWESOME!!!! I wished I would have had more time to explore that place. It is free to anyone who wants to go in and check the place out. They have these I-pads that when you log into your Family Search, you can connect the I-pad to the screen and it will show you a map of where you came from, up to 10 generations. Then there is another screen that you can connect to that will show you who you might be related to, even in the room you are standing.
Sister Lewis is so passionate about Family History and her enthusiasm is contagious. There are two other couples in my class. One couple going to Manhattan, and the other to Birmingham, England. We learned so much, in just one day. I don't know how I am going to remember everything. Yesterday, we met Steve Nickle, who was one of the developers of Ancestry and now he works in Family Search, going around the world, negotiating contracts to access records for scanning, etc. He told some stories of how things happen, and that you know it is the Lord's work and how He really wants this work to go forward.
Interesting fact: There are more Chinese missionaries coming to our continent from mainland China to do missionary work.
Thought for the day: "Never deny in darkness, what you knew in Light."
Glad everything eventually worked out.
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