This week was the Westra church history tour with the cousins! The trip had been planned for months and all of the participants did quite a bit of homework and lesson planning for it. Those involved were Rick, Me (Wendy), Derek, Josh, Jenna, Cayson, Rella, and Ani. Unfortunately, I caught Covid from Janelle (who caught it from her FSY roommate) and wasn't able to go. I started getting sick on June 23rd, and so I thought for sure I would be completely better by the time our trip was starting on July 4th. But the weekend before we were planning to go I was still very sick with non-stop coughing. So, I had to pull out of the trip. That was disappointing, but I was glad that everyone else was able to go! Each of the kids wrote a short overview for the trip, starting with Jenna...
Jenna - July 4th Overview:
The Fourth of July was a very exciting day. Me, Josh, and dad left the day before for Vegas and stayed the night in a hotel. Then we woke up that morning at 4:00 a.m. and we were so tired, but we left for the airport then got checked in and waited for the plane to come. After we got on the plane to Texas. I slept most of the way, which felt so nice, haha.
Then we got off in the Texas airport waiting for our next flight, but here is where we met up with the Westras and we got some cheese cubes then went back on another plane headed to New York. When we got there it was so weird. It did not feel like a new state, but the difference was that the humidity was way stronger then in St. George, and I didn't like that feeling. We ate at Olive Garden that night for dinner then headed over to Canada and it was so pretty and green, but with such tall buildings.
We got a hotel for the night and then we went to Niagara Falls and saw the waterfalls and they were so pretty. We also looked around the gift shops and stuff and then once it got dark the fireworks started. It was nothing that crazy, but still fun to watch. I think that is a great place for tourists to visit, though I wouldn't want to stay for more than one day. After the show was over we walked home and it felt great outside, but a little cold because we stopped for ice cream and the deals were horrible on the ice cream. I got a small one for $8.00 but it was still good haha then we left for the hotel and we all just went right to bed because we were all so tired from the day and that was the first day of the tour so far it has been great!!
Rella -July 5th Overview:
We woke up around 8:30, packed, and checked out of our hotel. We put our bags in the car, then walked over to the area where we would get on a tour boat to take us around Niagara Falls! They took our picture in front of a green screen which they would replace with a picture of the falls, then gave us all red ponchos. Then we got on the boat, where we stood on the upper level, and started going closer to the falls. It was so pretty, but we got really wet because of the mist. After that we were offered our previous photo for 50 dollars, which we declined, and we headed to a gift shop where a few of us bought matching jackets.
Next we walked to a buffet for brunch, and on the way we passed lots of interesting shops, restaurants, and even amusement park rides and attractions! Then we went to the buffet, where Uncle Derek paid for the drinks because they cost extra. After that we walked back to the car and drove back across the border to New York, then kept driving to Palmyra! We stopped first at the Hill Cumorah, where we stopped at the visitor center, then hiked up the hill where we got eaten by mosquitoes.
After that we went back to the visitor center where we sang praise to the man (we compared the lyrics to Moroni’s journey), Jenna and Rick told stories about some of their ancestors, and then we wrote in our journals.
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- Notes from Derek: Ani is writing in her journal and proudly told me that she already wrote 4 pages! 😊 It’s been an incredible experience so far, and the cousins’ bonding has been really cute and fun to see!
- I’ll also document a few favorite quotes along the way. “So, a calzone is basically a bigger hot pocket.” –Josh
- Tender Mercies for today: Rick had been unable to get an appointment for the temple. He tried calling them several times and they never answered. So, he decided to “stop by” and see if he could set up an appointment for tomorrow. They said, “why don’t you come right now!” Everyone was in their street clothes, but they welcomed them anyway!
Ani - July 6 Overview:
Today I woke up to the noise of the shower. I sit up and look around and I see Jenna and Rella sleeping. My dad was taking an early shower. I got up and remembered that I needed to wash my hair. I didn’t want to get out of the bed because I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my bed. But my dad woke us up, so I got up fast to take a shower.
We had to wake up at 7 because we had to be out of the hotel by 8. I took a shower and after I finished my shower I got dressed and went downstairs. For breakfast I had toast with honey and orange juice, then I got to the car.
We started driving to the Sacred Grove and when we got there we went on a trail and all the cousins sat on a bench and we talked about how this was the place where a 14-year-old boy had a question. Then we all got up to find a peaceful area to ponder and write in our journals. When we all found a spot it was quiet but the buzzing of the bugs made it hard to concentrate. But when you didn’t focus on the bugs it felt peaceful and quiet.
It was cool to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith. When we all prayed and thought about where we were we went to the Joseph Smith Family home where Moroni visited him. The missionaries talked about how Joseph smith and his family and how he had to sleep in a room with his 5 brothers. It was a very cool experience to see where Joseph Smith had stood before.
After that we drove to the Whitmer Farm where Joseph Smith did a lot of the translation of the Book of Mormon. They told us that only a few could see the plates. This is where the 3 and 8 witnesses saw the plates.
Then we drove to Harmony, Pennsylvania where we saw where the priesthood was restored to the Earth, and where John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey, and ordained them to the Priesthood. That’s where Cayson taught his lesson. Then we drove to Ohio and ate at a grocery store and Applebees in New York!
Cayson - July 7 Overview:
Last night, we got in very late, so we slept in a little this morning and had a complimentary breakfast at the hotel. The first site that we saw today was historic Kirtland, we had the privilege of having some Sister Missionaries guide us through the buildings. We toured the Newell K. Whitney store, Newell K. Whitney's house, the John Johnson Hotel, the Sawmill, and the Ash House. Some of these buildings were recreations, and some original.
We also were able to tour the Kirtland Temple, which is owned by the Community of Christ. We explored the museum they have about the Temple and walked through the entire Temple with an older couple guiding us. This couple was LDS, but the Community of Christ has been inviting them and 3 other LDS couples to help with tours of the Temple in Kirtland.
For a treat, we all went to the Kirtland Creamery, and got some amazing ice cream. We are staying in the same hotel as we did last night.
Note from Derek: Seeing the bonding between these cousins has been really sweet and rewarding. They are like BFF's in their matching jackets (Ani got a hoodie instead). They have been getting along SO well and it's been an amazing experience!
Derek posted a picture with the caption: Good looking group of proud Canadians! 🤣
Josh - July 8 Overview:
The last day we visited the place where Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered. It was a very nice house and he lived there for a while and received many revelations, including the plan of salvation. That was a good experience and we sang, "I Am a Child of God," in the room where he received the revelation. The Sister Missionaries were great, and it was a very spiritual experience. After that we just traveled to the airport where we split up and traveled home!
(Derek also sent a couple of texts with pictures from the last day that I will include here):
These are the steps where an angry mob burst through the door in the middle of a March night and ripped Joseph Smith out of his bed, and tarred and feathered him. He preached a sermon the very next morning and baptized three people. (We also saw) the room where Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw a three-hour vision about eternal progression, which taught about the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms of glory.
We said goodbye to the Jensens and parted ways at the Cleveland airport, where the Jensens would fly directly to Vegas and the Westras would fly to Chicago and then to SLC!
Letter from Jenna to Grandma and Grandpa Westra:
Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Thank you so much for making it possible for us to go on this church history tour, it was such an incredible experience and I will never forget it! I am so happy that during this trip I was able to grow closer to all of the cousins around my age on the trip. It was so much fun and I feel like a different person.
At the beginning we learned about the 5 parts to a testimony. They were to have faith in our Heavenly Father, to know Jesus Christ and trust in him, believe in all that happened to Joseph Smith, and understand the importance of his role, to know that the book of Mormon is the word of God, and lastly to know that there is a prophet on this earth today and to listen to the words he has said.
By the end of the trip we were asked to write in our journals all the areas where we think our testimony grew and I wrote that I know my testimony is stronger overall, but the places that have really made a difference was having faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ because of all the personal experiences I had when we could just go off on our own and write our feelings and pray in such a beautiful environment. I realized lots of things about myself and I feel as though I finally know how I can start gathering Israel and become a better disciple of Jesus Christ and I now want to get my patriarchal blessing to have more of that guidance and revelation from God because it truly is a blessing.
Another part of my testimony that increased greatly was my knowledge of Joseph Smith, and having that opportunity to go to those places where all those incredible visions and revelations and trials happened, it was really amazing. Some of those stories I have never even heard of, but all the things that we read and watched for points really was a good way to prepare for the trip and everything kind of just came together and made sense.
The last part of my testimony that grew was on the Book of Mormon and that was what my topic for my lesson was on and getting to share our ancestors' conversion story with that incredible book was so amazing. I was so grateful and I began to realize how important this book really is and how studying it can help you through out all of your trials as you go through life. Back in 1830 people would save up all their earnings to afford this book and now days I have begun to realize how much I take this book that will lead me back to my Heavenly Father for granted, so overall this experience was so good for me and I have just learned so much and I can't wait to go next year to learn about all the rest of incredible things that happened.
So, thank you so much, Grandma and Grandpa I really appreciate it!!!
Love Jenna
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