Post Mission post - Christ of greatest defender of freedom

I never did finish my last posts for my mission but enough said. But I had this wonderful revelation in the temple today. It was Memorial Day (the official one) yesterday and I was thinking about all the great men and women that gave their lives in defense of freedom. The Spirit then reminded me that there was one greater who defended our freedoms, Jesus Christ. Like the great and ultimate sacrifices of our troops thru several wars for our country and thru out history, our Savior fought for our freedoms in the very first war in Heaven and continues to fight for us today. To guarantee our freedom from death and grace us with eternal life He fought to the death for our agency, redemption and freedom. We don't think of Christ in those terms usually but in actuality he died for us just like our soldiers. For so many years I have been trying to justify and equate my sins with his suffering and death. Now I understand His death meant that I would have freedom and the blessings of His kingdom. He died to make men free including me.

Office Farewell Party

It was so great working with these people! Sister Diamond, me, Steve Stotts, Chris George and Nate Asbell. After cake and ice cream I received the traditional Texas blanket.

 Scott and Kristen from the peanut butter canary.

Packing...

Trying to start and finish my packing is almost overwhelming! I was able to fit everything I brought but doesn't look like I will be that successful when I leave. Goodbye my room and my desk.

NASA with Marilyn and Betty

So now Marilyn wanted to go to NASA to see the new Independence Plaza with the space shuttle. So we went. Took the tram tour to the astronaut training center. That was pretty awesome! Then we did the Independence tour. That was something pretty incredible. Lots of pictures of both places. We also went to see their new film about space travel and the Orion trip to Mars. That was so amazing!!!! As always a great time with Marilyn. Dinner at her favorite place, Texas Road Kill! 

Me and Marilyn

Beam us up!!

All these pictures are of the astronaut training center. It's huge!!

These are mock ups of the space station with the flags of the countries they represent.

                                                                                  Working arm for the space station

Orion landing craft

This is a robot for working outside the station and for trial on Mars

Back to the Saturn 5 building. This is so incredible. I love this building and all the history.

Livestock Plaza. the land NASA sits on use to be a cattle pasture. so they keep a few Longhorns around as a project for 4-H and FFA.

If the sun wasn't glaring on the glass this could be read but it's some history of the Longhorns and the project here at NASA

Most of the cattle was out in the far pasture unfortunately

Independence Plaza!!

Inside the Space Shuttle

Outside the shuttle which sits on top of a Boeing 747. that is how it was transported from California after a landing back to the launch site in Florida

Launching of the Space Shuttle

Pictures of the space Shuttle on top of the 747 being transported

The rest of the pictures are of the 747 with tons of info about how it was modified to take the shuttle. Super amazing man designed it.

This is the man, John Kiker, who invented the piggyback idea of lfying the shuttle home. He worked at NASA.

More shuttle launching

Marilyn and Betty

Pictures of the outside of the Boeing 747 - it's massive

A view from the landing of one of the display areas which turned out to be incredible. These are pictures of how the 747 was moved from Ellington AFB to NASA, a trip of over 5 miles down streets in the middle of the nite.

This is one of my favorite pictures

A transport company that specializes in big moves did the tow

There were 20 sets of dollies used to move the body of the 747.

The wings were moved on shorter landalls.

And here she is, reassembled and the Independence sitting on top.