Elder Matson and I and Sister Goodin and Sister Dustin got to go to Memphis for a training in the Memphis 1st Ward.  Wouldn't you know it, that happens to be the ward my brother lived in when he was University of Memphis President.  The last couple of years he was there, he was also the Stake President so it was pretty fun to meet some of his great friends but the best thing was to have a visit and dinner with this sweet, great family.  My niece Kate and Her husband Todd and son Zack.  We ate at Corkys which is one of the very best barbecue places in the country. Yum.

Then we stayed at the wonderful Holiday Inn at University of Memphis which was built by Kemmons Wilson (the Holiday Inn founder) and donated to the university as a school of Hospitality and Resort.  It was great to stay there knowing the whole story of the beginning.  There are a lot of Mr. Wilson's sayings and ideas all over the walls and downstairs, awards galore.  One of his sayings is "I believe in working half days, it doesn't matter which half you work. you can work the first 12 hours or the second 12 hours." "Sell your wrist watch and buy an alarm clock."

This bed is made of the hotel key cards. someone was really clever!!!

The car in front is the church vehicle that we drove.  It is a long drive about 7 1/2 hours to Memphis including the stops. We made it in good time.

Memphis first ward is amazing.  They are very integrated.  It was dying on the vine and then two years ago things started moving and 18 months ago the one active boy invited two of his inner city friends to play basketball with him on Tuesday nights at the Church.  The missionaries, ( now 4 sets) must have also played with them.  As a result of the Young Men's basketball program as a starter the ward has had 70 baptisms in the last 18  months.  Yes SEVENTY. They are a great and caring ward and have strong leaders, of course there are many problems but they know how to help each other.  It was a great experience to meet them and do all we could to help them understand better how to get jobs and to use the new website. 

It was also a treat for us to meet some of the leaders we have been working with over the phone.  Two of them came from the Memphis Stake which I work with.  First Ward is in the North Memphis Stake.

Here I am enjoying the company of two great people who work so  hard at their callings to help others learn how to help themselves get jobs and to go the second mile to help them. Bro Ball is from Sugar City Idaho.  Yup, he is another "Spud".  He is our most top notch Stake Employment Specialist.  I wish we could "clone" him.