This week was great. My brother, Ed and his wife Nancy, stopped to see us on the way to some visits with other friends and family. We hadn't seen them in about three years. It was so marvelous to have them here. Although they do not hold my religious beliefs, they were wonderful being here in our missionary world. They were able to see the office where Elder Dixon and I spend our week, meet Elder and Sister Underwood, and eat Brazilian food. We talked about important things, laughed and played games.
One of the great things that we did was share ideas. Although I did not have much respect for Jimmy Carter, Ed holds him in high esteem. We agreed to go to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum. I saw a different side of Jimmy Carter. While there are things about him I still do not like, I found myself being taught information that helped me understand better. I came away with respect for the many good things he has done, and for the desire he has to make the world a better place for others. I also had not realized the great work that Rosalynn had done to bring issues regarding mental health to the world.
The next day, we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. museum and the church where he preached. It is a very moving site. The thing that hit me the hardest was the glass wall on which they had etched the laws that existed for the purpose of keeping the "Negroes" in a lesser status in society. The laws were ridiculous. I was surprised by the laws and the stupidity of the thought behind them. I was moved once more by the powerful thing that Rosa Parks did. I was sick to my stomach at the lynchings and the information that people watched them like entertainment. I was moved that Martin Luther King Jr. chose to rise above all of that and call for a peaceful movement to change.Both sites were good reminders of the terrible injustices that can take place when people forget that all of us are children of God. We are equal in His eyes. When we forget that, we forget our humanity.
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