Our adventure at the Statue of Liberty

Many of you have heard about our story at the Statue of Liberty. In a nutshell, I had my wallet stolen out of my backpack on the ferry ride back to Manhattan. I discovered this about five minutes after we disembarked from the ferry. I momentarily paniced as I realized that I had no money, no credit cards, and no way to get off of Manhattan to catch our plane at John F. Kennedy airport on Long Island. I had our boarding passes from when we checked our luggage at the airport and I had my drivers license from the security check to go on the moment tour at the Statue of Liberty. This adventure was on July 4th. South Ferry was crowed because that is where they shoot up fireworks. Thousands of people were milling about visiting vendors lined up in booths, and listening to the many different bands.

I immediately found a police officer who laughed at me when I told him my dilema. I could almost read his mind, with his Bronx accent. "Lady, you think dat is my problem? Right now, I gotta worry about some madman blowin' up the freakin city". Then I did what any worried woman would do to get her 12 year old home. I got on a stone fence and yelled into the crowd. "I got robbed and I gotta get to the airport in an hour. I'll sell you my camera for cab fare to JFK." The group ignored me. I went farther into the crowd and tired again. This time a couple called me over and asked me questions about the camera. As I showed them the camera, I heard a man yell, "Keep your camera". I looked up to see a man approaching me as he said, "I am doing the right thing, by loaning you the money to get to the airport, I will trust you to do the right thing and send me the money back". I started crying thanking everyone around me. We exchanged information and Mitchell and I started off to get a cab.

It was now 5:30 and our plane was leaving JFK at 7:00. We were checked in so all we had to do was get to the gate after a 25 minute taxi ride. We started trying to hale a cab, but all were full of fares. Most of the streets were blocked off for the crowds and the fireworks. We went over the the road in front of the Stattten Island Ferry and tried our luck there. Still, what traffic there was were cabs full of fares. At 6:00, I turned to Mitchell and asked him to pray, saying, "We need more help, please pray for us to get a taxi". Mitchell closed his eyes and bowed his head. I started walking back inland trying to figure out what to do if we couldn't leave the island. Off a couple of blocks, I see people getting out of a cab. I yell for Mitchell to hurry, as I raced across the closed off street. I yell at the people getting out of the cab to hold onto the cab. Seated inside a minivan cab, I look at my watch 6:15 and a 25 minute ride -- cutting it close.

I look up to see all the closed roads and realizing that we were in a traffic nightmare. We eventually cut across Canal Street (Mitchell did want to see Chinatown) and make it onto the Manhattan Bridge. We got to the airport at 6:40 fly into the gate running to the terminal. We show up breathless as we realize that our flight has been delayed and has not eve started boarding. We collapsed on the floor just ourside the terminal door.

As we were waiting to get on the plane, Mitchell and I were talking about what kind of ways were could thank these people. I told him that I wanted to send them a care package. He hesitated and said, "You are not going to give them a Book of Mormon are you"? I said well of course I am, look at what just happened to us, how can we not acknowledge Heavenly Father in this. To forget Him would be so disrespectful that I cannot even think of not sending a Book of Mormon." He thought about it and agreed with me.

In our package we not only send a copy of the Book of Mormon, but the new 2008 Utah Travel Guide that shows so many of our beautiful places. I also included a little bit more about Utah, about how my family ended up here, and the sacrifices that all 16 of my great great grandparents made for the church and for the journey to Utah. I told a little bit about the exodus from Nauvoo and the extermination order from Missouri.

A week later I got an email from Anna and Patrick telling me that they got the package and that they were going to read the books. Two weeks after that Mitchell gave a talk in church and told this story and how it related to faith and prayer.