Mission blessings

I’ll close this blog with a scripture I recently found that reflects my feelings as we end our mission.

Ephesians 1:3 -  “Blessed be the God...who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places...”.

Farewell Nauvoo

Such bittersweet feelings fill my heart as we prepare to say goodbye to beautiful beloved Nauvoo....
Sadness at leaving dear celestial people, gratitude for the blessings of having served here, a deeper reverence for temple covenants and blessings, happy memories of doing so many fun things, appreciation and awe for what I’ve learned about the early saints, and of course a greater love for Heavenly Father for giving us this privilege. For me it was never a sacrifice- always a blessing and a joy.  Today I spent my last day in the temple trying to permanently impress upon my mind every beautiful thing - the spiral staircase from basement to 5th floor, the beautiful artwork and lovely murals, the windows and chandeliers,  the many symbolic stars and sun stones inside and out, the pioneer style carpets and furniture. But beyond all that it was a joy to be able to do all the ordinances one last time here. The Nauvoo Temple is filled with the spirit of the pioneer saints as well as the Lord. I’ll remember it always.

Temple Christmas

This has definitely been a different Christmas - a mission Christmas as it should be. No decorations in our little apartment, no shopping and wrapping gifts. We miss the family fun and excitement but there’s something to be said for simplifying. I have loved being in the temple- the most peaceful place on earth. And I’ve loved the quiet hours of reading and thinking that I’ve had these last 6 months. For those of you in the trenches of crazy busy family life - you have these pleasant years to look forward to. They WILL come. But meanwhile we all need to enjoy each day - with whatever moments of peace and joy we can discover in them. Time is a gift - enjoy it!

Winter is here

We have enjoyed pretty mild weather up until now. I’ve walked home from the temple a few times and it has been chilly and brisk but not freezing. I’m kind of glad that we won’t experience the -40 degree wind chill that comes in January and February!  There’s a lovely light snow falling now and this morning on the way to Keokuk for church we could see the grand Mississippi River beginning to freeze over. The geese that have stayed around in large numbers can walk on the ice.  It’s a small reminder of what it was like when the saints left Nauvoo in February 1846.
As our days are numbered now we are trying to absorb every bit of this wonderful place before we leave. I’ve gone back to a few more of the sites to hear once again the stories they tell. Last night I went to the community concert of Handel’s Messiah. It amazed me that a little place like Nauvoo and surrounding communities could put together a 40 piece orchestra and 40 member choir and do a great job.  10 new missionary couples arrived last week to replace the 10 who left. We are next. We spoke in church today and said goodbye to the good people we have served with. Our temple days are almost gone. It is one of those bittersweet times we all experience. How lucky (blessed) we have been to have had this mission!

I took lots of pictures of sunsets but this is a picture of a beautiful Nauvoo sunrise!

Christmas is coming!

Last night was the beginning of Christmas in Nauvoo. We went to a wonderful celebration- started in the visitor center with a huge tree lighting and then watched the new nativity film on the theater big screen, and then a beautiful re-enactment of the Christmas story with amazing costumes and inspiring music.  It was so well done. After that everyone went down to the historic Main Street where they had story telling in 4 different sites, the horse drawn wagons all decorated with lights, and refreshments. It was a delightful beginning to the season.

Thanksgiving week

Tonight (Sunday) I went to an interfaith thanksgiving program. It was very nice - 5 different churches represented, scripture readings and lots of hymn singing (some of ours and some from the other churches.) There was a lovely bell choir too. On my way home I thought about the thanksgiving feelings it created in me - not exactly what they probably had in mind. I am grateful for all the good that is done by people of all faiths. But I came away feeling more grateful than ever for the gospel and the church that we have. The program was nice but not particularly spiritual or inspiring. Scripted prayers and readings - nothing heartfelt and personal, such as we had this morning in our sacrament meeting. The spirit was missing to me. We are so blessed to have the truth and the fullness of the gospel. Joseph Smith restored so many beautiful, comforting, uplifting truths that were so new and different from the religions of the times. No wonder so many people embraced the gospel so readily.  As I drove home past our beautiful temple all lit up I felt such a sense of gratitude for all that it represents. How blessed we are. I am eager to get back there this week.
Tonight (Monday) we had our Thanksgiving dinner with all the missionaries- temple, site missionaries and facilities management missionaries (the real workers!). It made up for whatever was lacking in last nights program. Good dinner but mostly because of Beautiful music performed by so many talented musicians - violin, guitar, vocal. They sang some of my favorites- You’ll fall asleep counting your blessings,  homeward bound,  what a beautiful world, and others, tied together with quotes from prophets about gratitude. And President Lusvardi gave a wonderful introduction telling of the pioneers first thanksgiving in Utah. In some ways it wasn’t so different from last night - mostly music and readings, but somehow it was very different. I felt the spirit and the feelings of a thankful heart. Was it because we all share the gospel?  Was it because we are all serving missions?  I’m not sure, but again I felt such gratitude to have the restored gospel in my life and to be here playing a small part in this glorious work.

On Wednesday we had another thanksgiving dinner with two other couples at the very historic Nauvoo Hotel restaurant. It was a delicious buffet dinner with good company. That was after we made a trip to Quincy to the hospital to get some insight into dads increasing pain. He has been having a lot more difficulty lately.  They did a cat scan and about all we really learned was that they couldn’t find anything needing urgent attention. I’m sure dad is eager to get back to his own doctors. On the real thanksgiving day we had a quiet day at home, a chicken casserole, and lots of time to count our blessings of which we have so many. It’s been a lovely week. 

More vacation

We finished our 2nd week of the temple break - a little quieter and restful for dad which he needed. We went to see the first fort built on the upper Mississippi River - Fort Madison. It acted as a trading post between US and native Americans and was the site of a battle between Chief Blackhawk and US soldiers in the War of 1812. How’s that for a bit of obscure history!

  

Another day we went to the Keokuk Lock and Dam to see a barge go through the lock. The Mississippi River is about 30 feet higher on one side of the dam than the other. So we watched a barge go into the lock and the water fill to raise it to the higher side. It was quite interesting. When it was built in 1913 it was the largest hydro power plant in the world. Thousands of barges go through it every year. 

St Louis

We crossed the Illinois, the Mississippi, and the Missouri Rivers on our travels,  arrived in St. Louis and after a very long walk and a hundred stairs or more from the parking to the arch I got a wheelchair for dad to go through the museum. He is always an uncomplaining persevering man but it wasn’t the easiest access.   The St. Louis arch is an engineering marvel!  The museum was excellent (but I had been spoiled by the Lincoln one). It told the history of St. Louis with lots of wonderful displays highlighting Indian days, Lewis and Clark exploration, fur trappers, riverfront and steamboats, a great fire, etc. We enjoyed it.  That evening we went to the St. Louis temple. It was good to be back in familiar territory- it felt like a long time since we’d been in the temple (5 days). But it has been good to have a little break especially for dad. I love traveling- you learn things everywhere you go!

Land of Lincoln

We loved our trip to Springfield. The Lincoln museum is the most impressive museum I can remember seeing. The technology incorporated in telling his story is truly amazing - holographic “people” who were so realistic as well as many life sized wax models, log cabin and White House reproductions, etc. it was a fabulous museum!  The next day we went to his home, the only home he ever owned.  In addition to it, they mhave preserved a 2-3 block area as it was in his day. He lived in Springfield for 24 years. It had a lovely neighborhood feel. We also went to Lincoln’s tomb - another impressive site filled with bronze statues of Lincoln through different stages of his life. Springfield has done an outstanding job of preserving Lincoln. That night in the hotel we watched the movie Lincoln. I couldn’t help but feel that Heavenly Father chose him just as He did Joseph Smith to accomplish a very difficult mission and then took them home to give them the rest they didn’t have in life. Such inspiring people and stories!!

Replacing Moroni

The temple is closed for two weeks. We miss being in there already.  Our first fun activity was watching them get set up to replace the Moroni that had been hit by lightning. It was a freezing day - about 10 degrees!  So we kept going from the car to outside and back again. It took forever for them to get the cranes all set up and in place so after about 4 hours we decided we had to move on to our trip to Springfield. I would have liked to see it all but we got a good taste of the enormity of the job. I am continually impressed with the great efforts that are made to maintain near perfect conditions in the temple and around all of Nauvoo. Dad and I had another turn at cleaning the temple and to think how every single night it is vacuumed and dusted and polished - makes me think I should improve on my sporadic home cleaning!  Also, we have friends here serving a facilities management mission- those missionaries take care of all the landscape, mowing, weeding, planting, raking, snow shoveling, etc. now THAT is a mission of real service!  It makes the temple feel like hardly a mission at all - just one big blessing!

The beginning of goodbyes

October marked the end of President Irion’s and President Smith’s service. They and their wives have been such wonderful inspiring leaders. I have been blessed by their counsel and their effort to create warm and personal connections with all temple workers and patrons. We had a lovely farewell dinner with testimonies and music. Two sisters sang a song from Wicked, which doesn’t sound very appropriate but it was the message of “because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”  Very appropriate!  All of us have been changed. It has been a great blessing and a humbling one to have served with so many outstanding and truly amazing people. Everyone here is living a life of service and consecration. We also had two evenings with special endowment sessions - only half the missionaries at a time will fit in the rooms- and it was a sweet experience to feel such love and spirit. I looked around and thought of President Holland’s talk on the rank and file of the church and here we were - just ordinary people trying to be good and help further the Lord’s work.  The prayer circle was especially touching - all 54 people circling the room uniting in prayer.
Next weekend the 30 couples that came before us will end their mission and leave. We will miss them all. The temple maintenance closure follows for two weeks so that will feel even stranger. Then it reopens the week of thanksgiving with a shorter winter schedule (but we will still serve 5 days a week.). Then it will be only 3 weeks or so til we will finish. It’s hard to believe it’s coming soon. We will love being back with family but I know it will be hard to end this glorious mission experience. It has been a unique and wonderful time to have nothing to do but temple work, family history, reading, and immersing myself in the history of the people and places we’ve come to love.  Goodbyes are always a little hard.

More pictures

Bryan and kids’ visit

We had a great weekend with Bryan and the kids. They flew in to St. Louis on Thursday and came to Nauvoo Friday morning. And then we were on the move seeing everything for the next 3 days. In spite of my summer feelings that you could only get half the Nauvoo experience without the pageants and Young Performing Missionaries concerts and plays, I thought it was a wonderful and great learning time for the kids. I had made a pretty detailed itinerary so we wouldn’t miss anything. There is so much to do and learn here - how they made shoes, candles, rope, barrels, rugs, wagons, tin pans, horseshoes, guns, bread, bricks, medicines, etc etc. so many interesting demonstrations!  And I always love the wagon rides and the stories they tell on the ride.  Sunday the weather was perfect so after church we had a picnic in a beautiful Keokuk park right by the river and then went to Carthage. We crammed a lot into those 3 days. The kids were great and I think they enjoyed it. I had made a little booklet of questions about the different sites and we motivated them with a $10 reward if they answered them. (A little bribery can be a good thing at times - as all parents know!)
We also did an endowment session with Bryan so he could see this beautiful historic temple and also baptisms/confirmations with Maylan and Lydia. I had researched about 65 names so it was wonderful to get those ancestors started on the covenant path. Even dad and I did some of the baptisms. The Nauvoo font is quite unique and I loved having that experience.
It was also the community “Bootiful Nauvoo “ weekend. They had a fun little parade down main street which was lined with hundreds (literally!) of fancy carved pumpkins and interesting scarecrows. This annual event draws a couple thousand people believe it or not!  Another unique Nauvoo experience.
It was fun to have some family here to share this place we have come to love so much.