FHE

This week was our turn to host FHE with 4 other missionary couples. We invited another couple - brother Nieman is the head construction supervisor on the 4 homes they are currently restoring. We asked them to talk about the people and the process of restoring the homes.  It was so interesting and makes you appreciate the work and thought and little miracles that seem to accompany every part of bringing Nauvoo back to life. William Weeks was the temple architect. William Gheen worked on the temple nearly every day but died before it was completed. (Great grand parent of Spencer W. Kimball). Edward Hunter was an affluent and generous saint. At one time Joseph told him to “cease donating”. He became Presiding Bishop of the church.   And to think they plan to have all these homes open for tours next summer!  The work goes on.

Sacred places

We are surrounded by sacred places here. And we love them all and the feeling and thoughts they bring. We love our little branch in Keokuk. Today was the primary sacrament meeting program - 8 sweet little kids, small in number but strong in spirit. I love our long peaceful afternoons with time to read and study. We’ve also been going up to the visitor center to see one of the wonderful church movies - the whole theater and big screen all to ourselves. Today’s most sacred spot was the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds - the original pioneer cemetery. It is the loveliest and most peaceful place you can imagine. No other people, no city noises, just huge beautiful trees and old headstones telling you stories of the good people who lived and loved and lost here. There really was a sacred spirit there. We walked all around reading the readable headstones and thinking of the sadness they represented, but also the peace and comfort of gospel principles. It was a lovely time of reflection.
Pictures can’t capture the beauty and definitely can’t bring the spirit but here they are anyway:

Hannibal Missouri

Today we had a fun P Day activity with 5 other couples. We went to Hannibal Missouri- birth place of Mark Twain. We took a 1 hour steamboat cruise on the Mississippi which was pleasant and fun to go past the real Tom Sawyer island (though not as fun as Disneyland’s version).  I enjoyed it more having read Huckleberry Finn and most of Life on the Mississippi which greatly increased my understanding and appreciation for the river and the skills of the old time steamboat pilots like Twain.

We also went to the Mark Twain cave - from the Tom Sawyer book. Not so many different  cave formations but a myriad of passageways twisting and turning under the densely wooded hillside. It was a fun day - not the inspiring and meaningful experiences that Nauvoo has given us, but an enjoyable diversion.

An ordinary week

I’m not sure any week in Nauvoo could be called ordinary but things have definitely quieted down. It’s been a lovely week in the temple and I’ve been doing lots of family history with my cousin. She helps me solve all the mysteries I uncover. This week I found 3 little children ages 6, 4, and 2 in an orphanage in Denmark. I can’t find out what happened to the parents but I am eager to do their work so they can be sealed as a family. Karen and I also pieced together the story of our grandpa Jensen’s great aunt -  She had 7 children born in Copenhagen, must have joined the church there but the father died in Denmark. Then mother and 5 living children immigrated and mother and oldest daughter died and buried in June of 1857 in Florence Nebraska - an outfitting place near Winter Quarters. So there were 4 children left - at least 2 made it to Utah and died there and the other two - ??  It makes you feel closer to these people when you get a little glimpse of their lives. Anyway I am loving the time I spend doing family history and I’m ever more grateful for what they did to lay the groundwork for my wonderful life.
Of course we did some Nauvoo things too - went on the carriage ride AGAIN. I’m getting to really love the teamsters - good salt of the earth farmers with such humble testimonies. And maybe I’ll remember the wonderful stories they tell if I hear them often enough!  And we love the horses!!  We went to watch them in the morning- they let them into the corral for breakfast and every horse goes straight to his own trough with his name on it!  (Did you know horses could read?).  In the afternoon we watched them herd them down the road to a lower pasture.

We also watched the demonstrations on candlemaking and barrel making and made our own rope 😊. 

the perfect end

We just came back from the final concert - called The Love of the Savior. I really don’t have words to  express how powerful and how touching it was. We have been amazed at the energy, the incredible talent, and the sheer enjoyment these young people have brought, but today they shared their testimonies and their spirits and no one could have left without their own testimony strengthened and feeling deeply the reality of Christ’s love for us. It went along with my latest memorized scripture - Romans 8:35, 37-39 (read it😊). What a blessing and a joy it is to be a member of the church. I thought of all my sweet grandchildren and how much I want each one of them to know how much Heavenly Father loves them and believes in them - as do I.  This mission is such a blessing to us. My prayer is that it might send blessings your way also. 

A week of “Repeats”

This was the final week of the Young Performing Missionaries being here so we eagerly went to as many things as we could - the Youth of Zion stories and songs, the Brass Band Main Street concerts, The Promise play, the Carthage Restoration Band concert, the band concerts in the visitors center, the Sunset on the Mississippi, the Trail of Hope. Every one of them was so wonderful- even the ones we had seen 3-4 times before.  We will truly miss all these programs as we now settle into Nauvoo without them. However, there are many more things still worth repeating so we also did the carriage ride and the wagon ride again. And of course our temple service is worth repeating every day we are there.  It’s quieter there now but it’s always good to be in the temple whether busy or not.
Today after church we drove up along the west/Iowa side of the Mississippi. It was a beautiful drive. We went to Montrose Iowa directly across the river from Nauvoo. The saints camped there first after leaving their beloved homes.

 It was neat to see the temple from that side.  It would have been the saints last look before beginning  the trek west.  How they must have grieved to leave that beautiful sacred place after putting so much of their time, means, skills, love, and faith into building it. And what a blessing it is to have it again - a monument to their sacrifices even as it continues to offer power and blessings to all who come.

Carriage ride

It’s  Saturday - P Day - so we went this morning to the carriage ride - a horse pulled “carriage “ (more like a wagon) that goes through the backwoods of Nauvoo. The ride itself was lovely - through densely wooded areas that give you a feel for what this area was like when the saints first came. It was cool and quiet and the butterflies were darting in and out of the carriage. But the sweetest and best part was the senior missionary brother (teamster) who talked along the way, sharing stories of early Nauvoo.  I loved when he spoke of the big horses that pull the wagons - equivalent to walking from here to SLC over the year. He was a bit emotional as he told of his feelings that animals would also be in heaven and you knew he really loved those horses. He also bore such a strong testimony of why the saints made so many sacrifices. He said the worldly blessings would come and go but the eternal blessings would be yours forever. How true that is. We spend so much of life seeking the temporary things when the things that really matter and will last forever sometimes don’t get as much of our time and effort. I was so touched by his tender testimony.

Pageant final week

We are so sad to see the end of the pageants. They have been so inspiring. On Sunday the pageant cast did a one time show called The Story Goes On. It was filled with music including songs like Sunrise Sunset, Bring Him Home, and other “secular “ songs. The message is that the story of the Nauvoo saints and the British saints is still going on through us.  It was a wonderful performance. Then we  went to the British Pageant on Wednesday and Friday. I get new things out of it each time (although I admit I have many lines memorized myself after seeing it 5 times!). It’s such a powerful feeling to walk up for the finale with 100s of other missionaries singing Called to Serve, oh Say What is Truth, and Redeemer of Israel. It fills my heart with gratitude for the privilege of being part of this mighty force for good that is spread throughout the world.   We also saw the Nauvoo Pageant again and will go one final time tonight. It’s a wonderful portrayal of the establishing of Nauvoo.
We went to another vignette- a portrayal of Joseph Smith speaking in the outdoor grove where the pioneers had many meetings when there was no building to meet in. He gave parts of the King Follet discourse and it almost felt like we really were listening to the prophet.

  I hate to see this month end. And in one more week the Young Performing Missionaries (singers, dancers, actors, Brass Band, and bagpipers) will also end and that will leave another hole. We went AGAIN to their outdoor Corner performance. It never gets old.  I’m so grateful we’ve been here through this month and have been able to see and hear them multiple times. What an amazing month it has been!!!