Thanks for your visit !

There is nothing like a little company to brighten the heart. And we got just that when our daughter, Lia, and her family arrived here last Sunday night. They spent the next couple of days getting a pretty good taste of things to do while they were here in Nauvoo. They even got to attend the pageant on its opening night. And oh what a night! It was hot and it was muggy. We haven't had another night like it since. They also got to watch a little baby bunny hop down the aisle of the pageant, right in the middle of the performance, and crowds watching it at every turn. We can only assume that it eventually found its way to the rear where it could escape. It was never really in any harm, at least from us. But it was an item of enjoyment, like everything else that surrounds us here.

We went with them to a lot of what they did, at least on Monday, that we were able to get off by trading P-days with another couple at the temple. Lia also joined us in the temple on Tuesday where she was able to perform the baptisms for a few of the people whose names she brought with her.

I have been at the pageant every night this last week. At least at the beginning. I am part of the Spanish Translation team. I begged off from that on Tuesday (opening night) so I could be with family. But on the other nights, I could be found in a tent way off to the left, helping the Hispanics to enjoy the event as well. On Wednesday and Saturday nights, I was positioned at a microphone, reading the script in Spanish. For the first few nights, one of the pageant directors, came to the tent to hand us a new script for one of the scenes that kept changing with every performance. We would need to take the changes home with us, translate them into Spanish, and return the next night with new Spanish scripts to be read. Unfortunately, we were always a night behind - but it was the best we could do under the circumstances. We were happy on Friday and Saturday night when we didn't see the director bring us further changes.

The pageant continues for three more weeks – Tuesdays through Saturdays. At this rate, going to bed at eleven each night and trying to get up at 5 or 5:30 the next morning is already starting to take its toll. We take naps whenever we can work them in. Once the pageant is over, the crowds will diminish and as they leave, so will many of the missionaries that are currently here to work with them. But we will continue to enjoy the sun while it shines and we enjoy the purpose for which we are here as well.

This last week, I had opportunity to receive three sisters at the veil in French that had come from Tahiti. I also got to present a deaf brother at the veil. I am grateful for the training that I have received to be able to help out when needs such as these arise.