Pageantry Reigns

Two weeks have passed since my last entry and I am making a special effort to do this amid the busy schedule we are now keeping.  The pageant is now in its second week.  I have been called upon to help at the translation table many times already.  And with the number of people visiting the temple increasing, we find ourselves heavily involved.

Last Saturday, while I was providing Spanish to the visitors at the pageant, and we were about a third of the way into the production, a major cloudburst disrupted our evening.  I think it is the first time that we have ever been “rained out” since the pageant began several years ago.  There were several visitors there that had come a long way to watch this production and their schedule was such that they could not stay for the next performance (on Tuesday) and left disappointed that they could not see it in its fullness.  Except for that rain storm, the weather has been delightful – if not just a bit on the cool side.  I actually took a sweater with me the last night or two.

On Tuesday, this week, we normally work the afternoon shift at the temple.  But because there was another Hispanic family coming that morning to be sealed, we were called upon to be there during the first shift to help translate.  That was only supposed to go for an hour or so, right? But during the events of the morning, this family, along with their guests, over 40 of them, decided to also stay on afterwards to go on an endowment session as well.  We were called on to officiate that session as the majority ruled and the session was conducted in Spanish.  By the time the session was over, so was the shift and we were then expected to stay on to work our own shift.  An hour or so into that shift, someone took pity on us and replacements were found so that we could go home and eat and rest up since I was again expected to work that evening providing Spanish at the pageant.  When the time came to go to the pageant, not only was I there but the same busload of Hispanic people showed up as well to enjoy the production.  I think we had a record for Spanish listeners that night as we had every available set of earphones in use.  I hope they enjoyed it.

On Wednesday, we substituted for the afternoon shift coordinators who were out of town that day.  Again, we felt the pressure as the temple was way busy with all the extra people here to watch the pageant that night.  I didn’t feel that we had enough workers on the shift to cover all the areas that we needed but somehow the Lord provides and we made it through to the end of the day.

With this being the p-day closest to our wedding anniversary, we had hoped to celebrate today or tonight, but again the pageant is calling and I need to help provide Spanish again tonight.  So we will wait to celebrate on a p-day sometime after the pageant is over in August.  We plan on going on a dinner-cruise on a Mississippi steamboat that sets its paddles to turning in Hannibal, MO. Every night.  We look forward to it and the peace that will come when the crowds go home.

Ramus, Quincy and Carthage

I took a moment to go back and read the entry I made last year at this time.  I suppose you could, too.  Things are really similar.  The programs in and around Nauvoo are quite the same.  We still work in the temple and we still have P-days and the common holidays continue to happen again and again – every year.

 

Thursday, this week, was our P-day.  We too occasion to go to Webster, Il.  At least that is what it is called today.  170 years ago, it was known as Ramus.  It was one of the many satellite colonies of Nauvoo, where Saints were called to live.   Ramus was the home of Joel Hills Johnson and his brother, Benjamin Franklin Johnson.  Many may realize that Becky is a descendant of Joel Hills Johnson, so we had extra desire to go there and see what there was to see.  The only chapel ever to be built by the early saints prior to going west to Utah, was in Ramus.  The building no longer exists but the corners of the building are indicated by white PVC pipes stuck in the ground and an old red door stands where the entry would have been.  I don’t know if the door belonged to the original building, but it is fun to think that it may have.  The lumber from the old building has been reused and is now part of a protestant church that has been built just to the left of where the other building stood.  A plaque has been erected to explain the significance of the site.  Joseph Smith often visited there and was there when he received two revelations, now incorporated in the Doctrine and Covenants as sections 130 and 131.

On that trip we also went to Quincy to see the monuments that have been erected to show our gratitude to the people of Quincy for taking in the Saints in their hour of need at the time of their forced exodus from Missouri.  There is still a good feeling in Quincy.  There, the people are kind to the Mormons and two of the largest wards in the area reside in that town.

Yesterday, we returned to Carthage.  The temple closed its doors early so all who desired could be there for the memorial program that is held there each year on the 27^th of June.  You may recognize that as the date (back in 1844) when the prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother, the Patriarch, Hyrum, were martyred.  The program this year was again excellent, accented by the talents of the sister missionaries and the young performing missionaries.  The main remarks were given by Elder Gibbons, now president of the Nauvoo Illinois Mission.  His remarks centered on the aftermath of the martyrdom – how the Saints in their mourning, did not retaliate and why.  He brought the principles learned back to the present to show how faith and courage are much more important than money or property.

Today, I was back in the temple again where I was assigned to be the guide for a young Mexican brother who had come with his bride, both to be endowed and then to be sealed.  I was needed to translate as neither spoke English.  I don’t know if my Spanish has improved over the time that I have been here, but I have definitely gained a lot of self confidence in my abilities as I have been called on so frequently to use this talent that has been entrusted to me.

Immersed in Spanish

Again, two weeks have passed without an entry.  It is not that we have nothing to write home about.  We are busy.  Two weeks ago, Elder Hill arrived back, bringing with him the scripts for the two pageants that are to be presented here next month.  Since his arrival, I have been busy, trying to familiarize myself with the scripts and preparing myself to read the Spanish script simultaneous to the English spoken on stage.  I will be reading the translation into a microphone that will convey the Spanish to those that choose to wear headsets, throughout the audience each night that either pageant is performed.  There are several challenges involved.  The “English” cast speak rapidly to start with.  In general, it takes more words and more syllables per word to say the same thing in Spanish, plus the fact that I am always needing to learn new vocabulary.  Hopefully, the Hispanic community that come will appreciate our efforts.  Until they arrive, I spend a lot of time practicing the parts that I will be required to read.

The busier we become, the faster time seems to pass us by.  It seems like yesterday was April and tomorrow is July.  We enjoy our time here and hate to see the end come so soon.  Yesterday, we took occasion to see “Anna Amanda” again.  We don’t go see the sites as often any more as we used to when we first arrived, but when we do, we come to meet new missionaries that keep rotating in and out of Nauvoo.  I think we have seen Anna Amanda three times in the last year and each time it is with an entirely different cast.  I suppose we go now, more to support the cast members that to be entertained.  But it is still fun and delightful.

The temple is starting to have some busier days now and then.  But then, sandwiched between busy days, we will have very slow days.  I don’t know if it reflects the day of the week or the weather or other activities that are happening around the nation, but right now the attendance really varies from day to day.  So … we ride the waves and do what we need to, to meet the demand.  One day, last week, I had opportunity to work with two sisters, one right after the other, the first in Portuguese and the second in Italian.  Since then, all I have seen is English.  I just need to be prepared.

The Lotus plants are starting to spread themselves again across parts of the river.  At the moment, it just looks like a bit of “clutter”, but soon, the green carpet will spread across the shallows and then the flowers will start opening up.  That, indeed, is a sight well worth seeing.

Memorial Day weekend

Sunday, we again went to Mt. Pleasant to attend church.  This time, both Becky and I went with talks prepared, knowing that we were providing the sacrament meeting program.  Our topic was how attending the temple would help them increase their faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ.  After the meeting block was over, the branch president pointed out a sister that lives nearby that he would like us to work with, teaching here how to better live within her budget.  We are going to get used in that branch.  And I suppose the others assigned to be there will also get used – each in a different way.  One temple missionary couple attending there with us will be helping others with their family history.  Another was called on to teach the Mel. PH lesson.  It is a branch and there are not a lot of members to draw on.  So I suppose the branch president is happy to have six pairs of missionaries assigned to his branch.

Memorial Day was basically another day at the office, in that we went to the temple and put in our shift as normal.  The attendance that day was good, especially for a Monday.  It gave us visions of what the summer could bring.  But since then we are back in to our normal low attendance.  We are hoping that things will get busier as we step into the warmer weather.

That night we were invited (along with several other couples) to have dinner with our neighbors across the street.  We enjoyed a barbeque and good company.  Later, we were invited to go over to the Durrant’s home for a reading.  Currently George and his wife (Susan Easton Black) are busy writing a novel.  Every once in a while they invite several of us over to hear a few recently penned chapters for our critique.  Of course, they leave us hanging at the end of each evening and we are always anxious to return to hear the next few chapters as their book continues toward its conclusion.  I just hope they finish before they get released in August.

It’s also enjoyable to hear the Nauvoo brass band each time they go down the street (in a wagon that is horse drawn).  These are some of the Young Performing Missionaries that are here for three months each summer.  They pulled in a few weeks ago, but are just now hitting the streets.  The others of the group are also venturing out starting to perform their vignettes and plays – singing and dancing, much to the delight of all that gather to listen and watch.

Catering to the local membership

Well, we stay busy in the temple – but often only serving ourselves.  For some reason the local members, site missionaries and visitors are coming but only in small numbers.  Perhaps after Memorial Day things will pick up.  For a lot of the year, the temple primarily serves us missionaries.  We are grateful to be here and are glad to serve and to be served as we attend the temple often – both as ordinance workers and as patrons.  I only hope that we will still be able to handle the crowds that continue to be predicted to start arriving at a future time.

Last Thursday we went to Iowa City – it being our P-Day.  Becky had need to see an eye doctor and was hoping to go to a Lens-Crafters store.  The closest ones were all about one and a half to two hours away – so we chose to go to Iowa City to see the one there.   Her prescription hasn’t changed much, but she did need to get her frames adjusted.  On the way out, we had hoped to see the place there that has been raised as a memorial to those who started their hand-cart journey to Zion from there.  But luck would have it that the weather was not obliging so we have left that visit for another day.

Sunday again found us in Mt. Pleasant to attend church.  Again I translated for the Hispanics in the branch.  Becky and I were also asked to speak in their Sacrament meeting this coming Sunday.  At least we do not have too long to think about it.  After the block of meetings, we went to the home of the first councilor in the branch presidency where we had been invited to come for dinner.  Being from Guatemala, we enjoyed the dinner that he prepared which was after the fashion of that part of the world.  They invite the senior couples over on one Sunday each month, the younger missionaries on a different Sunday, family on another Sunday and in-actives or non-members on the other Sunday each month.  Need I say, he likes to cook!

The cold of winter is gone, and in its stead we have gotten a sporadic glimpse of what summer could threaten to become.  The heat is on and yesterday, we also “enjoyed” a very humid day.  With the humidity, it doesn’t have to be real hot to get sticky and uncomfortable.  It’s a good thing that we spend most of our time in the temple.

Busy again

Somehow we missed last week … I am not really surprised.  While the temple has not been super busy, we have.  Our Sundays are gone.  Attending church in Mt. Pleasant requires a lot more travel time and we are becoming more involved in the branch when we go.  I have been asked to translate for the Hispanic members in sacrament meeting.  That is indeed a challenge since my vocabulary is still pretty much a missionary vocabulary and does not branch heavily into other topics.  Becky has been asked to teach an upcoming YW lesson, and we have been asked to think about helping the members better understand how to live within their means.

Last night we went to a group FHE at the arrival center.  There are several missionary couples that we never get to see since the five shifts we work and the five they work have nothing in common.  We don’t even get to go to church together anymore so these monthly FHEs that we go to are essential to our getting to know them.  Last night was a Barbeque dinner.  But about the same time that we arrived, so did the storm.  It started all of a sudden and amid bright streaks of lightning, the thunder roared and cracked in our ears.  It sent us all scurrying into the building to keep from getting drenched.  We were crowded inside and several of us were soaked.  Other activities were forgotten and we tried to use lulls in the storm to scurry home.  The “lull” we chose was not much of a lull as we arrived home quite drenched and with a great memory of our “rainy days in May” that we still talk about from last year.

Tomorrow, we are shift coordinators again.  This time we were asked to substitute for the couple that currently have that position.  When substituting, we actually have more to do, since we have to start from scratch to prepare the line assignment sheets that are to be used.  I think this is the only assignment in the temple that requires “homework”.  Therefore, all of this last week we have been busy preparing for tomorrow: figuring out which ordinance workers are going to be there, and the history of where they have been so that we don’t ask the same ones to officiate that did last week, etc.  Lots of fun.

Another “extra” chore that was given to me was to provide the Nauvoo Pageant president with photos of every temple missionary couple along with their names so he could provide us with a personalized invitation in the form of a webpage to which we could direct our friends, relatives and other contacts to inform all of the upcoming pageant.  When his executive secretary completes the personalized webpages, he sends the link for each couple back to me and I then send an email to each missionary couple informing them of their link and instructions on how to use it.  This requires a lot of individualized computer work.  So far I have completed the work for 47 of the 60 couples and hope to finish the rest tonight, assuming the webpages for them will be completed by then.

On our last p-day, we went with others sharing the same p-day to Pella, Iowa, a Dutch town that puts on a tulip festival every year.  We missed the festival held the previous weekend, but the tulips were still there.  We also got to tour a Dutch windmill that is used to grind wheat into flour.  We used an elevator to get up to the fourth floor which was where the platform was located above which the windmills blades hung down to.  In essence, this windmill is huge, made with woods from dozens of different type trees found all over the world, each with its specific characteristics.  Obviously I was impressed.  We also toured several museums and reconstructed homes all depicting Holland and Dutch life.  We even saw a miniature model town showing how the Dutch had reclaimed their land from the sea and where canals were used to get from place to place.  Our day in Pella was enjoyable and the travel time to and from was fun as well as we were with friends we don’t otherwise get to see very often anymore.

A week of training

The new missionaries arrived on the 18^th.  Since then we have been busy helping them settle in and then train them so that when the temple re-opens, the work can continue smoothly and efficiently. We have had all of them come to our various apartments so that we can feed them and get to know them two at a time.  My problem now is remembering who is who as we are becoming friends with about 40 new couples.

Training started with a tour of the temple.  Tours are normally not given, but these people need to be able to get from point A to point B without ending up in a dressing room for the wrong gender, etc.  With a temple that is laid out on six floors it is easy to forget which floor you need to be on.  Then, private (or closed) endowment sessions were provided so they could watch the way it is done in this temple.  Training films were also shown, not that they hadn’t already seen them a million times, but we just wanted to make sure that we all started off with the same instruction.  With permission from the First Presidency, we were allowed to meet in the Assembly Room during our training week.  There we listened as each of the temple presidency members, their wives and the recorder talked to us all – trying to answer questions that might arise and help each to feel comfortable in their new callings.  We ended with a special meeting where snippets were replicated from the ground-breaking, corner-stone laying and dedication of the temple (NAUV2) – including the dedicatory prayer.  As I recall, something similar was done last year using snippets from the multiple dedications of the original temple here in Nauvoo.

Starting this last Sunday, we were all sent out to help the many wards and branches in the temple district: to be with them and to strengthen them as best we can.  We were sent out to be part of the Mt. Pleasant Iowa branch.  It is about an hour’s drive from Nauvoo.  Of course, Sunday was a day that was predicted to bring with it a lot of thunder storms and rain and even possible tornados.  But when the time came for us to leave, the weather looked reasonable - so we headed off to enjoy some time with the Mt. Pleasant branch.  It started to sprinkle just a little before we arrived home later that day.  So for us the weather was good – until that night when the thunder and lightning suggested a war in the heavens was waging in all its fury.  But we will be returning every week to attend meeting with the branch there and see what we can do to help out.   This branch is actually the combination of two smaller branches – a Spanish speaking branch having been assimilated in with the English speaking branch.  Now, as we arrive, we find that all but two of the Spanish speaking families have gone inactive and perhaps there is a lot that we can do to try and reclaim these other families that aren’t coming any more.  We are not alone.  Two other temple missionary couples are also assigned to come with us.  One of the other couples also speak some Spanish.  Pray for our success.

The historic sites in Missouri

Oh, how time slips by … so quickly.  I was going to write two days ago, and then yesterday … and now, I wonder how it got to be today, with still nothing written.  It isn’t that I have nothing to write about.  There is plenty.  Perhaps, I just don’t know how to condense it all into something that is still meaningful and conveys the feelings that were there as we experienced what we did over the last week.

With the Nauvoo temple closed, we felt pretty useless for the first couple of days.  After all, that is why we are here – to work in the temple.  We didn’t have a lot of days to take advantage of – really only a week.  That’s not long enough to go back to Utah, or even to visit Kirtland or Palmyra.  So we chose to just do a two day tour with a local brother here.  He took us, along with five other temple missionary couples and we went to visit some of the church historical sites in Missouri.  He owns his own bus that seats a dozen passengers and off we went – about three and a half hours out to Adam-Ondi-Ahman.  We didn’t see anything that we hadn’t seen before, but we got to hear what and where events took place there that we had missed before as there are no missionaries there to explain anything nor are there any signs to explain any of it.  It was nice to get the inside scoop.  It was cold and windy; that hadn’t changed from when we had been there before.  But now we know where the altar stood where Adam offered up his morning prayers.  We stood on “preacher’s rock”.  We listened as others whispered a football’s field away and could understand all that was said.  And we reviewed the prophecies of upcoming events yet to occur there.  We followed that up with stops in Gallatin, Far West, Richmond, and Liberty.  We saw where the jail was where Joseph stood in majesty when he rebuked the guards in Richmond.  We saw the “temple-prison” or the jail where the prophet remained for four months through the dead of winter in Liberty.  On the way from Gallatin to Liberty, we also drove within a short distance of where the battle of Crooked River occurred and the location on Fishing River where Zion’s Camp was miraculously preserved and again where many of their group died of Cholera.  We were able to arrange for our daughter, Kristy and her family, who live in the area, to dine with us at Liberty. Over all it was a delightful day.  The next day we went to Independence, where we sought out the markers indicating where the corners of the main temple will someday be built and we also went to the visitor’s centers in the area.  We saw where Gov. Boggs was living when an attempt was made on his life.  Then we headed back to Liberty where we attended the Kansas City Temple before heading back home. 

We needed to hurry back as the new missionaries were to arrive on Friday.  Now, this week, we will be helping to train them and be ready to re-open the temple next week.  More on that next time.

Nauvoo is coming back to life

The wind is blowing; the air is cold; snow has been falling and will likely do so a bit more before the day is over.  Yesterday we enjoyed 80 degree temperatures.  Spring is fickle.  But there is hope.  Many of the magnolia trees in the area are starting to bloom.  A few daffodils have been brave enough to produce a bloom or two.  The tulips are hopefully not too far behind.  The rest of the trees still have no leaves or buds – except for those that are still hanging onto their dead leaves from last year.  But the sun has been out; the fields of grass have turned green again; and the NRI have recently completed their first pass at mowing the grass.  Again we have seen the bunny rabbits and even a turtle or two.  The birds have been around a plenty, as have the squirrels.  These have been chasing each other all over, up and down trees, back and forth all over the fields – they are really a lot of fun to watch.

The activity at the temple had also picked up with many sessions that were close to being full.  We had even provided a few extra sessions to accommodate those that could not make the regular sessions.  Saturday we had several weddings and families coming to be sealed together forever.  But then Saturday was the end of it.  The temple locked its doors that night – not to reopen to the public for two full weeks.  I suppose many were coming realizing that they would not have another opportunity again until the temple reopens.

Every fall, the young sister proselyting missionaries are reassigned to other missions during the long winter months.  This last week they returned to Nauvoo.  When we meet for Sacrament Meetings each Sunday, they are invited to sit in the choir seats – all sixteen of them.  Yesterday, they also had four of them speak to us giving examples of how the atonement of Christ has helped individuals they had worked with during this last winter.  They bring a lot of wonderful spirit into our meetings – if not YOUTH – which we definitely lack through the winter.  We are so happy they are back.  The number of site missionaries is also increasing.  They are gearing up for the promise of lots of visitors here during the summer months.  Yet to arrive are the new temple missionaries and the performing missionaries.  Give them time, Nauvoo is coming back to life.

We are ready for a break

General Conference was just what we needed.  There were so many wonderful talks given, many of which hit upon subjects that seemed to be directed right at us.  Oh, how we need the direction and council that comes at each of these conferences.  Sometimes, it is the whole talk, and sometimes it is just a hint – a side comment – that seems to have been put in just for our benefit.  Either way, the holy spirit is there driving it in and telling us just what we need to do with it to make our lives better and to bring us closer to being like our Father.

We are almost to our maintenance closure.  The temple closes for a couple of weeks twice a year for maintenance.  During the time that is closed, we are free to do whatever until it re-opens – more or less.  We can’t leave the temple district without permission from the temple president – but that is fairly easily obtainable.  Also, midway through this closure, our re-enforcement missionaries will be arriving and we need to be here when they do, so we can help them settle in and train them to be ready to go when the temple re-opens the following week.  So we won’t go far.  We have planned to go on a two-day tour with a tour guide to Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Far West and Liberty.  On it, we will also have opportunity to attend the temple in Kansas City.  We look forward to the break.  We also hope that while being in the Kansas City area, we will be able to hook up with our daughter, Kristy, and her family who live in that area.

A year ago, the re-enforcement missionaries that arrived included us.  We will have been here a whole year.  And that also means that in just two weeks, we only have six months left before our mission will conclude.  The mission seems to be slipping past so quickly. 

After having been here for a full year, we can better visualize our local friends and how life is for them year round.  That helps us to better understand their needs and their wants.  We see them coming to the temple often, some every week – at least during the summer.  During the winter, many can come only when the weather permits – as we have seen how controlling the winter storms can be on the ability to go from place to place.  We wonder how the early saints ever survived the winters here – not having the conveniences that we enjoy today.  We remember the families that were required to leave Missouri in the dead of winter with nothing but what they could carry in their arms and again when they left Nauvoo, again in the dead of winter, only having what would fit in a wagon, and travelling on foot through mud, ice and freezing rain.  Spring time around here is really wet.  We know. We’ve been here through it.  It can be pretty miserable when you have to be out in it.

Early Spring

Things are slowly waking up.  Last week several new site missionaries arrived.  Now, all the missionaries currently assigned to be here along with a few local members can pretty much fill the west theatre at the visitor’s center (as we pretty much did last night).  There we had a sociable where we got to see the film “Ephraim’s Rescue”, followed and preceded by some words by one of the actors that was seen in that film.  Afterwards he entertained some questions including one about how they filmed the scene with the rattle snake.  He explained that after it was learned that a snake can be – defanged – at least until they grow back in a few days (weeks?) later, they had their fun trying to shoot that scene.  Although we only get to see a few minutes of what took place in the film, he claimed it took over five hours to shoot that scene. 

Things continue to get a bit warmer – from time to time.  We still see sub-freezing weather almost every night, we also get to see the temperature climb modestly into the fifties on a frequent basis.  Today, it may have even hit the sixties!  Except for the magnolia trees that are about, we haven’t seen many buds on any of the trees yet.  The branches are still void of all leaves and the birds have few places to hide.  Oh well, I guess this is early spring.  It gives a different view of what it must have been like when Joseph enter the grove of trees “early in the spring” of 1820.  I usually don’t imagine it as being as I see the groves around here: bare and lifeless – but I suppose that that may have been the way it was.

We enjoyed the women’s conference Saturday night and look forward to the General Conference sessions that will transpire next week-end.  Almost a year ago, shortly after conference, we left to come on this mission.  As we drove across the plains, we listened anew to several of the conference sessions that we had down-loaded for that purpose.  I suppose, for Becky, it wasn’t really “anew” but rather for the first time, since she missed the conference being en route on her trip to Taiwan last year.  This year promises to be a much more relaxed occasion. 

The elder and sister that has been providing us with so many wonderful pictures over the last year is due to be released and to go home in another couple of weeks.  We will miss his daily images sent to us showing so many beautiful aspects of this area.  We will need to find another to do the same.  Or maybe we will need to break out our camera and actually get a few pictures with us in it to prove that we have been here.  But our camera is not the greatest – perhaps we will wait until summer when many of our children plan to come here for a reunion.  I hope they bring their cameras with them.

Relief

Lots of things are completed, and with them comes a sigh of relief.  This morning we e-mailed copies of the program we use to do shift assignments to our successors and we are now pretty much done with our responsibilities – training our replacements.  Hurray!  Not that we did not enjoy being shift coordinators – we did, but we are also ready for a change.  We are happy to let others have the joy.

Yesterday, I gave the Sunday school lesson.  Although we thought we would only have that assignment once while we were here, this was my second time.  I don’t know why it is so intimidating.  We only have the temple presidency and all the temple missionaries in the class (including Sister Susan Easton Black Durrant).  But I must have had some good help from above, for it seemed to go well, and as my brother-in-aw would say “There were no tomatoes thrown”, so I guess I did okay.  But Becky gets her turn to do it next week.  So I guess the celebrations for having passed another hurdle may be a bit pre-mature.

Also this last week, we had another change in our temple presidency.  A couple who have served in the presidency for the last five years, under three different temple presidents, was released from the presidency.  They will continue on as ordinance workers (and sealer).  But I am sure it is a sigh of relief for them as well.  The new counselor is a local member of Nauvoo.  He was the stake president here when the temple was first built and dedicated here in 2002.  He is also heading up the horticulture department in the FM (facilities maintenance) group of NRI (Nauvoo Restoration Inc.)  I guess he is responsible for all the hundreds of different tree species that decorate the flats around us.  He has also been an ordinance worker here ever since he was released from being Stake President.  We look forward to working with him and his wife more in the coming months.

In a few more weeks, we will have been here for a full year.  Last April, we arrived here with the rest of our group – 40 couples strong.  Again, this year, another group of 40 couples will be arriving about the same time (mid-April).  These will be the missionaries that will be replacing us eventually as we go home the end of October.  Again we sigh, not entirely with relief, as we realize that our time here is quickly slipping away.  But we are anxious to have our numbers enhanced – we need the infusion of strength and enthusiasm that they will bring with them.  They do bring a promise of relief for us.  These re-enforcements are needed as we are now noting higher attendance at the temple as warmer weather is creeping into sight. 

Spring is a Time of Change

We’re getting released!  No, not from our mission, but as shift coordinators.  This week we started training our replacements.  We have been in that calling for the last six or seven months.  It was a great learning and growing experience – and one that we can say that we were glad that we had.  In its stead, we have been asked to serve in other capacities.  We will be serving as endowment coordinators on one shift each week, initiatory coordinators on another shift (and on a different day of the week) and on yet a third day Becky will be serving as the sealing office coordinator and I as the veil coordinator.  While that may sound like a lot, the sum total will still be a lot less stressful than where we have been and we will have a lot more spare time as these callings do not require any time outside of the temple.  When we go home, we will be able to say that we have pretty much done it all.

Every once in a while we get a warm day.  The magnolia trees have buds on them and the cardinals are back singing from the trees nearby our apartment.  It’s fun to see these signs of spring – but then those warm days alternate with snow storms.  We woke up yesterday to about four new inches of snow on the ground.  Last week, there were heard several loud cracking sounds, or so I have told (since I did not actually hear them myself).  But the ice over the river broke into pieces and started floating down stream.  It’s gone!  We now have a river again – and with it the birds that fish in the river are back as well.  It’s fun to see the eagles, the pelicans and the seagulls.  Those are in addition to the others that are back as well – the wrens, the cardinals, the robins, the crows, the Canada geese, the bluebirds, etc.

Today, Becky joined with the other sister temple missionaries at the Historic Nauvoo Visitors Center, all dressed in pioneer dresses.  From there, they were taken by carriage to the Red Brick Store.  There they attended the re-enactment of the organization of the Female Relief Society.  The Society was originally organized on March 17th, 1842.  Since Eliza R. Snow was such a good note-taker, we pretty much know exactly what happened that day: who spoke – and every word that was said.  As a result, the re-enactment was pretty accurate.  The one thing that was not as authentic, perhaps, was the modern day camera that took the picture shown here.

Becky is on the back row, next to our temple president, President McArthur.

A silent week with a fun finish

Last Sunday I woke up to discover that my hearing was gone in my right ear.  It’s a good thing that we are each given two ears!  Although my hearing returned later that morning, it was gone again when I awoke on Monday.  The medical advisor here for the missionaries suggested some steps for me to follow.  Still, it was basically some very quiet days, until I could return and have the doctor flush my ear out on Friday.  An inflated glob of ear wax was washed out that looked to be about ¾ inches in diameter.  No wonder I couldn’t hear anything!

During that week, we spent a fairly quiet week at the temple.  One day (and we thought that it would be two), we spent in the arrival center.  On another day, we worked a very short shift (only an hour and a half).  I suppose the Lord had mercy on me during those “quiet” days, because I only ended up working the veil once while I was with limited hearing.  I hadn’t told any of the presidency or the coordinators about my condition, but the assignments must have been given with inspiration from above.

With hearing restored, Friday and Saturday were much different.  We were busy and doing all that we have come here to do.  We even chose to go for a walk Friday morning before going to the temple.  It was the first time we have done so all winter long.  The temperature was all the way up into the low thirties and it felt so much warmer than it has been in such a long time.  It felt good to get some sorely missed exercise.  We enjoyed listening to the Canadian geese as the chattered endlessly to each other and to the robins and cardinals as they sang their songs - trying to convince us that spring is just around the corner and that winter is supposed to be dying.  They, as we, were trying to ignore the light snow that was falling and speckling our glasses.

Saturday was great as well.  We went to a Ball!  We were provided with pioneer dresses and ribbon ties to wear – so as to add to the atmosphere of the evening.  The dance was held on the upper floor of the old historic cultural hall following a performance of “Rendezvous”.  The site missionaries even provided us with a live orchestra.  It was so much fun.  This venue was where receptions and dances were held in old Nauvoo.  We could imagine the Prophet Joseph, and Brother Brigham and others gliding across this same floor, bringing smiles to their brides.  But the evening came to a close much too soon, as we realized that Day-light savings time would commence in just a few hours and morning would be coming much sooner than anyone desired.

Winter Quietly Marches Onward

Well, it’s cold again.  What’s new?  Today, it got up to 10 degrees.  At the moment its back down to 3 and is likely to go down quite a ways further.  I’m glad we’re snug in our apartment for the rest of the day.

It has been fairly quiet at the temple this last week.  But our temple president has been trying out several ideas with the hope of pulling in more patrons.  For example, on Thursdays, our first endowment session normally starts at 11 am.  This is too late for those who would like to attend the temple before going to work for the day, so for the next few weeks we are trying out having an early morning shift supporting just one session at 7 am.  This pulls a few missionary ordinance workers away from the normal shift that follows.  This last week, we had 32 people come to attend that early morning session.  That was good, but we noted that most of those that attended that early session were the same ones that normally attend later on in the week anyways.  Total attendance for the week wasn’t much different.  We may not have picked up any one new, but the ones that came hopefully preferred coming at the new session time.

Each of the missionary couples regularly take their turn staying in the arrival center.  We substituted for someone who was unable to fill their assignment this last Thursday.  We were scheduled to take our regular turn on Saturday (yesterday), but since the temple presidency wanted us to be in attendance at a meeting in the temple that day, we got to the arrival center, only to discover that someone else had been sent to substitute for us.  Now, today, we just got a call asking us to help out over there again this coming Tuesday.  It’s an interesting assignment.  The arrival center is located across the street from the temple.  Since many in the temple district have a long ways to come, this is a place where they can come after their long trip - to change clothes, or to have someone babysit their children while they attend the temple, or for youth groups to congregate while they wait for their turn in the baptistery.  While we are there, we don’t actually babysit; parents must supply their own sitters.  Sometimes no one comes at all.  When that happens, it gets pretty boring over there.  But we try to take plenty with us to occupy our minds, just in case.

Friday morning, just before leaving to go to the temple, I got word that one of my cousins had just died the evening before.  We were pretty much the same age, and had grown up as next door neighbors.  Our ways parted when we left on missions resulting in the fact that we have not seen or heard from each other for almost 50 years.  I always respected him highly and am indeed saddened by his departure.  I wish his family peace and understanding.  I look forward to seeing him again when it is my turn to follow him through the veil.

Swampy conditions

Yesterday, I mailed out a communication to all the new temple missionaries that are called to come and augment our numbers here in April.  I sent it out with the intent of seeing if the e-mail addresses we had were good.  I asked them each to respond to the e-mail so that I know that we were communicating with them.  As a result, starting last night, I have been getting flooded with their responses.  What I was not expecting was the tone of each response that is coming back in.  These people are excited and anxious to come and serve in Nauvoo.  It was the feeling that we had a year ago when we were preparing to come and serve here.  Now, a year later, our zeal has perhaps lessened a bit.  Feeling the enthusiasm of the new group is invigorating and so welcoming.  Having them come will be good for all of us in so many ways.

Also, yesterday, a bishop, in transit with several others to come to the temple, decided to call and verify with the temple that we were prepared for them.  The call was transferred to the brother at the recommend desk, and when asked if there was room on the 5 pm session, assured them that there was - as we did not have anyone scheduled for that time.  After giving him that assurance, he then realized that our last session for the day was scheduled to be at four, not five.  Adjustments were quickly made, and soon we all got to stay a little longer and make sure that our 5 pm session would be enjoyed by this group (4 couples).  We really are very accommodating.  And we always feel good when we can serve our patrons and allow the Lord to bless these good people that come.  Some of them come from as much as 3 or 4 hours away.  In the winter time, the weather often makes the trips here impossible.  So when they can come, we will do all that we can for them.

This last week has been a joy, weather wise.  It has warmed up – at least enough to actually melt a lot of the snow that has fallen over the last few weeks.  Monday, we had a blizzard, first with freezing rain and later with snow.  On Tuesday or Wednesday, after it warmed up a bit, we got a real heavy thunderstorm causing several inches of rain to fall.  It melted a lot of the snow but it had nowhere to drain.  The little parking area behind our house flooded to the point that we had to wade through 4 to 6 inches of water to get to our cars.  It wasn’t just the parking area.  The park like fields all around the flats were buried beneath rain-water and melted snow.  As we drove about the area we were reminded of the early saints that came here when this area was still called Commerce.  This area was a swamp.  They had to dig ditches to help drain the water.  Many died from malaria caused by the mosquitos that bred so abundantly in the standing waters all over the place.  Fortunately for us, our houses are already built.  We are sheltered from the rain and the bugs.  This water will drain before the mosquitoes get a change to lay their eggs.  But again, we get another memory to help us identify with the early Saints.

 

 

Valentine's Day

Another missionary slipped and fell on the ice this last week.  She now sports two black eyes.  We all look forward to the time when things warm up and become safer.  We have one local ordinance worker that checks the weather forecast and if there is even the slightest chance of inclement weather on the day that he is scheduled to come in, he calls to let us know that he is not coming.  In the past he had met up with several accidents trying to come in.  At his age, it just isn’t safe to drive, especially when driving conditions are poor.  The deer around here appreciate it as well.  He has killed more than one while driving to the temple.  I think many of us here have experienced times when they jump out in front of our cars and we have a hard time avoiding them, especially when there is so much snow and ice on the roads keeping us from being able to stop quickly.

Valentine’s Day brings with it several who want to be wed or sealed on that day.  Here at Nauvoo, we had three couples come in to have their families made eternal on that day.  I got to be one of the witnesses at two of those sealings.  It is especially fun when little children come, as well, to be sealed to their parents.  Yesterday, we had a beautiful family come from northern Iowa to be sealed.  They had three daughters ages 1, 3 and 6.  Afterwards they went out (in the snow) to have their pictures taken.  All went out, dressed in white -- but the mother, and all three daughters had bright red capes made that they wore over their dresses.  Our four “little red riding hoods” made quite an adorable sight.

We, as temple missionaries, are encouraged to do our own family research and find the names of ancestors that we can bring to the temple.  During the winter months when fewer people come to the temple, we can take opportunity to be patrons ourselves and do the work for those whose names we have found.  Frequently at the end of the day, a special baptismal session will be scheduled where we can go down and be baptized in behalf of those we have identified.  It is a special experience to stand in the font here at Nauvoo, which happens to be the largest baptismal font in any of the temples, to do that work.  While this is not the original Nauvoo, temple, the font does occupy the very same location that it did in the Nauvoo temple of old.  Perhaps some of our ancestors also stood in that very same location to do proxy baptisms back in 1845.  If any of you come to visit us, while we are here, I would encourage you to plan on coming to the baptistery so that you (or your older children) can have that opportunity. 

The Nauvoo Exodus Commemoration Walk

Yesterday, we walked down Parley Street.  We did it as part of an annual commemoration of when the original Nauvoo residents were forced to leave their homes in early February and flee the mobs into Iowa and then trek onward to the Rocky Mountain west.  At that time, in 1846, there were many of our pioneer ancestors that lived in Nauvoo.  I don’t know what the weather was like in 1846 but we do know that it was cold.  On the first day of the exodus (Feb 4^th) the wagons needed to be ferried across the Mississippi River into Iowa.  A few weeks later, the Saints were still streaming out of Nauvoo as quickly as they were able to outfit themselves.  By the 15^thof February, they were driving their wagons across the ice as the Mississippi River had frozen over, allowing them to do so.  A few days ago someone here and now had drilled a hole in the ice, so that they could determine just how thick the ice is this year.  At the point where they measured, the ice was about 22 inches thick.  About that same time, it was reported that someone had driven their pickup out onto the ice - having fun sliding around on the ice-covered river.  This year, the river has been iced over for the last two months – this being one of the coldest winters ever recorded here in Nauvoo.

 

Yesterday’s activity commenced at the Family Living Center, just behind the historic cultural hall on Main Street.  There we congregated and enjoyed a continental breakfast.  We then had a little program where we sang and listened to tributes made to the early saints.  We then went outside and fell in line for the parade.  We were led by missionaries decked out in the uniforms of the Mormon Battalion.  These were followed by others carrying several flags, reminding us that many of the early saints had just migrated from those countries not long before.  This group was followed by a horse drawn surrey where Brigham Young and his wife, represented by two missionaries, rode.  Other horse drawn wagons followed carrying a few children and others that would have had trouble walking the route to the river.  Everyone else walked the distance, being on either side of the wagons and surrey as we went.  We arrived at the river where we had a very short concluding program where we had a flag-raising ceremony performed by our “Mormon battalion” and we all sang “Come, Come Ye Saints”.  The weather was good.  A light snow was falling and there was not a lot of wind blowing – so it was tolerable!  Much easier for us than for our ancestors that continued on, on a trek well over a 1000 times longer, burying many along the trail as they went and rejoicing months later when they finally arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley.

This picture was taken last year

 

Yesterday’s events brought participants from far and wide; I am told some came all the way from San Diego, CA.  A symposium (or series of lectures) was also conducted in several of our meeting places around Nauvoo on Friday and Saturday where people could learn more about our Nauvoo history.  This brought many to the temple as well.  Friday, we had almost three times more endowments performed than we did the week before.  We are always glad to have visitors come to the temple.  Frequently, during the winter months, a high percentage of our endowments are performed by our own ordinance workers assigned to be patrons because few others come – especially when the weather gets ugly.

Triggered Memories

February has arrived.  Not much different than January has been.  But it brings with it a few memories.  It was almost two years ago, that our daughter, Heidi, had received her mission call.  Since she was living in Missouri at the time, she thought it would be nice to be endowed in the Nauvoo temple.  So Becky and I made plane reservations and flew to Kansas City where we borrowed a car, picked up Heidi and drove to Nauvoo.  She was endowed on the 11^th of February.  We spent the night before in the Nauvoo Hotel.  Then on that Saturday morning, we walked the two blocks to the temple.  Walking those two blocks was one of the more miserable memories I can recall.  The wind was blowing; I don’t recall if snow or freezing rain was falling, but it was cold.  The wind was right in our faces and I wondered if I was going to survive the hike.  But we made it and the temple seemed so warm inside.  What a comfort after the short trek.

One of the temple missionaries there at the time was one that I had known from the Mt. Timpanogos temple.  We got to see him that day.  A year later, after he had returned home off his mission, I asked him about the weather that day.  He said that that winter had been a very mild one; that they had only had three or so major blizzards that year, and evidently, we had walked into one of those.  Little did we realize then, that we would be back here ourselves, also serving as temple missionaries, and experiencing similar weather conditions on a regular basis.   Today, we enjoy these cold spells, and these blizzards, being better prepared for them.  We have the footwear and the coats and the thermals.  For us now, it is easier to tolerate – and besides, we now know what to expect.  Then we had been caught completely off-guard.

At home, in Utah, when we forget to flush our lawn sprinkler pipes before winter, and allow the water in them to freeze, the pipes break, causing grief in the spring when we turn the water back on.  We may end up needing to replace one or more pipes as breaks are detected.  They have similar problems here too.  Last Monday, a pipe in the temple that provided water to the emergency sprinklers froze, causing a sprinkler head to open up and rain filthy water throughout an upper-room in the temple.  This caused a lot of water damage both to that sealing room and to the marriage waiting room below it.  Now almost a week later, almost all the damage has been repaired.  In the meantime, a couple of weddings were performed, and I doubt any of our guest ever knew there was a problem.  That is because we have more than one sealing room and we would take the guests directly to the sealing room rather than by way of the marriage waiting room.  Interestingly, Becky and I were the guides for two of those weddings.  If there were others, I am not aware.

 

 

Picture Nauvoo

A week has passed, and not much has changed.  We still go to the temple to work five shifts a week.  The weather is still cold – although I must admit that when we walk out in 25 degree weather, it seems so warm now in comparison to the single digits that we have seen so often over the last few weeks.  But the forecast is claiming that there will be a major drop in the temperature before the day is out and we should be back to temperatures around zero by midnight.  I’m glad that at that hour we should be safely snuggled under the covers sheltered from the winds and humidity that make the wind chill ever so bitter.

I’ve discovered that is fun to be teaching Spanish.  My class consists of about twenty other temple missionaries.  The curriculum that I use was developed over the previous years and consists of singing songs, reading scriptures and practicing dialogs related to things we do in the temple.  Eventually we will move into the temple and start memorizing some of the things we do there.  We have only met three times so far, but I am seeing a lot of hard work and resulting progress.

With the weather as cold as it is, there is very little desire to go take off and see any of the interesting things in the vicinity.  If we ever choose to do such things, we will likely wait until things warm up.  Our designated photographer, Elder Moore, will go around and take pictures of things in the immediate area and provide us with souvenir pictures of places here in Nauvoo, including its buildings, trees and wildlife.  He sends us a photo (or two) each day, and we all look forward to see what it is he has captured each time.  Here are a few examples of pictures we have received over the last few months:

 

 

 

 

Enduring the Battles of Life

This past week has not been easy.  It is always difficult when we part with loved ones.  But sometimes, parting is more difficult when the circumstances are just “all wrong”.  And so it seems to us, when we consider the circumstances surrounding the departure of Elder and Sister Holland.  This wonderful couple were called, the same as we were, to serve as temple missionaries here in Nauvoo.  They were among the ones that were asked to tough it out through the winter, extending their missions from six months to eighteen.  More than willingly, they gladly accepted and looked forward to the opportunity that this mission would provide them to serve and bless the lives of those that come here to the Nauvoo temple.  They are among the younger couples that are serving here, howbeit, “younger” is relative.  I think we are the youngest ones here at the moment, but they aren’t too much older than we are.  Even so, his hair had turned white several decades ago – and it looked good on him.  They were among the leadership – always capable and always willing – anxious to help out wherever there was a need.  Their personalities were very warm and contagious.  We loved to be around them, as they were to be around us.  One could not even hold against them the fact that they were from Texas and enjoyed flaunting that southern drawl in all they said.  It was just fun to be around them.  Then, just a couple of weeks ago, he started having health issues.  It soon became apparent that the cancer that he had previously conquered over ten years ago had returned with a vengeance.  It came and drained him, practically overnight, of all strength and color.   A trip or two to hospitals in the region confirmed it, and they were immediately sent home to get the care that he so urgently needs.  This last Friday morning, most of the remaining temple missionary couples all crammed into their apartment to bid them farewell and sing “God Be with You” as best we could, before they headed out.  Emotions were high and tears were plentiful.  We will sorely miss them.  Today we capped off our farewell to them with a fast in his behalf. 

But the fast was not just for him.  It was also for Sister Peterson, another temple missionary here, recently diagnosed with Leukemia, and for Sister Diederick, yet another with serious health issues.  In addition to the missionaries, several local temple workers have recently succumbed to illness or, in some cases, slipped on the ice and have fallen, breaking bones, or being afflicted in similar manner.  We are told that this is the coldest winter Nauvoo has experienced in the last 20 years, and it is wreaking havoc on many.  The lack of workers in the temple is becoming obvious.  We can only fast and pray for the recovery of those that are sick and afflicted. 

Today, we observe the fact that we have now been here in Nauvoo for nine months.  In another nine months we will be preparing to head for home.  We have reached the mid-point of our mission here.  So far there have been some glorious times to celebrate and rejoice, while there have been others that have caused serious reflection as we have considered the trials thrust both upon us and our ancestors that were here before us.  It was here, 168 years ago, in 1846, that the saints were lined up at the temple doors, each one anxious to go in and be endowed.  It was at this time of year, in January, and it was a cold winter (just like this one) for the Mississippi River had frozen so that the saints could and would later cross over on the ice in their February exodus.  Our having been here these last few months has helped us to better understand what these stalwart people enjoyed and endured here in Nauvoo and at the same time how they could be prepared through the endowment to withstand the trials that yet awaited them as they headed west into an uncertain future.  That trek would bring death and sickness to many, and at the same time, would fortify their spiritual conviction of the truth and the cause for which they journeyed.  We, indeed, honor our pioneer heritage.