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.