27 February 2015 - Friday

Well, for those of you who are following us, we have now completed the first week of our mission here in Nauvoo.  We started off this morning with a monthly mission breakfast.  Each of the three casts made breakfast for their cast members as a pot luck effort, and we all ate together in the Stake Center near the Nauvoo Temple.  Most of the activities we participate in are centered around our cast and it has been wonderful getting to know so many marvelous people!

Take the Toomers.  Elder and Sister Toomer are from Fresno, California.  I was baptized into the Church in Fresno back in 1971.  I have a dear friend, Ellen Draper Clayson who introduced my mom and sister and brother and me to the Church.  There is not a more special person in my early college days who has had such an impact on me as did Ellen.  She has been a dear friend and I am grateful for her involvement in my life, my brother Doug's life, and my sister Jackie's life.  Ellen is a true example of a faithful Latter-day Saint!

And  I have to say right here how much I love my sister Jackie.  She was instrumental in getting me involved in the Church through the Young Single Adults in Fresno.  She was one of the leaders and in a very timely manner, she got me involved.  It was less than six months later that I was promoted, by Long's Drug Stores, out of Fresno.  If she had not pulled me into the mainstream of the Church, I know that I would have been hopelessly lost in the corporate world and who knows what path I would have followed?  It would certainly not have followed to the point of meeting my eternal companion and most inspirational person in my life in October 1976!

Well, here is the tie-in with Ellen.  The Tooler's son married Ellen and Jeff Clayson's oldest daughter.  I\We have many other friends from Fresno, but what a precious tender mercy to have that connection made here in Nauvoo!  If Ellen is reading this blog... again I thank you for inviting me over for Family Home Evening at the Draper home back in 1971.  You have affected two more generations, (and counting), of Lashers and hundreds of ward members I have served and now how many thousands we have the opportunity of coming in contact with here in Nauvoo!  Here is the difference one person can make!

The breakfast ended with several couples sharing their final thoughts on stage, of coming to the end of their missions here.  We were very emotional with the farewells and we have only been here a week!

I have posted, at the end of today's blog, a picture of the couples and single sisters who were on the stage. Some sang and most made up poems of their experiences here, and one of the Elder's who is 70 years + made up the absolute cutest rap song... priceless experiences that were entertaining and emotional for those leaving as well as those staying on awhile longer.

I had the assignment to work in the Stoddard Tin shop, today, and Sister Lasher worked in the Brigham Young home again.  I had the opportunity to give my first presentation in the tin shop out of two groups, and Sister Lasher had no visitors at her site.  The temperature was -14 degrees this morning and got up to a +10 degrees this afternoon.  It was not a crowd pleasing day!

We both were done with our site shifts at 3:00pm and we went home and changed into our missionary clothing and went to Keokuk to do some grocery shopping.  We came back to Nauvoo around 5:30pm and attended a community fund raising dinner for the Nauvoo Orchestra and then went to the evening performance of Rendezvous at 7:00pm.  It has been a full day!  I even took some pictures to share at the end of today's blog!

As I taught in the tin shop today, each of our lives follows a pattern, as did those working to make useful articles out of tin.  We need to follow patterns that will make us what we can become and many of us have great parents, friends and family members to help us begin to pattern and shape our lives.  But the best pattern we can use is our Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the way for us to follow and His ways will help us become everything we can become  as we strive to learn His ways and return to our Heavenly Home.  

I received a wonderful phone call from one of our precious friends back home, Sister Mary Call.  She and her husband spent 18 months here and got us so excited to serve here!  Every time I see Rendezvous performed, I see the Calls participating!  Thank you for your phone call tonight!  It made my day!

Now for some pictures!

This is how I picture the Calls performing in Rendezvous.  This is a scene from George and Agatha

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Here are some missionaries getting ready to leave the mission.

The Nauvoo Temple tonight!  A light on the hill!

This is a braided rug from the Family Living Center that we purchased yesterday

This is a table runner that mom fell in love with!