March 4, 2015 - Wednesday

Good evening from Old Nauvoo!  Mom and I have an evening off tonight...well we at least got to stay home after our site assignments.  We had dinner at 5:00pm and started reviewing our songs for our debut Friday  night on the stage of Rendezvous!  

Mom and I both have parts assigned!  Mine is .... "Wait...Jed, stop!!!  Brigham Young says we gotta leave.... Listen to me Jedediah, leavin's gonna take a lot more courage than fightin'! 

And mom's part is; "Oh my stars!  Just think of it... the Ashby's and all ten children living side by side with the Snows."

Unbelievable!... they are taking a big chance on us ....

Mom worked at the Riser Boot Shop and I worked at the Blacksmith's shop and gave my first presentation!  Take a look at these pictures:  My process in making a horseshoe!

Heated coals to about 1800 degrees

A hot iron ready to be pounded into a horseshoe sitting on the anvil

Look at that cute little horseshoe!

This was the work area with the fire, a bellows and the anvil

So I started with building a hot fire.  It doesn't take too long with the fans and the coal in the fireplace.  Then I heated up the iron rod and began shaping it into a horseshoe.  (This is one instance where you do not want to hold fast to the iron rod without a good set of insulated gloves!)  I then flattened out the rod and shaped the ends and then stuck it in some water to cool it off.  There is the finished product on the anvil!  I can't wait to show you the process when you get here!

We began the day with our weekly mission training meeting this morning at 7:45am, and we had a discussion on the humanitarian efforts of the Nauvoo Mission.  Here are some pictures and then I will explain;

Over 230 hats mostly knitted by one of the Elders with no previous experience!

Comfort bears for children in hospitals or in shelters

Blankets and quilts

Beautiful quilts at that!

New baby packets and different quilts and blankets

As a Nauvoo Mission this is the 2nd of 3 batches of humanitarian items made this winter.  The last one will be delivered April 5th.  There were over 1500 items completed by about 50 missionaries this past winter.  All of these items were donated throughout the Nauvoo Stake, (that covers three states), through the Relief Society sisters, to non members.  They went to homeless shelters, women's shelters, hospitals, cancer units, firehouses for distribution to fire victims and many other community efforts within 100 miles of Nauvoo.

Now for some stories from this effort;  One sister got here last Spring, and after she got settled, she went to community garage sales in her time off and P-days.  She was obsessed with buying fabric although she did not sew.  Her husband questioned her sanity with bringing back boxes of fabric.  She questioned bringing back boxes of fabric!  Then, after the summer season, in November, the Humanitarian project started moving.  Sisters discovered she had fabric and suggested they start quilting.  It was then she realized why she was obsessed with collecting the fabric and dozens of the quilts were made.  

Another sister was in charge of the humanitarian funds collected in the mission.  She got that job in October but was so afraid to spend any of the sacred funds.  Then, there was a point where she had to spend a small amount for some supplies.  The very next day that she spent the money, donations came in to cover what she had spent.  This happened many times over the course of the winter, and each time after the money was spent, they had that amount donated the next day - small amounts by many people!  They started October with $185.  This morning they reported that they had about $190 in their account and that was after putting together over 1500 items this winter...

As missionaries we can't help but see the Lord's Hand in this work.  Whether it is making quilts, baby blankets, or teddy bears, singing songs or remembering lines, meeting people with sacred life's stories or seeing each other in a Zion Society's light, this is the Lord's work and we just need to trust Him that He is in charge!

This day has gone by quickly, but I have just a picture or two more to show you about life in Nauvoo.  Take a look at these shots:

A wooden snow sled for the children!

A typical wagon that carried the Saints across the plains

Tools needed by the wagon and wheel makers

Different items made in the Blacksmith's shop

So many talents were needed to build the city of Nauvoo, but the sled was a quiet reminder that they also took some time to have fun.  Let's enjoy each others company a little bit more and appreciate the blessings we do enjoy!

Mom and I are so excited and thankful for the timely and thoughtful notes from home.  We love hearing from you and picturing your time away from us!  We miss you and love you so much and we so appreciate these notes and well wishes and encouragements and timely thoughts that remind us so much about one of the reasons we are serving this mission!  Families Can Be Together Forever!  And so can friendships!!  And we know that people need to be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and this is one of His ways he is allowing people that exposure!!  One more story...

When we leave Nauvoo on our P-days, or time off afternoons, we are required to wear our missionary name tags and dress in our Sunday best clothes.  On a trip to Quincy by one senior couple a few weeks ago, a non member customer shopping in the same store as this couple, recognized the name tag and approached them.  She identified herself as a nurse at the local hospital and shook their hands and thanked them for the baby blankets.  She spoke of several occasions where those blankets had touched the lives of the recipients and she recognized that they were from "those missionaries in Old Nauvoo".  

I am more grateful and in awe each day to be a very small part of this effort... we love you!