December 31, 2015 - Thursday in Nauvoo

2015 Year in Review -

The year 2014 ended and the year 2015 began in Rigby, Idaho, as we were waiting for our reassignment in the mission field.  We had an unexpected opportunity to share the Christmas Season with our family in Idaho and in Utah.  What a precious experience that was for us!

At the beginning of the New Year 2015, we flew to Virginia Beach and spent a few weeks with PopPop, (Mom’s 91 year old father), and helped him during his recovery from a hernia operation.  That was another great opportunity to be with him.  It was something we thought would not be possible having just flown to the Philippines, but because of our reassignment, we had that sweet opportunity.

When we got back to Idaho, we received word from the missionary department that we had been reassigned to the Illinois, Nauvoo Mission.  We were to re-enter the MTC on Monday February 16, 2015.  We had three days of Visitors Center Training and began our trip to Nauvoo on Wednesday February 18^th.  This was the maiden voyage of our new Honda Odyssey Van that we picked up at the end of January!  We arrived in Nauvoo later in the evening on February 19^th and were immediately made to feel welcomed!

We began the mission orientation on Friday February 20^th, and met with the mission presidency.  They each had training for us and we were well prepared for our first site assignments on Thursday February 26^th.  We served in the Nauvoo area for four weeks and were then transferred to Carthage beginning the last week in March.  We had one moving day, and relocated to missionary housing right in the Carthage Visitors Center compound, and in the shadow of the old historic Carthage Jail.  Mom and I served as the Carthage Visitors Center Site Leaders from April until August, 2015.  We were sent back to Nauvoo on August 28^th after a marvelous summer season!

The experience in Carthage was life changing.  The first six weeks were spent learning, in depth, learning about Joseph and Hyrum, and, more specifically, the last three days of their lives.  The history of the month of June 1844, is firmly set in my mind.  We were taught by the Spirit, and by loving missionaries, the intimate details of the Martyrdom period.   

We had the responsibility to clean the jail and what an amazing experience that was.  I was often in the Martyrdom room, by myself, and sat there pondering and praying.  That was such a marvelous way to prepare for the busy summer season where we were guides and missionaries to over 61,000 visitors.

Every youth group that came was a separate and distinct sweet opportunity to share testimony and bear witness of the Prophet of the Restoration.  I would often sit in the Martyrdom room with groups of up to 60 youth and tell them that once they passed the threshold of that room, they had entered a point of no return.  Their tender lives would never be the same, and would especially be strengthened, if they let the Holy Ghost teach them.  Carthage will forever remain a highlight of my Gospel learning!

When we moved back to Nauvoo, we were immediately assigned to the Nauvoo Visitors Center.  We became the site leaders there in November 2015, and are still serving in that capacity.  We have assignments in assorted Nauvoo sites on two of the seven days each week, but our primary focus is the Visitors Center.  What a wonderful place to serve and greet visitors coming to Nauvoo for the Christmas and holiday periods!  

Since arriving back here in Nauvoo, we have welcomed over 5,000 visitors so far.  The off season really began in late August, but the guests continue to come in and enjoy the Spirit of Nauvoo.  About 10% of our guests are not members of the Church.  Many are less active, and a good number of the members coming are here for the first time.

This has been such a rewarding experience to be here as a missionary, to serve full time with my eternal companion, and to be taught and nurtured together by the Holy Ghost.  There is no other experience like a full time senior mission!  I am fully convinced of that.  It is everything that we are willing to invest in it, to make it this kind of incredible experience.  

I am very excited about the prospects of the year 2016.  There are a tremendous number of challenges that will have to be faced.  Preparation for these challenges begins each new day and with each new year!  This will be a great year and I am so ready to see what lies ahead!

Mom had a 6:00am hair appointment this morning.  It is tough trying to fit things in with our schedules!  But this worked out great.  We just postponed our walk until after our site assignment today.  We worked at the Visitors Center from 9:00am until 12:30pm.  Our friend and fellow missionary, Sister Chamberlain, gave us this package this morning;'

Mysterious Package!

It was a package we had seen in the mail room with the package addressed to "Elder and Sister".  It was such a treat to find out that Wal Mart had left off "Lasher"...  The mail room had opened the package and found out it was from a Lasher in Rigby!  It was a treasure chest of precious pictures of our precious family!  Everyone looked sooooooo good!  Thank you!!
 
We walked home and prepared one of our favorite meals, cordon blue!  Well, mom prepared it and I took a nap....  We even had some Martinellis to toast in the new year!  We did our weekly cleaning and then took off on our belated walk at 3:15pm.  The sun was shining and the temperature was a cool 30 degrees, with very little wind. 

Our friends, the Skinner's stopped by on their way to the mission New Years Even party and dropped off some finger foods for us.  They are so kind and considerate!  And mom was in bed by 7:15pm.  I wanted to make sure I did this last post of the year and especially to express our love and appreciation for all of our family and friends who have joined us on this missionary journey from "Laoag and onto Nauvoo" during 2015!  Here's to a great 2016!