June 30, 2016 - Thursday in Nauvoo

Unbelievable!  The last day of June 2016, and the big tourist season begins tomorrow, here in Nauvoo!  The time is moving right along and there have been some wonderful experiences for mom and I today.  Our first order of business was our morning devotional and prayers.  We sure enjoy that time together preparing for the day.  We then went on our morning walk and enjoyed the beauties of the Nauvoo morning!  I loved this picture going down Parley Street looking back over the sunrise horizon;

The gathering of the storm clouds - ETA later in the afternoon!

Mom and I got to work together in the Handcart Station, and we had five marvelous groups today.  We had a group of 24 well prepared Scouts that went on the three mile trek, a family of 5 that went on the two mile trek, and three families that went on the one mile trek.

We loved working with the Scout group that was composed of Priests and Teachers from one of the Wards in the Allen, Texas Stake.  That is the stake where our former mission president now lives.  They came back from their 3 mile trek excited about the experience they had of working together!  When we got them going, to begin their trek, we had the Teachers Quorum President and the two Priests Quorum Assistants divide the group up into 6 separate groups with young men they didn't know particularly well.  That made the comment of "working together", at the end of their experience even more satisfying...

Families working together!

Getting the extra sandbags! (Those are 20 pounds each!)

This family had a wonderful experience together

I wanted to share the experience of this younger family today.  The mother is a single parent with a son and daughter and a niece and nephew on a history trip together.  The boy in red and the smaller girl are her children, who are not members of the Church.  Their father is anti-Mormon, and will not allow them to be baptized, although the boy is 11 and the girl is 8... Both the niece and nephew and the single mom are members.  They chose the 2 mile trek which is the most difficult trek of the three we have available.  I was a little concerned before they left that this might be too hard for them....

Here are some experiences they had together; The mother/aunt had prepared them for the Nauvoo experience by teaching them about Joseph and the Saints.  They had already been in Nauvoo a few days, and had experienced shows and historic sites, and they stayed an extra night to experience the trek from the Saints perspective.  (It was interesting to note that when the father found out they were coming to Nauvoo, he found all the negative writings he could about the Mormons in Nauvoo).  As trek coordinators, we always begin the experience with a prayer and some counsel to help each group along the way as they stick to the trail and help each other along.

The non-member boy told his mom, along the trek, that he was feeling something very different that made him want to cry.  But, he said, I can't cry, (because boys don't cry), but what is that feeling, he asked?  And then, along the trek, his little sister scraped her leg, and he wanted to have her ride in the handcart.  He told his mom that he wanted to pull the cart by himself to see how it felt to carry his sister.  And then he said, I would pull you all the way to Salt Lake!  The cousins all started off the trek by complaining, just a little, and arguing with each other, but the older 10 year old girl cousin said, "let's have a prayer".  That was a unifying prayer for the entire trek!

Over the next hour, they had several prayers together, coupled with these wonderful experiences.  When they came into the Handcart Station, over two hours later, (and I had been out to search for them on the four wheeler because it had been over two hours.) they were singing and happy and ready to take on the three mile trek next time!

Here are some things I have learned and had reinforced from this family; First, prayer works for all of us at any age.  It was especially rewarding to hear that the 10 year old was willing to teach her two cousins about the power of prayer.  Second, how sweet was that for the non member 11 year old brother to have that experience with his 8 year old sister?  He wanted to take her in the cart to relieve her suffering and then made the declaration that he would be willing to take her all the way to Salt Lake.  

And it was touching to hear about his feeling of the Spirit and wanting to identify what that was.  And, then, the exhilarating feeling they had from working together and praying together, as cousins, to overcome this very difficult trek experience.  Mom and I have been very blessed to be a part of a number of special places to serve here in Nauvoo and Carthage, and the Handcart Station has been one of them!

After our shift was over, we went home for lunch and prepared for the 4:00pm temple session.  That was a very nice ending to a great day working at the Handcart Station!  When we drove into the garage after the temple session, the clouds let loose in a fury of rain and thunder for about 15 minutes.  We got a little moisture and I hope there is more for us later on tonight!

And here are some blog worthy pictures sent to us today!  Priceless pictures for two senior missionaries!  Thank you for sharing them with us!!

Levi "gearing up" for his morning walk!

What a great looking family promoting a great company!

Zac, you look sharp in your uniform!

Like father like son!  Nothing quite like this nap time!

Well, it has been a great day for us.  The mission experiences will certainly last a lifetime and beyond as we record these precious times here on the "electronic" plates!  I love recording, each day, the special experiences we have had.  Everyday brings on new opportunities to learn and grow and strengthen our testimonies!  Have you noticed?

June 29, 2016 - Wednesday in Nauvoo

I had to take a second look at the thermometer the morning!  It registered 60 degrees! That is a great temperature for our walk... but, we had to miss our walk because, this morning, we had a practice run for the Fourth of July flag raising ceremony that mom and I will be involved in.  That was at 7:00am and the training meeting began at 7:30am.  However, we had treks scheduled to start during the training meeting so I had to miss the third meeting in a row to attend to that assignment.

We had four scheduled treks and then accommodated one unscheduled trek as well.  We had some interesting families come to experience the trek.  Four of the five families wanted to participate together, but one family, three daughters and the mom and dad, had a different idea.  The dad reminded my of a sergeant getting his group ready for the upcoming battle....  

He told the girls just what they would do, and would not do, and then told them that they were going to have this experience alone.  He and the mom weren't going to help at all.  Interesting concept for this family in what I would term a missed opportunity to have a sweet experience together. The girls were very intimidated by the dad and were very obedient.  And true to his announcement of not participating, they came back with the three girls on the handcart, and the mom and dad walking behind.  It was really kind of sad, to me, because I would want to enjoy every experience with my family.

I worked with Elder Heslop at the handcart station today.  His wife came by to sweep off the back of their car so she could see out the back window.  They live down the road from the barns and it is impossible to keep any car clean in this area of Nauvoo since all the roads are dirt or gravel.  I caught a picture of him "riding" the broom over to his wife.  They have been fun to work with!

The Heslop's - at the Handcart Station

The handcart schedule was completed by 12 noon so I went down to work with mom in the gardens for an hour.  Even though there was a cool breeze and the temperatures were still only in the high 70's, I felt like I was a little burned in the face.  But I am getting some great color in my face and arms!

Our oldest grandson, Zac, is now 12 and an active Scout.  He is at Scout Camp this week for the first time.  And I got this picture sent to me of him earning one of his merit badges.  Way to go Zac!  We are so proud of you!

Is this a picture of pure joy?

Tonight we had two Rendezvous shows and it was our night for our parts.  We had two great audiences and got a standing ovation from the second group!  That is always fun to participate in front of an appreciative audience!  In between the two shows, as I was getting my focus, I had to capture this sunset picture;

The sun is settling down over the Mississippi River!

We have had a great day!  It is always a great day when mom and I get to work together!  We love our precious family and all of our friends!  Thank you for your notes and expressions of love and support for these two senior missionaries!

June 28, 2016 - Tuesday in Nauvoo

The temperatures were a little cooler today here in Nauvoo.  On the Sunset stage, tonight, there was a constant cool breeze blowing across the stage that kept us very comfortable.  We felt this on our morning walk this morning as well.  Even though the cloud covering was minimal, we had reduced humidity in the air and the temperatures stayed in the low 80's all day.  I did catch the geese and goslings on a family outing this morning as they took off for a swim in the Mississippi right at the end of Parley Street; take a look...

Great turnout for the swim party this morning!

Mom had the assignment to work at the Sarah Granger Kimball home, and I got the nod for the Blacksmith shop.  Mom recorded six tours at her site all day, and the Blacksmith shop had over 40 tours.  We were busy all day long!  But one of my favorite tours came this morning with a young family.  The focus I had was on the Primary aged children in this family. They were so attentive! As they came up to the Blacksmith shop, the mom was taking a picture of the wagon, just outside the shop, on display.  I asked if she wanted to have the children sit on the wagon for a picture and she was excited for the photo opportunity.

Then I gave them the tour of the shop and had some fun with them.  They heard, from me, about the faith of the Saints, to leave Nauvoo, and follow a Prophet; they heard about the horseshoes and the ox shoes that the  Blacksmith made and fitted for the animals; and, they heard about the Prairie diamond story.  When I ended the tour, the oldest girl, who was about 7 years old, stood up, and with a big smile said; I can't wait to come back here!"....  That was a sweet boost to my ego!

We continue to try and teach the new senior missionaries the ropes of the mission.  Soon, all the seasoned veterans will be heading home and the new ones will have to fill in.  There are lots of great new missionaries here and they will be heading up the new training forces to keep the Nauvoo Mission well staffed!

Our Sunset play had over 400 visitors in attendance tonight.  Since mom and I do the counting, we get to see the audience up close and personal.  While we were wrapping up the count, I got a shot of our cast on the stage with a Young Performing Missionary doing his juggling routine.  

This young man juggles an apple, a machete, and a toilet plunger in his final act.  As he juggles the three items, he takes one bite out of the apple, on each of three rotations, and then while continuing to juggle, slices the remainder of the apple in half.  The audience gave him a standing ovation and it was awesome!  Here is an action shot as he prepares the machete on his right foot to begin the act;

Juggling a machete, an apple and a plunger??

We have had a safe day and a busy day here in Nauvoo.  We are grateful for the wonderful people we get to meet here and who are here to feel the Spirit of Nauvoo!  The pageants begin next Monday and we will be in the height of the visitors season!  Bring it on!

June 27, 2016 - Monday in Nauvoo

Mom and I enjoyed another preparation day in a variety of ways.  We first had our morning devotional and prayers.  Then we took our morning walk in very comfortable temperatures of the low 70's.  We got home by 6:15am and got ready for the 8:00am temple session, and then our weekly shopping trip to Keokuk.  Does this routine sound familiar?  It makes for a great morning for mom and me!  Along with some phone time to talk to our precious children!  Our morning walk yielded some nice pictures;

The sunrise feather coloring the clouds over the temple

A view of the sunrise from Water Street

A fine cool mist in the fields of the roaming deer

The morning breaks over the Nauvoo Temple

When we got home from Keokuk, we did our weekly housekeeping chores.  Mom did the laundry, and some house cleaning, and I did some vacuuming.  We worked together and got ready for our afternoon with the Skinner's.  We went out for lunch at the El Camino restaurant in Hamilton, and then went to Carthage for the 172nd commemoration of the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  

Being back in Carthage for this commemoration brought back some wonderful memories of our time in Carthage last year.  The experiences we had with the thousands of people we got to meet and serve last year has been the hallmark of our mission.  And spending the afternoon with our friends, Elder and Sister Skinner was wonderful.  The crowd at Carthage numbered around 1,000.  Here is a picture of the event just before it began;

Carthage June 27, 2016

It was standing room only after the approximately 400 chairs filled up.  We did get seats in the shade and we were able to park the car in the shade, with an easy escape route from the crowds.  The program was OK, but the events that took place here on June 27, 1844, have forever changed the lives of millions of people....  Not only the lives of all who have embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also all those who have tried to tear the Restored Gospel down.  

It is not so much what was said here today, as it is for what was accomplished on that day of Martyrdom, back in 1844. This significant event has opened the floodgates of opportunity for the world to see the Gospel as it has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  In addition, we are so thankful to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! 

Mom and I are both in agreement that the time and money and sacrifices that we have spent to serve this mission, have been life changing for us and for every member of our family.  We are so very grateful for this privilege of serving there in Carthage, and now serving here in Nauvoo.

The Gudnason Family - Nauvoo June 2016

Hi!

We just returned home to Iceland last night with sweet memories from Nauvoo. Thank you for making our tour special!  Ronald Gudnason

Mom and I met this family from Iceland two weeks ago.  They were such a joy to meet and talk to!  They have returned to their home in Iceland and sent us this sweet note.  I sent them an invitation to join the blog and we hope they do!  What a privilege it is to help bring this world closer together through the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

June 26, 2016 - Sunday in Nauvoo

We had a marvelous Sabbath Day today.  The commemoration of the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, will be tomorrow for the 172nd anniversary.  The mission has planned the gathering for 5:00pm June 27, 2016.  The time of day is the almost exact time that the mob rushed the stairs of the jail, forced the door, and fired their black powder rifles, that murdered Joseph and Hyrum, and severely wounded John Taylor, and spared Willard Richards with just a grazing wound on his left ear lobe.  

Others had been with Joseph and Hyrum and John and Willard, the evening before, and, the morning of the Martyrdom.  They were Dan Jones, Stephen Markham and John Fullmer.  The last prophecy spoken by Joseph Smith involved one of these faithful men, Dan Jones....

Dan Jones, a Welsh convert, joined the Prophet in the Carthage Jail. On June 26, 1844, the last night of his life, Joseph heard a gun shot fired at around midnight, left the bed he was sharing with Hyrum, and lay on the floor near Jones. The Prophet whispered, “Brother Jones, are you afraid to die?” “Engaged in such a cause I do not think that death would have many terrors,” Jones replied. “You will yet see Wales and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die,” Joseph prophesied. Thousands of faithful Latter-day Saints enjoy the blessings of the Church today because Dan Jones later served an honorable and successful mission to Wales.  He was also a rescuer to the Willie and Martin Handcart companies of 1856.

The Sacrament talks were all centered around Joseph Smith, as probably many talks were throughout the Church.  I was especially impressed with the thought that, "the Gospel prepares us for the worst day of our lives".  That, to me, was a profound insight as to, who we are, and who we can become.

That thought is so appropriate for the life that Joseph led.  He had spent the last 20 years of his life introducing, testifying and sacrificing his days in laying the sure foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He, along with his brother Hyrum, spent the worst day of their lives, together, to cement their testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel.  And we are the latter-day benefactors, and we have a work to do to share our testimonies to the world!

While the Gospel may prepare us for the worst day of our lives, how many marvelous and "best" days have we had in developing and strengthening our resolve to live the Gospel to the fullest?  Today was a good day to prepare ourselves for the commemoration tomorrow....

Mom and I came home after our meetings to enjoy a Sabbath Day of rest.  We invited Sister Goodman over for our breakfast for lunch and had a wonderful time with her.  It has been a real treat getting to know her and being able to serve with her.

My nephew, Jack, was just sworn in as a firefighter for the Merced Fire department in California.  With the state literally on fire, he was one of the volunteers from the Merced force to head to Kern County to help fight the blaze in that area.  Here is a somber picture of several square miles of that fire;

Kern County Wild fire - late June 2016

I cannot imagine the terror that these residents must feel for the uncontrolled destruction in their area of the country.  Over 150 homes have been lost so far and the death toll is still being calculated.  Our prayers go out to the thousands affected by this natural disaster.

On a much lighter note, Amy and Josh have an all new definition of "date night".  This picture is worth a thousand words in this blog......

"Don't mind me.... I will just lay here quietly while you have your date...

Nothing quite like cuddle time!

June 25, 2016 - Saturday in Nauvoo

We had another early morning walk with some very pleasant temperatures.  Today's high hit the low 90's with over 70% humidity, so the early morning walk was wonderful.  We had our morning devotional and prayers completed by 5:00am and were out walking all by ourselves.  The sun was making its way over the horizon, but never peeked over until we got back home at 6:15am.  We have been without any significant rain for several weeks and the grass is showing the effects;

5:30am walking down Parley Street

Another 5:30am view walking down Parley Street

Mom and I reported to the Handcart Station at 7:30am this morning.  We had 3 groups scheduled beginning at 9:00am.  Does it look like we are ready to go?

The Handcart Station - a little protected cove of cooler temperatures!

One of the three groups became a no-show.  We got everyone back from their trek experiences by 11:00am.  It is interesting to note how different the trek experience affects the families.  Some have such a spiritual connection with the pioneer Saints, and others seem to just make it back to the depot glad the experience is over.  We had a sweet family of three girls, ages of around 12 to 15, and a brother who was around 8, and their mom.  The dad had stayed home in Colorado to work.  What a missed opportunity for him!  

The boy was pretty miserable when he came in from the one mile trek, but the girls, and particularly the oldest daughter who was 15, seemed to have a connection to the Saints and the challenges the Saints had in traveling by handcart.  This older girl was dressed in the pioneer dress and bonnet and had experienced Martin's Cove, Rocky Ridge and Rock Creek in her stake trek last year.  She wanted to "re-connect" with that choice experience from last year.  I think she did, and I think her sister's were now anxious for their turn at Martin's Cove.  As they left the site to begin their trek, I mentioned to mom that this girl would make a great missionary, and when mom asked her if she was thinking about a future mission, after they returned to the handcart depot, she did not hesitate in saying, YES!

After both our groups got in, we got to call Cody and sing him the "Happy Birthday" song.  Happy Birthday, Cody!  Last year on your birthday we got to celebrate it with you when you and your family arrived in Carthage and stayed with us!  We sure love you and we hope you have had a great day!

Then, after our assignment for the day was completed here in the Handcart Station, we went home and prepared for the 1:00pm temple session.  By this time, the temperatures were heating up!  It was so nice to be in the temple! And then we found out that Zac was also in the temple back home in Rexburg!  This was his first time that he was able to go to the temple as a 12 year old, and he got to go with his mom and dad!

Our oldest grandson's first temple trip!  Way to go Zac!

How can we close out the day before we also recognized a second generation beauty queen?  Our Kenzie absolutely loves putting on her make-up!  I also understand that she is featured in some cosmetic endorsement contracts.... (room and board in payment)...

Mirror + Make-up = Happy Kenzie (mirror optional)

And finally, the heat was stifling as we came out of the temple session at 3:00pm today.  But I had to catch this picture of the clouds from the front portico of the temple;

Thunder-heads building up over the Mississippi

It has been a great day!  Thank you for checking in with us tonight!  We love you, and we are so looking forward to the Sabbath Day tomorrow!  What would we do without the Holy Sabbath Day?  Oh, and one final picture tonight of an exhausted shopper.  He was out doing the Costco run with mother and sisters and it just plain tuckered him out yesterday! -

Is that the look of comfort in the car seat?

June 24, 2016 - Friday in Nauvoo

Today was another opportunity for mom and I to take our full morning walk together.  We both had site assignments that gave us the time we needed to enjoy the morning exercise.  After our prayers and devotional, we left the house at around 5:00am and we were met with a cooler morning air.  We got home a a few minutes past 6:00am and finished our exercises, and our preparations, for the day.

Mom was assigned the second wagon narrator spot, and I had the early shift nod at the Browning Gun shop.  I had mom take the car to the wagon depot since she had to be there at 8:00am, and I walked down to the gun-shop to be there at 8:45am.  We are getting more bus loads of folks here in Nauvoo.  The youth conference groups are beginning to arrive and the Browning Gun shop is one of the favorite attractions.

What was really fun today was we had three descendants of Johnathan Browning come in for the tour.  I love his story!  He was drawn to religion and it was well noted of his honesty and integrity throughout his life-time.  When he moved to Quincy, Illinois, in the 1830's, he came in contact with the Mormon people. Then, later on, when he met Joseph Smith in the early 1840's, he was drawn to the religion and he and his wife were baptized.  He absolutely loved the Gospel and spent the remainder of his life in supporting and sustaining his membership and his testimony of the Church.

When he and his wife had their 6 week old daughter Emma Elizabeth die during the Nauvoo years, he was grateful for his knowledge of the temple ordinances that insured that if he lived his life as a faithful member of the Church, he would be reunited with his family beyond his mortal sojourn.  He was especially proud of placing the label on his gun stocks with the message, "Holiness to the Lord, Our Preservation".  There is a little white picket fence in the yard of the Browning Gun shop that marked the resting place of this precious daughter.  The Nauvoo Temple is directly in the sight of the property overlooking that grave-site.  It is one of my favorite pictures here in Nauvoo.

As I was serving in the Browning Gun shop, the Young Performing Missionaries were heading toward their assignment.  The come and sing along Main Street and give impromptu performances for Nauvoo visitors.  They are on the run constantly!

YPM's 2016

And then the Nauvoo Brass Band stopped by the gun-shop and performed a number for me and for my guests later on in the morning!

How fun would this be to perform around Nauvoo?

Our Rendezvous Play went well tonight.  Mom and I had bit roles and played to smaller audiences tonight.  We did have a visit from our former mission president and his wife at the play.  President Gibbons and several missionaries that served with him came for some kind of a reunion.  We had a chance to say hello to them as they came out of the first show and greeted our cast.

June 23, 2016 - Thursday in Nauvoo

After a good nights sleep, mom and I were up super early to begin this day.  We wanted to take our morning walk before our first handcart trek at 8:00am.  So after our morning devotional and prayers, we left the house at a little before 5:00am and got our full walk in before 6:15am.  Take a look at our indoor/outdoor temperature gauge readings from this morning;

The morning temperature was in the high 70's already at 4:00am, and before the picture, it was above 80 degrees!  But, it slowly "cooled" down to the mid 70's by the time we got to the Handcart Station at 7:30am.  We had our first group come at the appointed time.  It was the family of one of the temple missionaries.  They were such a sweet group of 4 children, the parents and the grandparents.  They got off right on time.  And before they started, we had prayer with them and their young son, (and grandson), who was about 7 or 8 years old, offered the sweetest prayer for the trek, and the safety of his family.

Then our next group did not show up at all.  We then had a family come in around 9:00am that we thought just came late, but it was a scheduled family that we did not get put on our list from the scheduling office.  However, we easily accommodated them and they were off by 9:10am, and they had a great experience.  

Then, around 10:30am, we had another family wanting to take the trek that had not made a reservation.  It was no problem.  They got to the Handcart Station around 10:40am and we gave the orientation and they were so excited to go.  They were Spanish speaking, but with several in the group of 12 that spoke English.  This group was, again, a family of children, parents, and grandparents.  As with each group, we had a prayer with them after giving them the orientation.  They were especially grateful for the demonstration we gave on the Thorny Locust Tree.  And they were so excited to have this opportunity to experience, first hand, some of the events that the early handcart pioneers experienced.  They even opted for the two mile trek instead of the regular one mile experience.

After about an hour and a half, I walked the beginning of the trail to see if they were on their way back.  I did not see them coming, so I jumped in the 4-wheeler and went by way of the back trail to see where they were.  I caught sight of them at the last half mile marker and we exchanged waves so that I knew they were OK.  Then I followed around the perimeter of their trail to make sure everyone was going along without incident, and they were. 

When we met back at the Handcart Station they were in awe of the experience they had just participated in.  They had an evidently much deeper respect, for the handcart pioneer Saints, and some of the adults were in tears.  Mom and I immediately felt the Spirit they were feeling.  And then something happened in their group that we have not seen before as they gathered for a prayer of thanksgiving and appreciation for what they had all just felt as a family.  Mom and I joined them in their tears of gratitude, and then the adult men all gave me a big hug and thanked us for our service.  What a privilege it was to be a part of this sacred time with this precious family.

Our Sunset show was great tonight.  We had about 675 guests in the audience.  One group we had there was from Ohio, and another group was from Texas.  We even had some of those who went on the trek, this morning, in attendance and we got to say hello to them again.

Look at this precious Levi!  Great picture!

Cody getting a base hit last night at his game!

Jacob throwing strikes in his pitching debut!

We love getting these pictures from home.  (Thanks, again, to my son who helped me figure out how to download them!)  The grand-kids are all looking good, and we love to see them in action!  Thank you for checking in with us tonight!

June 22, 2016 - Wednesday in Nauvoo

We woke up this morning to a little rain and a cooling breeze, even though officials issued a heat advisory for this afternoon.  Mom and I both had early assignments so we did not get to take a walk, but it would have been in great temperatures for sure!  Instead, we had our morning devotional and prayers and got ready for the day's activities.

Mom attended the weekly Wednesday morning training meeting, and I headed over to the trek station for a 7:30am trek reservation.  I did get some pretty neat pictures of the clouds that stayed around for most of the morning to keep the temperatures down in the high 70's and the low 80's.  That was especially nice when the forecast called for high 90's and high humidity!

For the July 4th ceremony, mom and I were asked to participate in the flag raising portion of the program.  We had a little practice for that this morning at 7:00am.  Also, mom and I are going to barbecue hotdogs on that Monday for the Young Performing missionaries, all 52 of them.  I am also going to make up a batch of our deli potato salad.  I hope I can remember the recipe!!  

Also, yesterday, mom and I were given a sweet tender mercy.  As I have previously recorded here in the blog, we had a youth group of 150 from the College Station, Texas area join mom and I at the Handcart Station on Saturday.  They were so well prepared for the experience!  Then we saw them at the temple for baptisms Saturday afternoon.  They looked so clean and pure as a group of young temple worthy youth!  Then we saw them at our Sunset show Monday night and we got to speak to their leaders and learn that they were having such a great experience with them.  

At a fireside, the young men all committed to serving missions, and the young women all committed to temple marriages.  How does that sound for those precious leaders to hear of these commitments from 150 of their stake youth?  Well, needless to say, the Stake President was very pleased with bringing this group here to Nauvoo and Carthage for this sacred experience.  

But the sweet tender mercy for mom and me came yesterday morning.  As we were walking up the last part of our hill in front of the temple, at around 6:30am, their buses were just leaving town.  As they saw mom and I walking, they all waved to us from the three buses and four leaders cars.  It gave us the chills and brought tears to our eyes to be able to make this last connection as they were heading back home!

I got home, today, from my handcart assignment at 12:30pm and mom got home from working in the gardens at 1:30pm.  We were grateful for the coolness of the day to get us through these outdoor assignments.  We then prepared for our temple session at 4:00pm.  It has been a great day!    And then we got this precious picture of our newest grandson, and a recording of piano recitals of Bobby and Jacob!  Best day ever!

Is this the picture of an angel? Named Levi!

June 21, 2016 - Tuesday in Nauvoo

Mom and I had the time and took the opportunity to take our morning walk again today.  The temperatures were still in the mid 70's, but we had an enjoyable walk after our morning devotional and prayers.  It is such a great way to begin our day!  But with the summer season's heavy schedule of early morning assignments, we only get two or three days each week for our walk.

I had the assignment to be at the Blacksmith shop this morning for the early shift beginning at 8:45am and mom had the same shift time over at the John Taylor home.  We both got off at around 3:00pm and came home to a cool house and a nice afternoon nap!  I did get two pictures this morning;

The morning sunrise today!

Some empty swings that were used to swing some precious grandchildren

Then, after our afternoon siesta, mom and I headed off to Rendezvous for our two shows.  We had our starring roles and the audiences were both fun and supportive.  The summer crowds are alive and well in Nauvoo!

I had to take this picture of the empty swings right next to our home.  It was just a few weeks ago we were playing on the swings with the Lasher's and just a couple of months ago we were playing on the swings with the Jeppson's.  Thank you, again, family for coming and seeing us here in Nauvoo in 2016, and in Carthage in 2015!  We love you!

June 20, 2016 - Monday in Nauvoo

According to the calendar, today is the first day of summer, and the temperatures did not disappoint!  It hit 95 degrees today and that was with the cloud coverings and the very high humidity.  After our morning devotional and prayers, we took our P-day morning walk.  We left the house before 5:30am and it was already 75 degrees.  I was soaking wet when we returned to the house a little over an hour later!

Our Mondays have become a great day to attend the temple.  We opted for the 8:00am first session of the day and we were met with a full compliment of attendees.  It is great to see the sessions full as the summer season begins.  We enjoyed the time in the temple and made sure our families and friends were included on the prayer rolls.

We then went to Keokuk to do our weekly grocery shopping.  The drive over to Keokuk is a scenic and quiet ride for us.  And sometimes we get to call our precious children along the way!  I got some great morning pictures this morning on our walk;

Walking down Parley Street and the Trail of Hope

A feeling that Someone special is watching over us!

I loved this picture from Main Street

Then we can imagine who is watching over the temple!

Mom and I have been so richly blessed being parents to some of the best children ever!  We look at them and marvel at their goodness and their willingness to serve each other and magnify callings and responsibilities.  

The message President Monson recently shared on his Facebook page,  which comes from his 2008 talk "Finding Joy in the Journey," is an inspired one that we all need to hear often to help us bring perspective to life here and now.

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone.

"I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not.

"I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

Finding joy in the journey!  What a privilege it is to search for and discover the hidden joys in this challenging time on earth!  How many times do we need to hear the familiar quote; "I never said it would be easy, but I did say it would be worth it?"  Well, take it from a seasoned sojourner, it is definitely worth it!

Our closing activity was the Sunset Play.  The clouds threatened rain during our show tonight.  (And I am certain that this threat came because I washed the car today)!  But we only got a few sprinkles and the show was a lot of fun.  And the Sunset stage was a lot cooler!  We had the Texas group of youth that went on the Saturday trek in the audience.  It was a great show and we had over 400 in attendance.

June 19, 2016 - Sunday and Father's Day in Nauvoo

Happy Father's Day (yesterday)

Here is a late post from yesterday.  The internet was down in the apartment so I had to wait to post today.  Mom and I had a wonderful Sabbath Day together.  It was relatively cool at 7:00am this Holy Sabbath  morning, so, after our morning devotional and prayers, we started our walk to the Stake Center.  It was a nice walk as we enjoyed the beautiful morning air and the singing of the Nauvoo birds.  

I was impressed with our Sacrament speakers this morning. Particularly Sister Pugmire.  We served with her in Carthage last year.  She is on the final stretch of her mission and she will return to school at BYU.  She was talking about how we are all seeking perfection.  I could not help but think about all the challenges we face even as we seek perfection.  I have often wondered why the opposition all the time, even though we read in 2 Nephi 2:11, that there "must needs be an opposition in all things".  

Shouldn't there also be some relief?  We seem to work from one challenging situation to another, constantly being tried and tested.  And sometimes we pull through these tests feeling pretty good about our efforts, and then at other times, it is downright depressing.  It seems to me that when we feel pretty good about our progress, another situation comes and we say, what??  Not again!!!

But the key message I heard yesterday from Sister Pugmire, is that there are no perfect people in the world today.  There are no perfect individuals, families or even situations... "Perfect" literally means "complete".  Our work is not yet complete as we press forward proving ourselves fit for Heavenly Father's Kingdom! We must press forward with the faith that we can endure, well, these challenges and set-backs, as we prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior!

In fact, if we were perfect, there would be no growth!  This, to me, is significant as we strive for perfection, that we continue to learn and grow and strengthen our testimonies of the Gospel plan.  Enduring well to the very end of our lives by doing the best we can in every situation.

It is such a blessing to attend Sacrament Meeting with a desire to learn, and then have that blessing achieved, with the message that the Spirit delivers to us.  What a great life-long resource our Sacrament meetings are!  Perhaps that is why we are encouraged to never miss a Sacrament meeting if at all possible!!

We had the day off from assignments, after our block of meetings, except for a district meeting.  The district leader had a conflict so he asked mom and me to conduct the meeting.  That was good for us because I like to keep the meetings short.  Our business part of the meeting was 15 minutes and we had a social balance of the meeting that lasted 30 minutes.  So, start to finish, we spent 45 minutes and headed back to our home to enjoy the balance of this Father's Day. 

It was so good to hear from family back home and my brother and sister.  There is nothing more important in my life that my family and the Gospel that binds us together.  I sure love my family!

June 18, 2016 - Saturday in Nauvoo

Now this was an interesting day.  Mom and I had the assignment to coordinate trek experiences for 170 visitors to the Handcart Station.  Frankly, I was very excited for the opportunity to coordinate this activity, because we got to serve these youth and young single adults from Texas, College Station, and St Louis, Missouri!  

Our first group of 20 Young Adults arrived at 7:00am this morning and we were ready to get them going!  We got to the handcart site at about 6:15am to get everything set up.  The Young Adults from St Louis were right on time, and we got them organized for their 2 mile trek.  They were on their way by 7:15am and anxious to go!

Then, at 7:30am, we had the 150 youth from the College Station Stake arrive for their 2 mile trek.  This group of young people were very well organized and very attentive to mom and me as we gave them the opening instructions.  We met several leaders of the group who had really prepared them well!  

What was interesting, was one of the leaders knew one of mom's friends from high school, David Powers .  He joined the Church later on in college, and mom came in contact with him when we first filled out our mission papers.  It was a sweet connection!

Once we got the handcarts assigned, the leaders took charge and designated scouts for each group.  They reviewed some of the items mom and I had briefed them on to be safe on the trek.  And they helped the individual groups with encouragement and support as they began this experience.  Here is a group shot;

College Station Stake Youth Conference trek

One of the Bishops from this stake had a sweet experience here. (In what we missionaries call "a Nauvoo miracle").  He has a somewhat transient ward where many students come for undergraduate, and graduate work at the University.  He had heard about the Grimm family moving into the ward several weeks ago.   He was anxious to learn more about this family, but no one in the ward or on the ward council knew anything about them.  He had several council meetings where he encouraged them to give him whatever information they could about them.  It was just a strong prompting to get this information before they moved into the ward in July.  

Well, here we are in Nauvoo.  He is with the youth of his stake, wearing his "Aggies" hat, and having a sweet experience with them.  He was trekking with the group he was assigned to this morning.  As they were walking along the trail, they passed the Young Adult group who were heading back to the Handcart Station. He greeting the first handcart group with a hello, then he did the same with the second handcart group.  Then the third group had some adult leaders and he asked them how the trek was going.  

After they told him about their awesome morning, they commented on his "Aggies" hat and told him they had one of their sons and his wife moving to College Station to do graduate work at the University.  He asked them where they were moving to, and the conversation led him to ask them the name of the children.  Yes, you guessed it.Their son and his family were the Grim family this Bishop had been asking about!  Now, I have to ask this question; does the Lord get involved in the details of our lives??

Now here was some, additional, insight that I gained from this group and their leaders.  First, they are here in Nauvoo and Carthage to experience what the Saints experienced in the 1840's.  They have been taught well about the Restoration and the intimate details of the Saints from New York, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois in preparation for this conference.  The youth were full of enthusiasm and so willing to help each other, and the adults have been working hard to help them understand more of the history of the Saints.  

The Stake President was talking to me, after they returned from the 2 mile trek, about their plans for the temple this afternoon, their trip to Carthage tomorrow, and their testimony/fireside  tomorrow evening in the Grove that Joseph often spoke in.  The impression came to me to mention the developing principle that I have mentioned here before; "how has the Restoration healed you?"  I told the president about the things I have experienced with this developing concept with my missionary friend in Italy and the responses I got from the post several weeks ago.  And part of that developing testimony is that the Restoration not only "heals" our wounds, but it can "eliminate" our scars!  (I appreciate Bishop Neilson's thought on that!)...

You see, we have all been "wounded" in our lives.  Some have been offended, maligned, had illnesses or tragedies strike.  Some have family members fall away or refuse to listen,  made wrong decisions and are living with the consequences of those decisions, and still others have lingering doubts about who they are and who they can become...  but we know that the Restoration can heal us.  

We know that our wounds and our pains can be taken away permanently by the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that once we accept the truth that through the Atonement, our scars can be erased and taken from us and placed on a kind and loving Savior, who holds out His arms and His Hands, to taken them away.

Yes, this has been a significant day for mom and I.  We closed the Handcart Station at the appointed time and went to the 1:00pm temple session as a small token of the love and appreciation we have for the blessings of the Gospel and the blessings of the Restoration in our lives!

June 17, 2016 - Friday in Nauvoo

Mom and I had different site assignments today, but our schedules were both on the early shift.  She went to the wagon depot and served as the first narrator, and I went to the Browning Gun Shop.  She had to be at the wagon depot at 7:30am and I needed to be at the Browning Gun Shop at 8:45am.  That gave me the opportunity to take the long walk this morning while mom was getting ready for the day.  I even got back before 7:00am to see her off.  On the walk this morning, I encountered the geese family;

Here they are at the end of Parley Street

It is about 6:30am - time for heading to the river

And ready for a morning swim

After mom left for her assignment, I got ready for the day.  I was able to have my chores done by 8:00am and then walked down to the Browning Gun Shop.  That added another 2 miles to my previous 4 mile walk!  The morning temperatures were in the high 60's and a very comfortable morning to walk to the site.  

After our shifts were over, mom came to pick me up at the Browning site and we headed home for a relaxing afternoon.  Tonight was our Rendezvous Play and mom and I had very small parts.  However, we did have two shows and then got home around 9:30pm.  Tomorrow will begin very early with our first trek group scheduled at 7:00am.  A group of 30 Young Single Adults from St Louis.  Then at 7:30am we have a youth conference group of 150.  It has been a good day!