July 10, 2016 - Sunday in Nauvoo

We sure look forward to our Sabbath Days here in Nauvoo, especially when we have no site assignments.  Today we had one of those days off, and we were able to walk to the meetings.  We had our morning devotional and prayers and then began our half mile walk to the Stake Center at 6:45am.  It took us about 15 minutes to walk over there from our house here on the bluffs.  The temperatures were in the high 60's as we left and the morning breezes and the coolness of the air made for a wonderful walk!

Our Sacrament Meeting started at 7:50am and it went well.  We got there at about 7:00am and listened to the prelude music that started about the time we got there.  As the time was approaching for the meeting to begin we noticed that the two senior missionaries scheduled to speak were not seated on the stand.  The mission presidency did not have very happy faces on!  Then, with just 2 minutes to spare, they came walking in the chapel.  They did not seem to be in a big hurry to get to the stand, but the mission presidency were at least smiling after seeing them arrive!  Ah, memories of presiding in Sacrament!!

At the beginning of Sacrament Meeting, I saw the Young Performing sister Missionary from last year come in to the Chapel.  Her twin brother is serving a second year here this year.  I wasn't able to catch her attention to say hello, but I was just glad to see her back for a visit!  Then, after the meetings, she saw me in the Visitor's Center and gave me a big hug, and told me how much fun it was for me to be her "Pa" last year.  Yes, that did make this day a little more special!  

Sister Soloman, "Pa", and Elder Rosenberg 2015 Rendezvous Play

After our meetings, we invited our temple missionary friends over for breakfast for lunch.  Brother and Sister Shaw were the mission presidents in the Marshall Islands from 2010 to 2013.  (That is the area the Poston's were just called to).  It seems that we have known them all of our lives!  With the frequent times were are able to attend the temple, we are meeting and getting comfortable with more temple missionaries than our own missionaries in the Nauvoo Mission.  The Shaw's have been here about 7 months and will be here until November when their 12 month temple mission ends.

One quick story about the Brother Shaw;  his grandmother was one of the 84 windowed sister's that President Monson had in his ward when he was the Bishop.  The wonderful stories of extra mile service by President Monson are verified with his grandmother.  President Monson came to several of her birthday parties, including her 80th and 90th, and spoke at her funeral.  Brother Shaw's first name is Tom and his grandmother loved him and President Monson so much that she asked that, "both her Tommy's speak at her funeral"..... And they both did!

The grandmother used to tell the story that when 'Tommy', (President Monson), attended Primary as a boy, she would bake cookies so that he would listen better in her Primary Class.  When Brother Shaw spoke with President Monson at her funeral, he gave President Monson a cookie, like his grandmother used to make, so that President Monson would listen better during the funeral services....  Cute story!

We love having Sunday's open where we are not scheduled!!  And now we are rested up for a great week coming up here in Nauvoo!  Thank you so much for your love and your support of these two senior missionaries here in Nauvoo!  We love you!