Friday, March 18, 2016
we arrived in Nauvoo, and checked in
with the mission secretary
Sister Mathis
who gave us a nice folder with
lots of helpful information including
a "check list"
First on the list was to meet with
President Hall and his wife.
They are almost as new as we are having
begun their service in February.
We visited for a few minutes then
they gave us our
assignment .... Site Missionaries !
We continued on down our checklist
Housing .... $150 .... check !
Phone & Internet .... $110 .... check !
Sewing Room .... $265 .... check !
Steve got his vests, site cap & show tie and
Linda was measured for her dresses and
picked out a "loaner" dress
to wear while hers were being made.
FINALLY we were able to go to our new house
at 585 S. Partridge St.
this would be our home for the next 18 months.
We went in to get our first look around then ....
Started unpacking ....
the car.
the back porch,
Just as you step into the house from the porch
the Office is to the right and ....
the laundry to the left.
walking straight ahead
we found the kitchen then ....
on into the living room.
to the left is the "entry way"
with the front door on the right and ....
the stairs on the left.
If you go straight through the entry you come to the ....
Master Bedroom
Another view from the closet side looking
toward the front windows
The bathroom has two doors ...
This picture was taken from the bedroom
the other door is by the vanity and
goes into the kitchen.
If you go out of the front door you ....
step out onto this beautiful covered
front porch and ....
you will see this sign in our front window.
If you go up the stairs you will find
two more large bedrooms
This one just at the top of the stairs
where this pictures is taken from
and the other one is off the first room
and to the right.
Once we finished our tour and unloading the car
we began unpacking and organizing !
1st the kitchen
then the bedroom and bathroom.
Once we got everything unpacked we had quite
a line up of empty suitcases & boxes ....
can't believe we had all that
in our car .... whew !
This evening we got our first look at
the play Rendezvous.
It is the cutest play ... a very enjoyable hour !
Our first meal was provided by our District Leader
and his wife, the Sullivan's
They brought us two cans of soup and a loaf
of homemade bread
which, btw, was baked in the Bustle Oven
in the Family Living Center and
it was DELICIOUS !
Saturday, March 19th
We started our day off at 7 a.m. with a nice
breakfast provided by all the Zone Leaders.
Our Zone Leaders are
Elder & Sister Clark
After Eating and introducing ourselves
We all piled into three vans and were taken on
a tour of Nauvoo for about an hour.
Following our tour we met at the
Mission Home with
President & Sister Hall for another
30 or 40 minutes before being released to spend
the rest of the weekend getting settled in.
Most of the new missionaries all
drove down to Keokuk
(about 30 minutes south of Nauvoo)
to buy groceries at the closest Walmart.
First we drove out past Carthage to a little
Amish place that sells the
Straw Hat Steve needs for the Sunset Show.
We ate lunch at Dairy Queen in Carthage,
on our way to Keokuk.
By the time we arrived at Walmart Linda
was not feeling very well, apparently
something she ate at DQ did NOT set well.
Steve started the shopping and
after about an hour she felt well enough
to join him and finish the shopping.
We again attended the Rendezvous Show.
We were encouraged by the director
to sing along with the cast
while watching the show
which helped us learn the music.
Sunday, March 20th
Church is at 7:50 a.m.
We have Sacrament Meeting in the Stake Center
just north of the temple then we all
drive down to the Visitor's Center
for Sunday School and
Relief Society & Priesthood.
And we are finished up by about 11:00.
Now that we had some food in the house,
we went back to our little house
and fixed some dinner.
then ....
got the dishwasher busy ....
no electric dishwasher here .... nope !
After dinner we drove around Nauvoo
and visited a few of the sites
the outdoor stage where we will be performing the
Sunset By the Mississippi show
with the YPM's (Young Performing Missionaries)
These are the horses they use for the
Wagon and Carriage rides.
There are 20 horses, 3 wagons and 3 carriages.
On Sunday's the sites are open from
12:30 - 5:00
but there are no shows or wagon/carriage rides
Sunday night we attended an inter faith
Easter concert at the Stake Center.
It was wonderful.
After the concert we enjoyed the
Beautiful Temple all lit up with the
Joseph & Hyrum statue
just in front of it.
Our house looked so inviting when we arrived
back home this evening.
We got our bed all made up with our new,
Pioneer-looking bedspread
(and electric blanket underneath)
This room had night stands but no lamps
so we bought some inexpensive ones
while we were at Walmart.
Monday, March 21st
Monday morning we began our training at 8 a.m.
at the Mission Office, which is
upstairs in the Visitor's Center.
Before our lunch break we all went on
a horse drawn Wagon Ride
which goes around Nauvoo and a narrator tells about
all the shops & houses in the "flats" then down to the
river before returning to the stable.
On the way back the wagon passes our house so
when we hear them coming
we go out and wave as it goes by and that is fun!
After lunch we continued our training,
had a little free time
and went to, you guessed it,
the Rendezvous show.
Tuesday, March 22nd
Part of our training today was a
"Restoring Old Nauvoo"
presentation.
One of the things we learned was that
there is an active bell in the
temple tower that rings every hour.
We hadn't heard it then, but
we have since. It isn't a very loud bell.
The mission provided a delicious Box Lunch
for us today.
This afternoon we were to report to the
Cultural Hall at 2:30.
We have learned that nothing in Nauvoo is
"optional"
and so here at the Cultural Hall we
participated in Auditions.
Each couple had to sing a song together ....
we sang "Called to Serve"
Then each couple had to "read" a scene from
the Rendezvous show.
Following that, the piano players
(Linda is one)
had to audition for the director.
This whole process was pretty stressful, but
everyone was in the same boat
and we all laughed together and tried
to have a good time.
Tomorrow we will find out which of the three
casts we will be in.
This evening we attended a lecture given by
Susan Easton Black
author & wife of George D. Durrant.
She and her husband are giving lectures every
Tuesday & Thursday for several weeks
here at the visitor's Center
on the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Wednesday, March 23rd
Beginning today we were officially
done with our formal training
and began working in the sites ....
Steve's 1st assignment was in the Tin Shop and
Linda began at the Visitor's Center.
We are learning soooo much, all at once,
that we are certain Heavenly Father
is helping us!
About half way through the day we
received our cast assignment.
We will be in the
"Lucy Mack Cast"
and of course we are sure it is the
best one to be in !
Each new couple was assigned a mentor couple
We were so lucky and received
Elder & Sister Chamberlain to be our mentors.
(picture taken 7/26/16)
Our cast will perform Rendezvous
two nights a week with
either 1 or 2 shows each night depending
on the need.
Our same cast will perform
Sunset by the Mississippi during the summer
an additional two nights a week.
so..... we will be doing shows
four nights each week.
Here are a few pictures from the last
couple of weeks of March.
One day we came home to ants all over our kitchen.
We called the FM (facilities management)
and they sent a company out to spray
and we haven't had any ants since then....nice!
The magnolia trees are in full bloom
and they are beautiful
Getting home after working at the
Visitor's Center
The Nauvoo Post Office where we get
our mail every day.
Linda learned how to make bread in the
Brick Bustle Oven
(called a Beehive Oven back then)
and had several opportunities to give
tours at this site.
Steve learned how to operate the
Rope making device
and got pretty good at giving tours at this
most popular site.
Monday the 28th we attended the
Prairie Grass Burn.
Everyone in the community comes to watch....
it is a BIG deal !
The Mission provides Hot Dogs, Chips and
popcorn for everyone.
The Nauvoo Fire Department brings all their
trucks (3) and ambulance (1)
they get all set up, then ...
set fire to the grass.
They begin on one corner and
go around the perimeter lighting the
grass on fire so that it all burns
to the middle of the field.
Soon the 1 acre plot is engulfed in flames and ....
less than three minutes later it is done !
Linda finally got her own
Site dress, Show cap & collar
Doesn't she look cute .... like a real pioneer !
We have been practicing for the summer show
"Sunset by the Mississippi"
Linda sneakily took this picture of the men
practicing for their number
"Stouthearted Men"
the women are doing a number called
Nauvoo Sunshine.
Even before we arrived in Nauvoo
we had spoken with the Mission Secretary,
Sister Mathis, on the phone .... several times !
She is just as wonderful in person as she
was on the phone and
even looked just like Linda
pictured she would.
Our first couple of weeks here in Nauvoo have
been amazing. We have to
pinch ourselves every once in a while just
to see if being here is real.
It's hard to believe that we are walking
on the same streets that the
prophet walked on
and helping those that come here feel
the spirit of this place.
The spirit is strong here and we are able
to do amazing things .... things
we never imagined we could do.
We have been told that a
Nauvoo Miracle happens everyday !
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