Spring Has Sprung

Kent spoiled me this week.  He bought planting soil and flowers and a tomato plant to beautiful our porch!  He washed & vacuumed the car and bought a 12' wand to wash our 2 story high windows that have been caked with bugs & spider webs!  My Hero!!

The flowers are blooming, the trees are leafing and blooming.  We discovered that one of the trees in our back yard is a Red Maple!  We've only seen one other one here in Nauvoo.  The Red Buds remind me of our home in Veyo!  They're blossoming everywhere!

We saw the first big barge go down the Mississippi.  On the wagon ride the Teamsters tell the story of the Mississippi.  These barges are cabled together 3 wide and 5 long which is 100 feet wide and 1,000 feet long!  They carry as much grain as 870 semi trucks which if properly spaced on the freeway would be 35 miles long!  They literally carry 60% of the grain that is exported from the USA.

This week Elder "T" gave Ox rides one day, Carriage rides 2 days, and wagon rides 2 days. At the end of one carriage ride a 50 yr old man came up to Elder "T" and said, with tears in his eyes, "While you were telling these stories I kept looking at you and seeing my Grandpa telling the stories."  The next day he came to the John Taylor home, noticed Sis. "T"'s badge and again with tears in his eyes told her  the same story.  He couldn't say enough about the impact Elder "T" and the Holy Ghost had on him connecting him to his Grandfather.  He said it had changed him.

On Friday morning we took the Nauvoo pre-kindergarten children and then their kindergarteners on wagon rides around town.  We tell all the historical stories, but mention nothing about the Church for the School Tours.

Pres Lusvardi, Pres Irion (Temple Pres.)
Bishop Waddell

Bishop Waddell, of the Presiding Bishopric, spoke to us.  He said while he was at the Joseph Smith Historic sites owned by the Community of Christ (with whom we have a great working relationship) he was intrigued with the difference in the growth of the two churches.  He said that suddenly it came to him crystal clear that it is "The Keys".  He taught us things about the Priesthood Key's that some of us (at least Sis "T") had never known; such as that when a member of the 70 organizes a new Stake Presidency he carries the Key's from the Prophet to the new Stake President.  He never holds the Keys and doesn't take them back with him.

We love what we are doing here... we often feel like the Lord's voice to his beloved children!!  Cherished memories!  Love you ALL!!

A Delicious Week of Dining Out!

Annie Richardson & one of her
30 children She wrote her story
in the book "The Gathering"

This week has been full of fun!
We made a salad for our District  Dinner on Wednesday and kept adding to it as we went to a Teamsters dinner on Friday with the 18 teamsters & spouses,  a birthday Dinner with Julanders, Stokes and our new friends Quirls on Saturday (Kidby's are assigned to    Carthage and were too tired to come) but they came to lunch at our house after church today where we ate the same salad, and then added to it again for our dinner tonight with the Mechams & Hayhursts. (Sis Mecham is Bob Thurgood's cousin).  We're learning to economize our efforts here.  ha!ha!   (At this rate we'll come home husky)

This week Elder "T" has taken people on
Oxen rides one day, Carriage rides another
day, and Wagon Rides for 2 days.  The 5th day he spent helping build a wagon which will
be used as a float for different parades in Nauvoo including the whole town of Nauvoo on
"Bootiful Nauvoo Days" (a gala Halloween Celebration).  On each of these rides there are 2 teamsters and we take turns between  being the Narrator and driving the team.  Sister "T" likes to step to the door where she's serving to wave and blow kisses to Elder "T" as he drives by.

This week Sister "T" has given tours at the
Print Shop, Visitors Center, The Seventy's Hall,
The Wilford Woodruff Home, The John Taylor
Home and today with Elder "T" at the Lyon Drug

Spring in Nauvoo!

Store.  At the Seventy's Hall a couple came who had just returned from the World Wide Conference of the Community of Christ Church.  He said they were instructed at the Conference to "never again refer to (us) as 'Mormons' or 'LDS' because that's not what they are."  He said they instructed them
to call us "the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"  His wife is a member of our church.  He said "We've lasted for 42 years!" and they looked very much in love.  They were headed on a vacation along the pioneer trail west visiting sites to Salt Lake City.  We feel a friendship between the two religions  as we share tours at this sacred Historic Site.


It's been very enlightening to see how many members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter day Saints visit here.  This whole week we had a group of 20 touring (2 adult couples with 16 girls ages 9-16) they had just moved to Oklahoma from the Colorado City area about 8 months ago.  We have come to realize that this is their history too.  Those little girls were absolutely enamored with the horses,  Elder "T" himself took them on one oxen ride, one carriage ride and 3 wagon rides.  Each morning they were at the barn to watch the horses be fed and groomed and harnessed.  They said they were a school group & next week they will bring the boys.

How we love this work!  The Restored Gospel is True.
Come see us!

This week we had a surprise visit from Eric & Christine Andrews (Judy Andrew's son).  What a delight to see them having fun here!

 We lost a dear friend from Veyo, Liz Jeppson.  Our hearts go out to her family! 
This is the drive we take to get home each day after working for the Lord.  We are 2 miles up the Mississippi River north of Nauvoo and our house is literally 20 feet from the River!  Elder T leaves for the barn each morning at 7:45 AM and Sister T Leaves at 9:45 AM for the sites,  We had to get another vehicle.  It  was a miracle to find this little jewel nearby.   We love it here!  Giving wagon rides, Ox wagon rides and carriage rides, being site guides to the beautiful pioneer homes have been wonderful... but meeting so many delightful people and sharing the story of the Savior's protecting hand has been the BEST!

This historic place just amazes us.  The feeling that comes from telling the stories of sacrifice, Faith and Hope in the Lord brings us Joy each day! 


We can't wait for the start of our 4th week here!  We have to show you this wonderful picture we took of the Sunset over the Mississippi.   We will send more next week if we can figure out how to do this blog thing.