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!!