Our Days in Nauvoo August 24th - 30th 2014

Hello Family and Friends,

I can't believe that August is over tomorrow!  Where did the summer go?  Nova has already started school and our Idaho kids start this next week.

Sunday, August 24 – We enjoyed church today.  We are glad the Davis’s are back - and the trip doesn’t seem as long as it used to.  They asked Linda Davis and I to substitute a Primary class as we walked in.  We taught the 7-8 year old class.  It was fun.  It was great going to singing and sharing time.  

            

Monday, August 25 – One of our assignments at the temple this morning was to be an endowment patron so that was a treat.  We don’t have any more of our own family names but there are lots of workers here who have names.  The Johnson’s made reservations for our apartment at the Ivy Bake Shop in Fort Madison for FHE.  Our little FHE lesson was on how the Lord puts us where we are supposed to be and how important it is to have sufficient faith.  We have had a great day.

           

Tuesday, August 26 – We got up early and walked to Horton Lake with Paul and Linda Ricks, wonderful temple missionary friends from Rexburg.  We talked way more than we walked but it was a great way to start out the day.  We went to the Family Search Center and got a few questions answered.  The temple was really slow today.  One session only had ordinance workers as patrons. 

 

             

Wednesday, August 27 –  The temple was slow again this afternoon and we were supposed to be #2 on the 5:00 session and ended up as patrons.  I always enjoy doing that.  The temple missionaries were invited to a site RS meeting on nutritional eating.  The sister who presented it does only raw foods.  It was really interesting but I'm thinking almost impossible to do.

Thursday, August 28 -  A slow morning at the temple.  We were scheduled to be patrons at 8:00 and I love doing sessions.  It's a good thing because we have done sessions 8 days out of the last 14 temple days.  Too bad we haven’t had our own family names to do.  I think this is what they do a lot during the winter months.  We came home and moved the furniture around in the apartment.  I think I will like it better.  I’ve wanted to do it for the last 4 months.  Joanne Robison, a temple missionary, taught an art class tonight, teaching us to use the right sides of our brains. We drew pictures from color book pages but the picture we looked at, as we drew, was upside down and we drew upside down on our paper too.  It was very interesting.  I couldn't help but think about how wonderful Mckenna draws and all the little girls in our family who love art.  I thought it was a one-time class but it is going to be every week. However they are adding a 6:00 session at the temple every night this next week and our teacher works in the afternoons.   Our last sessions have been at 5:00 PM.  They are adding  6, 7 and 8 PM sessions on Friday nights starting next week in hopes that the later times will work better for people to come.

           

Friday, August 29 - Today was our p-day and we didn’t have anything planned and I had hoped that I could go the whole day without putting nylons on.  I did run some letters to the post office but dropped them off at the box so I went in levis.  But we ended up going to buy groceries this evening so the dress and nylons went back on.  I don’t think I’ve gone a day here without being in a dress.  We did get quite a bit done here today though.  I have been writing letters and Dad has worked on getting our social security set up.  We had to wait in the car at Walmart in Keokuk for a major rainstorm to pass.  We have had lots of rain the last few days. 

           

 Saturday, August 30 – Our temple assignment this morning was the Arrival Center.  We were busy there and it was fun.  We had 2 bigger groups come for baptisms and a few small walkins.  We had a wedding with lots of children and wedding clothes to change into for pictures.  We had one couple with 2 little girls that took turns going over to the temple.  We had 2 groups come that weren’t members and wanted to watch the temple video.  It was fun.  We have invited our apartment to come tonight at 6:00 to watch the movie “Heaven is for Real.”

There are a lot of green lilies growing in the Mississippi River.  They have a pretty yellow flower on them but you can't see it very well in the pictures.  The water isn't deep where the lilies grow and it is surprising how much of the river has these lilies.  

Here is another picture of the field of praire grass that they let grow so people can see how tall it gets.  I think I sent a picture in June with Heather and Quinton standing in front of it.  If you look close, the temple is in the background.

 

I guess my challenge for this week is to try to go to the temple.  We are blessed to have 2 so close and it is sad to me that this beautiful temple in Nauvoo is so empty.  We are depriving ourselves of the needed blessings that come from our going.  

We love you all and miss you!!

Love, Mom and Dad / Grandpa and Grandma / Elder and Sister Hall

Our Days in Nauvoo August 17th - 23rd 2014

Hi Family and Friends,

Sunday, August 17 – We had a great day in Ottumwa.  Books on tape sure save us going and coming though.  Church was good and we had dinner with Clive and Linda Parcell after.  We were barged on the way home from church.  We were on the bridge with President and Sister MacArthur (temple president and matron) and it was their first experience being barged.  Personally I think if you have to stop and wait awhile you shouldn't have to pay to get through, but no one has asked my opinion.  

 

Monday, August 18 – Quiet, but good day at the temple.  We were the 2^nd followers on the 12:00 session and there weren’t very many in the session so we were patrons.  I’m getting my family names done so I'm not complaining.  We had our large group FHE tonight.  It was a program, talent display and meal.  Our apartment building (4 couples) was in charge of the menu and we had a lasagna dinner.  When I walked into the stake center they had lots of round tables set up, reminding me of the first week we were here – 4 months ago today!  I couldn't help but think back about that day.  We each stood and introduced ourselves, and as I looked around, I thought that I would never get to know all the people that were there and then each meal they would mix us up and it was so uncomfortable to get to know new people each time.  Tonight as I looked around at each table, I couldn’t help but feel so overwhelmed at the love we feel for each of these wonderful people.  We have become the very best of friends and it will be so sad to have this beautiful experience end.  When it was time to leave home and come out here, I just didn’t think about leaving because it was too sad.  That is how I am feeling now about leaving here.  I’m just not going to think about it yet.  Sister Tanner came up after and gave me a hug.  She is a sister that was really quite intimidating to me at the first but is the most wonderful lady ever.  We will really miss this daily association with these wonderful, wonderful friends. 

Tuesday, August 19 - I was going to go to the family history center this morning but didn’t get going early enough so I worked on family history at home.  I thought I could find a few answers on my own but mostly just ended up with more questions.  I am planning on getting there in the morning when they open at 9:00.  The temple was slow.  We were supposed to follow again and ended up being the witness couple.  Elder Epperson’s parents were in the session behind ours and Dad and I both had breaks after, so we were able to meet and visit with them in the Celestial Room.  He is one of the Elders serving in our Ottumwa ward.  That was fun. I was a sealing patron first thing and Brother Slack was the sealer.  He always leaves us with a thought and it was a good one today – from President Hinckley.  “Those who wait beyond the veil for the ordinances of the gospel, are in desperate circumstances analogous to the handcart pioneers. . .Those who labor in the temples of the Lord are their rescuers.”  I love this thought.

             

Wednesday, August 20 – I spent the morning at the family search center and came home frustrated.  The sister there to help me had me clicking in lots of places and I had no idea what I was doing.  She of course, knew what she was doing, but not me.  I came home confused but having decided that I need to come up with a system to write things down in an organized binder, so I guess some good came of the morning.  We had a good day at the temple.  We were to be 2^nd followers again but not enough patrons came so we were patrons again.  I was also an initiatory patron.  They added a 7:00 session for one of the site missionary groups so we were there until 9:20. 

             

Thursday, August 21 – It was quiet at the temple.  We led the 9:00 session.  We have been in a session every day this week and 3 of the days last week.  Worked on a family history chart so I can record and keep track of what I’m finding.  I am anxious to find a few hours to work on things again.  They had a hail storm at home with hail the size of quarters.  Did some damage to peoples crops and gardens.

Friday, August 22 - We went with several of our Friday P-Day friends to Springfield IL.  We visited Lincoln’s tomb, museum, and his home.  It was a 3 hour trip over and then back.  The museum was wonderful – lots of wax figures that were incredible.  They had lots of large rooms depicting different times in Lincoln’s life from childhood to his death but photographs were not allowed.  My favorite was the room representing when his body was laying in state.  There was such a reverent feeling in that room.  We walked several blocks to his home and it reminded me a lot of the homes in Nauvoo but a lot of the furnishings in his home were actually his.  We didn't get all of the museum visited before we had to leave and that was a disappointment.  Hopefully someday we can come back this way.

Lincoln Museum

With the Robison's and the Greene's (and a young Abe Lincoln)

 Lincoln's Tomb - inside and outside

 There was also a man dressed as Lincoln that walked around the area of his home telling about Lincoln's life. He was impressive. 

Saturday, August 23 – We were guides at the temple today for a cute couple.  He is from Korea and she is from Missouri.  They met at BYU and he is a convert of a little over a year and is still in the process of learning English.  We went to the Nauvoo Hotel for dinner with the Kukuk’s and then visited at their apartment for a while after.  It was another good day.

             

Going back to President Hinckley's quote -  "Those who labor" are each of us who make time to go to the temple and do temple work.  Try to fit this wonderful work into your schedules.  You and your families will be blessed.    

We love you all and miss everyone.  Life is good here and we are happy.

Love, Mom and Dad / Grandpa and Grandma / Elder and Sister Hall         

Our Days in Nauvoo August 10 - 16 2014

August 10 - 16, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, the air has been let out of our "busy" Nauvoo balloon now that the Young Performing Missionaries and Nauvoo Brass Band are gone.  It is pretty quiet here now.

Sunday, August 10 – We had a great day at church today.  My goal is to meet a few new members each week, something that is really out of my comfort zone but I have been trying hard to get to know all the members of our ward.  The Rodriguez family came today.  They attend a Spanish Sunday School that the Spanish sister missionaries teach and Jerry goes in that class with them.  That leaves me by myself in Sunday School and Relief Society while the Davis's are out of town.  Also brother Gordy was there with his family.  Our ward has a temple trip planned for this coming Saturday and we hope to see lots from our ward there.  I am also hoping our 2 sets of full time missionaries get there.  I told the sisters that we would feed them but I’m not sure how that will work.  We went to the Durrant’s to sing goodbye to them tonight.  There were lots and lots of us there.  They leave Tuesday.  What a treat it has been to serve here with them.  Both are such spiritual giants.  Dad put hot water in a hot 4 cup Pyrex this afternoon and broke it.  We were getting broken glass out of the garbage disposal with salad tongs.  It was the most horrible sound when we turned it on.  Sounded kind of like a rock crusher. 

Goodbye to George and Susan Easton Black Durrant.  (I wish I knew how to crop a picture.  Sorry.)

Monday, August 11 – The temple was so quiet today. I hope this isn’t how it will be for the next 2 months.  We did housework and I made the breakfast casserole for the YPM breakfast in the morning.  We went upstairs to the McKechnie’s for FHE – the marble game and lemonade pie.

Tuesday, August 12 – The YPM and Brass Band left this morning.  Dad went with Brother Garrett and Brother Hansen to load the sister missionaries suitcases into a pickup to take to the bus.  Dad said the girls were pretty blue about leaving. The temple was slow today.  I was a patron in initiatory and then we were patrons in a session.  We had choir tonight to practice for our large group FHE this coming Monday. We are singing a fun song called "Soft Rain."

           

Wednesday, August 13 – The temple was so slow again today.  We hardly had any patrons come and the day just kind of drags by.  Lots of us were patrons in different areas.  Dad was helping in sealings and a couple came in to do some family names.  They ended up being a couple who met  each other while serving missions in Peru.  They were there when Dad’s old mission companion and his wife were serving a leadership mission there.  It was a fun connection.  

Thursday, August 14 – Dad and I were guides today for a young man (convert of a year) and a young lady that came to receive their endowments at 10:00 and then left and came back at 4:00 for their sealing.  It was a sweet experience.  I had never done an own endowment before but it went very well.  We met for a late lunch with Jim and Lynda McKechnie in Keokuk and then we each went to buy groceries.  We came home and did a few things and then walked.  Things are kind of dead around here now with everyone gone – except us.  

Friday, August 15 – It was our day off today.  We went to the 1:00 session and then Dad dropped me off at the Family Search Center.  I had a missionary helping me but she literally took the mouse out of my hand and did the searching for me.  She was doing her own looking for the information.  I couldn't keep up with the different places she was going to. It was a little frustrating.  I came home with another wife for a couple I thought I almost had ready for sealing.  I guess that means more looking. We had the most fun evening at Montie and Paula Peterson’s.  They invited all the Idaho missionaries for a Dutch oven dinner.  There are 8 couples from Idaho.  It was a little rainy but we were in their back yard, under a big tree and we could hear the beautiful sound of the rain but it didn’t get us wet.  There were 2 fawns in their back yard and geese flew over (one of my favorite things).  It was a perfect night.  The highlight was that Jan Vasas (with the hurt knee) was feeling well enough to come.

Saturday, August 16 – We had such a nice day today.  Our Ottumwa ward had a ward temple day and came to the 11:00 session.  Jerry and I helped with the session so it was nice.  We had 7 sisters and 3 brothers come from our ward.  They also did baptisms at 2:00 with the youth. We had the 2 sister missionaries, Sister Howell from Nevada and Sister Eggett from Colorado and Sister Davis from Ottumwa come to dinner at 5:00.  We had such a nice time with them.  Sister Davis is a young single sister in the ward that offered to give them a ride here today.  They came early this morning and saw some sites before the temple and then did a few sites after.  Sister Davis sprained her ankle at the Visitor’s Center just before they came to the temple and was limping through the session.  They did wrap it at the temple, before the session started, and she was feeling some better when they came here.  It has been raining hard here today though.  We were watching for them but they parked in the back and walked around.  By the time they got here they were soaked.  I got them towels to dry their hair and clothes off.  Jerry gave one of the sisters one of his shirts to put on while we ate because her sweater was so wet and she was cold.  When they were putting their shoes on to go, Sister Howell opened the door and dumped water out of her shoes so we ended up towel drying their shoes too.   They left about 6:00 to head back.  I’m hoping to figure out how to feed the Elders.  They were at the temple too but they were on foot to see the sites for a few hours.  The YM President brought them to Nauvoo and he went to help in the baptistery right after the session so they didn’t have a way to get around.  We drove around trying to find them but never could.  We have lots brownies left over – Sister Eggett is type 1 diabetic and Sister Howell is gluten intolerant.  Thankfully we had taco salad so we were good other than the dessert.  I think I will take some of the brownies to the Elders tomorrow when we go to church. 

We love and miss you lots.  We love the temple.  Everyone plan to go through with Ila when she goes before she leaves on her mission.  We will try to do a session here at the same time.  Be happy and be good.  

Love, Mom and Dad / Grandma and Grandpa / Elder and Sister 

Ty's family gave us a jar full of hugs and kisses when we left.  We are each supposed to have a hug and kiss each Sunday and when they are gone it will be time to come home.  We are a little more than half way!

Another beautiful Illinois sunset!

Our Days in Nauvoo August 3rd - 9th, 2014

August 3rd - 9th, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

I can't believe how fast the weeks go by when it comes to posting this blog.  It seems like I just did this.

Sunday, August 3 – We had such a good experience in Ottumwa this morning.  I have been getting tired of the drive and was dragging my feet to go but the day was a good one.  I'm starting to feel that we know people and they are getting to know us.  There are some wonderful people there. Testimony meeting was especially good with a great spirit.  Elder McKenzie went home this week and the new Elder is Elder Hensley from Pocatello.  I have been trying to play the piano in RS the last 2 weeks because Sister Goering has been gone.  She was back and I was so glad.  I’m thinking the other sisters were glad too because I don't play too well.  She is the only sister in RS that plays the piano.  

Here are a few pictures of the barges.  Sometimes we get barged, going or coming to and from church.  The first picture is a barge (with the power plant to the side), the next shows the bridge as it is turning back (they turn it sideways so the barge can go through) and the last is the bridge as we are driving through.

We had our Break the Fast dinner group this afternoon.  We ended up combining 3 groups and had 8 couples in our front yard for lasagna.  Sister Wright from Ottumwa gave us 3 dozen ears of corn this morning and we were able to share that with our dinner group.  We went to the YPM fireside tonight.  It was wonderful.  Each member of the YPM group and the Nauvoo Brass Band had speaking and musical parts with such a wonderful spirit.  We are so going to miss these remarkable young people when they go home. 

        

Monday, August 4 – We went in early to the temple to help with the 7 and 8 sessions and we followed for the 9:00 session.  We had a few full sessions and then we dropped off to almost nothing.  I had choir in the evening and then we sang goodbye to the Taylor’s, who have been over the pageants for the last few years.  They told us that last year they had 34,000 people attend and that this year they had 59,700.  They gave 4 reasons that they felt the attendance almost doubled. 

1. The British Pageant 

2. The Lord tempered the weather.  Local people don’t come out when it is hot and humid and the weather hasn’t been as hot so far this summer.  

 3.  The missionaries were sent out to outlying wards and encouraged members to come and bring nonmember friends.  

 4.  The Lord is helping all of us to “Hasten the Work.”   

We found out when we got home that Jan Vasas is back in the hospital – fever and lethargy.  We are all so worried about her.

             

Tuesday, August 5 – The temple was very quiet this afternoon.  We are noticing the effects of the pageant being done.  We went straight over to watch Sunset on the Mississippi after the temple and then Greene’s had invited several couples over for watermelon.  It was such a fun visit evening.

Wednesday, August 6 – Awesome day at the temple.  They called Dad to come in early to be a guide for a brother that was coming in to be sealed to his deceased parents.  They told me to come early, in case there were any guests that needed to be looked after.  It ended up being a 68 year old brother and his wife, Robert and Ginette Spain.  He has Parkinson’s and she has MS and she came in using a walker.  We thought the only thing they were planning to do was to be sealed to his parents.  We ended up being with them from 12:30 – 4:30. This is the temple work they ended up doing:

His parents were sealed to each other – B / S Spain as proxy. 

He was sealed to his parents – Sister Spain was proxy for his mother and Brother

            Andelin (our neighbor and an ordinance worker - OW) was proxy for his father.

His 2 sisters (one only 5 days old when she died) were sealed to his parents -  

            Sister Spain was proxy for the sisters and Brother Spain was proxy for his

            father and Sister Wasem (an OW) was proxy for his mother.  

I wish that they would have had other family there to participate but their children aren't close around. It was such a treat to be a part of the sealing.  Then they went down to the baptistery and they were both baptized and confirmed for deceased aunts and uncles.  We interrupted a youth group that was there and 3 of the young men with the youth group helped them get up and down the stairs to the font.  Nauvoo has 8 stairs up and then 8 stairs down to get into the font.  Brother Wade, an OW, did the baptizing.  The spirit was so strong there and Brother Wade struggled to speak he was so emotional.  The brother that was doing the baptizing of the youth stayed in the font to help lift them up out of the water because their health wasn’t so they could do it on their own.  Dad had the opportunity of doing the confirming.  Then they went back to the 2^nd floor to do the initiatory for those they had been baptized for.  We had her in a wheelchair for most of it and Dad and I were able to help with the initiatory.   It was a wonderful, emotional day for all involved.  I'm sure it made an impression on the youth that were there.  It sure made me appreciate  the importance of and blessings of the temple.  It was so important for them to do the work for these people rather than watch someone else do it. What I thought would be an quick 15 minute sealing was a beautiful afternoon for Dad and I.  One I hope we never forget.

             

Thursday, August 7 – It was a nice normal day at the temple, however it was very slow.  We were supposed to follow a session but there were only 3 couples on the session so we went as patrons.  I like doing that and we were able to do 2 of our family names.  I have been trying to organize the names we have found and I'm hoping to go to the Family Search Center tomorrow.  Dad and I went on a long walk tonight.  It was nice.   

Friday, August 8 – Dad and I walked twice today.  I love walking in the evenings with the fireflies -  they are magical.  At first I was looking for them at dark but they are out at dusk.  I love seeing them. I spent the morning at the Family Search Center.  I have several names ready for sealings and a few more needing endowments.  We went to Fort Madison with Dennis and Barbara Johnson for lunch at the Ivy Bake Shoppe and had a really good time.  They are such good friends. 

             

Saturday, August 9 – Kind of a slow day at the temple.  I had 3 1 hour assignments where I sat.  Those seem long when there aren’t a lot of people coming.  We did have a 4 month old baby girl sealed to her parents.  She cried the whole time before, during and after.  It will be a story her parents can tell her about when she is older.  We did our weekly grocery shopping in Keokuk.  We stopped and bought produce at a little roadside stand.  The people just put the produce out with a price list and a container for money and leave it, assuming people will be honest.  We also went to the last performance of Sunset on the Mississippi tonight with the Johnson’s.  There were lots of temple missionaries there.  We are so going to miss these young people.  They have been the life of Nauvoo for 3 ½ months.  They are outstanding young people and such wonderful ambassadors for the church.

It was Barbara's birthday today and she invited our apartment upstairs for cookies and ice cream.  It was a good day.

Here are a few pictures of the tractor show that Dad loved. 

We are still homesick but still love being here.  What a blessing this mission has been in our lives.  Just want you to know that the church is true and that we are so blessed to have the gospel in our lives.  Spending almost every day in the temple has had me thinking a lot about those on the other side waiting for us to help them received the blessings that they can't enjoy without our help.  Try hard to find time to go to the temple.  It should be one of our top priorities.  It will bless us more than we know and also those on the other side of the veil.


We love you all.  Choose the right!

Love, Mom and Dad / Grandma and Grandpa / Elder and Sister Hall