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