Saturday, October 11, 2014

Our Day in Nauvoo October 5 - 11 2014



Dear Everyone,

I only have a few more of these letters to write and then we will be heading home.  It doesn't seem possible that it is coming to an end.

Sunday, October 5 – We had a nice, quiet day watching conference.  We walked early this morning and I gathered some chestnuts and brought home an osage orange - a big green orange-looking thing.  It is supposed to keep spiders away.  I walked again between sessions, looking for more nuts and it was the most beautiful fall day ever.  It was wonderful!  Dad didn't come with me.  He said he didn't want to look like a squirrel.  (:       

Monday, October 6 – Dad and I were guides at the temple this morning for an older couple, Mary and Earl Sanders.  Earl went through for Mary’s father and Mary went through for Earl’s great grandmother.  After the session, Mary’s parents were sealed to each other and then Mary was sealed to them.  It was such a sweet sealing.  They worked in the temple several years ago when the temple was dedicated.  Tonight we went to the Visitor’s Center to watch “Meet the Mormons” with all the temple workers.  It was just as good the 2nd time.  McKechnie’s invited our apartment upstairs after for carrot cake and ice cream.  We had the best visit. We all commented that we wished we could be neighbors when we go home.  I love these people. 
             
Tuesday, October 7 – We were going to wake up and walk with the Rick’s but the power went off in the night and so our alarm didn’t go off.  We woke up too late to meet them. The temple was good.  We did the 7:00 PM session. We had a Korean group coming for either the 7:00 or 8:00.  They ended up being on the 8:00.  People said it was a sweet experience.  Jerry helped at the veil and he said that most tried to say it in English.  We had 5 sisters on our session.  Two of them were sisters and one of the sisters was Susan Evans McCloud, the songwriter.  It was neat to meet and visit with her.  One of the wonderful things I love about Nauvoo are the geese.  They are everywhere – on the ground and in the air.  They are always flying over and honking.  I love it.  We hear lots of trains here too and I love hearing them.

Wednesday, October 8 – We left this morning on our 2 day Missouri tour with Brother / Dr. Dunn (chiropractor).  We had the most beautiful weather ever and drove to Adam-ondi-ahman and ate our sack lunches and walked around.  He showed us Preacher’s Rock where Joseph Smith spoke to large groups of saints.  He stood on this rock and the saints were far below him and they could hear him as he spoke with a normal voice.  He had some of us walk way out and demonstrated how it worked.   It was awesome. President Monson is the mission president for this mission.  There was a very reverent feeling there.  We drove to Farr West and saw the cornerstones that were laid for the temple there. Then we visited Liberty Jail.  We had a sweet little sister missionary take us around there and I thought of Ila as she took us on the tour.  We ate at Applebee’s and stayed at a Comfort Inn in Kansas City.
            
 Adam-ondi-ahman

Dad on Preacher Rock

 
This picture shows the amphitheather-type area where the saints had homes.  I don't know if you can tell, but Dad and a few others are clear back in the trees.  The rock is a ways behind where I took the picture.  There were homes where each of the trees are.

 
Liberty Jail

 
Thursday, October 9 –We woke up this morning to heavy rain.  We ate the continental breakfast and left at 7:45.  I’m so glad our day outside was yesterday.  We drove to the Independence Visitor’s Center and then across the street to the Community of Christ Temple.  It is mainly a museum and we had a little tour.  They have the original door from the Liberty Jail there and some of the origianal pages from the Book of Mormon.  We left there and went to the Kansas City Temple for a session.  Some of us did some sealings before the session. They have stained glass windows throughout with an olive leaf theme.  It is beautiful.  We ate lunch at Steak and Shake – delicious hamburgers for $3.99 and shakes for ½ price after 2:00.   It was fun.  Brother Rogers found a geocache site right behind the restaurant and had all of us look for it.  That was a fun treat.  Brother Dunn is a walking encyclopedia about church history.  It was so wonderful.  He used a microphone while driving in the van and told us so many details that you would never have known and that we hope to remember some of.  It was such a wonderful 2 days. 

Kansas City Temple

             
Friday, October 10 – We had the temple early this morning and it’s time to start wearing a coat in the early mornings.  We were patrons on the 10:00 session.  We drove over to Carthage this afternoon so Dad could look at a tractor Ricki found online.  We went on a little walk after dark.  It was a pretty low key day. 

Saturday, October 11 –The Saturday coordinators called last night and asked me to come in from 10-3 today but Dad still went from 7-1.  I was a guide to a grandmother that was receiving her own endowment along with her granddaughter, who is going to St. George on a mission. It was such a sweet experience.  The grandmother was sealed to her parents after the session and the granddaughter was able to be there for that.  The mother and dad (of the granddaughter) were the proxies for the deceased parents of the grandmother.  So the mother was proxy for her grandmother.   Are you totally confused yet?  It was a neat morning but it was weird going and coming to the temple by myself.  I spent most of the remaining afternoon at the family search center.  I go and get questions answered and then come home with more.  I did find 4 more children in a family I have been working on.  

I just want all of you to know that I know the church is true.  Heavenly Father has the most wonderful plan for all of us to be happy.  I'm so thankful that I know this is true.  I pray that all of our testimonies are growing.  We love you and hope you are working hard at being good.  We will see you soon! 

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

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