JUNE 3rd - our half-way mark

Today we've been on our mission exactly 9 months.  And still so much to experience.  Pageant weeks haven't even started when things really rev up here.  We've already had several school groups and youth groups. They keep the site missionaries very busy, but FM missionaries lives don't change that much.  Still we've found things to do that spice up our lives.   I was the song leader in Primary, something I've only done once many years ago.  It went pretty well.  I love 20 minute singing/sharing time.  Just the right amount of time.

When we got home from church Elder Baker, our upstairs neighbor, was 

making his famous Idaho french fries. So good and absolutely gluten free. 

On Monday we planted Carthage.  The tradition is to go to Dairy Queen afterwards.

Plants ready to go. 

The crew

Planting done

We had huge thunderstorms north of us and here, which has caused the river to rise more than it did from the spring run off.  The bridge to Keokuk, which went down to one lane during the run off, is now closed completely, so we have to cross into Iowa over the Fort Madison bridge.  That's OK going to Iowa, but they charge $2 to come back to Illinois.  And there is flooding in Fort Madison as you come off the bridge.   The Mississippi is mighty this spring.

Parley's way. The water comes up to the statue of Brigham and Joseph

We mostly mulched this week and that is the physically hardest thing I've done here.  By Friday I was exhausted.  But the gardens look so good and the mulch will keep the weeds down. 

 Saturday we visited Pittsfield Lake for a Civil War re-enactment. Nauvoo on the Road was there, but we weren't assigned to help.  At first I was disappointed that we weren't being asked to go, because FM missionaries can't be spared right now, but I've found it an advantage to be free to go around and talk to people.  With this name badge people know they can tell us about their spiritual experiences or ask us about our history.  We had both things happen on Saturday.

A carpet bagger

 This lady represents a member of a soldier's aid society.

Lincoln is so personable. 

Vintage Baseball

Something new is always happening in Nauvoo. Nine months is our half-way mark, but it really doesn't mean much, because until we've been here a year we are still experiencing new things.  I'm still new, still learning.  The big day will be when I can back up the trailer to dump our weeds and sticks.