4th of July and other special events

Our Story Goes On - Didn't after it started lightening and raining. 

At the beginning of our mission we received a survey from the missionary department.  This week we received a second, mid-mission survey.  One of the questions was, "Do you feel isolated?"  We have a lot of feelings, but isolation is not one of them.  Nauvoo is a unique mission because there are always lots of senior missionaries.  I work with 5-6 missionaries every day on the grounds crew.  Plus we have our Sunset on the Mississippi cast.  And our district and zone.  Right now there are 120 senior missionaries, but that changes.  This winter I think we had half of that. Next winter it will go back down, because many go home before November.  And that going home is the hardest part of the mission.  We've had 2 of our grounds crew leave this spring, and this month two more will go.  We have two new wonderful sisters join us, but in August our crew will look quite different from when I came.  As I was driving up to Burlington to church this morning I realized that while we were in the middle of summer, it was going fast. Each week brings new experiences, and I need to savor each one of them.

The words to the song on the screen behind President Lusvardi.

This week had three highlights.  First was mission training. After a long introduction about why this song is special to him,  President Lusvardi had us sing The Lord Is Our Light.  We were sitting in the middle of the auditorium, right in front of the YPMs (Young Performing Missionaries).  Now President Lusvardi doesn't let us sing half heartedly.  He stops us and makes us start over.  We didn't have to start over.  The power of all those voices, singing their testimonies of Jesus Christ was unforgettable.

The next day we went with Nauvoo on the Road to Carthage.  The day started with a 4th of July parade.  Then I helped children weave, talked to people about Family Search, and just enjoyed being part of the 4th of July celebration.  We came home in time to do Sunset followed by a 4th of July birthday party with the cast members.

Sister Crump visits NOR on her P-Day.

Sister Simmons spins and visits.

Sister Bailie, our newest grounds crew member is also in my cast. We put together the cupcake flag.

The Blue Cast 

Friday the missionaries were given a special invitation by zone to the Seventies Hall to see the presentation Go Ye Into All The World by the core pageant cast.  Shortly after arriving in Nauvoo, nine apostles were called to missions in England. Most of them left sick, and poverty stricken, having lost all of their property in Missouri.  Their wives were dependent upon the church for their needs, but the church didn't have much to give as a whole, as a result of the expulsion from Missouri.  The Lord required much from these early Saints.  The church needed the British converts, and they came by the thousands to Nauvoo.  This is the story that was told to us in the Seventies Hall.

The early apostles arrive in England. 

Their wives give them a cheer as they leave. 

The rest of the work day the grounds crew worked on coleus cuttings. While we were working Serle Nelson came in to get some of his plants.  He was the horticulturist before Richard.  As he sat and told us stories about how the gardens developed around Nauvoo he mentioned that he knew Janeth Cannon, his mission presidents wife.  "Wait a minute, I said.  She was my mission president's wife!"  It turns out that he must have left shortly after I arrived. After he left we went out to lunch to bid farewell to our friends who are leaving in the next two weeks and to celebrate a birthday of one of our crew.  We gathered again that night to watch the fireworks from our front yard.

Saturday Mary Maycock Butler and family arrived.  Mary's family, particularly her brother, Bill, introduced me to the church.  They were my first "Mormon family". We offer dinner to all friends who come through as Nauvoo doesn't offer affordable dinner fare.  So they ate with us Saturday and Sunday night.  The children mostly ate air, but the rest of us enjoyed Cobb Salad on Saturday and Hawaiian Haystacks on Sunday. We love to have company from the outside world.

Me and Mary Maycock Butler

The Butler Family

Insight from this week:  I read this week in BYU studies quarterly that after these first long missions by the apostles to England, Brigham Young was so disturbed by the state of his family that after they returned the policy was changed. Before being called on missions, elders needed to be able to provide for their families while they were gone and not leave their wives dependent on the church.
BYU studies quarterly, vol.58 no.2 2019 p.53-68