Beginning of last times

With Pageant over,  and us nearing our year mark, we are starting the "last times".  Last time to see Pageant.  Sunday we saw the Love of Christ concert, for the only time.  Missionaries could only see it on stand by, and it was always full, until Sunday.   This week was the last time for Sunset on the Mississippi.  We went Thursday, Friday, and Saturday so that we could see each casts' last performance.  Each one did a little something different for their finale.  The YPMs and the Nauvoo Brass Band leave this Wednesday.  Nauvoo will go back to being a quiet oasis in the mid-west.

Sunday Concert

Monday we went to  Peter's Place - for the first time, and probably the last before they close for the season.  We didn't even know Peter had a place for eating until the Bailiey's told us. 

This mural has an interesting story.  The missionary who was painting it went home and was diagnosed with cancer.  He never returned to finish the mural.  The owner of Peter's place is waiting for the artist's grandson to finish his degree in art at BYU to come finish it.




Tuesday we dumped the pageant pots.

Dumped

Tuesday night a little girl came to the children's table to color her hat.  She wrote her name - Clwyd.  "That's a Welsh name," I observed.  Her mother was quite surprised.

Wednesday we attended the Cluff reunion.  David Cluff brought his 12 children here to Nauvoo in the 1840s.  He owned a few properties around town, most notably a carpenter, furniture making shop where the Catholic school now stands.  Dee is a descendant of Benjamin Cluff, one of David's sons.
After the "family photo" a man came up to me and asked how I knew his daughter's name was Welsh.  I explained that my maiden name was Griffith.  He has Griffiths in his genealogy as well.  His mother is Welsh, but grew up in England before coming to America.   He was very interested in my family history although I can't trace them back to Wales.  Genealogy is a way to make quick friends.

Cluff family assembles for photo shoot. 

The Country Fair band played for the reunion. We danced. 

Besides attending Sunset three times, we saved coleus from mealy bugs, weeded, and did stick runs.

For Orange Blossom Express all the missionaries who played the violin joined in. 

Saturday after an early morning bike ride, chores, and attending the temple we headed out to West Point, Iowa for all you can eat corn - which they had to import from Illinois because of the wet spring.

All you can eat corn - I couldn't even eat one they were so big.

Chicken cooking at the Corn fest. It wasn't free but there sure was a lot of it. 

The corn was cooked using this steam engine.  The steam was sent to the cooker on the right.

Mission Training

President Lusvardi shared lessons he learned while traveling on the Nimitz Aircraft carrier.  This man has led an amazing life.  The main lesson was that we can't see all that the Lord can see.  We need to trust in Him and his messengers.  He had three tuning forks.  He hit the A fork and then held up the other A fork close to it, not touching and the second A fork picked up the vibration. Then he hit the A fork and held up a C fork next to it.  Nothing happened.  Lesson, we need to be in tune to the spirit for it to guide us. 

He added, " We came here to learn things to change us."  I know I've been changed through this mission experience, but also throughout all of my life's experiences.  If we aren't growing, changing for the better, becoming more like our Savior, we are missing the point of life.