Love is in the Air

Steam rising from the river on a frosty morning. 

After church on Sunday we were invited to the Mecham's for dinner.  Sister Mecham is 89 years old, but always sends a missionary couple off with a farewell dinner.  This was ours.  She told us we had to eat her cake for an appetizer.  The reason was she had other things for dessert.  Cake was followed by a pot roast dinner.  Then Elder Mecham recited poems he'd written and memorized.  I asked Sister Mecham what was the largest crowd she had ever served?  200!  She lived in Florida in her younger years and every December they had an open house for the neighbors.  The neighbors brought family who were visiting, and so it grew.  We all have a mission in life and I think one of Sister Mecham's missions is to entertain.  She was a professional clown and she still likes to make people happy.

The work week continued as usual with a little sanding in the paint department, potting up newly arrived annuals for the garden, and washing pots.

Sister Willmore dropped by the carpentry shop and took our picture.  She also showed us how to edit photographs on our phone.  I'm always learning new things from the other missionaries. 

One day in the pot shop we learned about grafting from a master gardener.  

Elder Barrow was given a few unusual challenges.  He never knows what he will be asked to do.  One task that came his way was fixing the dryer vents in an apartment building where the young sisters live during the summer.   The vents emptied into the attic instead of the outside.  So he had to crawl up  through a 2 foot hole in each apartment and reroute the vents.  It was cold, and he couldn't wear his coat and get through the small hole.  Later this week the missionaries working at Browning Gun complained that the log cabin behind the house was cold, despite the gas logs burning in the fireplace.  Elder Barrow discovered that the chimney actually worked and instead of smoke, carried the heat straight up and out.  So he created a plug for the chimney. Soon the room was toasty warm.  Don't worry.  He checked for CO and CO2.  All is well.

Elder Barrow at the site of his work. 

See the makeshift damper

It snowed the morning after he created the shield, and I went with him to shovel the walks and check on how the shield was working.  It was a beautiful cold morning and I took some frosty pictures from inside and outside Browning Gun.

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This pillar of light is actually the end of the rainbow. 

We no longer have mission training.  It is now historic site training.  This week we critiqued the newest Nauvoo brochure.  After the discussion President Rizley shared some things learned on their trip to Egypt comparing the Egyptian temples to temples of the covenant people of God.

The weekend was packed with activity.  Friday night we had a mission Valentine Party, complete with a game of matching first names of missionaries to last names, a pot luck dinner, and some round dancing.  My favorite dance, The Virginia Reel,  capped the evening.  Elder Barrow and I won the prize for the most enthusiastic reelers - a courting candle holder.

Since we call each other Elder and Sister
it was a challenge to match first names to last names

waiting for dance instructions

Elder Cornwell, our mission photographer

On Saturday for our last big hurrah before leaving the mission we finally made it to Springfield and Lincoln country.  The Howards came with us.   It was well worth the trip.

In front of the Lincoln home - the only home he ever owned.  The family lived here 17 years.  They rented it out while in Washington, planning to return at the end of his presidency. 

 The Lincoln Museum was the best I've ever been to.   If you ever get a chance please visit.

Lincoln's law office. 

Lincoln's cabinet discusses the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Lincoln's loved to entertain - at least Mary did.

Only 300 of the 500 invited guests came because of the rain.  She outdid Sister Mecham.  I doubt she fed them a meal.