Canada Day

Happy Canada Day !!!  We will be thinking of all of our family and friends and the celebrations that go on!   We love you and love Canada.  Everywhere we go and people ask where we are from, we proudly tell them and their reaction is always positive.  We are grateful for the freedoms and beauties around us at home and we appreciating the beauties here in Nauvoo and know that we will miss them when the time comes to leave here.

We have had a really busy week and so it has flown by.  Just a couple of highlights: #1  We had the opportunity to serve in the Visitors Center on Tuesday evening.  I love meeting people and talking to different families.  All of a sudden, I heard an accent that I had not heard for a long while.  It sounded like Noel Smith from Raymond.  I approached a gentleman who was talking with Elder Paxman and asked him if he was from New Zealand.  Sure enough!......his wife approached us a couple of minutes later and we had a really fun time talking.  I mentioned that my father served his mission in New Zealand and laughed about calling our tummies "pukunuie" (sp)  He noticed our last names and got excited about them because Paxman is an honored name in his area.....Jim's great grandfather was the first mission president in New Zealand in the late 1800's .   It always amazes me that within the church, there are always connections....even world-wide!   He is a convert of a few years while his wife was raised in the gospel.  He came home last week and said to his wife, "Where are our passports?  I have booked a flight for us to go to Nauvoo!"  She was dumbfounded and away they came!  He wanted to see and know about some Church history.  He teared up and said that it has been a wonderful experience.  

Wednesday was the commemoration of the martydom of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  We were all invited to the Community of Christ & Restoration Branches (formally the RLDS church which has split into these 2 ) Service Remembrance at noon in the Smith Family Cemetery at the Joseph Smith Historic Site.   The program said: " This memorial service brings together members of multiple fellowships who trace their histories back to the ministry of Joseph Smith Jr.  We come together to remember Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum----and the peacemaking that has helped bring their descendants closer together."  It consisted of music by the Young Performing Missionaries and the Nauvoo Brass Band (from our mission) and prepared readings of the history given by a mixture of members from each church then final messages from David Drummond: Restoration Branches, Mark Lusvardi: Nauvoo Illinois mission president & Lachlan Mackay: Community of Christ apostle.  It was well done and we appreciated it.   We have a member of the Community of Christ who attends our daily prayer meeting each morning and that is how we found out about it.   Later that day, our mission held a commemoration service in Carthage at the Visitor's Center which was also well attended and touching to me.  It was held at 5 o'clock which was the time that the mob swarmed the jail (5:16  p.m. to be exact)     Besides, musical numbers from various people, they had a Bro. Karl Anderson speak .  He is from Kirkland, Ohio and is a former stake president and commissioner for CES with a specialty in Church history.  I appreciated even deeper the sacrifice of the Prophet Joseph for this cause that we are engaged in!

On Thursday, our district had the assignment of caring for and cleaning the Women's Garden on the side of the Visitors Center.  This statues has special meaning for us.  When this garden was first opened, our stake put on a program depicting each statue.   Stacey had just learned to walk.  We were selected to depict this statue.  We each had to dress in white and when they put a light on us, we were to depict this while they did a reading. We explained to Stacey that she had to try to hold still while reaching for her dad but were not really expecting her to be able to do it since she was only a year old.  She did it perfectly!! and I have tender feelings for this and all of the statues.  We have tried to teach our children to pray and walk uprightly.  As we finished, we noticed dark clouds in the sky and the wind picked up.....in this country you have about 5 min. warning to take cover before you get drenched.  Sure enough, we didn't make to the vehicles before we were dumped on and soaked !   At least,it is a warm rain !

It has been a great week !! We will be getting together with the Halls (from Cardston) tomorrow to celebrate Canada Day along with a few other missionaries.  We are so grateful to be from a "strong"area with "strong" family connections.  Everyone around here are so amazed that people from Alberta know each other and can connect to an area.  There is not that kind of "connectedness" in their areas. Pageant will be on us in 10 days and the crews are here to get everything ready. This place is beginning to resemble a beehive of activity with everyone buzzing around!!  We are told that this is nothing ..... just wait until all of the tourists arrive!!