Sunday, Mar. 17, 2019

Happy St. Patrick's Day !   Again...it has been a great week !  Lots of things to show you (if I can get the pictures to load )

On Tuesday, I had to go and get a house (Engel home) that was right along the river ready for an incoming couple.  This home was actually donated to the church when the owners got tired of it and could not sell it.  It has been an ongoing project for nearly a year , and has required ALOT of work...such as a new foundation and basement walls.  They don't have the basement finished inside...that will be another apartment eventually.  The church usually puts more that one couple into a home (one in the upper floor and another in the lower)  As I drove out, the ice was piled up along the bank so I stopped and took a picture of it.  After work, I took Jim out to see it and to see the house.  It started to rain that night and by the next day, the ice had virtually disappeared!  The river had risen alot...they are alittle concerned about flooding for a few days here.

Wed. evening, I was preparing supper and looked outside .  The sky was all kinds of colors! and I knew that something was going on.   I looked and looked but couldn't tell what it was.  The next morning, people were talking about the rainbow in the sky....I put one picture of it on Facebook  which was taken from across the river (in Montrose).  The ones that I am including here were taken by Sis. Crump here in Nauvoo.

And then,  as you turned toward the west....this is the view.   What a glorious world we live in ! 

I am sure that our Heavenly Father gives us these kinds of beautiful scenes to let us know that He loves us and is in charge of the universe.  I felt much gratitude for the beauty of the earth.

Wednesday, we also conducted our first zone meeting.  We did it as a "zone" council....like a family council and felt good about the sharing and planning that took place.  This is the smallest that our zone will be because we will only be adding new couples over the next few months.

Thursday.....all of our new couples arrived and we received word that President Lusvardi was sending one of these new couples out to Carthage.  This was not expected and we had to make a quick trip out there to prepare the "Cottage East" house for the new couple.   We had already made plans to re-arrange furniture and restock furniture in the Engel house along the river so it became a VERY busy day but we managed to stay ahead of the new couples and get everything done.....thanks to Jim for coming to the rescue with the furniture moving.  He was able to get a couple of other more able bodied employees from FM to take a minute to help him move the furniture (which was really appreciated!)   Everyone in FM are so good to pitch in and help each other...whether in their area or not!  Louis (FM arborist) and Aaron (FM mechanic shop...he was the service elder that I showed you a couple of weeks ago who has been hired on as an employee...after his service mission) were the Good Samaritans.

Friday....  our mission put on a special dinner for all of the R.S. sisters here in Nauvoo (included both of the Nauvoo wards and the Community of Christ)  in celebration of the formation of the Relief Society.  All of the food was catered (soup in bread bowls / salad/ dessert) but all of the elders set-up and served the dinner , as well as cleaned up.  We, sisters, literally just showed up / visited / and enjoyed a nice program.

 
 Saturday....our mission has been working on a re-enactment of the formation of Relief Society.  It was a reader's theater.  I had a part in it....Margaret Cook.  She was a seamstress for Sarah Kimball and the two of them came up with the idea as they sewed together in Sarah's home.  We were able to put it on in the upper room of the Red Brick store (owned by the Community of Christ) which is where the formal organization of the Relief Society actually took place on Mar. 17, 1842....177 years ago!   We did 3 separate sessions for the public and the final session was for missionaries and spouses who were working in the other sites.  It was a really fun thing to do and I appreciate the origins of R.S. alot more. 

Outside of the Sarah Granger Kimball home....we had a vinette there (of Sarah Kimball)  before heading over to the Red Brick store.  In some sites, they put on vinettes and this is one.  Sis. Archibald came in early to do this for us as a preparation for our day.

Sister Archibald (as the elder Sarah Kimball) with Sis. Crump who was protraying Sarah Kimball during the Re-enactment.

"Joseph" and "Emma" (aka: Elder & Sis. Corder) greeted people as they entered the Red Brick store

Sis. Flanders and Sis. Mensel were playing prelude in the back entrance just before you climbed the stairs to go to the upper room.  I wondered how the ladies climbed the steep stairs with a baby in their arms in their long skirts....they were more talented than I !!! 

They decorated the stairs with these beautiful flowers that were used the night before at the dinner.  You may not be able to see but the pussywillows are real and were cut down from a bush in front of the FM main building.  Things are  starting to grow....love it!!

These are the ladies that were part of the Re-enactment .  It was a fun experience for me.  Back row: L-R  Sis. Weldon / Sis. Davies / Sis. Rollins / Sis. Corder / Sis. Whiting / Sis. Green / Sis Lusvardi / Sis. Wadley    Front Row:  myself / Sis. Craner / Sis. Crump / Sis. Thatcher    

We were gathered to one end of the wood stove that is set in the middle of the room.  Shelves on both of the walls.  I will always associate Mar. 17 with this event in my life.  Being in Nauvoo has made the facts and statistics of Church history come alive and I am grateful for the faithful, stalwart people then who laid the foundation that I am reaping benefits from today.  That includes my ancestors who endured hardship and were ever faithful and true to what they knew.  My hope is that I can "pay it forward" to my descendants.....I want to be a strong link in the family chain.   I love you all.  Have a great week !