Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019

Nauvoo Trivia

We  have just returned home from a concert that our Young Sister missionaries presented about the love of our Saviour .  It was really an uplifting and enjoyable experience.  These young sisters are really strong in their testimonies and are great ambassadors.  Here, in Nauvoo, we are not allowed to proselyte at all. These young sister missionaries are very knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions that people may ask.  They each leave in Oct. to go to an "outbound" mission within the United States where they will experience the normal missionary work of searching out and teaching people who are interested.  Here, the people come to them in the sites and if the people ask for more than the site tour (history) they will answer doctrinal (religious) questions and share copies of the Book of Mormon or pamphlets then refer them to the missionaries from the mission where the people reside.  They spend their first 6 months in Nauvoo then go "outbound" for the next 6 months and the last 6 months, they come back and help train the next batch of new sister missionaries.  I am always amazed at the growth that I see in them after they return from their various outbound assignments.  So....we have a bunch that are going home this week so that they can start school while the next batch go home about the same time that we do. The remaining will be assigned to missions throughout the United States for the winter months.  Things slow down then and the senior site missionaries can handle the demand. 

Time for some Nauvoo trivia questions !  I'll give you the answers at the end of this post!
#1   How big is Nauvoo?
#2  How many missions are in Nauvoo?
#3  How many churches are in Nauvoo?



So the story behind this picture is:  we were sitting in the chapel of the Stake Center during the opening exercises of our Zone Meeting and I look up to the light and see this !!!  It was flapping and trying it's best to escape but was unable.  I wasn't sure that it wouldn't get out so I could not take my eyes off of it.  I nudged Jim and pointed it out to him and told him that if it got out, I was hitting the floor !  His response was, " Don't scream!!"  As if.......     Thankfully, opening exercises were short and off we all went to our various areas.

Last Monday, we went to a Burlington Bees baseball game .   Admission, hot dog, drink, popcorn were each a dollar....we would have called it "Loonie" night !  Lots of FM missionaries went as well as temple missionaries.   FM employees and their families were there, as well.  Pretty fun.   

E /S Schmidt from West Jordan , Utah and E / S Bailie in the back bench

FM missionaries & employees and families.  Really a fun bunch!
THEN....they called out the names of two of the FM employees to come down onto the field in between innings and do a sumo wrestling match.....I caught it on video....we laughed and it was shown in prayer meeting the next morning.  They were really good sports...Ben (with thumbs up) and Barant (beside Ben)

We were invited to dinner after church today to this little familys' house (Abe & Erin Sheffield)  Their house is over 100 years old and made of granite stone.  It is massive and been renovated so beautifully.  They have 4 year old twins (Greta & Hugh, who we taught in nursery) and a little one year old (Hariett)  There is a wrap-around deck made of granite archways that ends with this front porch.  This huge home in an older established area of town cost them $349,000....CRAZY!  House are very cheap in Illinois but apparently the taxes are high. He is an eye/ear/throat & nose specialist while she is a dental surgeon.  They met in Iowa City while they were both in medical / dental school (YSA ward success story)  Our ward is made up of many professionals since Quincy is a big medical hub for Illinois...and they really try to attract students from Utah.  That being said, they are the most humble people we have met.  Quincy is a really nice little city of around 48,000 .  It has a "homey" friendly feeling to the area.  We have grown to love our Quincy 2nd ward.

ANSWERS:

#1  Nauvoo has a population of 1100....so not really a very big place.  That population more than doubles during the Pageant season (about 3 weeks)

#2  Nauvoo has 2 missions....the Temple mission which has the temple president as their mission president.  Currently that is Elder & Sis. Irion.  Sister Irion is the daughter of Pres. Russell M. Nelson.  Another daughter & husband (Elder & Sis. Webster) are serving as temple missionaries , as well.  It has been fun to get to know them!  Our mission (Illinois Nauvoo) which has site missionaries, FM missionaries (Facility Management....we are called the invisible faces behind the beauty of Nauvoo), teamsters, Young sister missionaries, and Young Performing missionaries (April - August).  All together, there are around 400 missionaries between both missions.

#3  There is, of course, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints Stake house & temple, Community of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints), St. Peter & Paul Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Methodist & the Living Hope church (Baptist?)  making a total of seven different denominations within Nauvoo.

I wanted to acquaint you with Nauvoo but the BEST way to know and understand Nauvoo is to come and visit.  There is always something going on and the sites are open every single day except for Christmas!  Come during September and you will see some beautiful colors.  I will try to show some of that another time.  Love you all!  Have a wonderful week!    Have faith....have hope....live like His Son....help others on their way.     

P.S.  Labor Day weekend is the big event for the town of Nauvoo...I compare it to Heritage Days in Raymond.  It is called the Grape Festival and it ran from Fri. evening through Sunday.  They have a fair with the typical rides set up down the hill from where we live .  Some of the events are mud volleyball, Grape stomp - 5 km run / walk, car show and parade, pet parade.  I was amazed at how many people were camped in the stake campground across from us...the fullest it has been all summer.    

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