Nauvoo Tidbits and Treasures

February 2nd 2023

Waves of Witness

Written by David

Late during the fall of 2022, I had a powerful spiritual experience in the baptistry area. We had a group of handicapped youth who came to the Temple to do baptisms for the dead. I was blessed to assist in the font area during their scheduled session. Since they had several adult leaders who were assisting these youth, much of my time was spent observing the youth and leaders performing the ordinances.

While observing the sacred reverence and love displayed by the youth and leaders for both the Temple and those individuals for whom the work was being performed, my eyes were opened beyond mortal eyes to catch a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father and our Savior see when they look upon us all. The love and gratitude which I felt at that time for this sacred work of salvation and for those involved in this effort on both sides of the veil was indeed from a much higher source than myself. Tears of joy flowed freely as I witnessed the majesty and nobility of these youth through divine eyes.

After they completed their session, I felt compelled to remain in their presence as long as possible and found myself drawn to the baptistry reception area to be with them before they exited up the spiral stairs. Seeing me there, the baptistry coordinator asked if I would like to take the group up the stairs to the first floor recommend desk area so they could exit the Temple. I joyfully accepted the assignment. Then as I left their presence at the recommend desk and returned to the baptistry, I had scarcely come halfway down the spiral stairs before I received another very powerful witness of the eternal majesty of these great youth and of the deep love and compassion of our Heavenly Father and Savior for them. I had to pause on the stairs for a couple of minutes as wave after divine wave kept coming of that witness. Tears of divine love and honor flowed freely. Even when I finally reached the base of the spiral stairs, another wave of that powerful witness hit me, and I wept again with love and gratitude. These waves of witness from above continued for another several minutes before I was finally left to humbly ponder on the grandeur of the vision I had just witnessed.

I am forever grateful to have been blessed to see, through divine eyes well beyond my own, the majesty that our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ see in each one of us, and feel of their absolute and eternal love for us all as Celestial Children of God.

This will be the last entry for our Nauvoo temple mission. What a sobering sentence. We are seeing everything with tear filled, grateful eyes. Every room, every staircase, every stain glassed star, every bong of the bell tower, every ordinance, every dear person. What a blessed year this has been! We will cry because it's over but we are so joyful it happened! Now, we won't have to miss our children and grandchildren, family and good friends at home, instead, we'll miss dear friends of our heart knowing, hoping, expecting we will see them again whether in this life or the next.

All the "old timers" out for a last supper together

Zauggs, Cooks, Us, Werretts

Janine Green. A beautiful, fast "heart" friend.

January 30th 2023

Week Of Lasts

This is our last P day of our temple mission in Nauvoo, Illinois! It is hard to believe it is over...there may be no adequate words to describe this experience. I feel like it's something that you have to be here to truly understand. It really is like you are living in a celestial dimension of sorts. 5 days secluded from the outside world in the temple, working with people from all different situations in life but they are "like" minded and "like" hearted, immersed in the Spirit of love and the work. Then, because Nauvoo is so removed from most of the conveniences of our modern world, and our little village is mostly occupied by the same people you see in the temple, you continue to live in another dimension of continuous love and service. It is an experience to be marveled at! I am in awe as I ponder with gratitude on this year.

Dave had his 66th birthday and we decided to have a January birthday celebration and as always, it was so fun and we laughed as we played games and enjoyed each other's company. It seems like we have had all these months here and are now just getting together socially. Better late than never, I say, and we have created some very strong bonds of friendship and delightful memories.

This next week will be our last days. We have some large group gatherings planned, a game night and some dinners out with friends this week along with two more engineering days for Dave and one more office day for me along with our regular temple shifts. We did get to enjoy an endowment session with all the temple missionaries last week and we get to do a sealing session with our own Brother Cook as sealer and the other "old timers" missionaries who are leaving on Monday.

It will also be our last Sunday with our sweet branch and primary class....we are leaving pieces of our hearts here!

This blog has been a very different mission recording. We can't really expound on our days in the temple but we do know that God loves all His children and He wants them to choose Him and come home and Jesus made it possible if we so choose, to enjoy the same loving association and growth with our families and each other in the life to come. That is His work and His glory and He lets us be a part of it! When you think of it, We are His glory!

It has been incredible, extraordinary, at times exhausting and wonderful, meaning, FULL OF WONDER! We are full of gratitude for the experience and in the same breath, grateful to be going home.

President Church and his angelic wife, Jane.

So grateful we got to enjoy their leadership and love.

The group after a lovely session in the temple

Winners! The women won 2 out of 2!

Happy 66th birthday Elder Weeks!

Finished my moccasins! Thanks to Sister Druery for helping me learn how to do it and for all the supplies. I love them!

The snow does make everything pretty beautiful!

Here is a year at a glance! A year never to be forgotten and a tremendous blessing and honor!

January 15th 2023

My Own Little Miracle!

I thought I better write another post since we are down to our last 3 weeks here in Nauvoo. My heart has a heaviness when it thinks about that. This has been our life for nearly 13 months and saying goodbye to places and people can be very sad. I truly will marvel at this time for the rest of my life.

In the temple there are places and times that you sit in silence not having to speak or really see anyone. I decided that I would take that time to memorize The Living Christ document. I did it! It really has been quite remarkable to have those words go over and over in my mind. I love feeling the Spirit testify that all those words are Truth. They are the words that I say in my mind as I go to sleep also. It helps me to quiet my mind and brings much peace to my soul. I highly recommend memorizing that beautiful document.

Yesterday I was in the office with only Emmie. It was a fairly busy time with many ordinances that needed to be recorded. One of the temple counselors called me and said we had a problem with the marriage certificate for the live sealing he was performing immediately. I needed to change the name of the bride from Kate to Katherine, it being her legal name. Well, I hadn't done a marriage certificate for a while and for us senior citizens, if you don't do something often on the computer, the process can be forgotten.

After I got that news, I got on the computer and started trying to remember how to do it. The Matron came in and said she needed 6 more packets consisting of several double sided pages assembled in a certain order and put into envelopes to give to the new temple workers and she needed them as soon as they could be done. The phone was ringing, patrons coming to the desk for appointments, ordinance cards piling up to be scanned...are you feeling the tension...I called Stacie the head office manager who doesn't work on Saturdays to ask her to talk me through the process and she wasn't home. I prayed.

This certificate needed to be made because the witnesses had to sign it as well as the sealer. I looked for the instructions on how to print a certificate, I found the place to change her name, I found the place to print the paper copy which you have to print before you can print the card stock copy, I printed the paper copy and then found the marriage certificate card stock. I realized the sealer's name was printed on the paper copy which needed to be blank so he could sign it, I prayed.

The sealing would be over and they needed this certificate up on the 5th floor to be signed. There is a place on computer to delete the sealer's name but I didn't have time to figure it out so I got the white out and removed the sealer's name. I put the paper copy on the glass upside down facing away and then put the certificate paper on the tray upside down facing towards and changed the paper feed drawer and pushed start. I prayed.

I did it! You couldn't tell that white out had been used (very much) and it was all facing the right direction and the brides name had been changed! I hurried up to the 5th floor (as fast as you can in a temple) and the door was opening as the sealing had just finished. To me, that was a miracle! Even though I was nervous I still was able to get it done. I didn't wig out with Emmie and I got another sister to do the recording with her and then another sister came just at the right time to do the packets.

I was so excited and happy and grateful that it was accomplished. Praise the Lord!

Break the Fast dinner.

back: Brother Zaugg, Sister and Brother Cunningham

front: Sister Zaugg, Us, Sister and Brother Caffall.

Playing Quirkle. Dicksons, Mayberrys, Us and Cooks

Sister Druery teaching me how to make a pair of moccasins.

The soles are buffalo and the tops are elk leather.

She is married to a native Cherokee Indian who passed away two years ago. She is one of our district temple workers who travels 2.5 hours to work in the temple every week.

The bald eagles are returning

A very beautiful misty day

January 2nd 2023

Happy New Year!

We've had a another lovely week in the temple and then another celebration on the weekend. We are just getting so attached to these missionaries that it is making it more difficult to think of leaving them to go home. What a precious treasure they have been and what a abundance of love we have been able to enjoy with each one of them.

We had a delightful time at our New Year's Eve party. Everyone brought finger food and then we played games and laughed and ran to the bathroom cause we're old and had babies and would almost pee our pants laughing. (at least I did)

You may ask, what are the blessings and benefits of going on a senior mission? ...thanks for asking, I'm happy to tell you!

Not in any order of importance: You feel like you are contributing to something much bigger than yourself and your agenda. Serving in any capacity with the right attitude of being grateful to serve contributes to the building of the Kingdom of God on the earth but setting aside 6, 12, 18, or 24 months to completely focus all of your energies, desires and interests to the cause of Christ can be life changing and promote character growth that won't come in any other way. Which while building character and overcoming weaknesses there are bumps and bad days along the way, when those happen, you can know THE WHY you are living and working on a mission is because you love God and Jesus and you want to help them.

You get to have a plethora of sweet, tender experiences. Not that normal life doesn't have sweet and tender experiences, but when you are on a mission they appear in all different ways and unexpected times almost daily probably because you are conditioned to look for them because you are focusing on building the Lord's Kingdom and not concerned about your other life. We call them "mission miracles" They can be as small as having a Spanish speaking ordinance worker in the right place at the right time. Or being in a certain place in the temple to happen to see a friend that lives across the country and haven't seen for years. Or feeling so tired but yet, the minute you walk through the temple doors you are infused with energy and a sense of well being. Or watching a group of disabled youth perform baptisms, feeling in awe of their purity and goodness. Or just watching and experiencing the workings of the temple and having everything always work out even when you're worried that we don't have enough workers to make it function smoothly. You know and feel the Lord is in charge and cares about the details of each and every person.

Another blessing is feeling peace about your children and grandchildren. That they have an extra layer of protection while you are gone. Often you are missing them and special events but you can pray and receive confidence that it's just for a small moment and all we'll be well.

Blessing of "heart relationships" Not that you don't have these at home but the love and deep friendships you are privileged to develop in such a short amount of time should probably be in the miracle section. You are thrown together and work with people you would never have met and you feel such honor to know them and feel of their love of the Savior and of His work and you watch them as they work through their own challenges and it is just a beautiful, wonderful thing. This is one of the hardest things about missions is you have to leave these people that you have grown to love comforted by the fact that we have all sorts of ways to stay connected and we get to go home to people we already dearly love and have missed.

Another benefit I already alluded to was that you will discover challenges and weaknesses you didn't know about and really wouldn't identify staying in your same surroundings. Working closely with different people, different living spaces, different responsibilities, limited options and choices of how you spend your time. Being on a fairly strict schedule and being obligated to that schedule. All these things and more will cause weaknesses and strengths to show up and hopefully will help you build a more Christlike character. It's a brilliant plan and opportunity created by our Father in Heaven to help us be all that He wants and knows we can be. I'm not saying missionaries come home as Saints but it's a great tutorial in that direction.

One more blessing is that your relationship with your Father in heaven, your Savior and the Holy Ghost is enlarged, enhanced and strengthened. As your character is being built and your weaknesses and strengths are identified, it is only Them that you have to truly rely on and help you. They may direct you to other sources but Their counsel, correction and direction is deeply valued and absolutely critical in any change or growth you experience. The simple fact that we can repent, because of the Atonement of Christ, should surely be in the miracle section. How grateful I am for Them and for the deeper relationship I feel I have developed with Them because of this experience.

The very photogenic Nauvoo temple

Critters making tons of mounds above the ground

One of the critters...possibly....but not anymore.....

if you get my drift.....

Four men on the couch! The men won 2 out of 3.

We women were so happy to win at all!

There was much dancing and rejoicing!

Playing Heads Up

This may have been "giraffe"

This may have been "shocked" It was just such a fun evening!

We so enjoy every one of these people!

December 26th 2022

Goodies Galore!

Christmas in Nauvoo. It is pretty wonderful. We have had the pleasure of gathering together as missionaries away from our loved ones to share our love with each other.

We were invited to a luncheon with the employees of the temple because we work with engineering and clerical, that was very nice. A lovely couple from Hamilton invited all temple workers to their home to enjoy the 150 nativities they have collected over the years. It was amazing! Then Dave organized for all of us temple missionaries to travel to Amish country and have a yummy home cooked meal in an Amish home. That was delightful. On the way we went to another nativity collection in a bank that had over 2500 nativities from all over the world. Then our upstairs neighbors, the Cooks, invited us temple missionaries to a Christmas open house with beautiful handmade Nauvoo decorations and goodies galore! Then all Nauvoo missionaries organized a lovely Christmas Eve dinner and program of course with goodies galore! Dave and I were on the program in a skit titled "The Old in the Cold!" You had to be there to think it was funny, but it was very fun to be involved in it. Then, the temple missionaries got together on Christmas Day Night for soup and other goodies galore! We had a short little sharing of some songs and then we played "Four Men on the Couch" which I think everyone enjoyed. The men won both rounds.

We were able to facetime with all of our kids and most of the grandchildren on Christmas day and that was wonderful! Many of them got games and activities that I'm looking forward to playing with them in a few more weeks.

Our mission is quickly coming to an end, it's hard to wrap my mind around it and looking back on our previous mission I'm still processing all that happened and all the experiences of my heart. I believe this one will be similar in the processing but so different in experiences.

The temple has been pretty quiet and peaceful with few patrons. It's very cold here and many have to travel hours to get here. We love every minute we get to spend in the temple. We love every face we see whether we know them or not. No one is a stranger here. We know each other's hearts because we know what each of us have covenanted to do and become, at least our desires to do so. It's a very unique and special place to be.

Went spent most of today with our friends Diane and Perry eating more food and playing games. It was a good day. Tomorrow back to the temple. At times it feels a little like "ground hog day" doing the same things over and over and the days blend into the other but it's been a privilege and blessing every day to be here.

The wonderful Wyndam family nativity celebration

Just a few of the many beautiful and unique nativities

Dave continues to perfect his bread making skills

The Mayberrys and us at the Bank nativity display

This is a teeny tiny pewter nativity

A spice can nativity

another teeny tina nativity in a little box

Hundreds of different nativities

The temple missionaries and temple presidency

at the Amish farm home for lunch

Brother Cook's homespun Nauvoo Christmas tree.

He gathered acorns and made them into garland

He even decorated his kitchen light

A gingerbread house of the Nauvoo temple

at our all missionaries Christmas Eve

Photo opportunity with brother Cook assisting

Old in the Cold skit.

Christmas gift from our kids.

Sister Amos from our branch with me and Sister Werrett

Darling appetizer platter at our Christmas Night gathering

Lots of good food and good people

I had to get a little bowl of each soup. They were all so delicious!

All the temple missionaries

except for 3 other couples who weren't there

So fun to capture a picture of a woodpecker outside our door

December 12th 2022

Celebrate!

The celebrations have begun! Nauvoo had a Christmas walk on December 9th (Happy birthday to Emilie) where they give out cider and doughnuts in the Living Center, tell stories in the Print Shop, have a choir with live nativity in the Visitor's Center, wagon rides with jingle bells and continual musical performances from 6 to 9 pm in the Cultural Hall. It's a pretty wonderful event. All communities were invited!

Our friend, Diane Coffman was in charge of filling up those three hours with performers and she asked Dave if he would take 15 minutes playing the piano. We work in the temple Friday night usually until 8 but our sweet shift coordinators let us go a little early, so we were able to enjoy a few of the other things before he was scheduled to play. It was such an enjoyable time!

When it was his turn to play, I went back with him at the piano to turn pages and he started his first song, Winter Wonderland and the audience started singing! It was delightful! Then he played Silver Bells and they sang again. They sang every song he played. When he didn't need me to turn pages I went on stage and lead Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer which the kids loved and then he played The Nativity song from the Primary songbook. This is the song we would sing as a family at every Christmas party. I would get nativity stickers from Oriental Trading and give them a piece of construction paper and as we sang to story they would put the stickers on to make a nativity scene. Most of them have gotten a little old for it but we have three little ones still that we'll do it for a few more years, I hope.

When we were on our mission in Guyana on Christmas day, Our son Nate and his wife Brianna and their four children Facetimed us and sang the whole song to us! We were both in tears. It is a gift and memory that we treasure. So, I got a wee bit emotional when I was leading that song, plus it was impromptu so I wasn't prepared for the feelings it would stir in me. It was such a sweet experience.

The surrounding community puts on The Messiah, so we went to Carthage for that. There were a handful of temple missionaries and district workers that worked so hard to be able to share that with all of us. It really was a beautiful and amazing program.

We have some more celebrations to attend during this month of remembering our Savior's birth. We love the baby Jesus and are filled with gratitude that He grew up, lived a perfect life and died for us. He lives now and has conquered death and sin because He loves us. So much to celebrate!

We went to Burlington, Iowa to see The Chosen with a few of our fellow temple workers and enjoyed a meal together.

We stayed so long chatting that they closed down the mall...

it was only 7 pm though...

Beauty is everywhere even in the dead of winter

At the Living Center Dave played the piano

while people came to get their treats

One of the musical numbers was this amazing sister that lives in Nauvoo. She makes all her instruments and plays them beautifully. We were happy we got to see her.