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