Trail of Hope - Nauvoo Pageant

Well, its been awhile.  The weeks fly by here now.  This morning I went down to the Trail of Hope where the saints lined up with their wagons and teams, waiting their turn to cross the Mississippi River to begin the westward trek.  The Nauvoo Pageant actors take the parts of some of the saints represented on the reader boards that have journal entries of some of the people as they left Nauvoo.  One of them said that the saints left most everything behind them in Nauvoo; their homes, fields and many of their belongings; the work of 7 years.  But what they took with them was their testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world and their knowledge that His church has been restored to the earth through a living prophet.  That knowledge allowed them to leave with peace in their hearts, knowing that the Savior cared for them individually, was aware of them and would guide and direct them.  One of the brethren said that that knowledge is what will sustain us on our own Trails of Hope.  I left with a feeling of peace and of being loved by my Savior and my Heavenly Father; a witness from the Holy Ghost that those things are as true in our lives today as they were in the lives of the Latter=day Saints in 1846 as they left Nauvoo.  Love you all.  Mom 

Things are Hoppin' Around Here!

It has been hard to get  to an update.  things are really busy now that the Pageant has started and thousands of people are showing up.  It is quite amazing to see the Pageant and all that goes with it.  We went the other night and were amazed at the production; but, more amazed at the gospel message that it conveys.  It bears an amazing testimony to the world of this work. 
I have been called as a couselor in the mission presidency and that has definately chnged the comlextion of the mission for me.  Mom gets more time in the sites, which she likes.  I am now doing mostly administrative things now and fussing with mission details. Have a lot of sickness int he mission right now and have been visiting missionaries, some in the hospital.  I still do the shows and play my banjo, but haven't been in the sites.  I probably will get one day a week inthe sites once I get my feet on the ground.  The call came as a surprise, of course; but when your out here, you do whatever the Lord needs done. 
Love all you guys,
Dad

Sunset By the Mississippi

We are in the full blown show mode now.  Here are some pictures of Sunset by the Mississippi.  we do this several nights a week in addition to Rendevous in Old Nauvoo.  I get a chance to play banjo with some of the other casts on some nights.  Last night the young single sister missionaries put on a socialble focused on the Savior.  Iit was musical and they did a great job.  I wish you grandkids (and all you others ) could have seen it.  It was amazing.  It is things like this that make you realiize how great the young fokls tday are and how they were saved to come forth in this time.  We're off to rendevous tonight as Peter and Abigail. 
Love ya'all

dad

The Work Goes On

Well, things have really gotten busy here in Nauvoo.  Lots of youth groups coming for youth conferences.  We had a group here from Joplin, Mo where the tornado hit.  Their stake center had been completely distroyed as had many of their homes.  I talked with one of the leaders who had lost her home and the home she grew up in. They were a good group and indicated that what they had been through gave them some sense of what it was like to loose things you have worked hard for.  They have a better feel for what the Saints went through here. 

A couple of nights ago we had a major thunderstorm like you can only have in the mid-west.  It was a spectacular site to see. It hit while we were in the second show of Rendevous and lasted all night. After we finished the show, Mom and I went outside of town a couple of miles to get out of the lights to watch and what a show we had!  I have attached a couple of pictures of our wild friends that we have around here.  In addition, we had a fawn born in our backyard!  The mother doe has now taken it into the woods across the street but it was in the yard for about a week. The temple picture is just one I like.  The temple can be seen from everywhere in Nauvoo and I like to photograph it.
It's prep day today and we are catching up.  I cut the lawn and Mom has done house cleaning.  We have two performances of Rendevous tonight.
Love ya all

Sunset By the Mississippi

We did our first Sunset show the other night.  It was fun.  Afterward we saw what a real sunset over the Mississippi can be like thought we would share it with you.  The evenings are so beautiful here!  It makes you understand why the Saints loved this place.

The Crossings

It was our preparation day yesterday and we went to Keosaugwa, Iowa.  There at Ely Ford is where the Saints crossed the Des Moines River as they journeyed west.  A couple of nights ago we had the night off and went to Montrose where the Saints crossed the Mississippi when they left Nauvoo.  It is a most impressive and humbling site to look back and see the temple and Nauvoo and realize that this was the view they had on that cold February day in 1846 and for several days, and for some weeks before they left for Winter Quarters.  One can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them in so many ways.  It is even more humbling for us when we realize that our ancestors were there among them going through this most difficult trial.  Whenever any of us think we have it tough, just take a minute and remember them, their commitment to the Gospel and their faith.  It is a great example to all of us and a great inspiration to me personally. 
It is our first actual performance of sunset by the Mississippi tonight we'll let everybody know how it goes.
Love ya all!
Dad

P.S. The car is just for fun.  A couple was traveling in it and we met up with them in Bentenson, Iowa.  Neat car!

It's Saturday, again

Hard to believe it's Saturday again!  The weeks just fly by here.  The summer schedule has started and Dad and I serve at the Visitor Center on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and every other Sunday.  We go at 7:15 a.m. and are through at 1:30 p.m.  Then we have 5 hours before we have to be to Rendezvous.  We hardly know what to do with ourselves.  We're not used to having a block of time like that.  I think I'll go to the Family History Center at the Stake Center on Tues or Thurs afternoons and see if I can identify some more relatives that lived in Nauvoo.  Then I can take their names to the Land and Records Center here in Nauvoo and get what infor they have on them, i.e. diaries, journal entries, property records, etc.  We had over 600 people in the Visitor Center today by the time we left at 1:30.  We have two shows of Rendezvous tonight and they are both full houses.  The Nauvoo Brass Band started playing in Nauvoo today.  They put them on a wagon pulled by two huge horses, (persherons or belgians, I'm not sure which) and they travel through Navuvoo, putting on mini-concerts and pre-arranged stops both in Historic Nauvoo and in the town of Nauvoo.  They are all Young Band Missionaries and are so talented.  The Young Performing Missionaries started their daytime performances today also; Just Plain Anna Amanda and High Hopes and Riverboats.  This place will hop from now on.  Hope we can last!  We hope you all are well.  We pray for you everyday and are so proud of the good people you are and all you are doing to support us.  We love you!  Mom and Dad