April 15 - April 22, 2015 – Week 6: in Nauvoo

Saturday we served together with Sister Hintze at the Family Living Center.  It was first time for Elder Doying and the second time for Sister Doying. 

Elder Doying, Sister Hintze, Sister Doying

The Young Single Missionaries who serve here in Nauvoo, do so for their first six months – April through September, then go outbound to various area’s around the United States, for six months, then back here for their remaining six months    They arrived back here around April 15^th and one of them, Sister Hintze served in the Fresno, California mission, and was actually in Visalia where the Gene and Dorothy Higbee live.  They are dear friends of ours from our Ward in Fontana in the 1960’s.  it is a small world indeed. 

Sunday  night we had a District meeting with everyone in our mission at Richardson Point in Iowa.   We carpooled there with our District leaders, Elder and Sister Pearce.   It is a place where the departing Saints of February 1846 got bogged down in mud for almost two weeks in March of 1846. It took them a month to get there, it only took us about an hour. The first deaths of the trek west occurred there and the owner of the property (not a member) built a fence around the graves and built benches for people to come and see them.

One of the graves is for a James M. Tanner, a baby boy of 15 months.

The area was very heavily forested when he bought the property and much clearing had to be done.   

 

 

 

 

 

It rained most of the way out there and stopped for a while, but started up again as we were leaving after a nice program.   We were all in our "site" pioneer clothes and we all got wet.  And it gave us an even better understanding of what those long ago pioneers endured.  

There are tracks along the trail through farm land out there in Iowa and the farmers have plowed around them all these years to preserve them, even though they aren't Mormons.   It is very heart-warming to feel that love and reverence from them.  It was a very inspirational gathering. 

 

 

 

 

 

There are hundreds of tulips blooming in Nauvoo right now.  Here is just one flower bed here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today as we traveled back from Keokuk, Iowa, we stopped and took pictures of a flock of Pelican’s in the shore waters of the Mississippi near Nauvoo. 

Very gracefull. 

Last Sunday Sister Doying got to teach Relief Society and Elder Doying taught Priesthood. We may not have to teach these again, as all the missionaries get a chance. No doubt other teaching assignments will follow.

  

 

We love our Savior and serving here for him.  One of our favorite scriptures is Matthew 16:13-16.    Check it out, and let me know if you agree.

Jesus is the reason we are here.  Because of Him, we are "flying".