March 22-28, 2015 – Week 3: in Nauvoo

March 22-28, 2015 – Week 3: in Nauvoo

We had the opportunity to watch the premier of a movie tonight that will be released first in the intermountain area in June.   The cinematographer, T. C.  Christensen, told us about making the movie, Cokeville Miracle.  It is about an incident in Cokeville, Wyoming and the miracles that happened when the whole school was taken hostage and bombs went off .  Wonderfully  done and very inspiring.  Go see it if possible.    

Monday and Tuesday were filled with training and being fitted for our "site" and "stage" clothing, and we are still learning the songs for the play and the info for the sites tour. 

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we were trained on some of the sites.  The missionaries already here are so glad we are here because they are short of folks to man the sites.  So many have finished their missions and have left, so we need to “be on the job:” as soon as we can.  And to add to that, many of the missionaries and staff here are ill with colds or a virus.  We are trying to be careful and not get exposed.  

Saturday we went to the Dutchman Store in Cantril, Iowa about an hour drive from here to get Elder Ray two more hats for the play. 

The weather has been in the 40's and 50's, but the last couple of days have been very cold and freezing at night.  We have a cute little house with two bedrooms. 

One bedroom has a washer and dryer in it, but there is still room for a bed.

Our bedroom...

 

                                                  the living room.....

the office in the living room.....

the kitchen is small, but big enough.   We are still trying to buy all the things needed to make it funtional. 
The Spirit is so strong here in Nauvoo, and we are loving meeting new friends – both those here in Nauvoo, and those who come to visit and tour.  This week Ray worked in Brickyard and the Blacksmith shop, and I worked in the Lucy Mack Smith Home, the Lyon Drug and Variety Store, and the Sarah Granger Kimball home. 

Pictures of sites next time - probably on our next Preparation Day (P-day, or Off day) which will be Wednesday April 1st.  Hmmm, that will be too soon, so it will be April 8th. 

We are still running! 

March 15-21, 2015 – Week Two: MTC and to Nauvoo

This week has been filled with lots of inspiration and excitement.  Friday evening, March 13^th, we left the MTC for the weekend, meeting our granddaughter Michele for dinner at the Texas Roadhouse and then we traveled home to pack up the rest of our stuff to take to Nauvoo. 

We packed our car to capacity, and arrived back at the MTC Sunday evening, the 17^th, in time for the Devotional, where Elder Don R. Clarke of the Seventy spoke to us Missionaries on Love, Obedience, and Family, among other things.  And the last thing he said was, “Enjoy the Journey!”

Monday and Tuesday were filled with training classes that homed in more on Visitor Center skills, and again we were filled with inspiration and of wondering, “Can I do this?”  

Where in the world is Old Nauvoo?

On Tuesday evening our instructors, Elder and Sister Morgan said, “We are finished and you are free to go! You don’t have to come to class tomorrow until noon.”  So we all had dinner and went to our apartments to pack up for an early departure on Wednesday morning, instead of in the afternoon.

This menu board gives you an idea of why we gained a few pounds while were in the MTC.

 

Dianne and Brian met us at our Wyview apartment this morning to see us off .  Our trip took us to Cheyenne, Wyoming for the first night, and Lincoln, Nebraska the second, and we arrived at the Illinois Nauvoo Visitors Center about 3:00 where we met the President Gibbons, the mission president, and were given keys to our home for the next 18 months. 

 

Then we rushed to our home, unloaded the car, ate the soup and bread they had provided and then went to the nightly production of Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo, as we have to learn the songs for the Rendezvous and start participating as soon as we can. We have been running ever since – when we had time to breathe on Saturday, we went shopping for groceries and supplies.

And yes, we are still enjoying the journey! 

March 9-13, 2015 – Week One at MTC

 

Well we survived our first week at the MTC!  We arrived early on Monday morning and were assigned to a room in the West Campus Wyview apartments, though we didn’t actually get to go there and unpack until about 6:30 that night. 

We did a lot of walking - this long hallway leads to our classrooms and the cafeteria.  There are about 3000 missionaries in the MTC this week. 

It has been the most inspiring week we have every experienced, but it was also filled with anxiety and trepidation as we tried to remember all that we were taught.  After only one day of instructions we had to actually teach investigators.  Ya sure, the investigators were really members who were play-acting, but it was intimidating and hard none the less.  But the Spirit was strong and we were inspired with what to say.  Our purpose as missionaries is to: “Invite Others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”  What a beautiful concept to share. 

 

We have a good view of the Provo Temple.  Unfortunately we did not have time to attend a session.

 

 

There are about 90 Senior Missionaries in our group this week, and we met and made many new friends.  This is a photo of only a third of our group - we are the third from left.  Twelve of us couple are going to the Illinois Nauvoo Mission, and the rest are headed to all over the world.  Just to mention a few places: New York, Washington, Germany, Russia, Argentina, Hawaii, Chili, Dominican Republic, Winter Quarter Nebraska, and Australia.

So, we are off and running! 

Elder and Sister Doying

Missionary Farewell February 22, 2015

Family gathering in our home.