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". 

April 8 - April 14, 2015 – Week 5: in Nauvoo

Spring is really here –

Ray had to mow our lawn, which is not something he is familiar with anymore.  He hasn’t had to do that since we moved from San Jose in 1992!  It is greening up around here. There are lots of flowering trees right now,  mostly Magnolia’s in white and purple.    

Yesterday I worked at the Heber C. Kimball home, and the day before at the Post Office.  It is wonderful to get to know the folks better who lived here and to tell their stories to the visitors.  I also worked at the John Taylor Home last week.

 

We had our first time at speaking parts in the Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo. We were both terrified, but all went well and we didn’t mess up, but still need more practice. 

 

 

 

We had a thunder storm a few nights ago, that woke us up at 3:00 in the morning, but the weather is mostly nice now and up in the 70’s during the day.  Thursday night we drove down to the banks of the Mississippi river and watched a beautiful sunset that truly refreshed my soul as I wondered at the beauty of our Mother Earth.  Wish my camera had been with us….

We haven't had time to go to the Nauvoo Temple but we see it everyday day as we drive by. 

 

Take care and God Bless. 

March 29 - April 7, 2015 – Week 4: in Nauvoo

As usual this last week and a half has gone quickly.  Out P-day is now on Wednesday, so I will try to update my blog on Wednesday instead of Saturday. 

On Monday March 30^th Sister Barbara attended the annual Prairie Burn here in Nauvoo – Elder Ray was home in bed so he only got to see the pictures. Everyone gathers for The Burn, local folks, visitors and missionaries, to have  hot dogs and trimmings, and watch the Nauvoo Fire Department set fire to an acre plot of un-mowed prairie grass.  

It is beginning......

too hot.......

 

then it is over....

It is amazing how quickly it burns and one can only speculate how frightening it would be for those long ago pioneers who faced such dangers.  It took about four minutes from start to finish to burn the grasses, and believe me, it was scorching HOT when the fire got to across the street from where most of us spectators were standing.  The crowd quickly moved back. 

Elder Ray is feeling better and the illness that was going through the community has reached its peak and I don’t think any new cases are being reported.  Fortunately I missed this one. 

We continue to give tours at the sites, and are feeling more comfortable in doing them. 

The Lion Drug and Variety Store....











the drug and herb shelves.

We are less confident of our songs we sing (sometimes just pretending!) in the Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo one hour production.  I have performed three times and Ray twice.  Monday night we joined the practices for the Sunset On the Mississippi production.  Less singing more dancing.   I know you are laughing as you try to imagine us old folks doing these things.  We may not be the oldest missionaries here, but there are only a couple that are older. 

There are three casts made up of the missionaries and each do two night of Rendezvous and two nights of Sunset. Both productions are performed every night except Sunday, but in different locations. So each cast winds up doing plays four nights a week.

Six new missionary couples arrived last Friday, and are the new newbies, and we are so glad they are here.  Yesterday I worked four different sites with Sister Thomas and we had to give tours at all of them.  More missionaries are coming in this Friday and the next, and when they are all trained we will not have to work more than one site at a time. 

It is Spring break for lots of folks and there were about 60 people here yesterday from Atlanta, Georgia alone.  Summer brings about 3000 a day when the pageants are going on.   

You can go to: http://www.historicnauvoo.net/ and find out what all is going on this summer. There are the two pageants in July plus other things, so you will have lots to see and do when you come.  

We are loving meeting people from all over the world, and telling them about Nauvoo, and the love those Saints had for the Savior and his Gospel that brought them here. 

We may trip once in a while (especially on these long full skirts!) but we are still running! 

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.