Settled at Last! 3-27-16

Now I am finally feeing settled. It's a lovely home, and I'm excited to get out and share the gospel!

Thanks again for your prayers. I hope you had a Happy Easter!

Looks Like a Tornado Struck! 3-27-16

You can see what a clutter I have been in - too sick to put anything away.

View from My House 3-27-16

I love the location! You can see the temple a couple of blocks east of my driveway. And here's a gorgeous Nauvoo sunset over the Mississippi from my back window.

I'm right on Main Street, so it's about 2 blocks in different directions to the Visitors' Center, the sites, the Pageant grounds, and the Temple.

My New Home 3-27-16

Here is my new home. My two new companions will arrive April 1. I'm glad they didn't have to be here while I have been so sick!

As you can tell, it has been a very stormy, cold Easter.

Happy Easter! 3-27-16

Happy Easter Everyone! As you know I have spent most of this week coughing in a recliner. Thanks to your prayers and some strong medicine from the doctor, I am finally getting back to normal.

I was able to conduct the choir today, and it sounded beautiful. Tomorrow I will be back working in the sites! I have really felt isolated the past few days, so it will be wonderful to get back to work!

Quiet Miracles 3-20-16

I had one other special experience. I have been coughing so hard for the past few days that I could hardly talk. Yesterday morning I woke up early in spite of coughing all night and conducted the mission choir practice at 7:00 am. I also conducted as they sang in sacrament meeting. I was amazed afterward that I didn't cough one single time while I was conducting.

I have struggled with feeling inadequate as the new choir director. The old one was so good. After the meeting I must have had fifty people tell me how beautiful the choir sounded. I felt the Lord's loving reassurance that I am doing exactly what He wants me to do - and He will help me.

Relief Society Re-enactment 3-17-16

The highlight of this week was the Relief Society Re-enactment at the Prophet's Red Brick Store. We traveled from the Visitor's Center to the store in horse-drawn wagons. The Relief Society was organized 154 years ago on March 17. What a special event to participate in. I played the piano for the re-enactment. It almost felt like being at the very first meeting, where the Prophet Joseph Smith organized the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo.

A Special Week 3-20-16

I got to work at Carthage this week, which was really special. I also got to see Shawn, which is always a treat for me. The companion I served with on St Patrick's day took this picture of me to celebrate!

Moving Again 3-20-16

Well, this has been quite a week! I moved again, this time right on Main Street. I love the location - right in the middle of Old Nauvoo! I can walk to almost anyplace I need to be. I will be getting two new companions from the MTC on April 1st.

I have been pretty sick with the Nauvoo Crud the past few days, so I'll include more details and pictures next week when I feel better. Here's the temple from my new house.

Beautiful Nauvoo 3-13-16

The sunsets and sunrises in Nauvoo are spectacular. Even more incredible are all the amazing things I am learning about the people who lived here. I'm overwhelmed by the sacrifices they made because of their convictions that the gospel has been restored and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. There is such a powerful spirit here. What a privilege it is to be serving in Nauvoo. I love being here! I know the Restored Gospel is again on the earth. I love being a missionary! Have a great week!

Happenings. 3-13-16

I played for a baptism yesterday, and it reminded me of all my grandchildren that are getting ready to be baptized.

George Durrant and his wife, Susan Easton Black
Durrant, have returned to Nauvoo and are doing a series of wonderful historical lectures for the missionaries.

Growing. 3-13-16

Elder & Sister Camp, the main directors of all musical productions in Nauvoo, came out to visit Nauvoo and do some training. I was able to watch all the vignettes he coached, and I learned so much. It was really fun!

I was released as mission music coordinator and called as choir director. I felt pretty overwhelmed at first, but I know the Lord will help me. Here are the flowers I used this morning at my first choir practice as a visual aid to remind us all of the beautiful results of all working together.

On the Edge 3-13-16

Hi Everyone. Nauvoo is waking up, after a beautiful, quiet winter season! Visitors are coming again, and it's wonderful to have more opportunities to testify. I'm enjoying my last few days across the street from the temple before I move and before the new missionaries start arriving. Here's the view again from my doorway.

Calm Before the Storm 3-6-16

Hi Everyone. It has been a wonderful week here in Nauvoo. Not much has happened to write about. It has been a rather quiet week. I'm just trying to enjoy it and get everything in order before our busy season gets into full swing. We're already starting to get more visitors.

We had a farewell breakfast for 10 missionaries who are going home (see picture). They are wonderful and we will miss them. In 2 weeks we will have 30 new missionaries. By May we will have about 90 new missionaries, plus 24 young sister missionaries and about 40 young performing missionaries, so things will really be hopping again! I will be moving to a different house also in a couple of weeks. So maybe it's good I don't have much going on at the moment.