This week we were able to serve in the Arrival Center two times. The first night we were there
it was really quiet. But on Friday a stake from Nebraska came for youth conference. We had
4 bus loads of youth throughout the day go over and serve in the baptistry. It was a blessing
to see the kids come back from the temple having had a great experience there.
This is the view from the Arrival Center of the temple. It is directly across the street. Since there is not really a baptistry entrance; groups come here to check in and then are taken over to the temple side door. It is also a place people can come to change clothes to go to the temple. We had several do that as well. We had family members waiting while siblings were married, people who wanted to know more about the temple, those looking for the Old Nauvoo Visitor Center. It was so busy, and so fun. What a blessing to serve here. We are also able to show the video that was made for the open house to those that want to see the inside of the temple and learn more about why we have temples.
We had a couple who came to receive their own endowments and have 3 sealings. The wife was sealed to her parents, sealed to her husband, and then had their three children sealed to them. We had a special conversation with the 6 year old when they came back from the temple. We talked about how he felt when he was in the temple and that special feeling was from the Holy Ghost.
We told him we hoped he can remember that experience his whole life,
what happened there and how it made him feel.
"There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home.
Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family;
understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple." --Gary E Stevenson
"Temple.
One other word is equal in importance to a Latter-day Saint.
Home.
Put the words holy temple and home together,
and you have described the house of the Lord!" --Boyd K Packer
We have had so many spiritual experiences serving in the temple everyday.
We stand all amazed at the loving tender mercies given to to those who come to serve and to us. Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives.
He loves us and cares about us. That is evident to us every day.
We cannot walk the halls of this beautiful temple without thinking of the sacrifice of so many so that we might have the gospel. We are so grateful to experience these special moments with people who come to share in the spirit of this beautiful temple.
We were in the baptistry on Saturday. A group from BYU-I came. While handing out clothing, a young return missionary was shaking with tears in his eyes. He told me he was fulfilling a childhood dream of performing baptisms in the Nauvoo Temple. It is a privilege to observe so many lives being touched by coming to the Nauvoo Illinois Temple.
This is a picture of the art glass in the baptistry that Tom Holdman did.
This picture of it is off of his website. It is amazing to see this in person.
A miracle that it is even here. He is so talented and his story so amazing.
So here is the bump in the road for the week. On our P day we decided to take a drive to Iowa and have lunch. About an hour out the car started making a terrible sound, so we turned around and then everything just stopped. Luckily enough we coasted back to Farmington, Iowa. A trucker helped us push it around the corner in front of this house and off the road. We called Hyundai Roadside Assistance. A tow truck came 1 1/2 hour later and drove us to Quincy, Illinois.
It was another 1 1/2 hour to the dealership there.
It was a miracle we had cell service, miracle we had purchased the wrap-around 10 year coverage, miracle all is covered, including the loaner car. Miracle it was our P day so we didn't need to get back for our shift. So for now we are driving a Yaris. Not sure when they will be done with our car. Sounds like it is getting a new engine. So much for a fun P day. But we cannot even describe how blessed we feel that it all is going to work out.
This pretty doe was in our back yard. Last week the lawn mower flushed out the cutest little fawn.
It had to be only a day old, wobbly legs and all.
Just for fun here are a couple clips from the children's parade march
before the start of Sunset by the Mississippi.