Two Sundays

Two Sundays in a row we enjoyed the beautiful weather and the time (since we couldn't 

travel to the Galesburg Ward to church) to go on some lovely drives. 

This idea Elder Thompson had of a Sunday drive was just perfect. 

We were able to see places we hadn't seen before.

This is from Rand Park in Keokuk, Iowa.  We found the beautiful drive along the Mississippi River on the west side that goes from Keokuk to Montrose.

We know we have mentioned it before, but we are enjoying the Mississippi River so much. 

It is not the Pacific Ocean, but it is beautiful.

Along this road is a replica of the first school house built in Iowa on this very spot. 

 When you get to Montrose, it provides a very beautiful view of the temple.

We can definitely feel a hastening of the work here in the Nauvoo Temple.

The Spirit is strong.  The Spirit of our Savior and the spirit of those Saints that went before us.  

They want us and need us and are helping us to get this work done. 

"Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." Doctrine and Covenants 88:73

"The Lord has never, to my knowledge, indicated that His work is confined to mortality.  Rather, His work embraces eternity.  I believe He is hastening His work in the spirit world.  I also believe that the Lord, through His servants there, is preparing many spirits to receive the gospel.  Our job is to search out our dead and then go to the temple and perform the sacred ordinances that will bring to those beyond the veil the same opportunities we have."  Thomas S Monson Ensign June 2014 

 Every good Latter-day Saint in the spirit world is busy, said President Brigham Young. 

"What are they doing there?  They are preaching, preaching all the time, and preparing the way

 for us to hasten our work in building temples here and elsewhere."

Pres Monson continued, Heavenly Father loves His children in the spirit world just as much
as He loves you and me.  Regarding the work of saving our dead, the Prophet Joseph Smith said, "And now as the great purposes of God are hastening to their accomplishment, and the things spoken of in the Prophets are fulfilling, as the kingdom of God is established on the earth, and the ancient order of things restored, the Lord has manifested to us this duty and privilege."

Regarding our ancestors who have passed on without a knowledge 

of the gospel President Joseph F Smith declared, 

"Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, 

and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, 

that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world 

of the work that has been done for them by their children here,

and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties."

And, speaking of light, the sunsets continue to be gorgeous.  

We didn't really expect these beautiful skies. 

When you come from the desert where sunsets are famous you don't expect such 

drama in the sky here, but we were wrong.

It was extra special this night, sunset in front of us,

full rainbow behind.

On another Sunday, we drove north along the river and over to Burlington, Iowa.

In Burlington, we found this beautiful park along the river, Crapo Park.  Yup, that's what it is called.

It is named for Philip Crapo, however it is pronounced kray-poh.

It has amazing views of the river.

Burlington also has this crazy road called Snake Alley.  It rivals Lombard Street in 

San Francisco.  Pretty cool.  You can tell these river towns; Burlington and Keokuk were

really important towns in their day when the river boats were travelling the river.

It is sad to see them deteriorate as these little towns in middle America are struggling to survive.

It is harvest time around here.  On our way home Tuesday from Macomb we

saw this farmer out trying to get the crop in before the rain. 

We were in Macomb to see the orthopedic doctor.  Sis Thompson's knee has some 

bone spurs and arthritis.  She got a cortizone shot and it is feeling

WAY better!  Yay!!! It is so wonderful to be back in the temple working!

Grateful for the prayers and blessing of feeling better.

 A couple of random things:  They have a new archaeological dig going on.  

A foundation was discovered and there has been lots of activity around it.

It is Edward Hunter's home.  He was bishop in Nauvoo.  

The Prophet Joseph Smith hid here while a sheriff was looking for him in the 

attempted assassination attempt of Governor Boggs of Missouri.  

It was at this house Section 127 and 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants were written.  

Bishop Edward Hunter

His home overlooked the grove where most church meetings were held.

When Joseph had to hide out, he could hear the meetings from Bishop Hunter's home.

And also, once again, here is the view from the back of the Galesburg Ward building.  

This corn by next week will probably be harvested.  We shall see. 

One more beautiful sunset.  We are so happy here in Nauvoo. 

We love serving in the temple, with the amazing people we get to serve with. 

It is such a blessing, one we recognize everyday.

Kalona & Trials

The week before last (where is the time going!) on P-day a few of us went to to Kalona, Iowa.  

It is a beautiful town that has Amish and Mennonite communities.

Our tour guide was born Amish, but is now a Mennonite, so he was very knowledgeable on both communities and able to teach us about both of their ways of life.

This is an Amish phone both.  It is run only by solar power.  They do not use electricity for anything.

One phone booth serves many families in the area.

The farms are absolutely beautiful.

We drove past an Amish school house.  They attend school up to the eight grade.

The children were outside playing baseball.  

And swinging.  The children seem to almost always be barefoot.  And so cute!

We stopped an Amish store.  There you could buy everything you needed.  

Suspenders in every size and your choice of color, blue or black.

And the all important hat in every size.  The sign says, New, with thicker and stronger straw!

Black shoes, again, in all sizes.  Since all the children we have seen have been barefoot, 

not quite sure who is buying these shoes.  Nobody we guess.

Not sure where everyone was, but the parking lot was full of buggies.

This was taken outside the buggy making shop.  Steel tires, no rubber is allowed.

We are completely obsessed with the barns.  Lots of barns have barn quilts on them, this community especially.  Each barn has a quilt.  They are almost as beautiful as the real ones.  And trust us,

the real handmade Amish quilts are absolutely beautiful.  Just might have to bring one home!

Although this picture is not a good one.  It makes us smile.  It was taken after we had lunch at the Tuscan Moon.  The Ludwigs, Garffs, Dallings, and us.  The Dallings are in the background already across the street!  Sister Ludwig is looking at who knows what and Bro Garff and Sis Thompson are taking a picture.  Such a fun day.  And you might be able to see the quilt in the sidewalk just behind where they are standing.  Quilts are everywhere, signs, roads, barns, sidewalks; and of course in the shops are hundreds of quilts.

 

We had dinner with the Bontrager family one evening.  This is their backyard.
They are Amish and have a lovely family.  The children are so cute!
Unfortunately, can't get a picture of them.  Not allowed to take pictures.

This bell is the communication with the family.  When you hear it ringing, you better come.

We had a going home picnic.  The Fellow's, Ludwig's, O'Brien's, and Russell's are going home.  

On the end on the right is President and Sister McArthur, they go home in about six weeks.

The Ludwig's lived in the Denver 20th Ward in the 1970's with Sister Thompson.  

We remember all the same people.  They are fabulous people. 

We have learned so much from them.  Sis Ludwig has taught many classes on family history and temple work.  Why it is so important and the great impact that it has on us here and now.  But more importantly as we gather and organize our families for the second coming.  

On a side note, we just love this view out our back window.  No rock landscaping here!

This is the Fort Madison Community Hospital Emergency Room.  

While this is not the transportation we took to get there, 

we did spend a few hours there this past week.

At the end of our shift last Wednesday evening Sister Thompson's knee locked up. 

This is the same troublesome knee, but now it is just acting crazy.  

X-ray's show arthritis and the ER doctor felt a Baker's Cyst behind the knee. 

We have an appointment with an orthopedic this week, and have 

been getting some treatments from the chiropractor in town to try and 

get the muscles to relax.  It is hard to walk when your knee is stuck in the bent position!

So unfortunately she has not been able to work her shifts since this happened. 

Trials can be hard, and this definitely is a hard one.

We are here to work in the temple, and when you can't do that it can be frustrating.

All missionaries go through trials and sometimes wonder why they are going through them.

We are on a mission, we thought the Lord would take care of everything. 

Well, no.  That's not always the way it works. 

We learn so much from our trials.  We learn to turn to Heavenly Father, to lean on the

 atonement for relief from our pain and suffering.  We pray harder and study longer, 

seeking the answers to why this is happening.  And we learn, once again, we are not in charge.  

We have to be faithful and exercise faith in Jesus Christ that he will hear and answer our prayers. 

We know He will, but patience and humility must be learned as well.

 One blessing out of the trial is she is getting lots of indexing and familysearch done!

Sis Nelson shared this quote last week with us, and it is perfect for what we are experiencing.

I do not know why we have the many trials that we have,

 but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, 

so eternal and everlasting, 

so joyful and beyond our understanding

 that in that day of reward, 

we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father,

 “Was that all that was required?” 

What will it matter what we suffered here if, 

in the end, 

those trials are the very things which qualify us for 

eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God 

with our Father and Savior?

--Linda S Reeves Oct 2015 General Conference