Temple Blessings

 This months break the fast dinner was with the McBrides, Vintons, and Browns.

We have grown to love these missionaries as we serve together each day in the temple.

The McBrides and Browns are also from Arizona; Gila Valley and Yuma.

This picture includes Sis Brown.

Our family home evening was fun. 

We played Book of Mormon character game,  

and had delicious pie for refreshments. 

This is Sisters Borrowman, Lawson and Bartschi.

It has been a very special few weeks here in Nauvoo.
After receiving permission from Aunt Ardis on December 24, 2016,
Elder Thompson was able to do Uncle Bruce's ordinances in the temple
 since it has been a year since he passed away.  It was a very tender and spiritual opportunity.

We are so grateful for the blessings of the temple, but especially when we can perform 

them for those who are part of our own family.

"No work is of more protection to this Church than temple work 

and the family history research that supports it.  

No work is more spiritually refining.  No work we do gives us more power.  

No work requires a higher standard of righteousness. 

 Our labors in the temple cover us with a shield and a protection both individually and as a people. 

 So come to the temple--come and claim your blessings.  It is a sacred work." 

--Boyd K Packer The Holy Temple

We learned last week that another uncle has passed away.  Elder Thompson's mother's brother.
 Uncle John Miley, he was 89 years old.  He was such a kind and gentle man.
Our children remember fondly a trip we took to see him and Aunt Ivie in Colorado.

He will be missed.  Again, we look forward, with permission,
 to when we can provide temple blessings for him.  

Sealing families together is what it is all about.
(Wish we had a picture of him on the computer we could share.)

This past Sunday we volunteered in the Family Search Center.  

Elder Thompson was able to discover more information about family members
and will again be blessed to perform more temple work for family. 

This time for his stepmother Connie.  We did not have any of her information, 

but while at the Family Search Center he was able to find her birth, death,
and marriage records with dates and places.

She died at the age of 30 and was married to his father for only a few months 

before she died of a brain hemorrhage.

"Elder Russell M Nelson has taught that the Spirit of Elijah is 'a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family'.  This distinctive influence of the Holy Ghost draws people to identify, document, and cherish their ancestors and family members--both past and present."

--David A Bednar The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn

We have had crazy weather.
The other night there was thunder and lightening and then it started sleeting.
We had never really seen such a weather event before.
It sounded like hail, but it wasn't.  It was raining ice.
There were inches of sleet on the ground.
It made for very slippery roads and parking lots and sidewalks into the temple.
This past weekend church was cancelled again in anticipation of an ice storm headed this way.
 It never really materialized.  We got rain but it had warmed up enough that it did not freeze.
It was slippery in the morning with rain on top of ice that was already there,
but it soon was warm enough that the ice melted.
This week we will be in the 50's...crazy.

Happy New Year

We have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's week.

Our hearts are full as we reflect on the blessings of 2016.

Even though we are away from home and family,

we are thrilled to be serving a mission.

We feel we have been blessed beyond measure for this opportunity.

It was a great blessing this week to have the temple busy all week.

On Christmas Eve we had a wonderful dinner with the temple missionaries in the Arrival Center.

The Mabey's

Dinner was delicious.

And as usual, there was tons of food.

Sister Smith, The Emang's, McBride's, Adams, and Browns. 

Sister Cordova is in the foreground.

This is the Mabey's, Sorenson's, Lawson's, Vinton's and Sister Burgoyne.

We had a great program singing carols and reading of the Christmas story.

We love these missionaries and it was special to spend Christmas Eve with them.

It was a very foggy evening.

There is a church behind the Arrival Center, 

and when we were leaving noticed this cool shadow in the sky cast by the steeple.

After our dinner and program we headed over to Rand Park in Keokuk with the Bartschi's.

The park is filled with Christmas lights and displays.

The pictures aren't great, but it is a beautiful light display.

On Christmas we began our day by again reading from Luke 2.

There is something about having Christmas on Sunday and being on a mission

 that made those scriptures especially meaningful.

We were happy the weather allowed us to attend church in Galesburg.

The ward had a nice program.  And we were able to partake of the sacrament on the 

day we celebrate our Savior's birth.  It was a choice experience to reflect on His birth, life, 

example and atoning sacrifice for us.

Our family blessed us with phone calls, packages and sentiments of love. 

Our grand daughter Autumn helped us decorate our tree by sending snowflakes to hang on it.

After sacrament meeting we went to the Dobson's for lunch.

(sorry we didn't get a picture with Sister Dobson)

But these are her delicious yummy Christmas treats!

The sister missionaries that serve in the ward were also invited to dinner along with Sister Becker.

It was such a blessing for us to be with them on Christmas.

For their message they showed us The Nativity.

We love this depiction of Jesus Christ's birth.

You can feel the spirit as you watch the humble earthly beginnings of our Savior.

The ward has two sisters and two hermanas in the ward.

They translate sacrament meeting for those who need it into Spanish.

The sisters serve in the Chicago West Mission.

We have had beautiful sunny days.  It is cold and the other day very windy. 

The wind must be what caused this on the river. 

Those ice chunks were piling up on the river bank.  

That sight must have been concerning for the people who live in this house!

There was a beautiful sunset to welcome in 2017 with the crescent moon and a planet in the sky.

These are the awesome missionaries who did the New Year's Eve party. 

Vinton's, Peterson's, us and Mabey's.

This is obviously before all the food arrived.

Everyone brought finger food, one couple took it literally! (see the plate of fingers?)

This party was perfect.  We had terrific food (as always) and

played games and laughed and laughed and laughed.

 We laughed so hard, we cried...

 l to r around the room; Vinton, Cordova, Checkett, Irion, Sorenson, Adams, Brown, Bartschi, Burgoyne, McBride, Despain, Udall, Mabey...

We pass this farm on the way to church. We finally stopped to take a picture.

We love this silo.  It looks like it is made out of terracotta tiles.

We are excited for the new year.  Happy to be serving for a few more months.