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.