Nauvoo, Week 3 (28 Dec 15 - 3 Jan 16)

Nauvoo Mission Week 3 (28 Dec 15 – 3 Jan 16)

I was disappointed that Tom did not put a picture of our Christmas tree in the last blog.  It was the best we could do in so short of time!  On Monday, our Preparation Day, we went in to Keokuk, IA and bought some more things for our place at Walmart.  That was the highlight of our day, and also stopped at McDonald’s for a McRib!  Pretty hard up for entertainment I would say!

We went to some of the sights in Nauvoo this week while the Christmas decorations were still up when we weren’t working in the Temple. 

 Lucy Mack Smith’s home, the mother of Joseph, is the close to where we live.  It is a smaller home which was purchased for her in her later years.  There was a bed on the main floor so she wouldn’t have to climb stairs.  The steps that went upstairs were very steep and narrow.  Once you were on that floor there was a piece of wood that came down and covered the stairs so children would not fall down the stairs.  We didn’t think to take pictures inside this house, so we just took a picture of the outside.  We will go again and take some pictures inside.  Lucy was so faithful and defended the church always.

John Taylor had a wonderful house which they only got to live in for four months because they had to leave and go west.  After crossing the Mississippi river, the Taylor’s little boy was so upset that he had to leave his rocking horse, he cried and cried.  So John waited until dark and went back over the frozen river to get the rocking horse.  He couldn’t bear for his son to be so sad.  Looking at some genealogy I read that Mary Smallman was married in Nauvoo by John Taylor to Watkin’s.

We went to the Pendleton Home & Log School which was cute.  They have most of the places decorated for the Holidays which was fun.  In the school they had a table of animals and Noah’s ark.  All the animals were made out of cat tails.  They Nauvoo settlers spelled words different due to their backgrounds/country of origin back then and it was fun to guess what they were trying to say (i.e. “shouse” means shoes).

The Heber C. Kimball home was very nice and they didn’t live there very long either before going west.  If you remember the story that Heber and Brigham Young were to go on a mission to England.  They were both very sick and Heber’s wife and children were sick and Heber was having a hard time leaving them.  When they got in the wagon he expressed his concern to Brigham about leaving his family in that condition.  They had been laying down in the wagon and Brigham suggested that they stand and give a “Hurrah for Israel.”  They stood and waved their hats back and forth and gave the shout.  Heber’s and Brigham’s wives were in the bedroom when they heard the shout.  Heber’s wife got out of bed and the two of them went downstairs to the front door to wave to them.  It did Heber good to see his wife up and he then felt better about going.  Wow the things these pioneers went through.

Brigham Young had a nice, large house.  He added two side rooms (one room was used for business and church meetings with a separate entrance so as not to interrupt the family) after the Prophet Joseph was killed.

There was a log cabin typical of that time in Nauvoo where a lady named Patty Sessions lived.  She was the midwife for Nauvoo and she delivered four hundred babies in Nauvoo.  When she went to Salt Lake she delivered four thousand more!  Next to that cabin was the drug store.  An Epocolythic (sp) (Medicine Man) was the man who could diagnose people and then prescribe what they needed to get better.  This guy was also a dentist.  I know I wouldn’t have wanted to have a tooth pulled back then!  He sold material, hats, blankets, all kinds of goods and spices.  He also had a corner for things that people could barter for.  They might give him a turkey for some yarn or whatever.

The Brick Yard is also close to us, just across the street.  We went there and got another Nauvoo brick to add to our collection.

Thursday was New Year’s Eve.  We got together with the Temple missionaries to eat some great goodies and to play games, or watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  We went out on a limb and stayed until nine thirty!  No, we didn’t see the New Year come in!

Friday we went to the play that the Nauvoo site Missionaries do twice a week called “Rendezvous.”  We went with the Elder & Sister Moon.  It was really cute.  In the summer they add a different play called “Sunset.”  It was held in the Cultural Center that is a replica of the one before.

We feel like we are getting to know our way around the Temple, which is a good feeling.  I think they are adding a few more sessions this month.  We are getting to know the couples better; they are great people as well as the site missionaries.

Today we went to Mt. Pleasant to go to the branch that we are assigned to.  It was fast day and the spirit was very strong.  As you can see from the picture they actually had snow.  We then went to the President & Sister Hansen’s house to have a “Break the fast” lunch.  Can you tell food is a big thing here?  When the saints meet they eat!

We love you all, and wish we could have been there to see Paul ordained as Bishop.  We hope you could feel us close we have been thinking and praying for you today.  Thanks for your love and prayers.

Love,

Mom & Dad/Nana & Papa/Elder & Sister Shaw