Monday, March 7, 2016

Nauvoo Week 12 (29 February - 6 March 2016)



Nauvoo Week 12 (29 February – 6 March 2016)

Monday was great day weather wise; in the sixties and so we went golfing.  We played nine, or should I say Tom did.  I played seven holes, because I forgot to use my inhaler and I was huffing and puffing by then! It was nice to enjoy the weather on a preparation day.  Tom hopes to be able to play with the guys as it gets better weather.

On Tuesday we had the Baptistry on our own.  It was very slow as we only had two patrons come during the entire shift.  They keep telling us that things will be so different in the summer!

Wednesday, I went to one of the local souvenir stores.  Kristy had told me about one of her good friends who had moved here and she works at the store.  Her name is Jen and she was there so we had a great talk.  Kristy and Miles had become good friends with Jen and her husband.  When Scott was their Bishop he performed the wedding to her second husband.  When I told her that Tom was a Sealer she said, “hum, maybe he could Seal us when we are ready.” I also got to meet her Mom and Dad who live here; he is one of the security guards that work at the Temple.

On Thursday evening we were trained to be coordinators in Initiatory.  It was quite busy that night.  So next Thursday we will be the coordinators.  They are trying to train all of us to perform some of these positions before the end of April, when we will have around thirty more couples come to serve in the Temple for six months.  That afternoon, we had a fireside for the Temple Missionaries about things people said about Nauvoo and pictures from then (1840’s) until around 1860’s.   Some were not very complimentary; others were exactly opposite and were amazed at what the saints had built.


Friday, we went to a viewing in Mount Pleasant for Deborah Akers, the wife of the 1st Counselor (Dale Akers) in the branch.  She had been very ill for quite some time with cancer.  There was great support from the branch.  She was loved by many.

We had Stake conference this weekend.  The seventy who came was Elder Spackmen and his wife, Flora.  He talked about Missionary work.  He said that generally a person has had seven contacts with the church before listening and or converting to the church.  We had learned that in our training in the Marshall’s.  He said that we may never know what number we might be along that scale of progression, and how important it is for us to open our mouth.  He said that when he and his wife travel, they sit on the aisle seats across from each other so that they can both have the chance to talk to someone.  He said that his wife has no problem opening her mouth as she loves to talk to everyone and anyone!  She was quite the character.  He talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon in Sunday’s session.  He told a story about a family (Jewish) they lived next to in New York when he was a Mission President that they became acquainted with and did some things together.  He said they (friends) took them to the Knicks game; they (Spackmen’s) took them to a church activity.  They (friends) took them to the Opera; the Spackmen’s took them to another church activity.  They said they were not interested in converting, but that they loved their religion.  This couple also had a son in high school; he would come over at times when the Elders would be outside shooting baskets, while they were waiting to be interviewed.  Apparently they had some church discussions and he was very interested.  So he came over and said I want to know more about your church.  President Spackmen said have you talked to your parents about that?  He said no of course not they would not understand. So he gave him a Book of Mormon to read, and he came back and said that he had a plan.  He was going to college the next year and he would take the discussions then.  He would be eighteen then so he would not need his parent’s approval.  Have you told your parents yet, no?  He goes to college takes the discussions and calls to tell the Spackmens that he has been baptized.  They told him how happy they were for him, and of course asked, have you told your parents yet?  No, will you please go tell them!  So they went to them and told them the whole story about their son’s desire to be a member of the church.  They definitely were not happy but somehow by the time they left they were still friends.  We enjoyed the conference and the fact that we only drove two minutes over to the Nauvoo stake house.

Later that day, we had a “Break the fast” dinner that we have each month and this time we went to President McArthur’s house.  They divide the Temple Missionaries up into different groups each month and we are able to get to know each other a little better. 

We still can’t believe how BLESSED we are to be serving here.  We love the history that we have learned and the great spirit that abides here.  We hope Malia will have a super Birthday tomorrow.  We want Ashtyn to know that we will be praying for her, as she will be performing in the school play this week. 

Love to all of you,
Mom & Dad/ Nana & Papa/Elder & Sister Shaw

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