Nauvoo Week 21 (2 - 8 May 2016)

Nauvoo Week 21 (2 – 8 May 2016)

This was a very busy week as we were involved with training the 33 new temple missionary couples.  We started Sunday evening and continued on through Thursday morning.  We were involved with preparing lunches, dinner as well as performing our usual daily assignments.  We worked double shifts on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as performing some Sealer experiences for all of the couples. 

On Tuesday, we served as guides in the morning for the new missionaries and then coordinators in the Baptistry in the afternoon.  Although it was not very busy, it was different because they had changed a few things in the Baptistry during the maintenance shutdown and you had to reacclimate to the procedures of the area following an already long day in the Temple due to training in the morning session.

On Wednesday, we served as coordinators in Initiatory; it was fairly busy for a week night and again it followed a busy morning shift.  We will begin next week having a weekly Temple missionary meeting between shifts from 1:30-2:30pm; this will make the morning shift a little longer for some and an earlier start for the afternoon shift.  These meetings are usually really informative as speakers are invited to come and speak to us concerning their expertise in the gospel, Nauvoo area or church history.

Thursday was a normal day.  We served in the morning and the coordinators tried to let all of us (winter missionaries) attend the final day training for the new (summer missionaries).  It was kind of hit and miss, but we were able to take in most of the main events while maintaining all the ordinances in the Temple.

Friday we worked the morning shift again with some of the newly trained missionaries.  At this time we have plenty of missionaries available as the summer crowd has not yet arrived.  Following our service we invited Elder & Sister Dalling to go to Keokuk, IA with us to see the town and to eat dinner.  We called this our Mother’s Day dinner as we work Saturday afternoons starting this week.  It was a good meal and it was fun to get to know the Dalling’s a little bit better.  They are cattle ranchers from Sugar City, Idaho.

Saturday was a fairly normal day; Tom had the privilege or performing a live Sealing for a couple who had been married a little more than a year ago.  They had met on their mission in St. Louis, MO a couple of years ago.  She is from Canada and they now live in Arizona. 

They both had wanted to be married in the Nauvoo Temple since it was rebuilt in 2002.  It was a great experience as usual.

On Sunday, we traveled to Mt Pleasant for church.  We invited Elder & Sister Gentry to go with us as the new missionaries have not received their ward/branch assignments as of yet.  We taught the Primary Music again and had fun with a Mother’s Day theme.  Sharon had planned on inviting the Branch President’s wife to be the honoree, but she was sick; the parents had taken their family to Wendy’s for dinner on Saturday night, mom and dad had shared a hamburger and they were both sick…so Mother’s Day was not a fun day for her/them.

Sharon had the opportunity to speak with all of you; she really appreciated this privilege.  She was so grateful for the wonderful wishes she received. 

We are also grateful for our mothers and the impact they had/have on our lives.  They are great women of strength, compassion and love and have taught us the important things in life.  We pray that each of you will recognize and speak adoringly of your mothers and the wonderful, caring, loving people that they are.  We want Amanda, Kristy, Malia and Kellie to know how much we love you and the example you are setting for our grandchildren.  You are magnificent women who know who you are and what you are becoming.  The gift of Motherhood is the greatest blessing that you could have received; through your Temple ordinances and covenants you have received Priesthood power which allows you to become Queens and Priestesses to our Father in Heaven.  We pray the Lord’s choicest blessings to be with you each and every day. 

Love,

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