Nauvoo Week 27 (13 - 19 June 2016)

Nauvoo Week 27 (13 – 19 June 2016)

Wow what a fun exciting week we have had! 

Monday for home evening we went to a place called Montrose, IA with our Preparation day group.  This was the place where many of the Saints crossed over the Mississippi River to Iowa to get away from the mobs and to go west to Utah.  We had a picnic and enjoyed the scenery of the Nauvoo Temple on the other side. We also shared the evening with the bugs and insects that live here!  We also went to Triangle Park in Keokuk, another place that the some pioneers camped in as they left. 

Tuesday, we worked our afternoon shift at the Temple in the Baptistry.  When we finished and walked out of the Temple a big surprise! 

Paul and his family were waiting on the steps of the Temple for us!  We knew they were coming but we didn’t know they would be right outside the Temple.  So great to see them all again. 

We worked at the Temple Wednesday evening and the kids went to a few of the sights and to the play “Rendezvous” that evening. They went on the wagon ride which takes you all around the grounds.  Also, on we found out that they were going to start Malia at 5:00 A.M. on Thursday, which was four weeks early as her fluid was so low.

Thursday, we worked the morning shift, until 1:00pm.  I had asked Scott to text me every hour to give us an update.  So I had my phone in the locker room and was able to check every hour.  She was going to have her naturally, but after six hours of back labor she opted to have the epidural.  That was around 1:00pm.   She was having contractions every 2 minutes but nothing was happening.  Finally around 5:00 she began to push.  Ruby Rae Shaw was born at 6:00pm, weighing 5 lbs. 11 ozs and 19 inches long. 

She has tons of black hair and she is so cute and sweet.  She is healthy and has not had any complications.  They are home now and hopefully Malia is being able to get more rest, as that didn’t happen in the hospital.  I will have the opportunity to go and spend a week with them.  I am so excited I can’t wait.

When we got home from the Temple we went to some of the sights with Paul’s family and then we saw the play “The Promise.”  The young performing missionaries are something else.  They had to try out to be here and they are all so talented.  They do these little side shows and they also perform in “Sunset on the Mississippi,” which the kids really liked.  The older sight missionaries also perform in Sunset and they do a good job. 

When pageant comes in July I think they are all involved in those as well.  The kids have been eating lunch and dinner here at our place which is good so they don’t have to go back and forth to Keokuk where their hotel is.  We played baseball with the kids most everyday out in the heat.

The kids went to a puppet show put on by the young performing missionaries, they seemed to enjoy that.  On Friday we went to a place where they had some pioneer outdoor games.  The kids had a lot of fun there.  They also went on an Oxen ride.  They road in the pioneer wagon as the oxen pulled us.  They love the horses and the oxen a lot and they were able to pet and touch them. 

We attended the “BYU Folk Dancers,” a show they loved a lot.  They have a band in it and they loved the songs and the young missionaries. 

On Saturday they went to see the gun shop and the school house.  Dad and Paul and Kellie went to the Mansion House of Joseph Smith, and his homestead, their graves and the Red Brick store that Joseph ran for a time.  These are owned by the Community of Christ Church.  Just not the same having them give the tours instead of our church members.  I watched the kids while they went.  Then Tom, Paul, and Kellie went to the Temple on the 6:00 evening session. 

I tended once again and I took the kids to the “Sunset by the Mississippi” again.  Now they know a lot of the songs and a few parts. 

Sunday, we went to church in the Nauvoo Stake center.  It was filled to capacity, just like having a Stake Conference. 

We went to the Carthage Jail, where Joseph and Hyrum were shot and killed by the mob.  I love going there it is a sacred place.  We saw a short little play called “Be Still” which is about the martyrdom and was held in the visitor center. 

After dinner we went up by the Temple to take some pictures and to see the sunset.  We also rode down the trail of hope which is on Parley’s street and is the same street that the saints went down to the Mississippi to cross over and leave Nauvoo.

It was a hot week but also a special week to spend time with Paul, Kellie, Hallie, Maddie, Bryant, and Kenzie.  We miss you already and pray that the Lord will bless you as you drive home.  We love the spirit here and we love sharing it with our family and friends.  We hope all of the Fathers in our family had a happy Father’s day. 

We love you all and look forward to Jeff’s and Kristy’s family in July.

Love,

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

Nauvoo Week 26 (6 - 12 June 2016)

Nauvoo Week 26 (6 – 12 June 2016)

Well, this week end we hit our half way point of our mission…time is really flying!  We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Nauvoo and have learned so much about our ancestors and history of the Church.  We feel so blessed to have been called to this beautiful city and surrounding areas.  We look forward to the visit of Paul, Kellie, Hallie, Maddie, Bryant and Kenzie this next week.

On Monday, our Preparation Day, we went to Burlington IA to do some shopping, watch a movie and eat dinner.  It was a fun trip and we really enjoyed our time.

On Tuesday, we had a Baptistry Coordinator training session with the Temple Presidency and established some of the policies for the upcoming summer months.  Following the training we served as Baptistry coordinators; the evening was steady with people and families.  It appears next week we will start getting busier on Tuesday nights.  Most mornings the Baptistry is really busy with busloads of youth arriving to do baptisms but then visiting the sites, pageants, etc. in the evening.

On Thursday, we served in the morning at the Temple, and then did some household chores.  That evening we attended the “Sunset on the Mississippi” production followed by the BYU Folk Dancers program.  Both of these were great and high energy.  The folk dancers were over the top with their talents and abilities, it was so hot, humid and there were so many bugs flying in the stage lights that it was a wonder they could concentrate on their dances.  They were fantastic; they are performing here and around the surrounding cities from 7-18 June.

On Friday, we again served in the Temple in the morning, did some shopping then attended the second program for the BYU Folk Dancers.  The numbers were different, but again, they were spectacular!

Saturday we spoke with Jeffrey; he had gone by our home to make sure everything was in order and did a few tasks for us while he was there.  We also sang to him “Happy Birthday” as it is his birthday tomorrow (40^th), but he is leaving for Las Vegas, NV early in the morning.  We then served in the Temple in the afternoon and evening. 

On Sunday, we went to Church in Mount Pleasant; this week we picked up Elder & Sister Struelling (they are also assigned to attend church in the branch).  We presented the Primary Music Time and had fun with the kids “fishing” for a song.  Following the block meetings we (senior missionaries) had been invited to the parents of the Branch President (Brother & Sister Sanchez) for lunch.  He is from Guatemala and she is from El Salvador.  They both love their home countries and try to visit them every year.  We ate chicken, beans, rice, chips, salsa and some wonderful lemonade and a watermelon juice.  We had made a Texas sheet cake for dessert-we had a wonderful time with them.

Happy Birthday to Jeffrey Thomas Shaw, we are so proud of him, we asked him how it felt to be “40” and he said that it doesn’t bother him a bit.  We wish you many more happy years.

We love each of you and thank you again for your faithfulness, love and support.  We are proud to be your parents and are glad to Lord had enough confidence in us to send you to us.  We love you and look forward to our family growing (Scott & Malia) in the next couple of weeks and in your upcoming visits to beautiful Nauvoo.  Please take good care of yourselves and know that we miss you dearly but also know that the Lord is blessing you more than we could if we were there.

Love,

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

Nauvoo Week 25 (30 May - 5 June 2016)

Nauvoo Week 25 (30 May – 5 June 2016)

Monday was a full day for us.  One of our Missionaries Peter Christensen from the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission was here for the weekend. 

We went to a session with him on Monday before he left.  It was great to spend time with him; he is working in Missouri about a four hour drive from here.  Then our “Preparation day” group leader had a lunch at the arrival center to see what activities we might want to do.  That evening we had a barbeque for Memorial Day with our home evening group.  Our Preparation day is on Monday also, so activities we plan will all be on Monday.

Wednesday we had a meeting with all of the Temple Missionaries at the Stake center.  It is good to see all of them because some of them are not on any of our shifts at the Temple, so we hardly see them.  They had the Mission Doctor Rasmussen talk to us about health issues.  Then they passed out our July schedules which changes some of our shifts but only for that month.  We will have Fridays off and we will work on Monday evenings.  The work has picked up in the Baptistry and Initiatory since Memorial Day weekend. 

Thursday was Hallie’s 10th Birthday.  We love you so much; she is doing well in school and loves to play all sports.  We hope your day was soooooooooooooo fun.

Friday Tom had a special Sealing.  A couple came from Louisiana on their tenth anniversary to receive their endowment and to be sealed. 

They had three children who were five, two, and one.  The Mom’s parents (from Seattle, who had been Sealed in Nauvoo about 1 year ago) were also with them and she was Sealed to them.  It was such a special opportunity for Tom and I was told that he did a wonderful job.  We went to see “Sunset by the Mississippi.”  This is the same one that we saw on a Monday dress rehearsal when Scott, Malia, and Corb were here.  You will all get to see it when you come, it is cute.

We love our Mount Pleasant branch.  The members are so sweet and caring.  When we sing the hymns some sing in Spanish, and the rest in English.  Sister Sanchez who is a counselor in the Relief Society gave the lesson and another sister translated the whole lesson for us.  This is a short one, and we are getting excited to see Paul and his family in a little over a week.  We love you all.  Thank you for your prayers and support. 

Love,

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

Nauvoo Week 24 (23 - 29 May 2016)

Nauvoo Week 24 (23 – 29 May 2016)

This week continues with the visit of Scott, Malia & Corban.  Monday morning Tom and Scott played golf again and had a wonderful time.  Later that day we visited a few more of the sites and learned much about the saints in their various difficulties.  

We visited the Mansion House, the Smith Family Homestead, the Smith Family Cemetery and the little Red Brick Store.  These are all owned and operated by the Community of Christ Church.  We enjoyed our visits and learned much about the Smith Family.

On Tuesday, Scott, Malia and Tom attended the Temple; enjoyed the session and then went on a little tour of the Temple.  We all did some “Shaw” family names and it was a wonderful feeling.  We ate lunch then went to “Annie’s” a favorite yogurt store in town.  Corban particularly enjoyed his chocolate yogurt as his face and shirt were covered with it.  Scott, Malia and Corb then packed up and left for Lake Zurich.  It was hard to see them leave, but it was great to spend some wonderful time with them.  They promise us they will be back following the birth of Ruby.  We served in the Temple later that day and had a wonderful experience in the Baptistry.

On Wednesday, it was a normal day; we served on the afternoon/evening shift.

Thursday, we served in the morning and had some great experiences with the people that we came in contact with.  Later we went shopping to prepare for the arrival of Peter Christensen (one of our missionaries from that served with us in the Marshall Islands).

Friday morning we served in the Temple and met Peter later in the afternoon.  Prior to his arrival we ate with Elder & Sister O’Brien and watched the season finale of NCIS (Denozo’s final episode).  We then left and picked up Peter who was waiting for us at the front of the Temple.  He had been looking around for a few minutes; we had just enough time to drive through the “Flats-where all the restored homes are” to show him some of the highlights, we then all went to bed.

Saturday, the weather was beautiful so we were able to feed Pete breakfast and then we began our visits to the many sites.  I think he was surprised at the condition of the sites and the spirit that exists here in Nauvoo.  He came with a few names of relatives that had lived here in Nauvoo.  We visited the Lands and Records Building (you can go in with names and look them up on a “Nauvoo Only” database) he found pages of information and the sisters gladly burnt him a CD with all of the “Nauvoo Only” information.  We visited some of the parcels of land that his ancestors had owned; I think this was a highlight of his trip.  We then left to serve in the Temple and he continued to visit additional sites. 

We had agreed to meet the next morning at 7:30am to go to the Mount Pleasant Branch; we were in charge of the Primary music that day.  Sharon put together a wonderful little program about Memorial Day and the children seemed to love it; they all took home a small American Flag and, of course, small candies treat.

Following the Sunday meetings we returned to our apartment, had a wonderful dinner and then took Pete to visit the Community of Christ Church’s restored homes.  Pete was really impressed with them, but mentioned that he didn’t feel the same spirit. 

We love each of you and want you to know how proud we are to be your parents and grandparents.  We love you with all of our hearts and can’t wait to see you as you visit us this summer.  We pray the Lord’s choicest blessings to be with you all.  Happy Birthday to Porter on the 27^th, big #12.   We are proud that you were found worthy to receive the Priesthood, we look forward to seeing you pass the Sacrament.

  

Love,

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