Temple Baptistry Team and BYU Pathway Program

Last night we had all of our Temple Baptistry team over to our home for dinner.  We had a wonderful time with them.  We have been serving with them since Memorial Day on Wednesday afternoons.  We have grown to love and appreciate them very much and will miss our weekly association with them on this team.  This week all of the Baptistry teams will be disbanded.  The teams were setup to help us during the busy summer months.  

We will still see all of them on other shifts during the week but will not be with them in the baptistry on Wednesday afternoons.  We will now be the Baptistry Coordinators on Monday mornings (every other week).  Below are some photos of these good people we love so much.

Baptistry Team - Summer 2019 - Wednesday afternoons

Elder and Sister Anderson from Providence, Utah

Elder and Sister Badger - from Snowflake, Arizona 

Elder and Sister Cook - from Pasco, Washington

Elder and Sister Keele - from Castledale, Utah

Elder and Sister Turner - from Provo, Utah

Elder and Sister Owens - from South Jordan, Utah

We attended the Kewanee Branch yesterday.  In Sacrament meeting the talks were about gathering Israel which includes Missionary, Ministering, Family History and Temple work (among other things).  One of the speakers also talked about how we sometimes judge others.  Judging others can hinder our ability to help gather Israel.  We were reminded to try to look at others like Heavenly Father does - looking at their potential and know that they too are spirit children of our Heavenly Father.  

During the second hour a senior Missionary couple gave us information on the BYU-Pathway Program.  This is a wonderful worldwide program that inspires hope, opening new opportunities in higher education to learn by study and faith.  Below is the link to the BYU-Pathway Worldwide program:

https://byupathway.lds.org/

Visitors Centers Presentation and Mississippi Bridge

On Monday we attended our monthly Temple Missionary meeting.  The president of the Nauvoo Illinois Mission (President Lusvardi) gave a very interesting presentation on some of the Visitors' Centers.  He specifically spoke about the Laie temple Visitors Center, Sao Paulo Visitors Center,  Mormon Battalion Visitors Center in San Diego, and the Rome Visitors Center.  

We have included some photos of these centers below.  A few things he mentioned were that several visitors centers next to temples have cutouts of what the temples (next to them) look like inside.  The Visitors Centers that have this are Salt Lake (in the South Visitors Center), Washington DC, Laie, Hawaii, and maybe a couple of others.

Laie, Hawaii Temple

Laie Temple Visitors' Center

Sao Paulo Temple Visitors' Center

Old Mormon Battalion Visitors' Center

New Mormon Battalion Visitors' Center (on the same location as the old one)

Rome Temple Complex

Looking inside Rome Visitors Center with reflection of temple showing on the glass

Inside the Rome Visitors Center looking toward the temple

Inside the Rome Visitors Center - statues of Jesus and the original 11 Apostles plus Paul

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Cutout of Rome Temple located in the Visitors' Center

Website about Rome Italy Temple Dedication:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/events/rome-italy-temple-open-house-and-dedication?lang=eng


On our way back from Burlington, Iowa (where we frequently do our shopping) we were what the locals call "barged".  As we were crossing the bridge over the Mississippi River from Fort Madison, Iowa to Illinois we were stopped (for 20-30 minutes) because a barge was going through the opened bridge.  In the photos below you can see how a barge (pushed by a tug boat) went through the open bridge.

Barge (on right side) being pushed by a tug boat

Barge is behind open bridge on the right side

Barge on the left side - after it passed through the open bridge

Bridge (on the right side) as it is coming back together. 

Temple Service, Temple Missionaries, and Temple Preparation Class

Our service in the temple is our main focus here.  We are in the temple 5 days a week (6-7 hours each day) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Each day (except Wednesday afternoon when we are the Baptistry Coordinators) we receive new line assignments.  We serve in all areas of the temple.  Our Preparation Day is Tuesday.  

The Nauvoo temple - this is the entrance on the west side, on kind of a cloudy day

We love serving in the temple.  Each day is filled with the rich Spirit of temple work - mostly for the dead but sometimes for the living.  This past week we were both blessed with the assignment of being Guides for two people who were receiving their own endowment.  It was a special experience to help them as they received their their own endowment. 

We have come to know all of the temple missionaries (50 couples) and love each of them.  They all come with different backgrounds, ages (although all of us are over 60 years old) and some have health issues but because of their desire to serve the Lord they have chosen to serve a temple mission and have been called to serve here.  We are including a photo of all of them again (below).  One of the blessings of serving here is having the opportunity of getting to know each of them.  We have many many ways of doing this outside of the temple (e.g., FHE groups, P-Day groups, Break the Fast Dinners, etc.).  We also are getting to know the District ordinance workers and the patrons.  We have come to admire and appreciate their faithfulness. Some of them travel over 3 hours to get to the temple.

 


We mentioned in an earlier post that we have been teaching Sister Morse, Sister Turner, and Sister Turner's granddaughters - Antoinette and Jasmine Hall.  We taught all of them (except Jasmine) the 6th Temple Preparation Lesson this past Sunday.  Their next step is to go to the temple to receive their own endowment.  They are all excited about going to the temple to do this.  We plan on being at the temple when each of them are there.  This could happen in the next few weeks.

Field of Dreams Movie Site and Mormon Handcart Part

On Tuesday we visited the Field of Dreams Movie Site near Dyersville, Iowa.  This was the site for the Field of Dreams Movie.  It was interesting to see the home, field, bleachers, and corn field.  We also took a tour inside the home.  Our tour guide talked about the making of the movie and told us a lot about the actors playing the various roles in the movie, and he also talked about the story of Shoeless Joe Jackson, the White Sox and Yankees, and the game that will be played near this field next year.  Details about this can be found at:
https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/08/08/white-sox-yankees-to-play-2020-game-at-field-of-dreams-site/

Below are some photos we took of the home and the field.










































We both went into the corn and came back out.  We didn't find any ghosts in the corn field.  




We also went to the Mormon Handcart Park in Iowa City (in the suburb of Coralville, next to the University of Iowa Campus).  The park was very peaceful with a long walking path inside the park.  There were a lot of trees, shrubbery and flowers in the park.  Below are a few photos from the park.  And yes, the street next to the park is called "Mormon Trek Blvd".

Friends, Temple Misionaries and Young Performing Missionaries

On Monday we had dinner with David and Brianna Brown (with their daughter Mia.  David's daughter Kaitlyn was also with them).  We had a wonderful visit with them.  They were so thoughtful to let us know that they were going to be in Nauvoo. 

Below is a photo of all of the Temple Missionaries, Temple Presidency (including their wives - the Matrons), Recorders and Office Staff) currently serving in the Nauvoo Temple.  We love them and have gotten to know all of them pretty well during our service here.  

The Young Performing Missionaries left Nauvoo today.  They have been here since May, doing many performances every day (including doing at least 6 during most of July).  They are so talented and you could feel their love and testimony of the Gospel (and the Savior) through their actions.  They were very kind and friendly.  It was a joy to see them frequently during the past 3 months.  Below are some photos of them.

At the beginning of the Trail of Hope.  The Young Performing Missionaries would recite (or sing) some of the messages from the pioneers who crossed the trail to the west.

At the end of the last performance of "The Love of the Savior" by the Young Performing Missionaries (which include the younger people on the stage and the orchestra members).

Kewanee and Temple Preparation Class

As part of of our service in the Kewanee Branch we have been asked to teach the temple preparation class.  We have taught 5 lessons so far and have loved doing this.  We have 4 sisters (the Hall sisters, their grandmother (Sister Turner) and Sister Morse).  

These sisters are preparing for their temple endowment.  Seeing their sincere desire to receive the temple ordinances is inspiring.  When we discuss the blessings they can receive as they keep the covenants in the temple, they look forward to doing this and are excited for it.  We look forward to being in the temple with them.  This should occur in the next month or two.  

The covenants we make in the temple help us in this life and will give us the opportunity to live eternally in heaven with our loved ones.  President Nelson has emphasized the temple many times.  

We should look to the temple for direction and guidance and go to the temple often, not only to participate in sacred ordinances for those who have passed on, but also for us to worship Heavenly Father, give thanks to Jesus Christ for his life and Atonement, and draw us closer to them.  The temples also give us the opportunity to meditate and seek guidance from our Heavenly Father.  

We love being in the temple both as patrons or as temple workers.  We feel it a great blessing for us to be able to serve in the temple at this time and to do this in the Nauvoo temple.  The patrons and temple workers are wonderful, caring people.

Sarah, Nathan and their children in Nauvoo

This past week (Tuesday - Friday) Sarah, Nathan, Micah, Oliver and Ivy visited Nauvoo.  We had a wonderful time with them.  We did many things including lunch and dinner each day, visited many of the Church Historic sites, saw two shows (Sunset by the Mississippi and Nauvoo Pageant), went to the Country Fair (where there were many pioneer games and activities, this occurred before each Pageant show), visited the Family Living Center (where they demonstrated pioneer era crafts), and we went to the temple together.  Below are some photos from their visit here.

In the apartment

Dinner in the Apartment

Nathan pulling Sarah and their children in a Handcart

Playing a game at Pioneer Pasttimes

Pioneer Pasttimes Craft - with Sarah and Oliver

At the Family Living Center

Ivy on a lamb at the Family Living Center

Petting the beautiful Horses pulling the wagons

Private family Oxen ride with 1 year old oxen and Brother Droste

Micah on Stilts

On a wagon ride

Justin and Jared -- a pair of wagon ride horses

Waiting for the Nauvoo Pageant to start

Nauvoo Pageant

Sarah and Ivy dancing before the "Sunset by the Mississippi" Show

"Sunset by the Mississippi" Show - Site Missionaries

"Sunset by the Mississippi" Show - Young Performing Missionaries

Carthage Jail Bedroom where Joseph and Hyrum were martyred

Sarah's family in front of Joseph and Hyrum's statues in Carthage

All of us by the Nauvoo Temple (east side of temple)