Exit Interviews, Temple Cleaning, Nauvoo Halloween Celebrations, Bill's Birthday, Farewell Dinner and Testimony Meeting

Last week our Temple President and his wife (President and Sister Irion) held exit interviews with all of the Temple Missionaries (about 50 couples).  President and Sister Irion's last day serving here is October 31st.  It was a very nice touch for them to interview each couple.  They have been great leaders and we will miss them deeply.  Our interview with them was very nice, with both us and them expressing appreciation for the service rendered here. 







Friday night we had the opportunity to clean the temple.  Each night (except Sunday) the temple is cleaned by some of the members who live in the temple district and some of the temple missionaries.  This is the 3rd time we have cleaned the temple.  It is a blessing for us to be able to do this.

Nauvoo Halloween celebrations

Each year during the month of October, Nauvoo has various activities to celebrate Halloween.  These include putting various types of scarecrows (we posted pictures of some of them on our last post) on the sides of Mulholland street, pumpkin carving contest, costume parade, face painting and some other activities.  

On Saturday, October 26th there was the costume parade.  All of the carved pumpkins were put on display on the sides of Mulholland street.  Included are some pictures from this.  We were serving in the temple Saturday afternoon so we didn't see most of the activities.  But this is a big event here in Nauvoo.

Bill's Birthday

I had a wonderful birthday last week with Marilyn.  She is so kind and gracious all the time - but was especially so on my birthday.  Below are a couple of pictures of what she gave me.  We had a nice dinner and our children called me to wish me a Happy Birthday.  Also, extended family members and friends also wished me a happy birthday.  I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

Farewell dinner and testimony meeting.

Last Monday we had a very nice dinner and testimony meeting at the Nauvoo Pageant headquarters.  Marilyn worked with a couple of other sisters on the food and decorations for this dinner.  And Marilyn said:  It turned out well because the soup was hot and water was cold.  The food was very good and the company exceptional.



During the dinner a slide show was presented that showed many pictures of people and some of the events that have happened here in Nauvoo over the past six months.  It was very well done.  


Before the dinner three quilts were presented our outgoing temple presidency and the matrons.  Each quilt had a square that one of us missionary couples wrote (or drew) on.  It was very touching.  One of the temple missionaries put all of this together.  She did an excellent job and this was a surprise to the temple presidency and matrons.



We had three musical numbers performed (one before the quilts were given, which was the song "For Good" performed by two women), one after the dinner (which Marilyn and I sung in - see the link below to most of this song), and one after the testimonies (Jerusalem sung by a former recorder in our temple, who is now a counselor in the new presidency).
-----  Link to song we sang:  https://youtu.be/JDQXZlTtRSE

Special Endowment Sessions

Last week we had the opportunity of being on an endowment session with 1/2 of the temple missionaries that we have been serving with.  The session rooms are not large enough to accommodate all of us at the same time so we had two of these special sessions.  The temple presidency and matrons were on both sessions.  Being with all of these people we have grown to love so much was very touching.  The Spirit was very strong.