Christmas Week

This was a wonderful week for us.  We celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ with the rest of the world.  We realize that His actual birth was on April 6th.  Jesus Christ has done so much for all of us.   He was always looking out for others.  We owe Him everything.  He lived a perfect life, dedicating His life to all of us.  It is up to us to follow Him and keep His commandments. 

From "The Living Christ" - the testimony of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles we read:  "As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth."

We had a very pleasant Christmas.  On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we were able to talk with our children via phone or video chat.  It was wonderful to talk to them.  We love our family and are always interested in what they are doing.  

Below is a photo of the Christmas tree we put in our apartment.


In the afternoon on Christmas day we spent some time at the Hammond's apartment, with most of the couples that came here the same time as us - in April of this year.  We ate dinner and played some trivia games (questions developed by the Hammonds) via the website Kahoot.it.  It was a very pleasant afternoon with these wonderful people.  Below is a picture of all of us.



The temple was open Christmas Eve but closed Christmas Day, then open the rest of the week.  It is always wonderful seeing so many people coming to the temple, and doing this great work primarily for those who have passed on.  There are some members who come to the temple every day to do this sacred work.  We are so appreciative of their great examples of charity through their service.  We have many District Temple Ordinance Workers who travel to Nauvoo to serve in the temple.  Some of them travel up to three hours to get here.  We so admire them for their faith and commitment to this great work.

We went to our assigned branch in Kewanee yesterday with two new couples - the Teeples (from the Logan, Utah area) and the Williams (from Gilbert, Arizona).  We introduced them to the Branch members.  They will be a great benefit to the members in that branch.  Each week two of us couples will be going to Kewanee.  We love serving there.  Two of its members, Sister Hall and her grandmother (Sister Turner) will be receiving their own endowments tomorrow morning in the the Nauvoo Temple.  We look forward to seeing them in the temple tomorrow.

Wedding Anniversary, Visit to Carthage, Salt Lake Family Christmas Party and Christmas Program

This past week we was our 45th wedding anniversary (on the 21st).  We decided to go to dinner and a movie on Thursday (the 19th) since we served in the temple on the 21st.  We went to our favorite local restaurant (El Camino Real in Hamilton, Illinois) which has very good Mexican food.  We then went to Quincy, Illinois and saw the movie Frozen II which we enjoyed - very much.  It was wonderful to celebrate our wedding anniversary (on the21st) in the service of the Lord in the Nauvoo temple.  I appreciate Marilyn more and more every day (and every year).  Below is a picture of us in front of the movie house in Quincy.


On Sunday we attended a local Sacrament meeting (the Nauvoo 3rd ward).  The music was beautiful and the Spirit was strong in the meeting.  The message of the Savior's birth and life were the focus of the meeting.  We felt very uplifted and spiritually fed.

In the afternoon one of the new missionary couples (the Teeples from Logan, Utah) invited us to do something with them that day.  We decided to visit the Carthage Jail.  The senior historic site missionary couples were very cordial and informative.  They told us more details about what happened in Carthage in June, 1844 - specifically concerning Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  They told us a few things we had not known.  We were shown two films in the Visitors Center and then spent some time in the Carthage Jail.  Below are a few pictures from our time there.  It was a spiritual experience being in Carthage.  And we very much enjoyed spending time with the Teeples. 

Picture taken through the hole in the door, made by the bullet that killed Hyrum Smith.  One of the senior historic missionaries took this picture.

Last night we were able to watch our family (via FaceTime) who live in the Salt Lake area when they had the local family Christmas Party at Sarah and Nathan's home in Riverton.  They played on the chimes (and seemed to really enjoy it, and are getting good at it), and they reenacted the Nativity with costumes, scriptures and sang hymns.  Christina and Kevin (with their children and Sydney's boyfriend, Zach),  Sarah and Nathan (and their children), Gavin brought his siblings (Owen and Ruby) ,and Nick and ShayLa were there.  We enjoyed being part of the fun.

This afternoon we went to our Temple Missionary Christmas Program at our local Stake Center.  The event included a very nice dinner (see the picture below of us with three other couples who serve in the temple - two of the couples live in Nauvoo, the other is another temple missionary couple).  The dinner (and company) were very nice.  After the dinner we participated in a spiritual Christmas program focusing on the Savior's birth.  I read Gabriel's words from the scriptures.  Marilyn and I sang the song "Mary, Did You Know" as a duet.  It was wonderful singing this song with Marilyn.  We are usually in choirs, or mixed groups, not duets. But maybe we will do this more in the future since it went pretty well.

Christmas Season, New Missionaries

We love the Christmas season where we can focus even more on the Savior.  Many people tend to be kinder, friendlier and generally in a better mood.  This is because of the spirit of Christmas.  Christ can be the center of our lives not only at this time of year but throughout the year.  



Last Sunday we went to Peoria after attending the Kewanee Branch Sunday meetings.  The Peoria stake sponsors an event called the Community Festival of Nativities for four days at the Peoria Stake Center.  Many people from different faiths bring their Nativity sets and they are arranged in the Cultural Hall.  It has been going on for a few years and this year it was even bigger than last year.  While the visitors look at the Nativity sets, there is Christmas music sung (or played) in the Chapel.  The most impressive set was from a woman (not of our faith) who provided here 3,000 piece set that depicted the life of the Savior from the announcement of His brith to His resurrection.  It is a wonderful setting and atmosphere.  Below are some photos we took at this event.

This is the 3,000 piece Nativity set that represented all of the events in the Savior's life.  It was wonderful.

This was the international area -- representing nativity sets from all over the world.

This past Thursday there were 10 new temple missionary couples who arrived to serve in the Nauvoo temple.  They will be here fore 12 months.  We have met all of them and look forward to getting to know them and work with them.  We hosted one of the couples (Brother and Sister Smedley from Lehi, Utah).   Yesterday afternoon we had dinner with them and two other couples.  Eight couples finished their 12 month Nauvoo temple missions yesterday.  We love them and will miss them.  

Back to the Temple, Thanksgiving and Dinner with Temple President and his wife

This past week we served in the temple Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.  It was wonderful to be back in the Nauvoo Temple.  It is such a beautiful temple.  While the temple was closed, many more beautiful pantings were placed on the interior walls of the temple.  Some of the paintings can only be found in temples, others are well known.

We are missing the 30 temple missionary couples (who were here for six months) who left three weeks ago.  We love them and got to know them very well.  There are 8 more temple missionary couples coming next week and 11 couples are leaving this month.  This is the normal transition of missionaries at this temple.  We will miss those who leave but will grow to know and love those who are coming.

We ate Thanksgiving dinner alone this past week.  This is the first time we have ever done this.  We miss being with our family during this time but enjoy our service at this temple.

Yesterday we had dinner at our Temple President's house.  They (President and Sister Anderson) were very cordial hosts.  We had a very pleasant dinner (and discussion) with them and two other temple missionary couples.  It was wonderful to get to know them better.  Below are pictures of them (with us, and then with all of couples at the dinner).