Excitement in the air

Monday:  biked 6.72 miles. Mornings are wonderful in Nauvoo, the air is still cool, everything is quiet, air is clean.  We drove to Peoria to visit Dave and Ruth Thompson, our good friends from Jerome when we all lived there.  We also went to Costco and picked up groceries—families are coming!  

Tuesday:  I had pp at 6:05 am for clothing for first session and we were the endowment leaders for the 8:15 session.  Well at my clothing assignment, in walks Whitney Petersen (Mary from Savior of the World), her sisters and her mom.  Fun!  Then in my initiatory assignment,I met a girl from Florianopolis.  Her family is still there.  She’s going to tell them to look for Elder Robinson.!  More fun!  Bike ride at night 7.56 miles

Wednesday:  a Hollingsworth came to my initiatory booth. It was shocking; she looked just like Afton Perry. It was her mother from Preston, the ones with the Christmas lights on their farm. Ray met Brock’s father in law in his initiatory booth. 

Thursday:  our Arrival Center assignment went well, very mild.  At 6:15 Whittiers and Wilkersons came down to play Five Crowns, in memory of our Groberg’s neighbors who donated the game to us.  We ate waffles with berries and lemon whip cream. Knew you didn’t want to go forever without some food mentioned😁

Friday: we biked 7ish miles, the tracker wasn’t working. April came with Hana, Finn, and Rose on their way (an extra 2 hours) to their new home in Georgia.  Ray went around with them to Nauvoo interests—walked to the pioneer pastimes on Main Street, played, walked to the “dancing trees” where the young missionaries involved the audience in a welcome dance, then Rose kept asking about the wagon rides, so they were able to get on the next wagon ride around Old Nauvoo, then the children wanted to go back to pioneer pastimes where Hana, April and Ray walked on the stilts.  Then the group walked back to our apartment and refresh themselves with popsicles from Grandma and headed on to their new home. We went onto our temple service until 7:15 and after we joined Thurstons and Lewis couples for dinner at Hotel Nauvoo .  

Saturday:  we biked 7 plus miles.  I stepped on the scales twice because I couldn’t believe what I read—I’m down ten pounds!  It’s wonderful to get that bonus from exercising my knee. Served in the baptistry from 12:20-7:30. 

Sunday:  our friend, Jody came to Relief Society!  She didn’t stay for sacrament meeting but we were excited she came. She’s in our Sunday class so that was a bonus.  After church, a nap, and some food, we took the new couple, Favaro to “Love of the Savior” in the Visitors Center.  It was wonderful again.  Most of the performing missionaries know us now as they also see us in the temple.  We met a new ypm that knows Ava from pageant and we met a ypm that served in Japan and hopes to meet Dallin when he comes and speak a little Japanese with him.  

That’s our week. I know we are the children of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son in the flesh is our Savior and Redeemer and our Advocate, our cheerleader.  His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is restored today through the calling of Joseph Smith and successor prophets that received revelation for the specifics of our day as they see things we cannot see.  What a blessing is the plan of happiness!  Our posterity is our Joy!  We love you and pray morning and night that you will see the Lords hand in your life and seek Him daily through the scriptures and His called and ordained living prophets and apostles. Know the truths of the Family Proclamation. And recognize the challenges in life are not opportunities to bemoan our troubles but opportunities to look to Christ and become like Him.  Our struggles are blessings to help us know and feel and understand others so we can grow in forgiveness and love and compassion. We are doing our best and we know you are too.  Love mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, Teresa and Ray💕

June 10-16

Now there’s an interesting subject line😳

Monday I made bread, we shopped for groceries—I’m still riding the handicap machines. And later we biked 5.38 miles

Tuesday:  Have I received His image in my countenance?  A friend who served on my shift in the Bountiful Temple, Rachel Shaw showed up as I was on floor 4 and her family was seeing Nauvoo— 2 of her siblings are young performing missionaries this year and she was with her fiancé. I think they got engaged out here her sister told me later.  That was so surprising and fun. Another performing missionary came to do initiatories for her ancestors and , of course, I don’t visit with them then.  But she came and found me after she finished her time in the temple to tell me “thanks”. She really enjoyed my light in the temple service. 

We’ll, all that was the Lords tender mercy as I am so sad that our friends, the Groberg’s have decided to go home after just two months. The doctor they saw told them they needed to go as there are no doctors here to give him the help he needs.😢. Everyone in our house went to their apartment to hear the news and we played “Bank it” for their farewell.

Wednesday we worked from 7-1:30, had a snack in the break room and stayed to do initiatories for our ancestors at 2:00, then did a 2:15 endowment session and our good friend that we knew in Jerome was in the same session and came for dinner after we all finished.  We also rode our bike 6.3 miles after all that.

Thursday we served in the Arrival Center and after, we went to Fort Madison for dinner at Fort Colony. When we got home it was storming so NO bike ride😩

Friday Bike ride 6.3 miles, showered and went to the temple for our 12:50-9:15 shift. 

Saturday we had our second service at the Arrival Center. This baptistry group is taking turns serving in the Arrival Center. It was full of really young families, eating everywhere and crazy.  But in the morning we biked 6.7 miles. And we went to visit the four people whom the Bishop wants to attend our Sunday “Come Follow Me” class.

Sunday. Father’s Day. I cried through sacrament meeting.  A couple here is going to Frankfurt to serve a mission.  He sang during his talk:  “These Hands, these mighty hands”. It was —well, there aren’t words, but tears flowing tells how it felt.

After church, we fed Groberg’s and their son who came to take them to the airport, then drove their car packed all the way home.  Farewell meal and they drove off.  Then Steve and Michele Miller came for dinner after that.  They moved out here, had their records moved so they could serve in the temple.  They called the temple president and cleared it that they would be used but they are not missionaries so they don’t get included in all the fun.  They are really nice wonderful people and they live in Syracuse, Utah so we can get with them after the mission.  They got us tickets for the Sunday show at the visitors center, “Love of the Savior”. It’s worth seeing.  We’ll try to go again.  After they left, we had our family call. Thanks for taking time to gather once a month.  It’s magical for us just to see you on one screen and hear your voices.  We love each of you.  The church is where we learn to be like Jesus and we practice what we learn as we mingle with our family. This is JOY.  Love, Mom, Grandma, Teresa ray(the wind beneath my wings)

Sunday

Finding people and connections

Monday:  Met the Turners today at the Printing Offfice in old Nauvoo, a senior sites missionary couple from Ty’s branch in his mission where he is right now.  While there Ray found his great-great grandfathers name in the old newspaper saying he had mail.  Lewis and Thurston from Cedar City came to celebrate my Dads birthday with hamburgers and we played Chinese checkers and Fast Track. We visited the Sarah Granger Kimball house. 

Tuesday 5:50 am temple shift time. Two Robinson women came through my initiatory booth, saw my name tag and refer to me as cousin. After our temple shift, we rode our bike 3.88 miles and half of that was without power assist as we ran out of batteries.  We went out later after we plugged in the bike to power and down the road we saw my second cousin, Stephen and Renee Packer visiting with another couple from the temple.  We whirled around and had a nice visit.

Wednesday:  a sister caught me after her endowment session as I was stationed near the clothing and asked where I was from.  Bountiful, Utah. Do you know a Ray Robinson?  She was in the family cast back some years and knew all the Ray and Julie Robinson’s. She lives out here now with her husband going to medical school.  After our temple shift, we ate and drove to Fort Madison to Lily nails to have my acrylic fill-in and that was different than anything I have done. But it is so nice to have my nails done so the one I took the box cutter to when I was first time pregnant doesn’t get caught on everything anymore ;and came home to bike 5.68 miles

Thursday:  baptismal arrival center is our assignment 7:00 am- 1 pm.  While doing our work at the Arrival Center a young man came in looking for his wife and found us.  “You’re Andrew’s parents!”  It was a friend of Andrew’s from Preston, Zack Roper. We processed over 100 people who wanted to do baptisms for the deceased.  We ate at LOCK 19 after the temple. I had loaded fries (2 burgers, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, sauce over fries.  That was fun and different.  That night Groberg’s wanted to teach us how to play 5 Crowns. That was fun;  but they are always delightful to be with. 

Friday:  exercised first, bike ride 5 miles and shower etc for temple from 12:50-7:15 with us leading the 5:15 endowment session.  I was outside the chapel door with the people counter and a couple came up to me, “Aren’t you Nathan’s mom?  They were our neighbors in Texas.  Didn’t you come with the new babies?  Their daughter was with them preparing to leave for her mission, she is in between Ellie and Ava.  “. They are the Maxwells from Humble, Texas. It was a fun week. 

Saturday we rode 5.8 miles.  We were assigned to the Arrival Center again.  12:50-7:00 pm. Kids come in from Arizona and always know the Porter Brothers (Michelle and Dennis family and of course, I brag that I am their Aunt😇

It was a little strange because we have showers in the center for those who do baptisms. But some men 25-35 ish had been on a long bike ride, at least six came in and used the showers.  I was a little uncomfortable because we have youth using the dressing rooms and shower.  These were just bikers. We’ll, anyway, it was interestingly uncomfortable.

Sunday we were able to watch Janes mission farewell and Emma’s piano after our church services.  Janes talk gave me reason to repent (change) to do better in my relationship building with my Heavenly Father and with Jesus Christ and with each family member.  Talking with and listening to and serving are key to this development.  I hope I got it right Jane.  We ate dinner at Groberg’s after Janes farewell so while we missed all the family and food, we weren’t totally without a good time.

And my last treat to report:   A sister from the Czech Republic came to my initiatory booth and was so full of the Spirit.  She found me later in the Celestial room and gave me a hug and said, “I was so full of the Spirit.” And hugged me again.  

It was a great week in the Nauvoo temple mission!

Last week of May

Thanks to Raymond’s family for mowing the lawn in Bountiful!  So much to take care of when we leave.

On Mondays, I wash, make some kind of bread: sourdough, crumpets, naan, whatever is going to work for the week. There’s our food😂. Of course our bike ride and exercises and icing my knee and also soaking it. It takes a lot of time to take care of myself😘. But we managed to see a production at the Visitors Center where we were able to see “Remembering Joseph”. It was a fun, light show with quotes from different people.

Tuesday morning is the hardest, 4:30 wake-up, then arrive at the temple at 6:05 but this day, we were to arrive and be dressed in white for temple arrivals by 5:30.  We were at the temple by 4:50–yep. Before security even.  I went up the stairs and tried all the doors—locked. Security came around 5:00 and took us around the side to get in.  Overachievers!  By 7:30 Ray had a heart episode and the workers came and took me to the first aid room where Ray was laying down all white and sweaty.  After an hour, he took his pill and drank some water and we resume our duties.  by afternoon, we rode our bike 5 miles.

Wednesday we were assigned as endowment leaders for an 8:15 session.  Thanks Sarah for the turtleneck and sweater. Endowment rooms are miserably cold for me so the extra warmth provided was a lifesaver.  In the evening we rode our 5 miles.

Thursday brought some relief and surprise.  We are assigned the Arrival Center on that morning so we go to our baptistry meeting and then to the center in our Sunday clothes.  We received over 50 youth to scan and give cards to and prepare them to go over to the temple.  Ray walks them over.  It was a little challenging as they had just poured cement that morning in front of the center.  After all but two girls had toured and gone to the temple; there were 8 girls , two nonmembers, whom they requested us to talk to them about the temple.  It was an amazing missionary experience.  We were confident the Lord would have us say what He wanted so we just let Him fill our mouths with testimony, as we talked back and forth and ask if they had any questions.  The one question was given:  what if your parents get divorced?  

After our assignment, we went to Quincy, an hours drive to Culver’s.  And in the evening a 5 mile bike ride.  

Friday I was assigned LN, laundry.  I know what you’re thinking but it is quite fun.  I learn how to fold temple clothes—this time it was the new veils.  Another assignment was CLR:  clothing register but I was alone and people came 8 at a time.  President Kooyman came by and saw that I was alone and brought in two sisters to help .  Whew…. Still a 5 mile bike ride after the temple.

Saturday, June 1st. Thanks to everyone who remember my dad for his birthday.  Thanks charity for making maple nut ice cream and hamburgers.  Still just 5 miles on the bike

Sunday we were filled. We started teaching a class for adults with challenges.  It turned out great!  We missed the blessing of Gunnar which was a big disappointment but we were delighted that Allreds invited Raymond to ordain Dave a high councilman and delighted that he was so honored to leave stake conference and drive four hours.  This is what families are about. We also had two couples by assignment for break the fast for dinner and we were the hosts.  I made Swiss steak. They were impressed with our grass fed beef all the way from Preston Idaho. Thanks Allreds. It was Elder and sister Schultz and elder and sister Little.  

Mosiah 23:7…ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not 

esteem himself above another…

So thankful to have this opportunity to serve and the dear friends we are making and serving with.  I love each and all of you!  Mom, grandma, Teresa