I hesitate to put this title but it has been a week of feeling so personally cared for by tender mercies
Monday, September 16: the bike rides are so enjoyable around Nauvoo, the weather is always perfect for me, the bike is quiet and just being with my eternal companion is comfortable. We rode 9.12 miles. After I packed one box for home; Ray wiped down the outside of the kitchen cupboards in preparation for check out. And I made my last 2024 fresh pico de gallo from those residents who have gardens, mostly Sister Carroll and Sister McLane. We went to Montgomery as Ray had been wanting to go there. It is the first night camp out for the early saints as they were exiting for the west—a direction, not a destination—not knowing where they were going. It was a lovely ride but not much in recognition there—a small road sign that said Mormon trail and there was before the sign an old wooden covered area. At 5:00 we were invited to Sister Tau fu Lou’s round home by the river with some other couples, six couples and Sister Mills. We met and drove in 3 cars so there was room to park. This was amazing. She makes musical instruments—harps, banjos, guitars, ukuleles, lyres, mandolins, sitars, dulcimers, ….she married a Tongan man who has since passed on and she is actually a haoli but she laughs and is fun like the islanders. Her husband taught at the Church College of Hawaii. I wish I could remember everything she showed us, everything she said…she needs to be on BYUtv Artful. She had made homemade bread for us in cans. She sews out of a dreamworld. Her children went to Kahuuku so we connected on that. I can’t say enough about the rewarding experience of this night. She’s a convert to the church.
Tuesday: our usual early morning arrival, 6 am, I was scheduled in clothing register and guess who shows up—Ryan Barton and a cute girl that looks like his sister, Sarah. It was so much fun, just not long enough but the girl did introduce herself as Ryan’s girlfriend. For those who don’t know, Ryan and Andrew are a week apart in age and our families have been friends since Preston.
We rode our bike after our shift 8.36 miles and purchased some turtle chocolate from the Fudge Factory. One was enough to satisfy my sweet craving and also enough to make me wheeze; I haven’t had much in the way of treats.
Wednesday: 7 am temple, that one hour makes a big difference. In the celestial room where I was assigned a family of siblings and the mom came in from Preston. I don’t remember the last name but one of the daughters was married to a Peterborg and she had worked for Dr. Larry at one time. That was a fun connection. After our shift, we ate a lunch I had prepared for us in the break room and then we did an endowment session. I have a family of siblings, parents, and grandparents that I have been working on from baptism all the way through so I’m getting excited to finish all the endowments so I can get them all sealed as a family; they are from England, third cousins twice removed. After our session, we rode our bike 7 plus miles, we turned off the counter when we stopped to watch the performing missionaries perform “Sunset by the Mississippi”, a fast paced singing and dancing and instrumental show. We met the Larsons from Lindon, fun couple, they wanted to know about serving a senior couple mission. They were lucky it was getting dark and we were on our bike without lights so we couldn’t say all we wanted to say.
Thursday: ray had to be at the temple at 6:45 am. Stayed for lunch in break room again so we could do endowments, as I am working on two families. We were able to get the baptisms and confirmations done on the last two siblings and miraculously were able to get the anointing done and two more endowments, 4 more to go in this family, also 3rd cousins. Goal: to seal both families next week.
Friday: we had afternoon shift so we rode the bike in the morning 8.76 miles. My knee has been pretty rough since last Tuesday, the 10th as I was assigned the baptistry for the entire shift with one other sister, who didn’t come because she was sick (everyone has been sick except us). So I was the only female in baptistry to do the clothing, go up and down the font steps 3 different times, squeegee the floors, pull the wet suits, towels, rugs into the laundry. So…yes, I requested not to be in the baptistry at all. So far so good. It it has been a big set back.
Ruth and Dave Thompson came to see us since they are going on a cruise and won’t be back until we are gone, such dear friends. We had afternoon shift. Ray was in the dressing room position and I was at clothing, so we got to see them right off and they completed two of our endowments because they left without their names and offered to do some of ours👍🥰. I had dinner ready to put in the oven so they went to our apartment and had dinner ready for us when we got home at 7:30 pm.
Saturday: bike ride 8.81 miles. Made a big breakfast for Thompson—10 scrambled eggs with cheese, a package of sausages, homemade crumpets with lemon curd and juice. It was all ready and I called and Dave was sick. So we have lunches ready for next week😭. Temple was wonderful again. During our shift, I got to do a personal endowment session besides Ray and I were the endowment session leaders. A brother asked me to help his wife during the session and we also had another sister with a walker. It was a wonderful session, so much appreciation was felt. A sister came up to me behind the recommend desk and gave me the biggest hug and said, “I have never been in such a warm, loving place and so personal. Please tell everyone what a wonderful experience I had!”
We got home at 5:00 and found a sack of green apples hanging on our door. Ate and waited for the BYU/Kansas St game at 8:30. I listened on my phone and you can imagine, I was too tired and fell asleep! Woke up in third quarter and then Ray and I sat in the chairs and listened then watched highlights on BYU tv after. Wow! Four wins!
Sunday: first day of autumn, it rained in the night. Church was a delight. Made an apple crisp for coming back to eat. Then we went to “Our Saviors Love” performance in the visitors center at 2:00. We always come from that feeling so reverent and warm, loved and recharged to become more than we are. I hope you are all feeling the Savior’s love and ours.
