LOOK TO THE STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ December 24th, 2016

   One of my favorite elements of Christmas are STARS.  Whether they are on the homemade wreath hanging on our little missionary apartment door or on the top of the giant Christmas Tree in the Nauvoo Visitors Center or gleaming in the dark night sky, STARS are truly beautiful and amazing. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a "STAR" as: 1) A natural luminous body visible in the night sky; 2) A conventional figure with five or more points; 3) A person or thing that is preeminent in a particular field.
In our blog today we invite you to "Look To The Stars" that surround us here in Nauvoo this Christmas Eve Day, 2016.  

   One of the STARS around this area is the Mississippi River.  We live about a mile east of that amazing river which has a perfect viewing area right at the end of Parley's Street, the actual street where we live.  On November 6th, two weeks after we arrived in Nauvoo, I took a beautiful photo of this river which was freely flowing in the reflective glow of the sunrise.  On Monday this week, December 19th, I took another picture of The Mississippi from that same spot.  Instead of  glowing in a brilliant sunrise, that big river is now frozen and white and cold!  In just a week's time, temperatures plunged to -6 degrees with windchill factor in the -20 degree range.  We could hardly imagine this unbelievable transformation which had suddenly occurred.  The frozen river is a stunning sight to behold. It practically took our breathe away the first time we viewed it!  Please see the pictures below to help you understand what I have tried to explain, for a picture truly is worth a 1,000 words..  

   We have tried to envision how the pioneers ever walked across the frozen Mississippi during the Winter of 1846 when they were driven from their homes by angry mobs. Last week when our temperatures were sub zero here in Nauvoo, we were cold to the bone even though we were wearing our warm coats, gloves, scarves and boots as we stood next to the frozen river to take these pictures.   When the pioneers took their walk down Parley Street, The Trail of Hope, ultimately walking across the frozen Mississippi, they had none of the modern apparel we have to keep them warm.  Our appreciation for them has increased ten-fold through these chilling experiences in regards to all the hardships which they were forced to endure. 

    The main STAR of Nauvoo is the historic Nauvoo Temple.  We have also watched the Temple's exterior surroundings become transformed from a Fall scene to a Winter Wonderland.  We are blessed as Temple Missionaries to spend much of our days each week inside this beautiful, sacred House of The Lord.  The good news is that the weather is always perfect inside the Temple!  When things are gloomy outside, the sun, and The Son, always shine inside the Temple through the patrons who come to worship and the wonderful missionaries who serve with us there.  

     Speaking of STARS, "Beautiful inverted star stained glass windows adorn the top of the Nauvoo Temple.  They have a meaningful history dating back to the early Christian church.  Known as the 'Morning Star' in Revelations 22:16, it is a symbol of Jesus Christ. When the actual Morning Star's (Venus) orbit is tracked each morning it creates a mathematically perfect inverted five-point star. Unlike the large, intricate stained glass inverted stars found in the famous Cathedrals, the early Latter-day Saints had only the means to gather enough materials for a humble three color inverted star window: red, white, and blue. Though simple in design, and mocked in a nearby paper as a 'pitiful attempt' the inverted stars were a wonderful delight to those who saw them back lit each night. When the Nauvoo Temple was rebuilt in 2002, President Gordon B. Hinckley determined that the three-color stained glass window would once again adorn the Temple. The beautiful Morning Star windows again glow at night as they once did and remind us of the sacrifice of those early pioneers who loved the Lord."("History of the Nauvoo Temple Star", templehousegallery.com). I fell in love with these beautiful Morning Star windows from the first moment we arrived in Nauvoo. On days when the sun shines, the red, white, and blue colors from these windows are reflected on the walls and stairways inside the Temple. Soooo Beautiful!!!! Those star shapes are magical and bring a warm, inviting feeling to all those who witness this exciting display of light.  

    One thing we noticed when we first came to Nauvoo was the glorious night sky with its endless number of STARS. Coming from a city setting, we weren't used to seeing such an amazing array of stars each night. It is an incredible sight which testifies boldly of The Creator of all things, JESUS CHRIST. "Under the direction of His Father He was the creator of the earth.  'All things were made by Him, and without Him, was not any thing made, that was made.'(John 1:3)". ("The Living Christ, Testimony of the Apostles", LDS.ORG). Jesus is the LIGHT and HOPE of the world and the true STAR of all things! HE created the mighty rivers and the endless shining stars in the Heavens, and   you and me.  HE IS The STAR  of Christmas and of  Easter and every other day, too.  It is Christmas this weekend here in Nauvoo and in all the Christian world. We" Look TO THE STAR", Jesus Christ, and know that Sweet Baby Jesus grew up to be our Savior and Redeemer. He gave His life through The Atonement so that each one of us can live with Him and with our Heavenly Father and with our families and loved ones forever.

                                              

                             

   STARS WERE GLEAMING
(LDS Children's Songbook, pg.37)

Stars were gleaming, shepherds dreaming;
And the night was dark and chill.
Angels' story rang with glory;
Shepherds heard it on the hill.
Ah, that singing!  Hear it ringing,
Earthward winging, Christmas bringing!
Hearken! We can hear it still!

See the clearness and the nearness
Of the blessed Christmas STAR,
Leading, guiding; wise men riding
Through the desert dark and far.
Lovely showing, shining, growing,
Onward going, gleamimg, glowing,
Leading still, our CHRISTMAS STAR!


   Christmas Blessings and Love to all of you everyday throughout the New Year!
 
       Elder Martin Peterson and Sister Noreen Peterson in Nauvoo

    

We'll Be HOME for CHRISTMAS! December 13, 2016

   What a sweet assurance it is to know that you are HOME for CHRISTMAS even though you really aren't.  Home truly is a feeling more than it is a place or stuff.  Although we miss being back home sharing special Christmas activities and special events with our children and grandchildren, we feel of their love and prayers and support every day.  This week we received a fun set of Christmas letters from some of them who thought we might be homesick for Christmas back home.  One 9 year old granddaughter mailed each of us a dollar bill as her Christmas gift to us.  Their sweet sentiments were so touching!  Children are one of the necessary elements of Christmas. After all, it was a tiny Baby in Bethlehem who is The Reason for this Special Season.  We are grateful for all of our little and not so little children and grandchildren everywhere!  We want all of you to know that when we walk through our apartment door after serving our shifts at the temple, we both say, "We are home!"

   There have been some fun and exciting activities to get us in the Christmas spirit.  Last weekend we attended the annual Christmas Tree Lightening program in the Visitors' Center in Old Nauvoo.  There was even a little band Christmas concert put on by the local High School.  All the kids in the band wore Santa hats.  We could picture all of our grandchildren who play instruments all over the country performing in these similar settings.  Music brings joy to the Christmas season!  There was also a live nativity portrayed by the site missionaries.  The Christmas tree is big and beautiful and we had our picture taken by it since we consider it our tree for this Christmas.  We also went on a wagon ride which included caroling and ended at the Family Living Center with hot chocolate and cookies.  All the streets of Old Nauvoo were lined with luminaries and looked so peaceful.  We were blessed with beautiful weather that night!

   Well, we were blessed with beautiful weather on Friday, Dec. 2nd, however, on Sunday, Dec. 4th our first snow storm arrived with power and powder!  We were blessed with about 5 inches of snow in a matter of a few hours.  This decorated the temple grounds to look like an old fashioned Christmas card.  Unfortunately, it snowed on the roads, too, not just on the temple grounds!  It made traveling to church in both directions very treacherous. Our Temple President and his wife, President and Sister Irion, were with us on that scary drive.  We were blessed to make it safely home for which we were most grateful!!!

    We have been assigned to travel to a little town in Iowa called Mt. Pleasant  to attend church each week during our 12 month mission.  Each temple missionary couple is assigned to a unit which needs extra support, much like the 6 years we served in the Salt Lake Inner City Mission..  Our little branch averages about 50 members on a good day. The drive for us takes an hour each way.  Some of the missionaries travel over 2 hours to their assigned unit.  Although we have only been going there a few weeks, it is beginning to feel like our home on Sunday mornings. The Mt. Pleasant Branch also has a set of young sister missionaries.  They are Spanish speaking and this Branch has several Spanish speaking members.  They sing the hymns in both Spanish and English at the same time and always have someone translating the lessons and talks in the background.  This past Sunday in Sacrament Meeting it was especially touching as a mother gave her Christmas message in Spanish and her young adult son simultaneously translated her words into English standing by her side.

   One thing that makes Nauvoo seem like home are the kind and welcoming friends we are making who also serve as Temple Missionaries.  On Dec. 4th we were assigned to host one of the Break the Fast dinners at our home with 3 other couples, the Vintons, the Thompsons, and the Mabeys. It was so fun to get to know them and to share our home with them.  Other couples have included us in their dinner plans, too.  Last night, Dec. 12th, for Family Home Evening all of the missionaries gathered for a fun evening of music and treats.  We were all assigned  to make instruments and then we performed a song featuring all of them.  Our group played cymbals, actually metal  pie plates. Afterward, President and Sister Irion had 2 sets of pipe chimes and we all took turns playing and singing  Christmas carols  with chimes.  It was a very festive way to bring more joy to all of us who are away from our families during the holidays.  President Irion gave a brief message about that very topic, reminding us that we are each others family this Christmas. We are blessed to be part of the Nauvoo Temple Missionary Family which is a big reason that we feel like we truly are Home for Christmas this year.

     The other thing which makes Nauvoo seem like home is our opportunity to spend so many days of the week within the Nauvoo Temple serving the patrons and The Lord.  The spirit in the temple is always sweet and peaceable.  People are kind and appreciative for everything you do.  This past Saturday, Dec. 10th, my cousin's wife, Kendra Severinsen, who lives in Fremont, California, came to the Nauvoo Temple to be with her sister, Kathy who lives in Missouri while she was sealed to her husband.  It happened that Brother Peterson was asked to be the sealer for them for their special occasion.  We love serving here and receiving the blessings of having a White Christmas everyday in His Holy Temple, The House of The Lord.  This brings the true meaning of Christmas to us everyday through the love of the Lord, the love of His children, and the blessings of the temple.  When we are in the temple, we are HOME .

    Please know that we will be HOME for CHRISTMAS and we send our love to all of you at this special season of LOVE and HOPE and PEACE!  

Elder and Sister Peterson in Nauvoo

"Make New Friends, But Keep The Old...." November 30, 2016

   
   When I was in 2nd grade, I was a Brownie in the Girl Scouts. Though only 8 years old, I clearly remember one of the songs we sang way back then whose simple lyrics were sung in a round:
 "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other's gold."
This sums up the past 6 weeks of our life as we have been serving our mission here in Nauvoo. One aspect of this mission that makes life so enjoyable are all the wonderful new friends we have met. There are about 40 of us serving as Nauvoo Temple Missionaries at this time from all over the country.  Each has a story and each has willingly come ready and willing to serve the Lord. There are also about 150 Site Missionaries serving in Historic Old Nauvoo.  For Thanksgiving Day, the Site Missionaries hosted a Thanksgiving feast and invited our Temple Missionaries to join with them. They held the event in the Pageant Headquarters Building which is just a couple miles beyond downtown Nauvoo.  I use that word "downtown" very loosely.  It is a very small place!!!!  The dinner was very nice and we enjoyed being surrounded by our friends.  However, the smell of turkey and all the fixings was sorely missed in our little home here and so was our family!  We were blessed to be able to talk to all of our children and many of our grandchildren over Thanksgiving. They are the true blessings for which we are constantly grateful.  We are thankful for modern communication and how we can not only talk to our family, but see them, too!
 
    For many many years, the Monday following Thanksgiving was when we would set up our family's donations to Festival of The Trees to benefit Primary Children's Hospital.  Most years, that included a large Gingerbread House for the Gingerbread Village which was always a favorite of our grandchildren. In keeping with that sweet tradition in a much smaller way, this past weekend following Thanksgiving, 4 of our new friends and neighbors gathered and made little Gingerbread Houses to bring in a little Christmas magic.  We had a great time and the end results were fabulous! The husbands hung out next door while the women created their candy houses.  Afterward, one of the husbands, Elder Cordova, made and served a spaghetti dinner to all 8 of us. "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other's gold!"

   Now that the temple has reopened after its 2 week cleaning, we are back serving in the temple nearly everyday which is where we have met so many new friends, both fellow missionaries and patrons, some from miles away and others who are local residence.  We are constantly amazed at the people who come and drive for up to 3 hours each way to serve for 2 hours.  Also, there are those who come with difficult physical challenges who are there on a regular basis, some of them even come daily. In our spare time, we try to get up energy so we are prepared to serve the next day.  We serve on Tuesday PM, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday AM, and on Thursday we serve on both the AM and PM shifts  with a 3 hour break between the 2 shifts.  Our commute to the temple is 2 minutes and we really love our little home away from home.  It is interesting how quickly you can feel at home in a new spot.  When we walk in the door of our little apartment, we are "home" and we like it a lot and feel very blessed to live here.

   Monday is our P-Day when we do laundry, go grocery shopping, and explore fun places.  We never realized we would spend so much time in Iowa, however practically everything we do outside of Nauvoo, Illinois seems to be across the Mississippi River into Iowa.  We are doing our part to support their tax base over there in Iowa each week!  For our P-Day outing this week, we drove with our next door neighbors, the Cordovas, back to Cantril, Iowa to shop at the Dutchman's General Store.  That store is so amazing.  As we said in an earlier post, it is an Amish store run by the Mennonites. Their cheese is the best ever and their prices make the drive well worth while.  As we entered the store this week, there were boxes of every kind of apple you can imagine and some of them  we had never even heard of.  Regardless of the kind, all the apples were 49 cents a pound.  We chose one of every kind to try.  They smelled like a fresh apple orchard!  We had a wonderful time with our new friends.  This will not be the last time we journey off to Cantril, Iowa  you can be assured! We do enjoy our P-Day adventures and exploring what is beyond the miles of endless farm land.

  Serving in the Nauvoo Temple gives a Temple Missionary some assignments where you sit at various posts and direct the patrons who attend the temple according to their needs.  When no patrons are in that area, you are free to read and study the scriptures.  Since we are serving in a Church History area, I decided to begin by reading the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the 4 standard works, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth.  Although most of the sections are directed to members of The Church, the messages, warnings, and exhortations are for the benefit of all mankind..." (D&C, Introduction) While reading one day during a temple shift, I came across a scripture found in D&C 19:26 that spoke loudly to me, "Thou shalt not covet thine own property.....". I have thought about this scripture and how it applies to our current season of life as we serve our full time temple mission.  We left our family and our home and our bed and our possessions and our friends and our life back in South Jordan, Utah to come fulfill our calling.  It is not a sacrifice, instead it is a blessing and a privilege to serve here.   We do not yearn for those things we left behind to come here.  We know that everything we have been given truly belongs to The Lord, not to us.  We do "not covet thine own property" and that is a great discovery that will continue to bless us long after our 12 month mission has ended.

    We send our love to all of you, whether you are old friends or new friends, for we truly know that "one is silver and the other's gold."

"Live In Thanksgiving Daily" November 19, 2016

   With the Thanksgiving season upon us, we were very touched when we came across a very profound sign this week which read, "Gratitude Turns What We Have Into Enough". It was located in the "Dutchman's Store" in Cantril, Iowa.  This is an Amish store operated by the Mennonites.  It was simply amazing! (Visit dutchmansstore.com for more information) To get there, we traveled about an hour and 15 minutes from our Nauvoo home last Saturday with our next door fellow Temple Missionaries, Elder Tom and Sister Bev Cordova, where we had a very memorable experience.  This store featured fabric, groceries, local produce, cheese galore, kitchen wares, books, clothing and anything else you can imagine.  If you are ever find yourself in Cantril, Iowa, plan on scheduling a few hours to roam around this delightful "old time general store". Be sure to eat one of their special made to order Submarine Sandwiches. We finished our delicious lunch off with a freshly made Caramel Doughnut brought in by a local bakery.  We also loved seeing the horse drawn buggies traveling in their own lanes along the meandering farm roads surrounding the store.  The whole setting reflected the simpler life, offering very tranquil feelings inspite of the crowds in the store. There are huge farms every direction you turn in this part of the country, both in Illinois and Iowa. Since we have spent our life in the city, it is quite a change from what we are used to, however, we are finding that we actually like it alot.   

   Another fascinating discovery we have had since our last post was visiting the 2 lots that James Allred owned when he lived in Old Nauvoo.  As mentioned in our first post, he is the 3rd great grandfather of  Elder Peterson.  It turns out that we are living literally diagonally across the street from one of his properties and 2 blocks from his other property.  One of the pictures will show James Allred's land closest to us with his 3rd great grandson standing in the middle of it!  Each day now as we look out our window and see his land, we experience greater gratitude for the sacrifices of our pioneer forefathers.  It is very humbling as we live in this comfortable, modern warm apartment and reflect on how life was back in the 1800's.  

     Speaking of the early pioneers of Nauvoo, for our "Trail of Hope" feature in today's blog we would like to pay tribute to Patty Sessions.  She and her husband, David Sessions, lived in a small log house which has been rebuilt and is shown in the pictures below.  "Her husband answered several calls to missionary service.  She was affectionately known as 'Mother Sessions', having received the charge from the Prophet Joseph to serve as a doctor and midwife for women.  Utilizing her numerous skills and her compassionate nature, Patty nurtured young and old with extraordinary humanitarian efforts. Gifted in spiritual matters, she served with the founding sisters of the Relief Society, assisted in the temple and expressed as her 'greatest desire to live my religion, trust in God and follow the Prophet.' Mother Sessions delivered over 4,000 babies during her lifetime."  We owe a great debt of gratitude to Patty Sessions and her dedicated selfless service  and example throughout her whole life. Her greatest desires are also the ones we profess,  both  as we serve our misson here in Nauvoo and in our everyday circumstances, "To live my religion, trust in God, and follow the Prophet." 

     Our most recent church history adventure this week was a visit to Carthage Jail in Carthage, Illinois. This is the site of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith by a mob, June 27th, 1844. "The jail was used for about 25 years and then became a private residence. To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Martyrdom in 1994, the jail was restored to its appearance at the time of Joseph and Hyrum's death." Joseph Smith is recorded saying, "On my part, I am ready to be offered up a sacrifice in that way that can bring to pass the greatest benefit and good to those who must necessarily be interested in this important matter."  (History of the Church, 5:159.)  At Carthage Jail, the spirit was strong and the purpose eternal as we stood on that sweet sacred ground. We look forward to the day wherein we are blessed to personally thank both the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum for their sacrifice and love of God in behalf of all of us. We feel blessed to be there and to reflect upon the depth of their devotion that blesses all of us each new day.  

     In the Book of Mormon, Alma 34:38, we read, "Live in thanksgiving daily for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."  As we pray each day and each night, all year long, we humbly give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all the many mercies and blessings we have received in our life and continue to receive here in Nauvoo.  Our temple has been closed for cleaning the past 2 weeks and we eagerly look forward to resuming our service within that beautiful Nauvoo Temple this next week. As we do so, our conviction and appreciation is deeper for the pioneers and their sacrifices due to the experiences we have enjoyed the past 2 weeks through getting more familiar with this special area.  We count our blessings each day and we want our family and friends to always remember that we love you and that we both have very grateful hearts for God's continual goodness to us.  We know without a doubt that what we have is truly enough!

"Trail of Hope" November 10, 2016

   The Nauvoo Temple is closed for cleaning this week and next so we are using our time to explore the beauty surrounding us here in our new "neighborhood".  We are amazed each day over what we discover.  We live on Parley's Street which is also referred to as "The Trail of Hope."  The name came from the HOPE the pioneer's held as they were driven from their homes in February, 1846, in the depth of Winter, crossing the frozen Mississippi River, heading by wagon or by foot seeking for refuge and peace and religious freedom. They journeyed through the unknown wilderness, placing their full faith and trust in God, en route to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Ironically, that is where we left our home to come serve our Nauvoo Temple Mission. We traveled by car and thought the trip was long! 

   One lovely Fall morning this week,  we walked their path down Parley's Street and gazed across the Mississipppi River. The "Trail of Hope" is lined with various quotes from those who made the trek and you can practically hear their desperate expressions as they departed their beloved Nauvoo. Over the next few weeks we will share some of these with you in pictures we include in our blogs. Today's quote speaks of the saints looking back at the temple as they walked away. This particular morning as we walked in their footsteps, the fog was settled along the ground about 3 feet in depth. We glanced back to see the magnificent Nauvoo Temple and took a picture to record approximately the view they saw during their exodus. It was a sobering thought and a mystical sight to behold.  We already have gained a much deeper appreciation for the sacrifices our pioneer ancestors made so that we could have the blessings of the Gospel today.

   Yesterday, we drove on a well constructed modern bridge that connects Illinois and Iowa, crossing the Mississippi River and then driving to the small town of Montrose where the early Nauvoo saints first arrived after crossing the frozen river. There is a Pioneer Trail Memorial there and we looked across the vast river to see the tiny temple on the hill.  It looked like a Lego building from that vantage point. Once again, we were silenced by what they must have felt looking across that frozen expanse to the temple and to their homes which they would never see again.  

   On a more uplifting note, Fall is simply beautiful in Nauvoo!!! Unfortunately for colorblind people, it isn't as stunning.  There are golden trees and piles of red and gold leaves everywhere you look. When the sun shines through the trees, they literally glow. We took a carriage ride through the far edges of Nauvoo and saw deer hiding in the bushes. We have seen several deer just wandering through the grassy areas around where we live. We were told by the carriage driver that the deer are coming up here because it is deer hunting season along the river's edge.  The horses that pulled our carriage weighed 2,000 pounds each.  They are huge!  We are glad we don't have to help take care of the horses and oxen they have here, however they are fun to see.  

   We celebrated Elder Peterson's (better known as Dad, Grandpa Pete, and other fond names) birthday this past weekend. The highlight of the day was reading out loud the 70 sweet and humorous and loving comments each of our family members wrote for him in his birthday envelope at our pre mission departure family gathering in October!  Also, he enjoyed several phone calls and pictures and cards which brightened his day.  Thank you for making his birthday more special!  We had 2 of our fellow missionary couples over for a chocolate toffee cake and ice cream. After serving that day in the temple, we had dinner at a little Mexican restaurant called El Camino in Hamilton which is about 15 minutes from here. He will never forget his birthday in Nauvoo or what he ate for dinner that day! 

   Here are a few interesting facts about Old Nauvoo:

1.  At its peak, Nauvoo was home to 12,000 people.
2.  Nauvoo's population today is 1,100
3.  15,000-16,000 Saints in Iowa and Illinois combined were eligible to join the migration.
4.  About 2,500 wagons traveled with 6 people per wagon- 2 children counted as one adult
5.  3,285 families were organized for the trek
6.  There were about 800 more families than wagons in the exodus.

   What a blessing it is to be part of the sacred, sweet spirit of this area.  We send our love to all of you and testify that the Lord is truly in charge of the world and He  has prepared a way for each of us to return to the presence of Our Father one bright day.  He loves all of His children and He wants all of them back with Him. We are grateful for the blessings of the temple! 

WE LOVE YOU!

                                                                 Elder Peterson
                                                                  November 5th

                                     

"Eyes Westward"

Brigham Young and Joseph Smith 

Looking west across the Mississippi River

                                                

                                            View looking  to Nauvoo from Montrose, Iowa
                                      
                                      

                                                                   Fall in Nauvoo

 

                                          Our apartment building is patterned after the
                                          Tinsmith building in Old Nauvoo. There are 24
                                          red brick buildings here which include 60
                                          apartments that were built in 2002 at the same
                                          time the new Nauvoo Temple was built.

                                          An original Sunstone from the  Old Nauvoo Temple
                                                 located in the Nauvoo Visitor's Center.

  

Welcome to Nauvoo! November 2, 2016

   Having received our mission call to the Nauvoo Illinois Temple 6 months previously, we were very excited to finally fulfill our long awaited plan. Beginning October 18th, 2016, we spent 3 days training in the sweet, sacred setting of the Salt Lake Temple as a prelude and preparation to our Nauvoo assignment. It was inspiring and uplifting as we learned along with 30 other couples who would also be serving as Full-Time Senior Missionaries in various temples around the world.  It fortified our conviction and love concerning the blessings of the temple, inspiring us to steadfastly serve for the next 12 months.

   We began our drive to Nauvoo on Friday, October 21st, with our trusty Chevy Trailblazer loaded to the max with our "year's supply" of household and personal items, bidding our home farewell.  We drove by way of the Colorado Rockies, being blessed with beautiful, dry Fall weather, marveling at the 11,900 foot summit, ending our 1st day's drive in Denver, Colorado. Driving on day 2 wasn't as lovely, encountering strong winds and miles of tumble weeds and empty plains. We passed the time listening to Glen Rawson CD's telling pioneer stories, hardships, and miracles.  It made our challenges seem minimal to say the least! We stayed in Overland Park, Kansas, driving on to Hannibal, Missouri on Sunday.  Our travel to Nauvoo finally ended after 1,350 miles as we wended our way along the Mississippi River, Monday morning, October 24th.  Spotting the Nauvoo Temple in the distance, our hearts rejoiced!

   Our first stop in Nauvoo was at the home of the Nauvoo Temple President, President James McArthur.  Ironically, a moving van was loading their household items because they are being released in 2 weeks.  President McArthur called our mentor couple, Elder and Sister Massey, who have assisted us with questions throughout the past 6 months since we received our call.  President McArthur and the Massey's took us to our new home, 865 Parley Street #2, and helped us unload the   car.  President McArthur told us that he had never seen anyone fit so much into one car!  We were shocked and amazed over how nice our apartment is!  It has a red brick exterior to look like a pioneer Nauvoo dwelling, and a lovely modern interior. Each missionary apartment has identical furnishings and identical pictures on the walls.  It is interesting!  Over the next 3 days, we spent our free time organizing and making lists and shopping for what we needed to get set up.  The end results are wonderful!  We instantly felt at home here and had neighbors bringing supplies and encouragement.

   On Tuesday, the day after our arrival, President McArthur invited us to attend the 9 AM temple session, after which we met with him in his office and he set us apart as full-time Temple Missionaries in the Nauvoo Illinois Temple. It was a sweet experience.  Wednesday and Thursday we were assigned couples, the Burns and the Drostes,  to show us around, to mentor us, and to teach us about serving in this historic temple.  Friday and Saturday we were assigned to serve on regular shifts.  During the preparation meeting on Friday, President McArthur announced that he had received a letter from President Monson's office stating that Brother Peterson's sealing power had been instated in the Nauvoo Temple which will be a great blessing for us.  We love the spirit in this beautiful temple.  Being there serving everyday puts a much purer focus on our lives.

   Saturday night there was a huge celebration for Halloween.  People came from miles around and filled the streets.  We didn't know that many people even lived around here!  It looked like a scene out of a movie set.  There were over 1,000 pumpkins of various sizes carved and lighted along Mulholland, the Main Street of Nauvoo.  There was a costume parade, trick or treating, singing and a flash dance.  You could hardly move through the crowds, but the whole thing was very fun.  We walked up there with the Masseys, our mentor couple.

   Our first Sunday here we attended the Nauvoo 1st Ward.  It looked like Stake Conference the audience was so large!  Half of the congregation were missionaries. Afterward, the Massey's went up to the temple with us and took pictures of us which we will share at the end of this blog.  Nauvoo truly is beautiful!  We love the spirit of Nauvoo!  Another special thing here are lectures which Susan Easton Black teaches at 1:30 PM on certain days.  We have attended some of them and they are very enlightening about the Nauvoo era and Joseph Smith's life. She and her husband, George Durrant, live here in Nauvoo part time.  She will teach again next Spring when the 6 month missionaries come and we will go to her lectures then also.

   Monday night, October 31st, there was a special dinner held as a farewell event for the 30 couples who came here for 6 month Summer missions.  They all leave over this weekend. Also, our Temple President and Matron leave this week so it was an emotional time for all of them.  We were all invited and it was interesting to watch as a new missionary just beginning how much they all love one another and treasure their time in Nauvoo.  That will be us in a year.  We are not even thinking about that for today!  The spirit was strong there as they shared testimonies for 2 hours.  There will be about 6 couples remaining with us through the Winter and 10 more couples will be coming in a couple weeks for a year.  That will be our "family" this Winter as Nauvoo Temple Missionaries.  We have met so many wonderful people.  Our next door neighbors, the Cordovas, are from Rexburg, Idaho. Elder Cordova is one of the temple engineers and Sister Cordova works in the office and as a temple worker. They have reached out to us and made us feel very welcome which we greatly appreciate. They are serving for 18 months and arrived in September.  We have been blessed with good neighbors wherever we have lived!

   This week our P-Day was Monday, and we served Tuesday PM shift, then Wednesday through Saturday AM shifts.  Beginning next Monday, November 7th, the temple here closes for 2 weeks for cleaning.  We plan to explore the Nauvoo sites and surrounding areas to become more familiar with the pioneer history.  It was exciting to see the sword that Joseph Smith gave to James Allred, Elder Petersons' 3rd great grandfather, hanging on the wall of the Nauvoo Temple the first day we entered last week.  We live just 2 buildings away from the Nauvoo Land Offices where we acquired a map showing 2 lots that James Allred owned here in Nauvoo.  Now we are  his neighbors for a year, although he is buried in Spring City, Utah.

   Today, Wednesday, November 2nd, our new Temple President, Richard Irion, and Matron, Gloria Nelson Irion began serving.  They are from Murray, Utah.  We look forward to serving with them this year and learning from them.  It is exciting to have them here leading us.  They serve as our Mission President also.

   We feel very blessed and surprisingly at home in our new surroundings! Serving together everyday in the temple has already solidified our covenants and love to one another and to the Lord.

   The sum total of our Fall decorations in our new little spot are 3 wooden blocks with the words, "Thankful, Grateful, Blessed". That is true! We also found a little wood plaque to hang which says,

 "HOME is wherever I am with you!"

WELCOME TO NAUVOO! WE LOVE YOU!

Our Apartment.