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.