Crump Crew in Nauvoo: A greater appreciation for the people who lived here...

This past week seems to have escaped me. The time has flown by. We worked in the Family Living Center for three days, the Brigham Young home for a day and the Visitors’ Center on Saturday.

Sunday we weren’t assigned to serve anywhere so we drove out to Carthage. It was an absolutely beautiful day and the tulips were in full bloom. As I listened to Sister Hughes give us the tour at the jail I thought so much of Lucy Mack Smith, the mother of the prophet. She knew her son Joseph was a prophet, called by God. She suffered so much; the death of at least a dozen family members and extended family. Even after Joseph and Hyrum were killed she lost her other son Samuel. Yet she remained faithful. I hope that I can always remember her example and have the same kind of solid testimony.

Here are a few experiences I had this week that I want to be able to remember:

· Serving at the Visitors’ Center I had the opportunity to visit with a woman who was a descendent of Joseph Smith but not a member of the church. She had many sincere questions and hopefully I was able to help her a bit. She was there with a friend who was a member. They were headed out to Carthage to visit the jail. I prayed that the spirit would touch her heart while she was there.

· A man came into the Family Living Center with his young adult son and his younger son. He said he had driven five hours to get there but he didn’t really know why. He spent quite a bit of time with us and asked a lot of questions.

· I had the chance to teach about the Brigham Young home to a couple who had been mission presidents in Argentina. They were there in Nauvoo with a man who had been one of their missionaries many years ago. Bearing testimony once again in Spanish just made my heart happy.

· I go walking early in the morning and it’s a perfect time to experience the wildlife; rabbits, squirrels, cardinals, blue jays, Canada geese, and raccoons just to name a few. Really, the birds are so noisy in the mornings I can hardly stay focused on my own thoughts.

· At the Visitors Center I taught a couple who were from New Jersey but originally from India. They were fascinating. He is a doctor at the hospital in Keokuk and has been living there for eight months. This was his first trip to Nauvoo. They were very kind and friendly and asked many questions. I think they left with a very favorable impression of the church.

I wish I could follow each of these people home and see how their visit to Nauvoo changes their lives. Hopefully they each are touched by the spirit and have a desire in their hearts to learn more.

I'm just going to include a lot of pictures that represent our week:

On my morning walk...87% humidity...

Here are just a few of the markers along the Trail of Hope
that are on Parley Street which leads down to the
Mississippi River. This is where the saints left Nauvoo
in Feb. 1846. The markers record the feelings of
the pioneers as they left Nauvoo and traveled west.