New experiences every week!

Every week there are so many new things to learn, and experiences to have, as we serve here in Nauvoo. 

For our Pday on Monday we went with the Craners and the Slaters to an Amish town in Iowa called Kalona.  We took a bus tour of the area, Scott and Elder Craner went to the historic village, and I went with Sister Slater and Sister Craner to some antiques stores and also looked at Amish quilts.  It was a fun day to learn a little more about the Amish people.  I learned that the Amish are a breakoff of the Mennonite group.  The Amish felt like the Mennonites were adopting too many ways of the world and not adhering to the strict way of life, so they created their own religious organization.  Thus, all Amish are Mennonites, but not all Mennonites are Amish :0)

Amish buggies parked at a store in town.

Monday was wash day...

Working in the garden.

Interesting tidbit...this is a tractor with metal wheels.  If
a tractor has rubber tires it might be used for pleasure,
thus replacing the horse and buggy.

Before we left for our little trip to Kalona, we went down to the barn where they have the horses and watched them bring them from the pasture into the barn to eat.  They’re the horses that are used to pull the wagon and carriage rides in Nauvoo.  Some are Percheron French Draft horses, and some are Belgian Draft horses.  They weigh about 2,000 lbs each and a few are over six feet tall at the shoulder.  I feel pretty tiny when I stand next to them! They are such beautiful horses.

Elder Munns takes care of the horses.

Bringing in the horses for breakfast.  I took this video

while sitting up in a wagon.  So you get an idea of 

how massive these horses are.

Wednesday, June 27^th  (the 174th anniversary of the Martyrdom) we attended the Joseph Smith Commemoration in Carthage.  There were probably 600 people in attendance; missionaries, members, and visitors.  Pres. Lusvardi conducted and we listened to some beautiful music by the Nauvoo Brass Band and the Young Performing Missionaries as they paid tribute to the prophet Joseph Smith.  The guest speaker was Karl Anderson who is a renowned Church historian and focuses on Kirtland, Nauvoo and Joseph Smith.  It’s amazing to me how one person can know so many details; names, dates, places, interactions between people etc.  I learned so much that day.  Brother Anderson cited numerous examples of times when Joseph was either told, or shared with someone, that his life would be cut short and that he would die as a martyr for the gospel.  I never really knew that before. Joseph prepared those around him to carry on the work of the Lord when he was gone.  He taught them all they needed to know and gave the Quorum of the Twelve all of the priesthood keys necessary to continue on.  

I love the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the more I learn about him the more I know that he was the prophet of the Restoration. One concept I have grown to love was taught by the Lord through Joseph in D&C 25:10, "And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better." That's a daily pursuit.

Pres. Lusvardi with Karl Anderson

With Bro. Anderson and his wife.

 On Friday I served at Pioneer Pastimes and it was a super hot day.  By noon the heat index was already at 106 degrees so we closed the site down and put everything away.  They also stopped running the wagon & carriage rides so the horses wouldn’t have to continue to work in the heat. Scott was in the Family Living Center so he didn’t know how hot it really was because that building is air conditioned! Thankfully, this coming week looks to be a tad bit cooler.

We crack up over this sign every time we take the
bridge across the Mississippi from Illinois to Iowa. 
How do you have a FREE toll?