Light the World

Happy belated Thanksgiving! We had a great week and enjoyed celebrating the holiday with our mission friends (see the picture below).  We missed having turkey dinner with our family and are grateful for those who made sure that they were well fed and taken care of!  That's one of the blessings of serving a mission, everyone looks after our kids very well!

Our mission is excited about the upcoming “Light the World” campaign and have been focusing on Light for the past little while.  We are set apart as missionaries to bring Light to the world and are dedicating ourselves to doing just that.  During the winter evenings we are going to focus on activities that will serve the local community of Nauvoo.  We want to strengthen our relationships with the people who live and work here.  We want them to know that we love them for who they are and want to serve them.  President Lusvardi has plans to involve us in more community service, not necessarily large projects but simple ways that touch hearts.

This coming Saturday, Dec. 1^st, and then again on the 15^th, we will sponsor a “Christmas Walk”.  It’s a mission tradition to light the Christmas tree in the Visitors’ Center, have a live nativity, Christmas stories, wagon rides, and some refreshments.  It will be fun to welcome the community.  We are participating in the inter-faith Messiah concert that will be held on Dec. 8^th.  When I say “we” I mean other missionaries.  I’m not singing in it…I figure they have to have people in the audience :0) December will be full of activity and service.

We invite you to take a look at the “Light the World” website with all kinds of videos and downloads: https://www.mormon.org/christmas/downloads?lang=eng

Each week has a different focus: Light the World, Light your Community, Light your Family and Light your Faith.  Find ways that you and your family can Light the World.

Our Thanksgiving dinner party...
Us, Elder & Sister Robison, Elder & Sister Thatcher,
Elder & Sister Munns and Elder & Sister Pinette.

A visit from our Riverton neighbors -
the Sanchez family.  It was such
a pleasant surprise to see them get out 
of their car right in front of the John Taylor home!

Sterling Jack, one of Scott's former students with two of
his daughters, who just happen to attend Bingham High School.

The sunset at the Smith Family Cemetery.

On Thanksgiving we had the opportunity to serve
together at the home of Brigham Young. We love being there
and sharing a bit about Brigham Young's life, his dedication to
the gospel of Jesus Christ and his testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith.

I love the story of Brigham Young's wife, Mary Ann Angell Young.
I think what I love most is her cheerful, determined attitude,
even when things were rough and others thought the situation was bleak.
She always looked heavenward and her faith never faltered. 
Emmeline B.Wells said she was "ever cheerful and buoyant". 
I love that :0)

Nauvoo is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  The historic homes are
individually decorated inside and out.  Here are the Christmas
decorations in Heber C. Kimball's home.

Browning Gun

This is what welcomed us home on Sunday night
after our District Meeting.

The running of the horses...this was early last week, before the snow came.

Testimony Builders

The winter days are upon us and it really is beautiful here.  Cold but beautiful.  Like a typical week, we've served in the historic sites and I've been in the office a couple of days.  The office is never, ever slow or dull.  Which is the way I like it.  I try to get my responsibilities taken care of, be helpful with the technology part of things, and try to help the mission run more smoothly.  I love the people I work with, which is a blessing in and of itself.

I've had three small testimony builders this week.  I say small because that's really what they were, but each experience just solidified the testimony I already have.  So that's what I'd like to share this week.  

I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon (Pres. Nelson’s invitation) and the other day I was reading about Korihor, the Anti-Christ.  His big beef was that no one could prove that there really is a God.  Thankfully, Alma sees things as they really are and set him straight.  He says that all things denote there is a God.  As I was reading it I just had the strong confirmation that, yes, there really is a God and it is so clear to me.  Just look around at the beauties of nature here, and the power of the spirit here.  I wholeheartedly agree with Alma…all things denote there is a God, and that is especially true here in Nauvoo.

The other tender mercy of following President Nelson’s invitation was a small but significant experience I had on Wednesday morning.  Before I began reading the Book of Mormon I bowed my head and just asked that I would know that what I was reading was true.  So clear to my mind came the words, “Duh!  You already know this book is true.”   And my heart confirmed it.  Two witnesses, my mind and my heart.

  On Sunday morning I got up and kind of had a blah attitude.  I don’t really know why.  Some days are like that, just another day we go through.  But I wanted it to be a different day.  As we were headed to church, I just said a silent little prayer that somehow I would feel it, I would feel a connection with Christ and his atonement.  The meeting began and Scott sat with the other priesthood men who were going to pass the sacrament.  So I sat alone.  We sang the sacrament hymn, "He Died the Great Redeemer Died" and as we got to the third verse and I sang the words…"Here’s love and grief beyond degree; The Lord of glory died for men.  But lo! What sudden joys were heard!  The Lord, though dead, revived again.”  Then. It came without warning.  Boom! I was overcome with the spirit and I knew, once again, that Christ really did atone for my sins and there really were sudden joys heard in the heavens because of his sacrifice.  I love that my Heavenly Father gives me those reminders of what really matters.  

  So there you have it.  Three simple testimonies.  Nothing to shout about, but more building blocks. That's really how things work with our testimonies.  Very few people have those grand experiences. And sometimes, like Laman and Lemuel, those grand experiences don't do the trick.  But it's the line upon line, precept upon precept concept that is at the heart of our testimonies.  They create that sure foundation.

  I am grateful for a testimony that is built that way, here a little, there a little.  I am grateful to be here where the early saints built their testimonies day by day.  I am grateful for the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ that provides the way for me to return to him, step by step. 

Celebrating Elder & Sister Robison's anniversary
with the mission office staff.
Left side: President & Sister Lusvardi, E/S Swanson
E/S Thatcher and S. Williams
Right side: E/S Bingham, E/S Robison, E/S Crump
and E. Williams

Fire prep time at the Family Living Center.  I made eight loaves
of bread that day and forgot to take a picture.  I think it was
because we were all too focused on cutting into
a hot loaf of Nauvoo bread :0)

I don't know if you can see it very well, but in the right corner
of the picture is a downy woodpecker.  That was his favorite  
spot on the Family Living Center wall.  We  heard 
his tap, tap, tap all...day...long, from 9:30 to 4:00!

The well at the back of Wilford Woodruff's home.

The setting sun along the fence line.