More goodbyes...

The gorgeous view out our back door.  What a place!

Well, it’s all over.  Every last young sister missionary here in Nauvoo has either finished her mission or is currently serving in her outbound assignment.  The last ones left on Friday.  Nauvoo is sadly quiet, and the average age just jumped tremendously!  I no longer have 70 cell phones to maintain, no young sisters to share a lesson in our home, no more worry about watching them crash on their bikes because their pioneer dresses got caught in their bike chains, no young angelic voices lined up on the pew behind me in church, no starving missionaries to feed Sunday dinner to, and no more pure and simple testimonies from the mouths of babes (As in babies, not the other meaning.  Well, that too.).  I will miss them all for sure.  What I’m sad about missing the most though is not being here in the spring when they return to Nauvoo. They will come with strengthened testimonies, a conviction of what is true, and courage beyond what they thought possible.  Seeing the transformation is what I will really miss.  It is truly the miracle of this mission.  I know I posted this picture a few weeks ago, but it gives you an idea of what we will have to do without here in Nauvoo for the next few winter months. 

On Monday we had the opportunity to hear from Steve Olsen, the
Senior Curator for Church Historic Sites.  He has a wealth of knowledge
about the history of Nauvoo, but what I gained from him was more than
a link to the past.  I learned WHY we care about THIS past.  Why does the
Church invest so much in preserving this location?  Because it is a "cornerstone
of Zion" (D&C 124), a foundation of the Restoration, and the place to build a holy temple.
Photo credit to Sister Willmore.

Elder & Sister Thatcher complete their mission a week from Tuesday.  Oh how
we will miss them!  We have had some sweet experiences with them :0)

Of course the sunset was beautiful again this week.  But instead of more sunset pictures, here are some of the temple with the light from the sunset as the backdrop...

On Saturday we had the opportunity to serve with Nauvoo On The Road in Bentonsport, Iowa.  Bentonsport is a small town on the banks of the Des Moines River and lies along the Iowa Mormon Pioneer Trail.  We had such a great time in spite of the fact that it was pretty darn cold and windy.  We played pioneer games, made rope and talked a lot about family history and the Church.  Nauvoo on the Road is an awesome missionary tool and we loved being a part of it.