Week 15; October 7-October 13, 2013

  

Hello:

Starting with Oct. 7th we have had many experiences and the time just whizzes by.  I started this day by wishing my sister, Sandy, a Happy birthday and we hope she had a very nice day.  I served at the Print Shop that day.  It was great.  The Elders are usually assigned to that site, but on that day I was assigned with another Sister and it was very interesting.  Neither one of us had been there before and so we spent the first hour studying and practicing the script.  The Printing process is quite involved but we worked hard and gave some good tours.  The newspapers were so important to the people in those days because it was their main source of communication.  One newspaper, "The Nauvoo Neighbor" was for community news, including weddings, deaths, activities, etc.  One of the most interesting was the publication of stories and poems that people wrote in those days and wanted to share with everyone.  The other newspaper was the "Times and Seasons" and all the Church news was in it, including the revelations that Joseph Smith had.  I guess you could call it the forerunner of the Ensign and Church News that we have today. 



At the Printing Shop

 

 

That evening we went to a practice at the Cultural Hall for our new part- the whip and clip clop in the horse and buggy scene.  This is my favorite part ever.  We are getting a lot of new assignments in the play.  I played the piano for one of the duets that night. It went really well and I am getting some confidence now that some day I will be able to do all of the Rendezvous music.    We have had a couple of practices for our new speaking parts in one of the vignettes and we might be performing it soon.  We are going to be in the dance scene tonight along with our other parts

On Tuesday we went to Quincy to do our grocery shopping.  We took the scenic way through Iowa and Missouri.  The leaves are changing and we love the beautiful trees and fall flowers that in bloom new.  The lily pads on the river are pretty dead and so different from the beautiful blooming plants that we enjoyed so much this summer.  Many flocks of geese have passed by this month on their way south and we understand that hundreds of eagles will settle in along the river for the winter.


dead lily pads

the leaves are beginning to change colors

 

geese are traveling south along the Mississippi

We have spent a lot of time this week practicing "shared tours"  with our companions at our sites.  It's fun to work together with someone and not have to present all of the material by yourself.  I got to serve with Elder Pincock at the Post Office this week and we did really well sharing the tour information back and forth.  I think it makes it more interesting for the guests. And  the scriptures tell us " in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established".    D&C 6:28  "And then you  may return to bear record, yea, even all together or two by two, as seemeth you good."  D&C 62:5.

John Taylor home

We had a fun experience on Friday evening.  We  went to Keokuk so I could get my hair cut and we had dinner at Wendy's  Then we met  a couple in Fort Madison for their high school football game and home coming.  It was fun because their colors were red and their name matched Madison High School.  However, their mascot was a bloodhound.  We laughed at that.  They lost to the opposing team by one point.  Every time someone asked me if I saw what was going on, I always had to say, sorry, I was watching the cheer leaders.  It brought back some good memories  of our kids and grand children in high school, their activities, and the many Madison and Skyline games we have watched over the years.  It was just fun to be out and involved in things that we like to support.  I do have to say that their cheerleaders, band and many of their ways are about 10 years behind the progressive kids we are used to. 

Friday night high school football in Illinois

Saturday night  we had people over for tacos and treats while we watched the BYU football game on our little TV.  It was fun to cheer for BYU and watch them beat Georgia Tech for their homecoming.  It was also fun to know that we had kids and grand children who were their in Provo watching the game.  Hey! Evan Excell, that is the back of your brother's head in the picture and Sister Excell on the couch.  They are very fun friends and companions to work with. 

BYU homecoming game at the Pincock's

We had another fun experience this week when a couple ( E/S Marshall) who were at the MTC with us showed up in Nauvoo.  Their Mission President in Winter Quarter's, Omaha, Nebraska, let them take a 4 day trip for their anniversary and they came to Nauvoo.  So we got together with them for dinner, along with the Jones who serve here in Nauvoo and we were all in the MTC together.   What neat experiences a mission provides for service, making friends, and endless days of fun experiences. 

We were at the temple this week and while we were sitting there waiting for the session to start I checked my memory to make sure I could remember our Family Motto: " And now that my soul might have joy in you and that my heart  might leave this world with happiness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave; arise from the dust my sons and be men.  And be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity."  2 Nephi 1:21  Unite forever, we are family!  We love you,  family and friends.

Love,
Elder and Sister Pincock
From the shores of the beautiful Mississippi  River