Weeks 41 and 42, April 7, 2014----April 20, 2014

Hello:

Greetings to everyone.  Our days are just full of excitement, activity and hard work.  It is very rewarding and surprising that we can do what we do.  We get special help every day from above and Elder Pincock is just so excited tonight that he has figured out a computer program to keep the www.historicnauvoo.net website updated.

We have a new Mission President.  He is President Larry Gibbons from Texas.  He has served as a member of the Quorum of Seventy.  He served in the Eastern Europe Area in Russia.  So he knows a
lot about Armenia and the area where we served our first mission.

Our Mission President, President Gibbons

A couple of weeks ago we experienced a remarkable sight when they burned an acre of prairie grass in the middle of Nauvoo to demonstrate the fears the pioneers would have had when a prairie  fire ripped across the tall grasses as they crossed the plains.

Elder Pincock standing in the prairie grass.  Notice that some is taller than he is.

starting the Prairie grass fire

we selected a place just across the street from the 1 acre burn

This fire  raced across the acre with remarkable speed.  I got some fantastic pictures.  It's a controlled fire and the fire department comes down with their fire trucks to  insure that all is safe.  But it was unbelievable how the grass burned in about 3 to 4 minutes and went out by itself immediately after it burned.

the fire was getting pretty large

then it got VERY LARGE and hot!!

It didn't take long to burn, just a few minutes

 The smoke cleared in seconds.

fire is out

over in  just a few minutes

It was a fun event with hot dogs, chips and kettle corn just before the fire.  There were about 600 people there. It sure made you realize the dangers pioneers faced on their trek west.

The five couples in our apartment complex decided to go in together and get a barbecue grill for the summer.  We had a patio party to celebrate our purchase.  We had steaks, hamburgers. hot dogs and Italian Sausage.  Everyone brought a side dish.  It was on one of the descent days of the spring, except for a little wind.  I think it will be fun for the summer.  We are now getting more and more good days with a few rainy days in between.  The grass and trees are getting green and we have this remarkable sight outside our kitchen window with the blossoms of a magnificent Magnolia tree.

Magnolia tree from our back door

We have dozens of new couples who have arrived in Nauvoo.  We are busy helping them to be trained for the sites and the variety show that starts May 24th.  The young performing missionaries will arrive the 2nd of May and will be busy practicing for their performances.  We  are looking forward to the summer activities.  I can tell you that we will be much more prepared for the Sunset By the Mississippi show this year.

As Public Relation manager for the Nauvoo Mission we spend time each week delivering brochures about Nauvoo and Carthage to the surrounding visitor centers and hotels.  It's fun to go out and meet people and we have seen some interesting visitor centers that are renovated from  old homes and have fun architecture. We see some interesting sights as we travel around.  Elder Pincock is doing such a good job getting things lined up for the summer entertainment.    With all his Chamber of Commerce experience he knows just what to do and besides his computer skills are skyrocketing.  I think he really loves learning so much  about the computer.

We celebrated our 46th Wedding Anniversary on the 11th of April.  We went to the Hotel Nauvoo to have dinner.

Sister Pincock on our 46th wedding anniversary

We go there almost every week to eat because we enjoy it so much.  The dining room is beautiful and the food is very good.

A week ago last Sunday I accompanied 6 sisters who sang "Lord I Would Follow Thee" for the musical number in Sacrament Meeting.  I had to work really hard on the music- it was hard but the performance was lovely.

On April 12th, the Young Sister Missionaries returned from their winter outbound assignments and are back in Nauvoo for 6 months to help in the Visitor Center.  We work with them every day as the site leaders of the Visitors Center and enjoy that very much.  It's so fun, especially because our darling granddaughter, Brenna, has entered the Missionary Training Center this week and as we work with the Sister Missionaries here we can just picture Brenna and the kinds of things she will be involved with.

Last preparation day we drove to Springfield, IL for the day.  We went partly to deliver Nauvoo and Carthage brochures but we also got to go to the Lincoln Museum.  It is a beautifully put together museum with displays, films and tours that were excellent.

One display in the museum is about Lincoln's boyhood and life up until he became the President and the other half is about his terms in the white House.

replica of Abraham Lincoln home

Abraham Lincoln family in front of the White House (replica)

Then we went to the Old State Capitol Building and saw the law offices, Senate and Legislature Chambers, including where his body laid in state after the assassination.

Original State Capital building in Springfield Illinois

We visited the Lincoln, Herndon Law  office original building and saw where Joseph Smith had one of his many trials.

Original law offices where Abraham Lincoln worked as an attorney

original court room where a hearing was held for charges against
Joseph Smith for shooting at Governor Boggs of Missouri 

It was fun to see other tours now that we have given so many  and see the differences and the similarities of their tours and ours.

We had a nice Easter and enjoyed making up and delivering several Easter baskets to various missionaries. We had a good ham and yummy potato dinner with 2 other couples.  We had E/S Thurston and E/S Ricks over for dinner.  The Ricks', Linda and Paul from Rexburg, just arrived here in Nauvoo a few days before Easter. It was very comforting to be with people from home.

Elder Paul Ricks and Sister Linda Ricks of Rexburg.  They are Temple missionaries

We had a delightful meal.  We also enjoyed hearing from our children about their Easter egg hunts.  We have always loved Easter with our children so it was a little hard to be away from home that day.

Yes, we did get up at 1:30 am to see the Blood Moon.  Did you are see it?

Blood Moon over Nauvoo

We miss being with our family and friends at home but we have so many great experiences here in Nauvoo. Working in the Visitor Center is great because we see almost all visitors who come to Nauvoo as they make their plans to see sites and do their activities here.  We get to talk with so many people and learn about their lives and their needs.  Last week we had a large family come in.  I greeted them and welcomed them to  the Visitor's Center.  It was a couple who had just finished their mission in Palmyra  and had met their 6 children and many grand children in Nauvoo for a reunion.  It was so great to see a happy, successful family come together and enjoy a wonderful experience together.  It reminded me of our family.  We are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to raise 5 children, see them marry wonderful companions, and have children of their own.  We all know how much time  and effort it take to raise a family.  I want you to know that the joy it brings to your life is so worth all the work, time, and effort.  We appreciate all that our family does for us and what they do for each other.  It's so great to unite in common goals and beliefs.  Our advise for everyone today is to spend time with  your family, gather then around you and enjoy life with them.

UNITE TOGETHER WE ARE FAMILY!!!
We love you all.
Elder and sister Pincock