Week 5

Hello again:

This post will get us caught up with our weekly reports.  We had a great week with the Ingram family (our daughter Cammie, Paxton, Seth, Noah, Ace and Libby) as they visited us in Nauvoo.  We were able to spend some time with them in between our work (tour) schedule, meetings and shows that we perform in. One of the first things grandma did on Monday morning was to take the kids shopping so that they could buy their "official" Nauvoo work hats.  They all now looked official as they toured the Old Nauvoo historic sites.  

Ingram Family with their pioneer hats

When we went to work Monday afternoon the Ingram's did some of the activities in Nauvoo.  Elder Pincock was able to go with them on the wagon ride around the streets of Nauvoo.  The wagon took them down Parley Street to the edge of the Mississippi where the Saints left Nauvoo in February 1846 to begin their trek across the wilderness to the Rocky Mountains.

with Grandpa on a wagon ride.

 

On Parley Street to the Mississippi River (where the trek west all started)

The Ingram's visited with grandma while she was working at the Cultural Hall.  How fun was that!!!!  Libby even got to do a little dance on the floor in the upper dance hall where Joseph and Emma  danced.



with grandma for a tour at the Cultural Hall

Libby dancing in the upper room of the Cultural Hall(where Joseph and Emma danced)

They visited Grandpa while he was working in the Family Living Center.  They made rope, watched the barrel making demonstration, learned how to make pottery and how to weave rugs.  They also learned about how to make bread and candles.  Libby loved to play with the dolls in the Center.

Making rope with grandpa

Many of the other historic sites were visited including the printing office, Tin making shop, Lyon Drug Store and the kids loved playing all the pioneer games at the pioneer pastimes site.



at the Print Shop

On Monday night we went to the Old Nauvoo cemetery and looked at the grave sites.  We knew there was one of Elder Pincock's relatives buried there and sure enough, we found the spot.  John and Mary Marsden Pincock lived in Nauvoo and both died before the saints left.  John was 51 years old and Mary was 56 when they died.




Grave marker of Elder Pincock's Great, Great, Great Grandfather and his wife

The picture below is of the Ingram family at the pioneer memorial at the Old Nauvoo Cemetery.  The cemetery sits on a wooded hill and is kept up very nice.  There is an information booth where the names of all the people that are buried in the cemetery are listed. 



Ingram family at the Old Nauvoo Cemetery

On Tuesday, we all went to a performance of "Just Plain Anna Amanda.  It was darling and the kids all loved it.  Then Ace and Libby were even able to get their pictures taken with the stars of the show.


kids with performers of the play--Just Plain Anna Amanda

On Tuesday night we did our 1st Performance (on stage) in the musical show called Rendezvous.  It is done by the senior missionaries and is lots of fun to watch.  I think we were pretty nervous to be on stage and hoping that we did not sing the wrong song or dance at the wrong time.  I think we did okay.  At least we didn't get FIRED after the show!   How good we look!

with Grandma and Grandpa at Rendezvous (a musical about people in Nauvoo)

us in our costumes at Rendezvous

The Ingram's spent some time on Parley Street reading the faith promoting quotes from some of the saints that left Nauvoo and their testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was fun for them to look out across the Mississippi and imagine what it was like for those pioneers to leave their beloved city on a cold freezing day in February.   They also got to visit the Nauvoo Temple and spent a morning at the Carthage jail.  The boys all talked about the bullet hole in the door from that evening in 1844.

Ingram kids looking across the Mississippi where the saints crossed the river

Ingram kids at the Nauvoo Temple

On Wednesday night we were on stage with other senior missionaries and the young performing missionaries and the young band missionaries.  This group of young missionaries come to Nauvoo for 3 1/2 months in the summer and sing, dance and play music.  They are wonderful and sooooo talented.  We even asked one of the girls if she had been on Broadway in New York because she had such a wonderful voice and smile.  She said that she had not been there but she was going because that was her dream.  For those of you who knew Elder Davis in Armenia, notice the young man in the front row with brown pants just left of the microphone.

Young Performing Elders and Sisters

On Thursday we had to say goodbye to the Ingram's.  it was so much fun to have them here and show them a little of what we do each day.  We are grateful that they made it home safely.


On Friday morning we went to our first mission "breakfast".  This is a breakfast where the new missionaries are welcomed and goodbye said those that are leaving to go home.  There was tons of food and we again were blessed to be sung to by all the young performers that will be leaving in two weeks.  They will be missed by all of us.

monthly breakfast with all Nauvoo Site missionaries

Young Elders and Sisters singing for us before they leave for home


It was a wonderful week and we are receiving so many blessings from Heavenly Father that we just cannot count them all.  It is a wonderful experience to bear our testimony to those that come to the various historic sites.  The Holy Ghost does fill our minds and mouths with just the right words when we need them.  The other senior missionaries ( about 200 of them) are so helpful and willing to help us learn what we need to.  Next week we will tell you about some of the family connections we have made and some of those that we have known for many years that were here for the pageant, visit here or serve as missionaries here. 
On Sunday we were blessed to hear from another General Authority, the 3rd one in three weeks, Elder Greg Zwick from the Seventy Quorum who is over the Missionary Assignment Committee.  One of the interesting things he told us is that as of July 2, 2013, there were 74,060 missionaries in the field.  There are 11,895 elders who have received their call, and 6,520 young sisters who have received their call and 1,393 Seniors who are on missions.     Seniors, don't let this opportunity slip by you.  It is so worth it!
We are busy and fall in bed each night but we are having a marvelous time.  We love you all and hope that you all have a great week.  Always do the best you can. 

Elder and Sister Pincock, (grandma and grandpa)



Week Four

Hello Everybody!!!

We are a week late.  Hope that you did not miss our update too much last week.  It is the very busy season here in Nauvoo because of the Pageant and all of the other vignettes that tell the stories of the people that lived here and their experiences in Nauvoo.

Lilly pads in the Mississippi with their white blossoms

Above is a picture of the Lilly Pads on the Mississippi River.  You can see that the beautiful white flowers are starting to bloom.  Because of our busy schedule, I'm not sure if we have missed the full bloom or not.  We did not get a chance to drive back there to see.  We will check it out on our P-Day on Tuesday.  

line of people waiting for the vignette about the TRAIL OF HOPE on Parley Street

Two weeks ago our speakers in church were Elder Craig Christiansen, of the Quorum of the Seventy, and his wife Debbie.  Above you can see the Seventy Hall on Parley Street and the line of people waiting to go down the trail of Hope by lantern light.  Along the trail the young performing missionaries acted as the people whose stories are recorded on the reader boards.  Their talents just keep going on and on.  You can see the sun setting  and the mini tours ready to begin.  It was a great experience.   We were just told tonight that this event had been canceled because it had rained all day and the forecast was for more rain to come.  But you can see that the rain didn't matter to people.  They wanted to see the story.  At the very last minute it was decided that if people were there to participate then the missionaries should be there to perform.  There was no more rain during the evening and the vignette was wonderful.  Most of us did not get the message that it had been canceled and when the young performing missionaries got there there were hundreds of us waiting in line for it.  It was a Nauvoo Miracle and we are so glad we got to see it as it was the last performance of the year for this event.

On Monday I met a Sister while serving at the Wilford Woodruff Home who is a relative of the Pincock family.  She is a descendant of the King line.  We let her take the Pincock History book and she was thrilled to copy pictures in that book of her family members.  I also met a Sister Hatch who was a neighbor of Ducky and Floyd Haymore (Davids aunt and uncle) in their "big" house in Mesa.  The Pincock Blog readers might enjoy this information.                                                                                                                          

Sister Pincock at the fountain in Quincy Illinois

On Tuesday, our Preparation Day,  we drove to Quincy, about an hour away to do our shopping for the week.  We stopped at this park to eat our picnic lunch and enjoy the traffic crossing the Mississippi River Bridge. 
We had several meetings with Sister Dahl this week, as she is the director of the Rendezvous  show and she prepared us to start being in the production.  I had a few fittings for my Rendezvous dress and got it finished.   We have also started participating in the outdoor stage show of Sunset By the Mississippi.  We are having a ball or do I mean bawl?  Things are happening so fast!!

Elder Pincock doing the tours at the Printing Office

We have especially enjoyed working at the sites.  This was one of Elder Pincock's assignments .  He has served at the Gun shop,  Blacksmith Shop, Tin Shop, and the Family Living Shop.  My assignments were at the Wilford Woodruff Home, Brigham Young's House, the Log School House, Sarah Granger Kimball's House,  (the real place where Relief Society started), and the Heber C. Kimball House.  You can only imagine the study time we are putting in and the remarkable amount of information we are learning about this wonderful place and the wonderful people who lived in this town of Nauvoo.
This is the stage where we perform at Sunset By the Mississippi.  Do we look as stressed as we felt after our 1st performance?


Us at our 1st performance at Sunset by the Mississippi variety show

On Friday morning, we had a special training meeting with Elder Dallin H. Oakes who spoke to us, along with his wife.  He was here attending a family reunion, and came to the meeting in tennis shoes and khaki pants. ( He also had on a suit coat.)  He had already sent his luggage ahead to the train station in Burlington because the family was leaving later that afternoon.  He gave a grand talk about the financial affairs of the Smith Family in the days of Old Nauvoo.  Fascinating!

The Nauvoo Band making their tour of Old Nauvoo with their driver, Elder Gale Harding

If you look close on the back row, some of you might  recognize Elder Foster, the son of Ann Hymas and grandson of Lynette and Jerry Sanders of Rexburg.  If I said it a hundred times I would still not be able to tell you how incredibly talented these performing missionaries are.  They equal  the performers in Disney Land.  Below is a close up of Elder Foster.  What a dedicated Elder.  Even with the tragedy that occurred in his family this summer he stayed here on his mission to serve the Lord.  Fantastic man of faith.

Elder Foster with his trumpet

Sister Pincock giving tours at the Pendleton home and log school house.

Of course I loved serving at the log school house and learning about the school system in those days.

Our daughter Cammie and her family visiting us

A highlight has been to have family members visiting and being able to share this fantastic little town with them. We had a delightful time with Cammie, the boys and little Libby. We missed Lucas who is in Minnesota and Canada fishing with his family.  We are so grateful for their visit and their safe arrival back in Rexburg last evening.  We are waiting for our next visitors.  Who wants to come next?  You are all invited. 


"Our Story Goes On" performance with the Nauvoo Temple in the background

The night Cammie arrived (last Sunday) there was a special show on the Pageant stage called "Our Story Goes On".  It was a Broadway production of our journey through life  with fabulous songs from Broadway Hits.  The temple on the hill shines above our little town and makes a perfect background for the Pageant and other productions. 

celebrating Liberty's birthday

The day they arrived it was Libby's birthday and Paxton had just had his birthday the day before.  How fun for us.  Notice the half and half cake.  Paxton with 14 candles and Libby is 3 already.  This is the little girl who was born while we were in Armenia.


celebrating Paxton's birthday


Can you tell we are busy, busy, busy, and happy, happy, happy  with just a little pinch of stress.
We are extremely fortunate to be here and participate in all that is going on and to see what an influence this history has on the people who come here to visit.  There are Nauvoo Miracles that happen daily and we are blessed to be part of  it.  Have a great week and we will send the last week's blog in a couple of days.  Thanks for your prayers and support.
Love,  Elder and Sister Pincock  







 

Week Three

Hello to all of you. 

We hope that you are doing well and that you are enjoying the summer activities.  We have been very busy this past week trying to finish unpacking and getting our apartment a little more organized when we can find time from training and learning about our assignment in Nauvoo.

Our week started out on Monday with orientation with President and Sister Gilliland (our mission president and his wife).  The training lasted through the day.  We were welcomed to the mission and had a discussion about the importance of personal and companion study.  Sister Fowers then talked about how to take care of our apartments and importance of conservation.  We then had a presentation from the mission doctor, Doctor Miller.  He talked about health issues, the importance of eating  and drinking properly and getting enough sleep.  (getting enough sleep?  in Nauvoo!!!!)  Then President Gilliland gave us a presentation on giving quality tours and presentations in the various sites.  President Grygla, 2nd Counselor in the Mission Presidency, gave a presentation on the mission organization.  We watched a film called "Remembering Nauvoo" and broke for a 25 minute lunch break.  That made for a quick trip back to our apartment to heat up some "lien cuisine's" and eat them on the way back to the mission office at the visitors center for our afternoon training.

At 1:00 we met in one of the large auditoriums for our music talent review (audition).  Sister Pincock and I sang a song together and then read parts from one of the shows where the senior couples perform.  There were 4 or 5 people watching us and they all had their clipboards with evaluation sheets and they were busily making notes etc so that they can place us in one of the three different casts.  The cast are named:  Lucy Mack, Sarah Granger, and Emma Hale.  Now we have to wait a week to find out which cast we are in.

During the remainder of the afternoon we went to some of the various sites to go through the tours so that we have some idea how to give the tour and what to say.  On Monday night we went to the production called "Sunset on the Mississippi" and watched the senior couples and young performing missionaries perform.  It is a great show.  Then at 8:15 hurried over to the Cultural Hall to watch the senior couples do the musical production called "Rendezvous".  Got home at 10:00 and crashed.

Tuesday was pretty much the same as Monday.  Training started at the mission office and we had training on Relying on the Spirit, Pass-along cards, "you can do this", The Book of Mormon" and guest cards, tickets and tours, public affairs and then lunch.  After lunch we received our "site orientation" book so that we can learn the information about all the sites.  We then went with Sister Gilliland for a tour of some of the homes in Old Nauvoo.  That evening we went to Sunset on the Mississippi and Rendezvous again.   There is just so much to learn.

Dutchman's Shop ( Amish store)

Our First P day (Preparation day) was on Wednesday. But first we had our all mission training meeting at 8:00 and after then got to the P day.   Elder Pincock needed to buy two hats for the various performances so we went shopping at some Amish villages in Iowa.  We drove about an hour to Milton and Cantril to buy some quality hats made by the Amish.  Above is a picture of the Dutchman's Shop.  It was a Amish store and was a fun place to shop.  They had good fruits and vegetables, hot homemade rolls and breads, good looking meat and cheeses and all kinds of other things.  We bought a 10 pound box of blueberries and brought them home to freeze.  The berries were wonderful.  Oh, we did buy a black felt hat at the store.  We then drove to Milton to a very tiny Amish store that sold straw hats.  Everyone told us they had a good selection.  It WAS a very tiny building but we sure had a good time picking out our hat and talking (trying to talk) to the very shy but very cute Amish children in the store.

lilly pads on the Mississippi River
 

On the way home from our Amish shopping we stopped at the Walmart store in Keokuk to do some more shopping, groceries, bookcase, fans etc.  As we crossed the Mississippi back into Illinois we took the above picture of all the Lilly pads in the Mississippi.  There are lots of them and we were told they will bloom and will turn white.  So we will watch.  That night we went to Rendezvous so we could watch again.


Elder Davis

One of the fun things about being here is that you get to be re-connected with friends and fellow missionaries.  Above is a picture of Elder Devin Davis.  He is serving as one of the young performing missionaries during the summer (he is a great violin player and singer).  We served with him in Armenia.  We also have been able to visit with friends Gale and Judy Harding from Rexburg, President and Sister Call from Rigby, the Maughan's who have a daughter that is friends with our nephew Brian Atkinson and his wife Tracie, lots of other folks from Rigby and Tetonia.  Some of the Tetonia folks even know our good friend Max Wade.  It is a very small world in the Church.  Someone always knows someone who knows someone we know.


On Thursday we began our first assignment giving tours at the Family Living Center.  This is what happens:  each week we receive a schedule for where and what shift we will work during the next week.  We each have our own separate schedule.  There are some 25 different sites that we could be assigned to and each day brings a different site.  Then there are three different shifts that we can be assigned to work each day.  The A shift works from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, The B shift works from noon to 6:00 PM each day and the C shift works from 9:00 AM to Noon and then from 3:00 to 6:00.  So each day brings a different assignment site and different shift.

Some days we work the same shift but not very often at the same site.  On the days we each work different shifts we have to figure out the transportation because we don't live down on the "flats" (the old historic part of town.) 

Then after our shifts end at 6:00 we go to one of the of the 2 shows, Rendezvous or Sunset on the Mississippi and do our performances.  Because we have not been assigned a cast yet we go to just get acquainted with what the missionaries do.  But, that does give you some idea about our schedules.

Below is a picture of us as we began our first day of site assignments.  We were able to work together the first two days (even on the same schedule) at the Family Living Center.  We were dressed in our "site" clothes and were excited for our first try.  The family Living Center consists of 7 different stations where visitors can learn about pioneer life.  The Elders give demonstrations about weaving, barrel making, roping making and pottery making.  The sisters give demonstrations on candle making, bread making, and making wool/flax into thread.  Most everyone comes to this building because it is fun for the kids with very interesting things to do.  Because this is the very busiest season we had lots of people come.  Elder Pincock did the rope making and pottery demonstrations and had large groups (some up to 25) all day. 

our first assignment at the Family Living Center

 

Sister Pincock at the candle making station

Sister Pincock is a wonderful tour guide.  She took a minute to pose for this picture in the candle making demonstration.  We had a fun but busy first two days in the Center.

On Saturday, we had our own sites and shift schedule.  Elder Pincock worked the 9:00 - 3:00 shift at the Browning home and gunsmith shop and Sister Pincock worked the noon-6:00 shift at the Seventies Hall.  The Browning home has some wonderful displays and tells the story of the Browning family and about Bro. Browning becoming famous in gun making. 

Sister Pincock loved the Seventies Hall because on that Saturday there was a special presentation made about the Church missionary program (3 different times during the afternoon) and she got to sit next to a General Authority, Elder Craig C Christensen of the Seventies Presidency, during one of the performances.  During their conversation he mentioned that Elder Pincock had given him a tour of the Browning home and that Elder Pincock had done a good job. (at least he has not been fired yet!!!!)

After our site assignments we went to the Rendezvous show.

Our Sunday Church service begins at 8:00 AM with Sacrament meeting first.  During this busy part of the year there are about 22-26 Priesthood brethren passing the sacrament and about 12 doing the preparation.  There is a temporary Sacrament table set up in the cultural hall so passing the sacrament to a few thousand people does not take very long.  This Sunday Elder and Sister Christensen were the speakers.  It was a great meeting. 

After Sacrament meeting the missionaries all go down to the visitors center auditoriums for Sunday school and RS and Priesthood.  It is quite the process.  The visitors that attend Sacrament meeting can go to the other meetings but most of them leave.  After the Church meetings some missionaries go to work at the various sites.  We did not have a site assignment this Sunday but after a nap and lunch we went to tour some of the sites that we will be working during this next week.

This Sunday we had a District meeting with three other couples and two single sisters.  (Thomas, from Teton Valley, Maughan's from Utah, Davis from Arizona and Sister Brown and Sister McCann).  It is a fun group and we discussed ways to be effective missionaries learning from the Preach My Gospel manual and enjoyed some home made zucchini cupcakes.

After the District meeting we went down to Parley Street for the "Trail of Hope" special tour.  This is a program where we walk down the trail leading to the Mississippi and the young performing missionaries tell the story of some of the early saints that lived in Nauvoo and their journal writings about their feelings of having to leave their beloved Nauvoo.  It is done by candle light and lanterns and was a very special experience.

We know that this is a rather long update but it will give you some idea about what we do.  We love it here and thank each of you again for your prayers and support.  This is the Lord's work and we love inviting people to Come unto Jesus Christ.

We did find out on Sunday night that we have been assigned to the Lucy Mack cast and will begin practicing with the group on Monday night.  Horray!!!!!

Below are pictures of the Browning home and the Seventies Hall where we worked on Saturday.

Elder Pincock gave tours at the Browning home and gunshop

Sister Pincock gave tours at the Seventies Hall.




We love you all and hope that you have a great week.

Elder and Sister Pincock















 

Nauvoo Mission week 2

Wow!  We are actually in Nauvoo and trying to get our feet on the ground.  It has been pretty hot but not too much humidity so we have tolerated the heat so far.  But today, the humidity is high and it's up in the mid 90's so we are noticing the heat today.  We have had a little block of time this afternoon to stay at home and finish getting our things put away and organized.  Our training is done and now all we need is some good experience so we can do our jobs. 

Our visitor center training tour in Salt Lake

It's hard to believe that last week at this time we were still in Provo.  As part of our training we went to Salt Lake to the Visitor's Center and took a tour for about two hours.  It's amazing how different the tour guides seem when you look at them from the perspective of knowing in a short while we will be on the guiding part of the tour.  We paid close attention to what they said and how they said it. 

In the Tabernacle during more of our training tour

When we stopped at the handcart monument at Temple Square
we thought of our family trek at Martins Cove last summer and
our good friends, E/S Jones who are currently serving a mission
at Martins Cove

This is our Visitor Center Training Center fellow missionaries.

We had a great visit while at the MTC with Sister Peterson who
served in Armenia while we were there.

                                                
We looked back at the last ten days and we were amazed at the MTC experience.  When we got there there were 3400 missionaries and before we left on Wednesday the total was up to 4000.  It was an amazing sight to see all those young missionaries preparing to go to all corners of the world to invite people to come unto Christ.  It touched our hearts to see the goodness in so many young people.  And don't forget all those older youngsters trying to keep up!

Our Van and trailer at a hotel while on our way to Nauvoo

We drove home Wednesday afternoon to pick up our "stuff".  We are so grateful to our children and neighbors who helped us.  Our children have not once complained about us leaving again-we are so blessed.  AND we are so excited about this mission because they are all coming to visit Nauvoo while we are here.  We have many friends and family members who have promised to come also.  We are very pleased that we got a nice apartment that will be big enough to house those who would like to stay with us.  They highly invite us to have family and friends because it is such a great place to visit.  We are so impressed by the shows  and productions that go on here.  The City of Joseph  Pageant is going on right now and it is amazing. 

We had a wonderful tour of Carthage Jail
on Sunday afternoon.  Fantastic Sabbath day
after our Church meetings

 

People have been so nice to us since we arrived on Saturday.   We had a nice trip on our way and had no trouble with the car or trailer.  Many people showed up to help us move in.  Our down-stair neighbor invited us for dinner.  On Sunday we had dinner with the Call's who are from Rigby, and live about 1 mile from our house there.  We have met about 5 different couples who are from Rigby and the surrounding area.    We were reunited with Elder Devin Davis who served with us in Armenia.  He is in the Pageant and the  show called Sunset on the Mississippi.  Sunday he played his violin in Church.  We knew in Armenia that he was musical but we had no idea the depth of his talent.  We love the reconnection with Armenia and all the memories it brings. 

 

 

 

From Left to Right:  President and Sister Call (1st Counselor in
Mission Presidency; they live just one mile from our house in Rigby)
Pincock's and E/S Jones from Canada (they were in the MTC with us and
he is the veterinarian )

OUR APARTMENT

Our home on Parley Street!!!! We live upstairs.

Isn't this so cute.  We have the whole upstairs, even the back part that is brownish in the picture.  If you go down the street to the right of this picture it takes you to the river and "The Trail of Tears" that the pioneers used to depart from Nauvoo. We can't believe that we actually live on Parley Street !

The kitchen

The bedroom (notice the treadmill)

The living room (still have some unpacking to do)

The view from our back door and deck

mother deer and her two fawns in our backyard


Everything is going very well.  It has been fun to learn how to do the tours, we had to audition for our part in the Rendezvous Show, Elder Jones had a birthday yesterday so we invited them to dinner and the list goes on and on.  There's a saying that goes around here that "The Nauvoo Mission is not for Wimps!"
We love you all and look forward to sharing with you our adventures and hope that you will tell us  what you are doing and what is going on a home!  We love you all.   Elder and  Sister Pincock
 

MTC week

We have had a wonderful week.  It went by extremely fast.  I have been able to get a nap everyday because of the convenience of the location of our buildings.  And  also we have an hour and a half for lunch.  I did really well health-wise. I feel really good.  



Probably the most photographed map of the world in the world

We studied and were taught this week.  We had the opportunity to teach 3 times from the lessons in Preach My Gospel.  Our teacher was awesome and kept us awake the whole time!

One highlight this week was the devotional on Tuesday night.  Sister and Elder Matthew O. Richardson, he is second counselor in the Sunday School General Board, were the speakers.  She talked about being truly converted.  He talked about having the courage to be true to your calling.  He used the David O. McKay plaque that is displayed in the foyer of the MTC.  It refers to Shakespeare's quote  "What e'er thou art.  Act well thy part."   Here is a picture of the plaque.  If you add the points of each picture and then add the whole line, each line will add up to 18 (A magic square puzzle).  The objective being that if you do your part and everyone else does their part it's like magic to make things come out right.    D&C 90:24------search, pray,believe and all things shall work together for your good.

WHAT E'ER THOU ART---ACT WELL THY PART

The 4th of July was a fun day.  In the evening we (with thousands of other missionaries at the MTC) watched 17 Miracles and then watched the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire. Of course, we were not in the stadium but we had a good view of the firework display and enjoyed singing with all the missionaries the patriotic songs.  It was very touching.

Saturday we took the time to visit with the missionaries here at the MTC getting ready to go to Armenia and Karalyn Crawford who teaches them.   Karalyn served in Armenia with us and was a next door neighbor when she was growing up.  We saw Arthur Minasyan who we knew in Armenia.  He is here studying at UVU.  His father is Elder Minasyan, the Area  Seventy in Armenia.  Then we had a great visit with the couple that served in Ukraine who we had worked with on employment programs (E/S Burr).

Today we went to the Tabernacle Choir broadcast in the Conference Center in Salt Lake.  We walked in and within a few minutes we had helped several people find the restrooms and seats for the broadcast.   With our badges on, people thought we were hostess and host there.  A real Hostess came up to us and asked us to talk with a couple who were wanting a Book of Mormon.  We had a nice visit with them and were able to locate a Book of Mormon to give to them.   They were there for the Glen Beck Workshops going on in Salt Lake this week.  Glen Beck was in the audience, they introduced him and everyone gave him a standing ovation.    Tonight we went to a fireside given by two well known authors in the Church,  George    
Durrant and Susan Easton Black Durrant.  They were very entertaining and very impressive.  They have been called to the Nauvoo Mission and will be there next month.

While at the MTC learning how to teach from the Preach My Gospel manual we were divided into groups of 8  so that we could practice teach with each other.  Below is a picture of our "District" .

Our MTC District

from left to right: E/S Boyd going to Oregon serving as MLS(member-leader support); E/S Pincock going to Nauvoo to serve in the Visitor Center; Brother Jacobs-our morning MTC teacher (awesome teacher) E/S Clawson going to Tahiti  serving as MLS; and E/S Miles going to the Liberia (Africa) mission to serve as office couple.

We love you all and thank you for your prayers on our behalf.  We are excited to get to Nauvoo.

Elder and Sister Pincock