Week 36: March 3 ---March 9, 2014

Hello:

Gosh, it was just a week ago when we did the last blog, we must be getting a little more organized just before the busy summer time starts.  We love the work and the opportunities that we have to bear our testimonies to those we meet each day.

We have lots of changes taking place around here.  Six couples are going home this next week and the week after that we will be getting 15 new couples.  The snow is melting and the air has a new feel to it.  It feels like spring might be just around the corner.  We still have piles of snow around and lots of water standing because of the melting and you still have to wear a coat but like I said, there's a new
feeling in the air!  Some ladies even have matching outfits.

Matching outfits and they did not have it planned.  Must shop at the same store

sure sign of Spring when the geese are on their way north and stopped
off in Nauvoo for a rest.

 Elder Pincock and I thought we were just getting settled in for the summer, but no, now we have been asked to be the assistant site leaders at the visitor's center.  Along with that is the assignment to take care of all of the public relations and scheduling for the BYU performing groups that will be here during June this year.( the groups are Living Legends and Synthesis)  Of course they picked the right man for the job.  And I guess I'll fit in somewhere. For all these years I have been a good support for all of Elder Pincock's many talents and I have enjoyed it.   Elder Pincock will do a very good job with all of his experience with the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce and Idaho Dance and Music Festival.

Elder Pincock making a presentation at a training meeting

 

Sister Ririe making a presentation about relation-"ships"

We have been having party after party this week for all the couples who are going home.  Monday night there was a pizza party and farewell for a couple we have done many things with because they have the same preparation day as we do and the Mission Doctor who is going home next week.

Pizza party for departing missionaries from our cast

Dr (Elder) Miller at departing party.  (He has been wonderful)
He took good care of Elder Pincock's bloody nose.

Another farewell party

Oh, yes, we got notice today that we have a new Mission President who will be here on April 1st.  His name is Larry Gibbons.  He has served in East Europe and in the 2nd Quorum of Seventy. 

Friday night we had dinner at a couple's home as a going away tribute to another couple.  And tonight was a potluck dinner  for all the departing missionaries who came a year ago.  Friday morning was the official farewell breakfast, where the departing missionaries put on a skit and small program with memories of their service.  Busy week!

Elder Pincock served one day this week at the brickyard and they had started the kiln to fire the bricks.  There were 850 bricks in the kiln and they cooked to 2100 degrees then cool for two days then stacked so that they can be given away this summer.  He was able to take pictures of the bricks just after they finished firing and then a few hours later as they were cooling.

Bricks in the kiln at 1900 degrees

bricks 3 hours later.  Cooling down to 1100 degrees

I cut out and started sewing a new site dress for myself  so I can get through the summer. I'll  have three dresses when I get done.  I have been really excited to learn how to do this because Sister Summers made the dresses that I brought with me.  Since I work at the sewing room regularly I think it will be good experience for me to know exactly how to make these detailed dresses.  With so many new couples coming I'm sure that knowledge will be very helpful during the rush time.  I didn't know this when we first came but many ladies have the sewing room make their dresses here when they get here.  So I will be "experienced". 

In our spare time we have tried a new restaurant in Burlington called "Gator's",  had two practices for our song for the Relief Society Commemoration coming up on Saturday afternoon, and practices for our big debut Saturday evening when Elder Pincock starts being the Editor in Rendezvous and I play the Relief Society President part.  We also attended 2 lectures by George and Susan Durrant and went to the Thurston's 2 times to play a round of Rook.

we saw a Cardinal in a tree this week.

In our cookie baking sessions we are up to 43,000 cookies to serve to guests at the Scovil Bakery site.  Our goal is 50,000.  We should be done with this project in a couple of weeks. 

Today we got the results of our Humanitarian efforts  for this winter.   We took 123 layette packages to the Blessing Hospital in Quincy, made 350 hats for needy children and the homeless shelter.  The residents there all put on their new hats and had some cute pictures taken.  They were also each given a quilt and a new pillowcase.  This homeless shelter is also a training center to help people get jobs.  Their leaders said that these  things bring much happiness to the people there and brighten their lives with something fun and useful.  We made 190 pillowcases, 70 quilts, and 182 Boo-boo bears were taken to the fire departments around the area.   These bears are given to children who have accidents and sustain burns, cuts, etc.

Humanitarian projects

         
Did I say the busy season is coming or is it always busy here?  At any rate, I think us older folks are doing some good work.  It is very rewarding and we are so happy to be here.   One of my favorite things is to give the tours.  Yesterday a 69 year old man came to the Heber C Kimball Home for a tour.   He said he had been to Nauvoo two times before and that this would be his last time.  You could tell he didn't have very good health.  He had a friend with him who was helping him move to the west so he could be close to a daughter.  He had loved visiting Nauvoo and wanted to do it one last time.  You could tell he was very knowledgeable about the details and history.  When we got though with the tour, he said that they were done with their visit and they were leaving now.  He wanted the Heber C Kimball Home to be their last stop since this was the first home to be restored as  part of the Nauvoo restoration.  It is truly a beautiful home and I have also loved this house.  I have been serving as the assistant site leader for the last few months and I thought I would be there and move into the leader position eventually and at least be there for the summer.  It has a large waiting room for the missionaries and a modern bathroom on the main floor.  It's probably the most comfortable home to serve in.  But we are on to new challenges and of course the Visitor Center has excellent restrooms- now all they need to do is find room so we can have our own desk! HA HA.

As Elder Pincock and I were serving at the Nauvoo Visitors Center this week Elder Pincock saw a couple coming out of one of the visitors center movies and began visiting with them.  He told the man that he looked familiar and asked if they had met before.  Well, what a surprise, it was Kelly Robertson and his wife from Boise.  Kelly works for Zions Bank in Boise and Elder Pincock had worked with him on some real estate loans for customers in Rexburg.  It was good to talk with them for awhile.

Sister missionaries practicing their clogging for Sunset on The Mississippi
show this summer

We love our family and friends and we cannot tell you how excited we are for the many visitors we have made arrangements with to share this special place  this spring and summer.  Did I tell you we have purchased a freezer so we can prepare food and be ready for you all.  You will never forget your experience here.  Our apartment accommodations are full for July now.  We have people coming in March, May and October also, but have space in any of those months plus June and September are wide open.  

We love hearing from you, hope you are all well and doing good things.  Don't forget to be thankful for all you have.  Express your love and be kind to everyone!

 

 

 

ANOTHER beautiful sunset on the Mississippi.

 

 

Love,
Elder and Sister Pincock

Weeks 33 and 34 and 35; February 10 to March 2, 2014

Hello: 

It is just amazing to me that time goes so fast.  We are working hard and enjoying every minute to serve as missionaries for the Church. 

During this past week Elder Pincock met two men who live in Eastern Idaho.  One is Shawn Brown from Newdale (family is Jessie and Linda Brown) and a man from Pocatello, Jonah Simmons.  Shawn knows the Val Schwendiman family in Newdale very well.  They are working in the area and came to Nauvoo to see what is here.  Hope they enjoyed their visit.

Sister Pincock went to the dentist the first part of the week to finish up her root canal and it can't be completed but the dentist said that it should be okay for awhile until sometime down the road she will need to have an implant done. 

We have our preparation days on Tuesday's, training meetings on Wednesday mornings, Rendezvous shows twice a week, Sunset on the Mississippi practices one night a week, serving every day but preparation day  and the time just flies by.  We are preparing to teach Priesthood and Relief Society on March 2 so that takes some of our time.  Sister Pincock has made 70 Christmas ornament ball (one for every Sister in the mission) and with her sewing items and working on Humanitarian things we run out of hours every day.

For Valentines Day, Sister Pincock  melted about 10 lbs of chocolate and made chocolate hearts for every couple in the mission.  It was fun to put the chocolates in small plastic bags, tie them up and place them in the mailboxes of each missionary.  It was a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day.  thanks to you for the many, fun valentines and we hope our family enjoyed the ones we sent.  On Valentine Night we had a dance at the Cultural Hall  to celebrate Valentine's day.  It's the first time that anyone knows about that an actual dance has been held in this ballroom since the restoration of the Cultural hall. 

Cultural Hall where we have the Rendezvous shows and where the
Valentine's Dance was held

Dancing on the 3rd Floor of the Cultural Hall
(this is the original floor where Joseph and Emma danced)

Oh, a Valentine kiss

our friends, E/S Jones from Canada

For our celebration we went to Burlington (about 30 minutes away) and had dinner at Applebee's.  It was great!  We have not been to Applebee's since we left home last June.  Brought back some good memories of eating at the Idaho Applebee's with  Archibald's, Wade's, and our family.

On Valentine's Day we served at Carthage Jail.  It was a great place to serve and E/S Gneiting (from Rigby) even brought lunch for the 8 of us serving there that day.  That evening we had our new neighbors that moved in below us ( E/S Harris) over for dinner,

In March we will have our Relief Society commemoration at the Red Brick Store here in Nauvoo.  Can you even imagine!  Every year we celebrate the organization of the Relief Society and this year I get to be in the exact place where it took place.  I will be accompanying a group of ladies who are singing a special number for the occasion. We hold practices every few days. 

On February 18 we had a great shopping trip in Quincy.  I got two new shirts and two new coats and we bought a little freezer.  Yes, a freezer so can start making food for all our visitors this summer.  We are getting very excited.  I am also making a new supply of personalized pillowcases for our guests.  If you are coming this summer and have not called us yet, we encourage you to call this week.  Our "hotel" is getting filled up and the tickets for Rendezvous, Anna Amanda, The Promise  and other things are getting pretty filled up.    I know it is only the first of March but summer is coming fast and plans are moving right along.  And talk about visitors, we were surprised by Linda and Delbert Edstrom, who came to visit.

what a fun few minutes we spent with the Edstrom's from Rexburg

They had been to Branson and decided to come through Nauvoo on their way home  to see us and they got to see a performance of Rendezvous and reminisce their mission from about 5 years ago.  What a great surprise for us. 

We had a Rendezvous performance last week with absolutely no guests.  It happens once in a while.  We still had to put on the play and used it for a practice time on stage.  We take our little play pretty serious.  It goes on rain or shine, snow or freeze, guests or no guests!

I'm still in charge of one of the cookie baking sessions each week.  We are still trying to get our 80,000 cookies baked and frozen for the summer months.  It's quite a fun day.  I am including some fun pictures of the cookie production.

cookie baking

more cookie baking fun

We seem to have enough time to have other missionaries over for dinner and enjoy socializing.  Occasionally we meet someone at the sites who we drag home for a meal.  Last Sunday we had a man come into the Tin Shop where we were serving about 5 minutes to 5.  We were just getting ready to close.    We were expecting guests for dinner and so we just invited him to come to dinner with us and that got us out of the Shop pretty fast so we wouldn't be late before the others arrived.  He was a man who was across the river at Fort Madison for business meetings and had come over to Nauvoo for Sunday afternoon.  His parents live in Rigby.  We do not know them but some of you might.  They live on 400 North-Tom and Diane Wilson.   If you know  them tell them we had their son over for dinner. 

Tuesday we left home at 7:00 am and headed for St. Louis.  A missionary couple who are leaving in a couple of weeks wanted to see the St. Louis temple before they leave and so we drove over with them and attended a Temple session.  It's a beautiful Temple.

St. Louis Temple (we took the picture last fall)

Afterwards we went to St. Charles and visited that quaint little town and saw the spot where Lewis and Clark started off on their expedition  to explore the west.

Lewis and Clark Memorial in St. Charles Missouri.   St. Charles near St. Louis
was the starting point for the Lewis-Clark Expedition

They have a cute museum there. the original State capitol buildings of Missouri. stone streets, etc.

Original State Capital building for the State of Missouri

Brick streets in St. Charles

Missouri River

We had a great day.  We topped it off by going to Cracker Barrel  for dinner and I got to spend my gift certificates from Christmas.  I got two new skirts and paid for dinner.  Thanks for the fun Christmas gift.        

I'm sorry its been so long since we posted our last blog.  We are having great experiences.  They never end.  We did get bad news about our Mission President.  His health is not good enough to come so he has been released.  However, things go on just the same and the interim  president is doing a great job.  Isn't it wonderful how the church works so smoothly because of the organization of it and is never dependent on one person.

One of the many couples that we enjoy associating with is Elder and Sister Thurston.  They are from Blackfoot and she is the daughter of Betty Zundel from Pocatello, Idaho.  The Zundel's were good friends with Elder Pincock's parents and we knew Sister Thurston (Karen) in Pocatello. You just never know when you are going to meet someone that you grew up with.

Elder and Sister Thurston  (she is Karen Zundel from Pocatello)

We gave our lessons today on repentance and we were so touched by the message of them- that our Heavenly Father has a plan for everything.  We talked about the steps of repentance, how we all need to repent and how it works by the power  of the Atonement.  We were blessed to have been asked to give these lessons in Relief Society and Priesthood Meeting.  We hope you are all doing well.  We love you so very much  Keep doing your best.


Love,
Elder and Sister Pincock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 32--February 2 to February 9, 2014

Hello again:

These sure seem to roll around often.  This has been a busy week with something every night in addition to our regular service shifts during the day at the "sites".

If any of you are thinking about coming to visit Nauvoo this would be a great summer to come. This summer is the 10th Anniversary of the Nauvoo Pageant so extra events are being added to the normal schedule.  In addition to the Nauvoo Pageant there will be another Pageant called "Truth Will Prevail".  This pageant is also called the British Pageant and was held in Great Britain last year.  Because of its success the decision was made to show it here in America and they chose Nauvoo to be the site.  The Nauvoo Pageant will be held on Tuesdays, Thursday's and Saturday's while the British pageant will be on Wednesday's and Friday's.  There are other special events planned in addition to the normal summer activities.  So this would be a great year to visit Nauvoo!!!

We are looking forward to the visit next month of our son, Robert, and his family to Nauvoo.  They are coming to visit before Brenna leaves on her mission to Virginia.  Brenna will be going to the Temple on February 15th and we are just so proud of her.  She will be a great missionary setting a good example for all her cousins.  Hope that the snow is all gone by then.  We received about 7 inches on the last weekend of January and it snowed another 5 inches on Tuesday, February 4th.  Now the cold!!!! 

We received an email from our good friends, Max and Deanna Wade who are serving in the Edmonton Alberta Canada mission working with the YSA (Young Single Adults).  They are great with young people and so we know they are in heaven with their calling. 

We love our church meetings each Sunday.  Speakers are always wonderful and couples take turns giving Gospel Doctrine lessons and Priesthood-Relief Society lessons.  These senior couples are so experienced in the Gospel and have such great ways to present lessons.  But you can tell which ones are okay with technology and which do not want anything to do with computers.  We have an assignment to teach the Relief Society and Priesthood lessons in a couple of weeks.

We had our Zone Conference on Sunday night that was taught by our interim Mission President, Elder Cheynowth.  He did a very good job. Just before our conference each month there is a "mission slide show" that is presented with a pictorial account of the history of the mission during the previous month.  There are pictures of each missionary and farewells to those leaving, birthdays etc.  The show is always fun to watch and often very funny.

Monday we went to the Cultural Hall to learn about a new job in Rendezvous that we will do sometimes.  It is the curtain puller and prompter.  It was fun to learn.  There were only two people in the audience but it was still fun to watch them have fun and enjoy the show.(the audience was Sister Pincock and Sister Germer, who is our Rendezvous director).   So not a lot of visitors these cold winter nights but we still always do the show even if no one if there.

Tuesday was our preparation day.  We got up early so we could get our shopping done before the snow storm.  We drove to Quincy (about an hour away) so that we could shop at Sam's Club to get our fresh fruit for the next two weeks.  We almost made it before the snow started to fall in Quincy but we beat the storm to Nauvoo so the trip was good.  In the afternoon Sister Pincock went to the Family History Center and Elder Pincock stayed at home to learn more of the "Editor" lines.

snow storm in Nauvoo

watching the snow fall

Sister Pincock was successful in finding some additional names of her family for the temple. We sure would encourage all of you to spend 30 minutes a week on doing indexing.  Indexing is taking information from documents and putting the information into to ancestry files.  It is interesting and not really hard to do.  Indexing does make a difference in families and helps each of us fulfill our missionary assignment from the Prophet.

We had a very interesting Mission Training  meeting this week.  They gave us the history of the horses, wagon rides and carriage. rides.  It was very interesting to hear how the rides and care of the draft horses has improved over the years.  Something that we want to do is to go up to the barns one of these mornings so we can see how they "call the horses in". They say it is a great sight to see when the 18 draft horses come running for their breakfast of grain.

Sister Pincock finished her "lap" quilt and went back to the Family History Center to do some preparation work for some of here relatives, the Peter Kieffer family.  We celebrated  birthday with one of cast members at a fairly good Mexican Restaurant.  It is always fun to party with the missionaries. 

We attended the Susan Eastin Black Durrant lecture this week on the Extermination Order from Governor Boggs in Missouri.  It is always so interesting to hear her talk about the history of the church.  We love the lectures.  This was lecture number 20 of 60 that she is going to give. 

We had quite a few guests this week that were here in Nauvoo for the Exodus Reenactment.  The Reenactment is a celebration of the time in February 1846 when the saints left Nauvoo on a very cold morning for the west.  There were lots of people from Utah and Wyoming who come every year to take part in the walk down Main street and then down to Parley Street to the Mississippi River.  We met quite a few ladies who were here from Star Valley Wyoming to participate.  We thought about our friends the Budd's who we served with in Armenia and were from Star Valley.

Saturday morning was the reenactment ceremony.   We all met early at the Family Living Center for a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, muffins, fruit and nice hot chocolate. 

crowd at Family Living Center before Exodus walk

Brigham Young and wife (E/S Monney) ready for the exodus

After breakfast we all lined up on the street with the carriages, wagons, members of the Nauvoo Legion militia (missionaries who were in uniform with fake guns)

Legion preparing for Exodus Walk

and people who were walking to represent someone that had lived in Nauvoo and left in 1846.   There were also people carrying flags of different countries whose immigrants were here in Nauvoo.

Elder Swapp, Elder Pincock and Elder Jones getting ready for Exodus walk

wagons and horses ready to go

We carried the names of James and Drusilla Hendricks (Elder Pincock's mothers ancestors) who lived here in Nauvoo and were one of the first families to leave that February in 1846.  Very interesting family members.

Sister Pincock walking for Drusilla Hendricks ( Elder Pincock's 3rd Great
Grandmother on his mothers side of the family)

Sister Pincock ready for Exodus walk, February 8, 2014

We all walked down Parley Street (the actual street where the pioneers left) to the River and there had a flag raising ceremony and a small program.  The weather was cold (about 15 degrees) with a little snow and NO wind.  Then we walked back to our cars at the Family Living Center.

walking down Parley Street to the Mississippi River

crowd at the end of Parley Street at the Mississippi

Program at the Exodus Memorial at the end of Parley Street

E/S Pincock standing on the ice covering the Mississippi River at the end
of Parley Street

It was a great experience to carry the names of our relatives and relive somewhat their experience that cold February morning.  We love our ancestors and the sacrifices that they made of us. 

Even though is was a chilly morning  we can probably never appreciate what those pioneers suffered during those days.  Once they left Nauvoo they couldn't turn around and come back like we did to get into our nice comfortable cars and get warm.

On Sunday we had a Sociable (fireside) to end the Exodus Reenactment ceremony.  There was some great music and 8 missionaries were prepared to spend 5 minutes each to tell a little about their ancestors that lived here in Nauvoo.  Elder Pincock was one of those that got to speak.  He told about James and Drusilla Hendricks.  We will attach his talk about the Pincock and Hendricks families who both lived here in Nauvoo to the email about updating our blog.  It is interesting reading so if you have a few minutes it is worth reading.

Elder Pincock is working hard on his lines for the "Editor" part for the musical show "Rendezvous" and probably will be scheduled for his debut the last week of February.


Elder Pincock practicing line for "the Editor" for Rendezvous
with sister Germer our Rendezvous Director

We were serving at the "Tin Shop" on Sunday and in came two people with a 1M license plate.  It was Chad Harris and his wife Allison, (daughter of Larry Atkinson from Rexburg).  They had no idea that we were serving here in Nauvoo and just had time to stop at one of the sites and we were the one's that "just happened" to be there.  Amazing, amazing!!!!!

It seems that we are very busy but enjoying the opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father. We are excited that many family and friends are coming to Nauvoo this summer and would encourage you all to come visit Nauvoo.  There is a special feeling here and lots of history.

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

E/S Pincock

Weeks 30 and 31: January 19, 2014 ---February 1, 2014

Hello again.

Where does the time go?????  It's been two weeks since we updated the blog.  Hope you are all well.  We so much enjoy the responses and all the blogs and e-mails that we get from everyone. 

We still don't have a new Mission President and there's no word about when he will get here,  but we hear that he is improving and we look forward to meeting  him soon. 

We have started to have practices for the Sunset By the Mississippi show that starts in May.  We have new  songs that are more on the nonsense, funny side.  Elder Pincock and I started to practice so we can do the Clarinet Polka dance -square dance style.  The woman also have an interlude with some clogging in it-we'll see if that happens for me!?   We also have a new job of prompting the actors and actresses in Rendezvous.  We've had to do some training to learn about the curtain pulling, stage set up and things like that.  I think it will be a good change once in a while.  We will be assigned to do it  once every two weeks instead of being in the play that night.  Also, Elder  Pincock is working very hard on his new part as the Editor.  It's is main part in Rendezvous that connects all the stories together that make up the entire play.  Here is an Elder performing the part.

Elder Broadbent as the "editor" in Rendezvous

Elder Pincock  will start performing that part about the 1st of March.   

We are also being involved  in the Humanitarian projects that are underway.  One day I got to sort all of the baby items and make layette kits that contain socks, booties, burp cloth, onesie, diapers, bib, sleeper, hat, mittens, and a blanket.  We put together about 60 kits that day.  All the items are made by the missionaries here in Nauvoo and distributed through the wards in Nauvoo.  The Relief Society presidents come to our work rooms and pick up the items as they become aware of needs.  It's pretty fun to be part of all that goes on here.  Places like Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Women's shelters etc. all benefit from the projects that we work on.

I had the major part of a root canal done last week.  I'm not done but my tooth feels much better and I was very happy with the dentist here that most of the missionaries go to. 

The winter is getting very long and dreary. 

Ice on the Mississippi River

We have really wanted to get away and go somewhere but of course we only have one day a week that we can do anything away from Nauvoo.  Last Friday I couldn't bear to go home so we went for a ride along the river to the north of Nauvoo.  We stopped and bought a really neat knife from the family from Tonga that I told you about that lives in the round house.

Round House

They make and sell little knives that look like a little hack saw and it cuts everything remarkably well.  We have had fun this last week cutting bread, tomatoes, meat, and onions in a jiff. 

really nice cutting knife (home made by Sister Tukuafu)



handle on homemade knife

So after our purchase we drove up through the corn fields north of Nauvoo and back into town where we stopped for dinner at the only restaurant that is still open for the winter.  But we did have a good hamburger for dinner.  Then we went to the best show in town-Rendezvous.  We felt like we had a fun little trip and enjoyed our selves and felt renewed. 

Some missionary friends invited us for dinner on Sat. night.(she was a Zundel from Pocatello)  We had a good dinner but the funnest part was the very competitive game of Rook.  They loved learning the game and ask us everyday when we are going to play again. David and I play it together almost every day.   Then on Sunday night we fixed dinner for our District group.  There were 6 of us for lasagna, green salad, corn, French bread, and cookies and ice cream for dessert.  We had a great lesson about questioning techniques and developed some questions for  the different sites in Nauvoo.  Sometimes when you engage the guests with questions it helps to make the tour more interesting and meaningful.  We get pretty detailed training here.  We have this meeting once a month. 

On our last Preparation Day we went to Burlington and checked out a store that carries accessories for women-purses, scarves, jewelry, lotions, etc.  I found some really cute things including 5 purses, a scarf, and some mango salsa.  The store is really unique with the way it displays the products-all in groups by color.

fun accessory store in Burlington Iowa

Then we had lunch at a fun place called Big Muddy's  on the banks of the Mississippi River.  We had some really good sandwiches.   

Big Muddy's Restaurant

Mississippi River bridge at Burlington Iowa (connecting Iowa and Illinois)

That afternoon we went to the temple and did baptisms for direct relatives-names we researched and found at the Family History Center here in Nauvoo.  It was a wonderful experience.   We would encourage all of you to get on your computers and do some family history work or indexing.  It is part of missionary work that is so necessary.

Love,
E/S Pincock               
     

Week 29 : January 11th --- January 19, 2014

Hello again:

We feel like we've had sort of a break this week.  They have been painting and working in the Cultural Hall and so we have not had any Rendezvous performances.  It has made a little difference in the intensity of our time.  It's not quite like going on vacation but it has been a break.  For one thing it has been very cold this last week and the wind has blown a lot so it made it possible to stay in out of the cold some of the nights. 

Last Sunday there was no heat in the chapel of the church building where we meet and it was very cold.  It was around 20 degrees outside and even though there was heat in the rest of the building we all had to keep our coats on for that 70 minutes of Sacrament Meeting.  It was much better this week. 

Our Mission President has gone home and we were scheduled to meet our new President yesterday but he had an accident and hurt his back so he was not able to come as he planned.  He should be here in a few weeks.  His last name is Hunter and he is the son of President Howard W Hunter.  We had a lot of nice goodbyes with our past President this week-an open house last Sunday, a farewell breakfast on Friday, and gifts and goodbyes at our Training Meeting on Wednesday.

With the guests being  few in numbers we are very involved with Humanitarian Projects while we are in our sites.  We have made countless hats, baby layettes, quilts,  Boo-Boo bears, mittens, and pillow cases.  These things are all donated to various charities, fire stations, woman shelters, hospitals and other places for those in need.  Hope you enjoy the pictures of some of the things we have made. 

Working at the Family Living Center( Sister Pincock is making a shawl)

Elder Pincock weaving a rug

finished products waiting for tags that say
"made with love from the Nauvoo Missionaries"

getting material ready for quilts

working on a shawl

tying the fringe on the totes and runners



tying a quilt

some finished quilts

completed baby blankets

a view of some completed items

Sometimes while we are serving at the sites we have some time to work on some additional humanitarian projects.  For one of his Christmas presents Elder Pincock received a weaving loom to make hats, scarfs etc.  He made his first hat and I got it!!!

First hat made by Elder Pincock

guess who got it!!!!

making another one??

Last Monday we spent the evening at the home of Bro and Sister Tukuafu that live here in Nauvoo.  They moved here from Hawaii and before that they lived in Tonga.  They met at BYU Hawaii, married and have 14 children.  They came here 4 years ago and built a round house overlooking the Mississippi river.  She is very musical and has made over 30 musical instruments and plays them all.  Her specialty is harps and she played and they both sang us songs and gave  us a tour of their house.   She actually makes these instruments in her shop where she also made most of the furniture and furnishings in their house.  It was a most interesting evening.  They raised their family in a shack in Hawaii with no running water or electricity in the house.  They are both in their seventies and her message was to never give up because  your dreams CAN come true.  She has always wanted a round house because in Tonga the round houses are the ones that withstand the storms and hurricanes.   They designed and mostly built this house out of logs and wood that they found along the banks of the Mississippi river.  It was fascinating.

looking at the ceiling and balcony in the Tukuafu home

bed made from wood floating in the Mississippi River

Sister Tukuafu bathtub

stained glass window in Tukuafu home

full moon showing through skylight in Tukuafu home

Bro & Sister Tukuafu (she is playing a harp that she made)

making a string instrument (don't remember the name of it)

Sister Tukuafu playing for us

playing the bass oboe

 

Jennifer, did you know these people from the North shore in Laie when you were on your mission?
  
It is Eagle Celebration Days around here and the eagles  are everywhere.  We enjoyed a day of observing the eagles and we also saw some pelicans.  It is quite a sight to watch these beautiful birds.
The river has certainly provided us with much pleasure during the different seasons.  Something different is happening all the time.  From the pretty water lilies and their evolution, the hunting huts on the river, the autumn leaves and now  the frozen water and eagles feeding on fish during the winter.  We truly enjoy this and the beautiful drive when we go to the south of Nauvoo along the banks of the Mississippi.

Bald Eagle flying near a fishing boat on the Mississippi

resting from a morning of fishing

Beautiful birds.  There are hundreds of them by the river

We are grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be part of all that goes on and to see
how it all works.  We are blessed with good health.  David's cracked rib is healing after his fall on the ice, I am doing OK with the pain of an abscessed tooth that I will get taken care of on Wednesday.  I am going to have an ultrasound in my ongoing monitoring and David has his treatment every 4 months and other than a sore bottom is doing well.  Did I say GOOD HEALTH!!   Well, it's quite a sight to watch all of us older people during such extraordinary things.  We all have our ailments and we are still producing such amazing feats.  And we truly love it.  What a way to spend our later years.  The gospel is true and I'm positive without that knowledge all of this would be impossible.  Work hard and use your faith.  We love you all. 

 

 Elder and Sister Pincock