Ron Schilling Visit

Ron Schilling with Fred in the Stoddard Home

We had a pleasant surprise yesterday. I had just arrived at my assigned site at the Stoddard Home and Tin Shop. I wasn't there ten minutes when four people came into the site. Ron Schilling who is a volunteer at the Layton Bishops Storehouse, came with his daughter, son and son-in-law. It was good to see Ron. We enjoyed so much working with him and the other volunteers and missionaries at the storehouse. That was a very enjoyable missionary experience. Bob Wall at the storehouse had notified that Ron was coming April 19. However, we wondered if we had missed connecting with him. Ann was assigned to the Lyon Drug site, so I sent Ron over there to see here, too.

One of the young sister missionaries who is assigned to this mission is Sister Newell. She is the daughter of Lloyd Newell who gives the "Spoke Word" on the Tabernacle Choir broadcasts. Anyway, she and her companion were assigned to the Sarah Grainger Kimball home today with Ann. Sister Newell indicated that the choir will be performing concerts in the Chicago area in June this year.

First Rendezvous Show

These are our performance costumes

This week we performed in our first Rendezvous shows. So far we haven't been given any big parts. However, I had a very short line in one of the shows. Until the summer schedule starts, our cast will be performing two nights a week. There are now three casts. Once the summer season starts (Memorial Day), we will do two shows on two nights then one performance of Sunset on the Mississippi followed by one night off and then repeat the cycle.

Wednesday just as we were leaving for a practice prior to the show we were having a major thunder storm ( which resulted in about five inches of rain and a 20 foot rise in the Mississippi River), a bolt of lightening took out our power. We managed to put together some temporary lighting for the practice. However, we didn't think we would be able to put on the show.

People starting arriving for the show shortly before the scheduled starting time. The lights were still out and we were trying to decide whether or not we would have to cancel the show. President Gililland came in with a guest from Germany just at starting time. He said we needed to put on the show. Just as soon as he said that, the power came on and we were able to do the show.

This past week we increased the number of missionaries here in Nauvoo. We had 20 young sister missionaries come. Half of those are new and half are returning. Young sister missionaries who are called to the Nauvoo mission come for six months during the spring through the fall. They are then sent to other missions throughout the country to do regular proselyting work. Then the next spring they return for the last six months of their mission.

Just this past weekend, we had 44 more senior missionaries arrive (20 couples and 4 sisters). There have also been Temple missionaries arriving just in time for the busy summer season. The temple has shut down until the 29 April for some maintenance and for training the new temple missionaries. The temple missionaries serve under the temple president. With the surge in both senior missionaries and temple missionaries, we now fill the chapel and half of the cultural hall for sacrament meeting.

The senior sisters call this the 30 pound mission. Because of the way the period dresses are cut with what looks like the waist line being around their hip, it makes them look 30 pounds heavier than they really are.

Kevin called tonight. Noah got on the phone to tell us that he received the Aaronic Priesthood today and was ordained a Deacon. He told us that he was real nervous about his interview with his bishop because he thought that he would have to pass some kind of test. Noah is really excited to be a Deacon and to be able to attend priesthood meeting with his dad. 

Some Site Assignments

Post Office and Merryweather Dry Goods Store

Working as site missionaries is both a great opportunity and spiritual experience. Including the temple and old cemetery, there are about 30 different sites one can visit here in Nauvoo that are owned and maintained by the church. There are several more when you add in those sites that are owned by the Community of Christ Church (formerly the Reorganized Church). President Hinckley indicated that the two most sacred sites in the Nauvoo area are the temple and the old cemetery.

Outside the Brickyard

Sylvester Stoddard Tin Shop

Each of our sites have at least two missionaries assigned to it each day.

Assignments are rotated so that all the missionaries have an opportunity of conducting a tour and explaining what went on there and/or how it was used or its significance. During the busy time of the year, there may be more missionaries assigned to some of the more popular sites such as the Johnathan Browning Home and Gun Shop and the Webb Brothers Blacksmith Wainwright Shop to accommodate the number of visitors. Usually there will be two sisters or two elders assigned to work together. Sometimes we will be able to work at a site as a couple. Ann learned to make bread in brick bustle ovens.

Ann in Scovil Bakery

Each site has information with a least two spiritual messages intertwined with the history or explanation of the function of the site. You can feel the spirit as you make the spiritual comparison or testify to what was done or the purpose, etc. When you do, you know that the spirit is connecting with those or someone in the group. The messages are not memorized but presented as the spirit dictates.

Fred making minature horse shoes

So far we have already met people from several foreign countries states. Some of the countries represented are Australia, Japan, Italy, Germany, England and Norway. Some of the U.S. visitors we've met have come from the states of Washington, California, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Utah, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Conneticut, and Ohio. We have even met people from Layton, Utah. We even met a girl who worked in the Crazy 8 childrens clothing store in the Layton Mall with our daughter-in-law, Lisa.

Ann outside the Pendleton Log School

Our preparation day is Saturday. All the senior missionaries get a preparation day during the week but not on the same day. We may have performances on our preparation day that requires that we have all of our needed temporal affairs taken care of so that we are available for our assigned cast performance.

 One of the special opportunities of being here is that we are able to attend the Nauvoo Temple at least weekly on our preparation day. Depending on how our assignments fall we may be able to attend more often.

Rendezvous

Ann in Relief Society Scene in Rendezvous

During the day, we conduct tours at the various sites where we are assigned in Nauvoo. Most evenings, so far, have been mostly spent attending the "Rendezvous" show which is put on by the senior missionaries or practicing for the show. We haven't been in a show yet but will start next week now that we have been assigned to a cast. We are also having practices for the senior missionary parts of the "Sunset by the Mississippi" show.

Ann - Grandmothers Apron song in Sunset

The Rendezvous show is put on every night of the year except Sunday evening plus Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. All senior missionaries participate. During the winter months, there are only enough missionaries for two casts. We now have three. The casts alternate days doing the show.

Ann in Relief Society scene in Rendezvous

The "Sunset by the Mississippi" show runs from May through September. Parts of that are performed by students who audition and come for the summer season. They also perform vignettes in and around some of the Nauvoo sites during the day.

The third show or performance that is put on in Nauvoo is the "Nauvoo Pagent." A senior missionary couple is called to be responsible for just that production. The performers for that production are selected from hundreds of college students who audtion for the chance to be on of the approximately 30 performers. 

Fred - "Willing" scene in Rendezvous

We are told that the students who come to perform are nearly worked to death. The Nauvoo Pagent only runs through the month of July.

Fred - in Rendezvous scene

Our First Grandchild Missionary

Kaylor Smith

This evening at nine o'clock our time, we got on skype with our daughter Carrie in Cedar City, Utah and her family to watch our grandson open his mission call. He is our first grandchild to receive a mission call. It was fun to see all the excitement and hear him read his letter. 

Kaylor received his mission call to the Tulsa Oklahoma Mission. That is great. Tulsa was part of the Central States Mission at the time I served my mission. I spent one summer in Tulsa as one of my mission assignments. My companion and I were assigned to the Tulsa Third Ward. The brother of J. Ruben Clark Jr. was severing in the bishopric at that time.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KAYLOR!

Ann Finds New Cousin Cedar City Aquaintances

Ann with cousin Welton Ward

You never know who you may meet or run into out here. While Ann and I were visiting some of our missionary sites here in Nauvoo, we saw a sister missionary who's name tag said "Sister Ward." I asked her where her home was. When she responded that she was from Malad, Idaho; I turned to Ann and said that I would bet that she is related her.

We went to the black smith shop where her husband was assigned at that time to talk to him.
Sure enough, they are related. His name is Welton Ward. Both he and Ann have  a common ancestor, George Welton Ward. His line goes through George Welton's son George and Ann's line through George Welton's son William.

Treassa Seamons and family

While I was assigned to the visitors center, I greeted a family that looked very familiar. I thought that the wife looked like our daughter Carrie's friend. I asked them if they had lived in Cedar City, Utah. When they said they had, I knew that it had to be Treassa Seamons and her family. They didn't recognize me until I told them that I was Carrie's father. They then remembered me.

They were on their way back home in Utah from visiting Tereasa's parents who are serving a mission in Kirkland, Ohio. 

Annual Prairie Fire

View from our apartment window

We had an interesting experience this evening. There is a plot of ground across the street from us that they let go in its natural state. The plot is about one acre.  It is prairie grass.

They let it grow all year. Then in the Spring, they set it on fire so that those interested can get a feel of what a prairie would be like and how fast it burns. Most of the missionaries as well as citizens of Nauvoo come to watch. 

Ground level view of the plot of prairie grass.

The whole thing burns up in two to three  minutes. I'm sure that it would be a frightening   experience for those on the prairie to be  caught in one.

Because of the drought they had this year, the grass wasn't as tall as it can get. It was about three feet high. They tell us the grass can get as tall as a man.

In the picture to the right, you can see the Buster home. It is the white building at the far left. Our apartment occupies the whole  upstairs. 

The flames get to about ten to twelve feet high.

As part of the event, Elder and Sister Taylor who are in charge of putting on the annual Nauvoo pagent, invited all the Nauvoo missionaries to their home for a hot dog barbecue with all the trimmings. 

Their home is the one seen across the prairie grass plot, looking from our window in the picture at the top.

Following the burning, we spent the rest of the evening in Rendezvous training and practice.