Today was my "preparation day" (partial day off). I had a mission training meeting at 8am to learn what our responsibilities will be during the upcoming Nauvoo & British Pageants that start on July 5- August 2. The number of visitors double here in Nauvoo during that time!

Next I attended the beautiful Nauvoo temple - I have been doing a lot of family history and genealogy work finding names to take with me to the temple when I go once a week. 

On the way home I decided to stop off at the Weld Museum in the city of Nauvoo (as opposed to Historic Nauvoo). What an enjoyable experience that was. Most missionaries that I talk to don't even know it is here in Nauvoo! But I love museums and finding out the things to do whenever I am in a new place is a hobby of mine! 

 Annie's Frozen Custard is one of my favorite places - it is a must to go to when in Nauvoo! Helen the owner is a special lady - and so friendly. Please tell her you heard about her shop from my blog if you come here to Nauvoo!!! You'll love it!

 I just thought I would show you what the main street looks like....there are no stop signs or signals! It took a little getting used to small town living for this California girl!!!

Looking towards the west - notice Annie's Frozen Custard on the left!

Still looking west down the other side of the street

Looking east going out of town! This place is really growing on me.....so different from the major cities I have lived in the rest of my life! 2 gas stations, one car repair place and one very small grocery store!

To finish the day off - it was my casts night to perform in "Sunset by the Mississippi" - the variety show put on nightly by the senior and young performing missionaries! It is REALLY A FUN SHOW - both to watch and to perform in! The only down side is the heat/humidity - the ladies are all dressed in their 1840s period costumes on the outdoor stage!

My dear friend, Mary Ann Huisken (right) and her cousin Kay came to Nauvoo this weekend to visit me. Mary Ann came from Huntington Beach, CA and brought her cousin from the other side of Illinois. It was so great to see them. We had such a fun (although) short time to visit and see a few sights together. This is a small lake in Nauvoo that is one of my favorite spots. They got to see me perform in Sunset by the Mississippi and eat the great buffet in the Nauvoo Hotel!

L to R
Kay and Mary Ann

I couldn't resist taking this picture of Kay taking a picture of Mary Ann taking a picture of a couple of temple missionaries from Mission Viejo, CA!

Yesterday was my birthday, but I was sick with a sinus infection so no celebrating much this year! No big deal - birthdays come and go! I'm starting to feel a lot better today!

Wednesday night I stayed after our show to see the BYU group "Synthesis Jazz Band" and Contemporary Dance Group perform. It is so fun to have these extra groups come and perform! There will be a lot of extra things happening in a couple of weeks when the Nauvoo & British Pageants start! Can hardly wait!

It was sooo fun to have a surprise guest show up in Nauvoo! Melanie Richardson, a friend that I sang with in the Orange County Millennial Choral Organization, was at my Rendezvous show last night! She was on a church history tour and the bus was leaving so we didn't have long to visit.

 Today my newly baptized convert, Zenta Logan met a few of us in Fort Madison to give us a tour of a couple of the beautiful old Catholic Churches. We first started at Mary & Joseph Church and then toured Sacred Heart both in the Holy Family Parish. They were amazing as you can see in just a few of the many pictures I took. They were amazing. I love admiring old beautiful buildings and hope to do a lot more of this while I am in this wonderful part of the country.

Mary & Joseph Church

me and Zenta

Looking towards the front

The rear of the church where the choir sings from upstairs and there is an amazing pipe organ!

Just starting the tour through Sacred Heart Church

The rear of the church upstairs where the organ is and the choir sings.

From L to R
Elder Curtis, (Sister Curtis is taking the photo), me, Zenta's friend Margaret who came to help give the tour, Zenta, and Sister Thomas.

Our Sarah Granger Kimball cast is performing on the outdoor stage tonight in Sunset by the Mississippi and it is 90+ degrees and 70+ humidity and we wear our pioneer costumes. I hope we make it through the show!!!

We had district meeting here at our place last Sunday. 

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Sister Walker, Sister Brown, Elder & Sister Thompson, Sister Robison, Elder Robison, and Sister and Elder Barnum. Elder and Sister Ballard were away at their son's wedding!

Today is Father's Day - Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there! My Father, Sherman LeRoy Dalton, has been gone for over 10 years, but I still miss him a lot. He was and is a great strength to me. I love and honor you Dad! I have been thinking a lot about my wonderful heritage today and am more than grateful for all they sacrificed and the legacy they left me. Every day that I serve here in Nauvoo, I am more and more thankful to be here. 

Today's entry is very special to me. Back on May 8th I was serving in the Bakery and the full time sister missionaries from Iowa brought a sister named Zenta Logan to Nauvoo. She was investigating our church and wanted to come to Nauvoo... She grew up in Fort Madison, Iowa (just across the river from Nauvoo) but has been living in Burlington, Iowa (45 minutes away) for many years. The first contact in Nauvoo was with Sister Schultz in the Visitor's Center. Then she came to the Bakery and Sister Brown and I made a significant connection with her. When I found out that she was from Fort Madison I asked her if she knew anyone that could show me around all the beautiful old churches over there and she said that she used to give tours of the largest Catholic church and offered to show me around. So I gave her my phone number and she said she would call me and set up a time to get together. She told us that years ago she and her son had been an extra in the church film - Legacy! She wanted to know if she could get a copy of it. I told her I would get her one. It felt like I had always known her. She then went to another site and met Sister Olsen. In the course of their visit, Sister Olsen invited her to be baptized and told her that even if she had to come from her home in Canada to attend Zenta's baptism, she would do it. Later Zenta said that she had not even considered baptism up to that day. Zenta later told us that her visit to Nauvoo really touched her heart and mind and her investigation of the church became more serious after that day.
Well out of the blue a couple of weeks ago I got a call from Zenta inviting me to her baptism on June 14th. We talked for awhile and she asked me to contact the other sisters that she made a strong connection with and also invite them to attend. Of course we made every effort to be there today for her baptism. It was a wonderful experience to know that we had each played a small part in bringing her to Christ. It was wonderful! Such a sweet, strong spirit attended the baptism. Sister Brown played the piano for the service and I lead the singing!
We don't often get to see the fruits of our labors while serving here in Nauvoo. We usually just plant the seeds of truth and others experience that seed blossom and grow into a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and baptism. That is why this particular experience is so special to all of us.

Here is Zenta (dressed in whilte) just before being baptized. I love the painting behind us in the
Burlington Ward Building.
From L to R
Sister Brown, Sister Olsen, Zenta, me, Sister Schultz, and Sister Hoen

Here is Zenta with the 2 full time Sister Missionaries that taught her the gospel, and brought her to Nauvoo
 Sister Robertson and Sister Woodbury.
Zenta was baptized by Elder Bankhead (I didn't get a picture of him).

This is after the baptism
me, Sister Schultz, Sister Brown (behind), Sister Olsen (from Canada and a spry 81 years old), Zenta and Sister Hoen

 

Before heading back to Nauvoo, we stopped and had homemade ice cream -  it was great!

I feel like nature has been teaching me some lessons lately. First, for those of you who have been following my blog - you saw earlier the lone flower growing in the grass and the thoughts I had about that flower as I watched it bloom where it was planted. Well a few days ago someone came along and mowed the grass and cut the grass & flower down. And so I thought how in life even when we are blooming where we are planted others (or just life) can sometimes cut us down. It is how we deal with being cut down that determines who we really are and how our life proceeds into the next chapter of our life!

 Then on my walk today, I saw where this large branch of the tree by our home had broken off and was lying on the ground. I'm not sure why, but judging from the size of the limb and the bulk on the branches that it may have broken off because it got too heavy and simply snapped. I remember times in my life when I felt like life got too heavy and I snapped. Upon viewing this scene I instantly felt empathy for the tree, the branch and for those that feel like their burdens are so heavy that they snap -  for awhile! Again, it comes down to one of my favorite sayings "it is what it is, now what am I going to do about it". Anyway, I hope when you see these photos that you draw your own analogies and comparisons to life lessons......the tree, the branch, the grass, the cut flower etc.

When it rains in Nauvoo some fun things happen! Last Saturday when I was serving in Lands & Records 10 of the Young Performing Missionaries came by to get out of the rain and gave me and 2 other ladies our own short concert! There weren't any guests in there at the time! I LOVED IT!

Then today when it was raining and I was serving in the bakery, they came in to get out of the rain and favored my companion and I and the 4 guests with us with 3 special songs! It was a wonderful tender mercy! They are soooo talented and amazing! It was so fun!

Since coming to Nauvoo I have found extended family members that are also serving as full time missionaries and we have connected. 

From L to R

Elder & Sister Robison (I have already explained our connection in an earlier post on this blog) me, and Sister Bonnie and Elder Bruce Dalton from Panguitch, Utah. Sister Robison, Elder Dalton and I all share the same Great Great Grandfather - Charles Wakeman Dalton - who lived here in Nauvoo (along with his father, Simon Cooker Dalton) in the 1840s! I am related to Elder Robison through my Doyle line, and we had Robisons that lived here in Nauvoo. The Nauvoo connections are amazing among the missionaries serving here! I seem to find more each week!

These outdoor photos are taken at Inspiration Point. People are taken here on the Carriage Ride! It was a favorite spot of the prophet Joseph Smith when he lived here. I can see why - it is beautiful and it actually has a wonderful view of the Mississippi River even though my pictures don't show it very good! 

 This is one of the best kept secrets here in Nauvoo! It is a wonderful little museum with amazing early Mormon artifacts on display that are the collection of Don Black. It is located at the Nauvoo Log Cabins - family lodging location just down the street from where I live. If you are coming to Nauvoo it should be a "must see". This lodging site is also a wonderful place to stay. Check it out at www.nauvoologcabins.com.