A MORNINGSIDE WITH SHERI DEW AND WENDI WATSON NELSON!

 

One of the 6 month missionary couples that have been serving here in Nauvoo is Elder and Sis. Dew. They just happen to be the parents of one of my favorite speakers, Sheri Dew. Sis. Mama Dew fell and broke her hip in the Burlington Mall a month ago and of course Sheri had to come see her Mom. Wendi Watson Nelson, Apostle Nelson's wife is very very good friends with Sheri and her parents so she came also. That led to a special treat for we missionaries, both Sheri and Wendi spoke to us early one morning.

Sister Nelson told us how she got a note from Apostle Nelson about a new book she had just written. She called Sheri to say is this normal, should I worry? Sheri said "Don't worry, I have a box full of notes". Then a month later she received a birthday card. She again called Sheri, "Is this normal, should I worry?" " No it's not normal and yes, you better start worrying." Then he called and asked if he could see her. She said "How do you date on Apostle? Well, I found out. We had 1 date 40 times, in Sheri's living room." What a fun time we had listening to her sweet story!

Then Sheri spoke. She talked about the Lords way of picking leaders and the worlds way.

Right now with all the hoopla of the election. The mud slinging, the half truths, the stretched truths, the flip flopping, the positioning, what a mess. Who is right?

Contrast that with the calm peaceful shifting of the mantle from President Hinckley to President Monson. Tremendous difference!!!

A recent statement by Elder Holland struck Sheri. He said, "We spend too much of our lives acting as though we are going to stay here. We aren't, we won't, we can't!"

Then she said our challenge:
"Get past the world and not let that be the force that governs us."

She said, "I love the last chapters of the Book of Mormon. She reminded us that Moroni was, the son of a prophet. He endured staggering trials, he was left alone for decades, he lived in a very wicked day! He saw our day, he knew how it would be and he made an urgent appeal.
1. Know the Book of Mormon
2. Don't deny the power of God.
3. He pleads in Moroni 10:30 "Come unto Christ"

How? Make the same choice those early Saints did,
WALK AWAY FROM THE WORLD!!!!

We make that same plea to our loved ones,
"WALK AWAY FROM THE WORLD!"

PS Sis. Mama Dew is a delightful lady and we have had good times serving together. Elder Dew is on the lawn mower daily. He gets frustrated with these younguns' who stop work way to early. (Most stop around 2 or 3 o'clock) He says "you're supposed to work from sun up to sun down" Many a day we have seen him out on the mower until 6 or 7 o'clock at night. They can't get him to stop! "You're wastin' daylight" he says.

What A Way to be Uplifted!!!!

  This is the beautiful big white stone building called the Cultural Hall, where we perform in Rendevous two nights a week. I love this building and have felt tremendous sorrow for all the hard work that had gone into building this edifice and then the Saints not being able to use it very long. It has four floors, the bottom or Green Room, is now where the cast meets and warms up for performances and where the young performing missionaries readies for their 2 shows a day of "Just Plain Anna Amanda", when they are here. It gets pretty messy with all its use in the summer.

During this busy busy time it was our turn to clean the Green Room. We were not doing it grudingly, but we were very tired as it had been a hot busy day at Pioneer Pastimes. We left Pioneer Pastimes about 4:25pm and headed straight for the Cultural Hall, it would take a little over an hour to clean if we hurried. We had to be back and ready for Rendevous at 6:30 pm. I started in one area and Elder Flake started in another. I was busy moving chairs so I could sweep and trying to make myself hurry. All of a sudden I was just bouyed up, it was almost a tangible feeling, a real lift for my tired body. I could feel smiling, happy faces all around. I could feel joy and happiness. Then I realized the saints of long ago are so happy for this buidling to be restored and in use again. It was being used for just the purpose they built it and they were smiling joyfully.

I too am joyful!!!! Joyful to be here and feel of their spirits as they see their beautiful Nauvoo full of appreciative visitors and again complete with its crowning glory, the Nauvoo Temple.


We finished our job and felt as refreshed as if we'd had a nap that day.

Horror in the Corn Patch!

  I was out admiring our little front garden and the cute watermelons coming along, when all of a sudden I spied........
 .....bits and pieces of corn husks. Chills went up and down my spine. OH NO!!!!!.. did a little critter get into our corn patch?
  I ran around to the back garden and to my horror there was our precious corn trampled down and the corn cobs lying all over the ground.
 The culprit, a little racoon we have been chasing off. I looked at the corn the evening before and said "OOOOO, just one more day and we'll pick it and have sweet corn and tomatoes and squash from our garden for supper!". I didn't mind sharing the lettuce with the bunnies and the tomatoes with the deer but I did not want to share the corn with Mr. Racoon!!!!! He had a feast, Boo Hoo Hoo!

REMNENTS OF THE 500 YEAR FLOOD

 As we came through Gulfport, Il to cross the bridge over the Mississippi to Burlington, Iowa, I was astonished to see this little town still covered with water from the flood almost 2 months ago. The water went over the levee to get it in, then the levee would not let the water back out.
 You can see how high the water was on the buildings. So sad these people still have not been able to get into their homes.
 In the back you can see the water being pumped out.
 There were many pumps along the river pumping full blast! I took these pictures so fast from the window of the truck as we were speeding along. Pretty good, huh! I wish there was something that could be done for these victims as quickly!!!

The rare Corpse Flower and other beautiful scenes!!!

 

After proving ourselves keepers of plants, Durell Nelson, the horticulturalist here brought us a very strange looking plant and said it was 11 years old and it might bloom for the first time. It came to Pioneer Pastimes on Aug. 3, 2008. We sang to it, loved it, watered it and low and behold it bloomed!

 

It is a very rare blossom. It bloomed Saturday morning August 16, 2008. The horrendous thing about it is the stench it puts off after it blooms. It lives up to it's name, "Corpse Flower". We feel very privileged however to be entrusted with this phenonenom!

 

Another Nauvoo phenomenon, another fantastic sunset! So wonderful to see!

 

We had a meeting in the Nauvoo Visitors Center one morning and it was so humid we could almost cut it with a knife. Then we looked and the window to the Women's Garden was covered............ with humidity.

Nauvoo Pagaent and the Coleman's

 

Nick and Marsha Coleman looked us up, they had a break from the Nauvoo Pagaent. What a treat it was to see them.

 

Near the end of the pagaent they were part of the Celestial Family.

 

In this scene they build the Temple and Nick and Marsha are entering in.

 

Silly ones after the pagaent is over. Costumes look a little different

More Nauvoo updates 4 Pics at a time! : (

 

"Lo and behold a rumor did fly, that a golden bible been dug from the earth. And I had a neighbor who testified, of this bible's worth" I also know of this golden book's worth!!!

 

This is the Relief Society scene.

 

I shoooed this little bunny right out of our corn field. In fact I shoooooooed him several times. Then one day I was out there and the corn looked so wonderful, I thought I'll give it one more day, but to my HORROR a little racoon got it first!!! He left only a few runts for us.

 

We went to see "Baloons over the Mississippi". It was a wonderful sight.