Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 – Mission Farewell Breakfast, Clean VC, Blow Leaves off Main St., Clean Mission Pres’. Garden

At this morning’s “Mission Farewell Breakfast” we said goodbye to three senior couples and our friends; the Nagels, the Needhams and the Porters. We’ve come to know and love them these past six plus months. These farewell breakfasts are always hard on everyone; we shed a lot of tears especially when we sing the beloved Rendezvous song “Farewell Nauvoo.”

And so, Nauvoo, we say Farwell to you;

With numb and aching hearts one last Adieu.

As through our tears we look to homes beyond,

Could ever we be fond of one as you?

One cardinal’s song, one sunset’s glow

One Nauvoo dawn, one silhouette of woods on snow

From templed hill faint echoes ring

Where prophets walked and talked with God

Their memories linger

And so we go and hide our aching hearts

No one will see our tears when we depart.

This home we leave will shelter mem’ries clear

Of all that we hold dear, in Old Nauvoo.

Farewell Nauvoo, Farewell Nauvoo

After the breakfast we were off to work at the Visitor’s Center blowing leaves, cleaning sidewalks and cleaning out the old dead or dying plants in the flowerbeds. These chores are what Elder & Sis. Nagel did for the past six months. Now that they are going home the task falls on Sis. Johnson and I.

Next we were off to blow the leaves off of the street and sidewalks of Main St. in Old Nauvoo. This too is a never ending chore. We will be doing this every few days; it doesn’t take long for the leaves to build up and the whole historic area starts to look bad again.

Our final project after lunch was to clean the Liriope flower beds in front of the Mission President’s residence. Liriope is a short lily that has a pretty purple flower. It is used all over Old Nauvoo as a ground cover under trees, around homes and in flowerbeds. Unfortunately the Liriope garden in front of the Mission President’s home was overrun with weeds and grass, mostly grass. Sis. Johnson and I spent our afternoon pulling the grass and weeds out by hand. We didn’t have enough time to get the job done so we’ll be back soon to finish.