Wednesday, December 21, 2016 – Site Training, Conservation Room, Centerpiece, Package from Jared & Tere

Another busy full day in the Illinois, Nauvoo Mission. We started with our usual Wednesday morning mission training at the historic sites. Sis. Johnson went to the Riser Boot Shop & the Log Cabin School House. My training was at the Brick Yard and the Browning Gun Shop. 

One of the most visited historic sites in Old Nauvoo is the Jonathan Browning Gun Shop. Today’s training there was not only instructional but very enjoyable. One interesting thing I learned today was about the display cases in the “Gun Room.” Years ago the guns on display had to be removed and put in a safe every night. A few years ago the Browning family donated more original Browning guns and new display cases. These new cases are the “Gun Safe” themselves and the window of the display cases are bulletproof glass.

 

We spent the balance of the day in the Artifact Room with Elder Walker again like yesterday. It is very enjoyable work and hopefully we well get to work with Elder Walker the rest of the week. However today’s high temperature was up to 40 degrees and the snow and ice is starting to melt off of the lawns and gardens. We may be returning to our regular job soon. 

While we were working with Elder Walker we had a surprise visit by the director of FM, Jordan Bodily and his guest, Emily Utt. Emily is from the Church History Department in SLC. Since everything we do in Old Nauvoo is tied to the past, all programs, sites, scripts, and facilities receive oversight and require approval from the Church History Dept. Someone asked, “Are you checking up on us?” Jordan quipped with a big smile, Emily is here to endorse and approve eeevvverything were Doing!” It was funny.

Today Sis. Johnson finished designing the table centerpiece for the mission home open house. She stopped off at Richard Hancock’s storage room to pick up some decorative rocks for the flower arrangement. After she selected the decorative rocks she liked, Richard told us that all of these pretty polished rocks were used for the Temple Open House floral arrangements back in June 2002. It is good that nothing goes to waste.

Sis. Johnson and I delivered the centerpiece to Sis. Hall this afternoon. President & Sis. Hall are hosting an open house for all three “Rendezvous” casts for the next three nights. Each evening a different cast is invited. Tonight is for the Emma Hale cast, the cast Sis. Johnson and I are part of.

 

On our way home we stopped off at the mail room and discovered another wonderful surprise. We received another package in the mail today. This time it was a gift and snack basket from our son Jared and his wife Tere and their family. It is wonderful, Sis. Johnson and I will enjoy eating everything. Although Sis. Johnson was looking at all of the yummy things to eat and said, “Oh look, Godiva Chocolate Truffles, I get those. And, brown sugar butter Cookies, I get those. And, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares with Caramel, I get those. . . .etc. etc. etc.” Hopefully there will be some left for me!  Ha, ha.