Wednesday, July 12, 2017 – Carthage Coleus Pruning, Garden City Kansas Youth Conf., Nathan & Valerie Arrive with Paul & Beth

Today’s main work project was in Carthage. All of us in the Nauvoo Grounds Department drove the 24 miles to Carthage and joined Elder & Sis. Nielsen, the Carthage grounds keepers, in the flowerbeds. Richard showed us all how to prune the Coleus plants in all of the flowerbeds there. The Coleus plants are all doing so well they are overwhelming all of the other plants. To keep all of the gardens in balance the Coleus plants need to be pruned back regularly.

Once we finished pruning the Coleus we also pruned the two “Yew” hedges, one on the west side of the Visitor’s Center and the other along the main sidewalk. 

While we were working in the flowerbeds a youth conference arrived to take the Carthage Jail Tour. It was a good size group, over a hundred youth and leaders from the Garden City Kansas Stake. The trip requires about 11 hours on the road. I am always impressed at the distances Stake Youth Conferences travel to come to this special place in Church History. Of course it is worth the trip to come to Nauvoo and Carthage and feel the special spirit that is here and to have testimonies strengthened. Especially here in the Martyrdom Room in the Carthage Jail. What a choice experience for these youth from Kansas.

Back in Nauvoo we finished our morning trimming bushes and trees away from various sidewalks at the Family Living Center and at the Lyon Drug. Everything grows so fast here it is a never-ending process. We always have to keep bushes and trees back off of the sidewalks so visitors can walk without ducking or leaving the sidewalks. 

Well the long awaited day has finally arrived. We have been anticipating the arrival of our son and his family, Nathan and Valerie Johnson as well as our Nephew and his wife and family, Paul & Beth Quist from Mesa, AZ.

They have been on the road since Monday. Yesterday and today they made stops at Liberty Jail and other church history sites through Missouri on their way here. It is great to finally have them here. Sis. Johnson has been so very anxious for their arrival.