Sunday May 25

This is our first Sunday in Nauvoo. We spent yesterday moving in to our 2nd floor apartment. It is so nice. Gary brought up everything and I put it away. It is like moving into your first apartment. We are going shopping at Walmart tomorrow and get some stuff. We brought a lot with us so we had food for today.

Our apartment is small but it will do. My only concern is how am I going to house my family when they come. Our host family, the Evans, had 18 in their apartment and down the hallway on the landing, so I guess we can do it.

Richard and Tamera Evans had us over to dinner with two other couples last night. It was very nice and cozy. We went to the Randavue play after. Those folks work really hard every night. They also work at the sites.

I wanted to go visit people today and get to know our neighbors, but Gary wanted to just relax and have a quiet day. We had church at at 8am with the other missionaries. They had three couple talk who are going home this summer. They told about other saints who lived in Nauvoo during that time. Hearing these stories and watching the play last night, my heart is very full. Also, my eyes had a lot of tears. Being here and feeling of the spirit is overwhelming. To think that they had to leave their nice homes and take very little with them. I got to bring a van load of things to make my life more enjoyable. They had a chest or other container to put all their things in. What would you take to feed your family and keep them warm? They started leaving in February. It has been raining here all day and I thought about them leaving in bad weather. The Mississippi river froze over so they could walk across, you can imagine how cold it was. Who checked it out and knew it was safe? How did they organize everyone. There were a lot of people in the city, a little smaller then Chicago, they say,

I am sure I will continue to have these feeling as we hear more about those ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

One interesting thing I learned today about Lucy Mac Smith , who house is right next door, is that she always had the immigrants come and live with her till they got a place built. We have that in common. She was a great lady who lost 4 boys and a girl, 3 of them martyrs. Sam died 3 weeks after Joseph and Hyrum from an injury suffered when he escaped from the mob when he was trying to help his brothers in Cartharage.

I am learning so much. Can't wait till next Sunday when more site missionaries tgive their farewell talks. Good night.