WHETHER the WEATHER will change???

I've decided to start our email each week with a few of my favorite thoughts.

"A Perfect Marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other."

"When you feel like you're drowning in life, don't worry--your Lifeguard walks on water."

"Don't do something Permanently Stupid just because you're Temporarily Upset."

It's thoughts like these that get me through rough moments in my life. Thought you might appreciate them in your lives also.

Well another week has quickly gone by. We commenting to each other that we sometimes forget what day of the week it is. We seem to change clothes a lot and spend most hours in the temple. It's dark when we go and usual dark when we come home. We're looking forward to spring and more sunshine. It's always sunny and cheery in the temple, so we love being there. I commented to one of my friends the other day that I really don't mind what position I'm in now that I've memorized all the parts and they come easily to me. Big accomplishment!

Last Monday was so cold and windy so we didn't leave our cottage all day. It was P-day and we just hung around and caught up on odds and ends. Tuesday night we had thunder storms like I've never heard before. It sounded like a semi coming thru our cottage. Then came the lightening and ice storm. Weather in the midwest is risky business. Everyday is something different and usually dramatic. Utah weather is so mild to this stuff! Give me 24 inches of beautiful white fluffy snow, I can handle that better than surprises like we get here. The next thing we have to look forward to is flooding. They say when the mighty Mississippi starts to unthaw the real show begins. Just think I only have one more winter to go. HELP!

Last night at the temple the man at the recommend desk received a call from a man asking what time the last session was. He told them at 5:00 by mistake since the last session is at 4:00 on Saturdays. They were driving from Muscatine which is two hours away so we couldn't call them back and correct the mistake. When the eight patrons arrived we held a special session just for them since the wrong information was given to them. The man who gave the wrong information was assigned to officiate. As President McAurthur would say, anything to make the patrons happy!

After we finished at the temple Rudi and I drove to Burlington to tryout a buffet that everyone raves about. We had the best all you can eat lobster. I think Rudi had 10 and I had 4 but who's counting??? It was so delicious but way to much! We felt like we were on another cruise, where you eat all you want every night. We'll have to take our family and friends there when they come to visit. That should be incentive to come to Nauvoo, that is if you like lobster. The terrifying thing is that they have all you can eat crab on Friday and shrimp on Monday night. How long is this mission? We'll be rolling home if we don't pace ourselves better.

There we go again telling you about all our fun adventures and restaurants again. Yes, we do work hard in the temple. After going to the family search center last week we have lots of new ancestors to do work for. I took through a few this week when I had the opportunity to be a patron. It's so wonderful to kneel at the alter for relatives when you are sealing together people who have waited hundreds of years to have their work done. The other day I was a patron for one of my great great great I lose track how far back grandmothers who hadn't been sealed yet to her husband. All her other work had been done already. I can't imagine the joy she must have felt when someone finally noticed that error. I'm so grateful I got to be that many times over granddaughter who finished her eternal progression. These are the joys of service in the temple. We're saving up lots of baptisms and confirmations for our grandkids when they come this summer. We can't wait to have you feel the joy of serving in the Nauvoo Temple.

In choir we are working on a special piece of music called "Go Now In Peace" which we want to be our temple missionary theme song to be sung whenever missionaries leave to go home. It is so touching, and very simple but such a tear jerker. I think I'd like it to be our family missionary song from now on. I'm going to email my kids the music if I can so we can all learn it and sing it to our future missionaries as they leave on their missions. The first time the choir sang it no one could finish it because the tears were flowing so freely. I know you'll love it. I want it sung at our welcome home [or whatever they call that sacrament where we speak] even though we'll be arriving instead of leaving. Listen to me planning over a year away. Doesn't that sound like Kathy!

We had a social committee meeting Friday morning to go over all the activities in March. A lot of them include general programs from church head quarters. The month is packed! Then the new 80 missionaries arrive in April and then the real business begins.

Tonight we have a sociable with the site missionaries at the visitors center. As if we aren't social enough already! They will be showing the video of our reenactment of the exodus of the saints leaving Nauvoo. Also a lecture on the Carthage Jail. It should be very informative. We heard that there were pictures in the church news about the exodus. Some of our missionaries were in the pictures. Check it out if you take the Deseret News.

I think these emails get longer each week or I'm just too wordy. If they bore you just remember you're reading our journal for our future generations. Just look at the pictures if the text bores you!

We so appreciate our family and dear friends who keep us updated on all the ward, neighborhood, and family adventures. We love your support and encouragement of us. Your prayers are what get us through being away from all our loved ones. We love our mission and feel so grateful for this opportunity to service in such a wonderful place. We have new found love and respect for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the many saints who went through so much to make sure this gospel continued to spread to our generation. We feel so ungrateful when we complain about the weather when we always have a warm dry place to rest my head every night. Their sacrifices are beyond anything we'll ever go through. Our testimony grows stronger each day because we are willing to accept this mission call and serve in some small way in this vineyard called life. We hope we can always be stalwart and continue to serve others as we have been served so many times by you my family and friends. We feel like we need to say in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a great week and serve just once if you can. It isn't very hard to find someone to just smile at. For all you know you might just be the sunshine they needed at that moment.

With all our love,

Rudi and Kathy
The Nauvoo missionaries!

 Happy belated Birthday to Kristen Diederich on February 5th. Sorry I forgot to spotlight you on our email.

 Also Happy Birthday to Daniel Blair on his birthday February 17th.

Natures wonderland of snow on a bridge in Nauvoo park.

 Our chapel with tons of snow piled up around it.

 So majestic in the snow! Can't get enough of the Nauvoo Temple.

 Wilford Woodruff home just east of our cottage. Don't we have wonderful neighbors!

 This is what happens when it rains and the snow starts to melt. That's right, flooding.

 This isn't the Mississippi River coming on shore YET.

 Water water everywhere! When it starts to freeze again we'll have an ice skating rink!

Even the rivers are starting to flood over their banks.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF NAUVOO

Well another week in paradise! The spirit in Nauvoo is still strong even if the freezing temperatures are stronger. This week on Thursday it actually got warm enough to melt a little snow. Then Friday morning we woke up to 8 new inches of snow and still coming all day. I got my hopes up that spring would really come. I haven't worn anything but boots for the past two months. Rudi wants to know why I brought all those other shoes, and I'm beginning to think the same thing. This week is suppose to get a little warmer, but I'll believe it when I see it. Why are we being cursed with the coldest winter recorded for the last 125 years?

Last Monday we had our Valentine Dinner at Garters in Burlington. All the temple missionaries were there and really enjoyed the dinner and company. Rudi and I had the best prime rib we've ever tasted. We had to celebrate Valentines on Monday night because we work late on Friday nights at the temple. We went shopping with another couple before dinner and had fun looking around Burlington.

On Tuesday Rudi and I went to Quincey to the surgeons office. Some of you already know what we found out but I'll explain what transpired. He told us that in the recent studies of the surgery I was suppose to have, they found that it failed to correct high blood pressure enough to warrant putting me through surgery. The risks of blood clots and trauma to the body out weighed the benefits of putting in a stent. Needless to say we were disappointed, because we both had put so much hope into managing my blood pressure better and possibly eliminating so much daily medication. So now I go back to the cardiologist next week and hopefully he will be able to as the surgeon said find a [cocktail] of medications that will stabilize me. Rudi wants to see what cocktail will work on Kathy! Maybe he could get in on the cocktail hour also. Shame on me, I'm a missionary!!!!

Now back to more serious subjects. The temple has slow and busy times all week. Because of the weather a lot of the regular patrons didn't come. Some of our district workers also were unable to come the distance. Some come from Iowa City and Peoria which is about 2 to 3 hours away to serve in the temple as ordinance workers. They usual come once or twice a month. Very stalwart temple workers. Last week I went on 5 sessions as I think I mentioned in my last email. This week I didn't go on one session. Everyday we have a different schedule so I never know where I'll be from day to day. I love serving anywhere now that I know all the parts. Rudi on the other hand is sort of his own boss and I never know where he is. We usually eat together on our breaks and thats about the only time I see him all day. The temple is bigger than you think. Seven floors from the sub basement to the fifth floor sealing rooms. Then there's floors that only the engineers see and work on. If any of you come to the Nauvoo temple Rudi would be glad to give you a tour of the bell tower and the neat pipes in the basement.

Today in Sacrament Meeting the temple choir sang and Rudi said we're getting better all the time. I guess there's hope for us old fogies. Rudi helped with the lunch again today while I was at choir practice. You'll never believe what he did! Before we left for church at 7:00 a.m. I told him to please put the meatloaf and potatoes in the oven at 325 degrees for one hour while I was at practice. I showed him where they were in the fridge, reminded him to take the plastic cover and tupperware lid off before he put them in the oven. When I got home there was the tupperware lid melted and the plastic in pieces in the garbage. He quickly said why didn't you tell me to take off the plastic and the lid. You're always telling me to cover everything when I put it in the microwave so I just thought you should cover everything in the oven. Well, he didn't get the sweet husband award today! Keep in mind what he's done for a living for the past 50 years and maybe you'll understand why I'm totally baffled!!! I guess this is payback time for me after what he wrote about me when I fell and banged up my face and especially my nose. Kathy never forgets, I thought he knew that about me by now.

I guess I've said enough this week I see smoke coming out of Rudi's ears. We hope you all know how much we love you and miss you. Our granddaughter Addie told her mother [Tiffini] last week she can't remember what grandma looks like. Sometimes it seems like forever since we left, but the joy of being here out weighs our homesickness. We look forward to this summer and seeing our family.

Have a wonderful week. Keep us updated on the happenings in Utah.

With love always,

Rudi and Kathy
Mom and Dad
Grandpa and Grandma

 Our friends the Gorrell's on our way to the Valentine Dinner. They are also on the social committee with us. Really fun people from Columbus Ohio.

 Rudi and Kathy at the Valentine dinner at Gators.

 Just another beautiful eagle.

 Color guard at the Nauvoo exodus last week.

 Nauvoo Legion.

 Trail of Hope.

 Program where we sang Come Come Ye Saints, at the rivers edge. Very touching experience.

 More wagons going West.

 Can you imagine putting all your belongings in one wagon?

 Brigham Young's home in Nauvoo.

 Our stake center, check out the ice hanging on the building.

 Saints dressed in period clothes.

 Autumn picture taken last fall. One can hope we'll see this again.

 Fox squirrel. Rudi loves the squirrels.

They're really cute and fast!

Driven out of Nauvoo

Kathy and I were driven out of Nauvoo yesterday. The pictures will prove it. The mob came and forced us to march out of the city Saturday morning. It was a beautiful sunny day with the temperature at 16 degrees with no wind. Cold is alright when the wind isn't blowing. We were forced to cross the frozen Mississippi and ended up in Montrose Iowa just as the saints in February 8, 1846. Luckily we were able to sneak back into Nauvoo to make it to the Temple by 11:00, in time for our assigned work time.

Ok, we weren't forced out, but had the opportunity to participate in a reenactment of the saints leaving the city in February 1846. It was a fun experience and a tender one also when we sang Come, Come, Ye Saints at the river edge. We tried to imagine what the people went through. On Parleys street toward the river there are many plaques with comments from people who crossed in 1846. Reading those gives you some idea as to what they were thinking and going thru.

Kathy made the Nauvoo Exodus Commemoration as Elizabeth Taylor 6 Dec 1812-17 May 1887 age 34 at the time of exodus. Married at 17 years, mother of 15. Beautiful, intelligent, loved music. Sounds like Kathy doesn't it.

Rudi acted for James Miller Jones 1 Jan 1817-31 Aug 1889. Given the gift of healing by Joseph Smith. Helped bury Joseph's false coffin to mislead the mobs. Left two homes and 80 acres of land, cattle and buildings. My kind of guy. I tried to find a German to represent but there weren't many here at that time if any.

February 7, 1846 last day the endowment was given in the Nauvoo Temple. Between December 10, 1845 and February 7, 1846, 5,595 Later-day Saints received their endowments in the temple. The temple was not completed so they must have been very busy working around the construction.

Brother and Sister Hullinger were representing their relatives George Washington Taggart and his wife. Ever heard that last name before?

After writing the email last week Rudi decided he wanted to get more involved in our emails. I appreciate his help and interest, he does a great job of writing.

The enactment was very exciting and not as cold as I thought it would be, thank goodness! I felt good enough to walk in the ice and snow, even in dress boots. We were so bundled up that I didn't get cold except my face. It really was a great experience and made me appreciate those early Saints even more. When the walk was over we all got to go home to warm cottages with dry clothes to put on. Those Saints just kept walking in the cold for days. We truly need to remember them and what they went through so we could have the gospel in our lives today.

This whole week has been filled with wonderful experiences. We got the new endowment film in the temple. I know most of you have seen it weeks ago, but the film had to be formatted just for the Nauvoo Temple because we go to four different rooms. I really loved it but I think I still like the other new film just a bit better. This week I saw it five times. We are showing the newest film only during the month of February. I was fortunate enough to follow three times and be a patron twice. On friday we had 59 patrons in one session. In the Nauvoo Temple the rooms only hold 48 people. They made special arrangements by adding folding chairs to accommodate all 59 people. Thirty-five of them were sisters. Guess who got to handle all the sister, yep your right, Me! I know you Salt Lake Temple workers think thats a small group, but the rooms are small here and we only have one follower, and one officiator. If that was not enough to deal with, I had one sister who needed to use the restroom about half way through, and another sister who forgot the name. I've never had to deal with either of those situation before either. I was really being tested. I think I did ok and felt grateful that so many people came to the temple. I think I'm ready for the summer with those kind of numbers. One of the sisters told me that was the record for sisters in one session. It was a wonderful day in the temple for me. I think I like being busier, I love serving others, it makes me so happy.

Before I close I probably need to update my never-ending health issues. I'm tired of thinking about it so I know you're tired of me mentioning it, but I kind of left you hanging a few weeks ago. This Tuesday I see a surgeon to decide when they are going to put a stent in my renal artery going into the kidney. The cardiologist felt that if the blockage in the artery was removed my blood pressure would come down and hopefully stabilize. They will ballon the artery and then put in a mesh stent to keep the artery open letting the blood flow into the kidney. I don't have any details about when they'll be operating but I know it will be at the Blessing Hospital in Quincey Illinois. I just want it over and be able to heal and get back to what I've been called to do, temple work. So far I've only missed two days because of this high blood pressure mess. I honestly feel better when I'm at the temple than anywhere else. The Lord is still and always in control.

This week has been full of wonderful new challenges and experiences for both of us. We feel your love and prayers for us and know we are are so fortunate to be able to spend this short 18 months in the City of Joseph.

Love you all

Rudi and Kathy

 Our Beautiful Temple yesterday morning.

 Can't get enough of our beautiful Temple. This where the pageant is.

 Rudi and Kathy struggling down Parleys street. We do look like we're suffering, right?

 There were a lot of Germans in that company. Well, we can pretend?

 Kathy with two tiny buddies, Judy Moller and Brenda Lindholm.

 Kathy trying to catch a ride but they won't let her on. No room for deadbeats. Part of the Nauvoo leagon to protect us with their rifles made of electrical conduit on the right side.

 Mary Anderson, Kathy, Gayle Gorrell, Marian Henderson.

 President and Sister Hullinger and President and Sister McAuthor.

 Kathy trying to stay warm. See the horses Jensen.

 Rudi Crossing the river. Don't have to worry if the ice is thick enough, it has to be 10 feet of ice as cold as it has been.

 Breakfast before the march. Todd's Diederich's and Willis's

Those that never made the trek west.

Nauvoo excitement

We had some excitement in the temple on Monday afternoon. Two friends of mine who work for Honeywell in Salt Lake were here to repair problems with the control system in the temple. Last year they started an upgrade on the Honeywell control system and they were here to complete the installation. I spent the day with them to help with the point to point check. They left at 4:30 pm and I and two other engineers stayed to do some clean up work. At about 5:00 pm the fire alarm sounded. We looked on the fire panel and saw that there was a fire on the 5th floor. I rushed to the 5th floor and found that the fire sprinkler in the number 6 sealing room was spraying a huge amount of water. I called down to one of the other engineers to turn off the fire pump and shut off the fire system valve. He turned off the pump but could not shut off the valve because there was a chain with a lock. Some time was spent trying to find the key to the lock so it took a while to turn off the water. I franticly tried to direct the water into a floor drain in the janitor closet between sealing room 5 and 6 with a squeegee until the water was turned off. There was no fire in the room so what caused the sprinkler to open up? The temperature outside that morning was 23 below 0 and the sprinkler is close to an outside wall, so the water above the sprinkler froze pushing the fire link down and causing the water spray when the temperature got warmer outside. The security guard called everyone he could think to call so we very soon had a lot of help to clean things up.

There were only two rooms damaged so the temple opened Tuesday morning as usual with no physical appearance to the patrons that anything had gone wrong. There was more damage on the fourth floor marriage waiting room which is below, than in the room where the water was spraying. The cleaning crew and engineers got all of the water cleaned up by 10:00 pm Monday night. By Friday all of the sheet rock had been replaced and painted and light fixtures repaired (several were full of water) and carpet cleaned and walls repainted and most of the chairs cleaned up, some of the chairs were damaged beyond repair. The wood floor which got wet seems to be ok with a little cupping. As bad as things appeared after the clean up Monday night
the situation could have been much worse. Usually no one is in the temple on Monday afternoon after 3:00 pm except the security guard, who would have to call someone about the alarm and the water would have been on for an hour or more until someone came in to turn off the water flooding the whole building. The Lord is looking out for his temple by having us there and by forcing us to be more vigilant in protecting the temple from the elements. We are finding several places that are in need of more insulation.

This morning the temperature at the bank next to the temple was 23 below 0 again so we are watching things very closely. It is sunny outside with no wind but so very cold. We were scheduled to go on a horse drawn sleigh ride this morning but it was canceled because it is too cold for the horses. It is not too cold for people but too cold for horses, go figure. Next Saturday morning we have the exodus march down Parley street to reenact the exodus of February 1846. I wonder how those people survived that crossing. Maybe we are just a bunch of pansies.

Yesterday we had our break the fast dinner at the Halls across the street from us. Included were the Durrant's and the Warner's. You know Susan and George Durrant, our resident historians. The Warner's are a Missionary couple from the Des Moines mission assigned the the Nauvoo Ward. We have two senior missionary couples in Nauvoo from the Des Moines mission. The other couple are the Christensen's who work in the Family history center. The temple missionaries include those two couples in our activities. We also include a young missionary who is called by the Nauvoo Stake President to serve a mission in the Family history center and in the Temple. He could not serve a regular mission because of his weight. He is doing a very good job and is loved by all of us missionaries. I did not know that Stake Presidents could call missionaries but Nauvoo is a special place. Back to the break the fast dinner, it was very good, fish tacos. This 30 lb mission might turn into a 60 lb mission. We need to do more fasting and less eating.

Every Tuesday and Thursday evening we go to a lecture at the Stake Center given by Brother and Sister Durrant. Last week Susan spent two sessions talking about the 12 original Apostles of which only 3 stayed faithful. It was most interesting about what we can learn to stay faithful. We are loving these insights into this early church history. Susan is a very interesting and funny teacher and George gives a short 5 or 10 minute opening background in his life, very funny guy with a spiritual ending. Each day we get an email from them telling us what happened on this day in history. Yesterday we learned, February 2, 1833 Joseph Smith finished reviewing his inspired translation of the New Testament. Then we learned the second entry for February 2, 1980 from the journal of George Durrant:
"The church announced the new consolidated church schedule today. 3 hours, all on Sunday. I look forward to it but at the same time, I like returning to sacrament meeting on Sunday afternoon. The price of gasoline is now $1.20 per gallon, so I suppose as that continues to climb, many aspect of our lives will have to be rearranged".

Each day is a real treat here in Nauvoo. Love working in the temple, love the temple missionaries, love the people who come to the temple, love the sight Missionaries, love our cottage, love each other (may have to ask Kathy about this), love being here.

Rudi and Kathy


Sent from my iPad

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 Looking for lunch

Church in Quincy

 Lunch. Eagles are fun to watch around here. There are so many

 Main Street in old Nauvoo this morning. It's only 23 below

Our beautiful temple with full moon hidden behind clouds.