LOVE THESE NAUVOO TEMPLE MISSIONARIES!!! (September 21, 2014)

Thoughts for the week:

"Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world."

"Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to other people."

"You make me laugh when I'm not even in the mood to smile."

Another beautiful week in Nauvoo!  I keep thinking the weather is bond to change and turn cold, but not yet.  We stay within the 70's during the day and down to the 40's and 50's at night.  Perfect for me!

Last Monday night we had a big hot dog roast with all the temple missionaries.  They had the cutest program with some of the missionaries reading cowboy poems and other funny poems. We also sang songs around the campfire. We always have fun with the missionaries.

This week I found out that during that last week in October when some of the general authorities will be here, along with a  mission president seminary during the same time, I'll be the endowment coordinator that will be responsible for their special session.  Yes, I'm nervous already!  They are planning on 56 going on the 5:00 session.  Our endowment rooms only hold 48 seats.  We might be breaking fire code!  It's going to be so exciting to be able to help these special men and their wives.

This week Rudi got to take some German patrons through the veil.  I think he's the only person in the temple that speaks good German.  He really enjoyed the experience.  He's done it a few times since we've been here.

Friday night we went with the Todd's to Burlington to eat crab.  They call us their crab friends.

Saturday night we had our last dinner out with our neighbors on Hotchkiss. We went to a new Italian restaurant.  Yummy food!  We will definitely be going back there again.  Of course we had to stop at Grandpa's Ice Cream on the way home.  I swear the temple missionaries keep that place running.  So, so, so good!!!

Saturday is my only day to be on line in the temple. I spent two hours in initiatory.  I was part of two sisters receiving their own endowments.  It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy when they cry and feel the special spirit.  I usually join them with tears of my own.  All the ordinances are wonderful but I especially feel the spirit so strong in the initiatory part of the endowment.  Both sisters were preparing to go on missions.

Today in Canton, the branch president called Rudi and I into his office to thank us for our fast offering donation.  These little branches are struggling so much that anything helps a lot.  What a sweet man he is.
We also wished our two sister missionaries off.  Their missions are over in one week.  They are two senior sisters who serve in three or four branches.  Today we had so many full time missionaries in Canton.  The elders were there, two older sister missionaries and two younger missionaries from Nauvoo.  There was also a site missionary who came out with the young sister missionaries.  The Glassett's weren't there today.  They went to Peoria to attend their grandkids sacrament meeting program.  Tonight I have choir practice and then a fireside with Pres. Nelson from the temple presidency.  It's always something.  I feel especially tired today and hope I can stay awake for the fireside.  He'll be speaking about the Nauvoo Temple.  He was stake president when it was built.  Sounds really interesting.  So many knowledgeable people in Nauvoo who have researched a lot about the temple.

Tami and family arrived in Gillette, Wyoming yesterday.  It took much longer for them to get there because of the trailer they were pulling.  So thankful they arrived safely. Wishing them success and happiness in their new adventure.

Best close and get on to choir practice.  Loving our experience here in Nauvoo.  So grateful to so many people for their love and support of us.  Have a wonderful week and enjoy all this great weather, it'll soon be winter and cold!!!

With love to all,

Rudi and Kathy

 Happy Birthday Brody!  This cute guy will be 5 on September 24th.  Have a great birthday and keep up that adorable smile!

 He huffed and he puffed and he blew out all the candles.

 Happy Anniversary to Jeff and Tiffini on September 27th.  What a beautiful family.  Wish I could be there to watch the kids so you could go  party and celebrate.

Rudi and I at the temple missionary hot dog roast.  So much fun and tons of food as usual.

Rudi and Judy Moller roasting hot dogs.

Rudi enjoying a crab dinner this week.  Yes, he ate way to much crab but loved every minute.

 Kathy also loves crab.  I get tired of trying to dig out the meat.  I don't have patience so I didn't eat that much.  Rudi threw me a few pieces of crab to keep me happy.

Donna and Lynn Todd, our crab buddies.  They love it a lot also.  So much fun to be with them.

More pictures of us eating!  Sorry, but our diversion is going out to eat with friends.  These people are our neighbors on Hotchkiss Street where we live.  At the end of October we will be the only temple missionaries left on our street.  We'll be so lonely.

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR!!! (September 14, 2014)

Thought for the week:

"God allows all things to happen.  Some will be revealed to us, some won't.  We need not to seek nor understand those reasons, but to have faith in His wisdom."

" A smile is the shortest prayer of gratitude we can offer God."

"You don't have to look over your shoulder when you know God has your back."

"Keep your words sweet, you never know when you might have to eat them."

As I said in the beginning of my email, change is in the air.  This week has definitely stated the beginning of fall and way cooler temperatures.  It feel so good but very crisp in the mornings and way cooler at night.  I'm loving it!  Today it's raining so Rudi is stuck in the cottage and wishing he could ride his bike.  Maybe later on today it will clear up.

Yesterday was so busy that I didn't have five minutes to get this email out.  So today being our P-day is when I'm home with extra time.  Yesterday was the normal seven hours of travel and church time in Canton.  We always enjoy being with those special people in the branch.  They welcome us and make us feel so needed and wanted.  I'll miss them when our assignment is over in October.  After we got home from Canton I hosted to other couples for dinner.  I'd made a huge lasagna the week before and froze it so I wanted to have some friends over for dinner.  So much fun visiting and sharing memories of Nauvoo with them.  After dinner we had our choir picture taken on the temple steps for a journal the temple presidency is making for all the missionaries.  From there we went to choir practice and then straight to a Sociable at the Visitors Center to hear Bro. Dunn speak on the martyrdom.  He called it the C.S.I. of the Carthage Jail.  It was very interesting and brought out a lot of facts that were over looked in the actual investigation.  Bro. Dunn is a church historian that owns Nauvoo Tour and Travel.  We went last spring on his guided tour of Liberty Jail and other sights around  the area.  By the time we got home we were exhausted and ready to rest.  Sunday is by far our busiest day.  What happened to the day of rest?

Last Monday Rudi and I spent time in the Family Search Center finding more ancestors who need their work done.  Poor Rudi just can't make any headway into his German ancestry.  On the other hand I found many more names.  I've already had a lot of baptisms, confirmations, initiatory, and endowments done this week.  Soon I'll be able to have them all sealed together.  It's so satisfying doing the work and knowing that they are my own blood relatives.  I think I've got the bug for genealogy.  Since it's slow in the temple we are allowed to do our own endowment work.  I get in about two sessions a week.  We also went to the Land and Records Office here in Nauvoo and I found ten ancestors who lived here in Nauvoo, and eventually left with the exodus in 1846.  We also had our fan chart made into a larger print.  I'm going to frame it to help me remember Nauvoo and all my ancestors who gave so much so I could have the gospel in my life.

This week we found out that L. Tom Perry will be presiding over our temple worker devotional on October 26th in the Assemble Room of the temple.  We're all so excited to have an apostle here to speak to us.  We've also heard that he'll be involved in a retreat her in Nauvoo during that time so other general authorities could be involved and attending also.  We assume they will be attending endowment sessions during that time so we are gearing up for all the excitement.  I know you Salt Lake temple workers get to have this kind of excitement all the time but this is so special to us and we are thrilled to be a small part of all the activities.

I just found out this week that my two brothers will be visiting us in October.  So excited to see them and show them around our beloved Nauvoo.  Other visitors will be my cousin Stan and Janet Call, and my dear friends Ken and Donna Biberston who just got home from their mission in Zimbabwe.  October will be busy but so fun to rekindle friendships.

I've mentioned our many visits to the local events and activities.  Once again we supported the local junior high school fund raiser.  We went to their Hog Roast.  Pretty unique and the food wasn't bad.  Many of the site and temple missionaries were there also.  We really try to support as many things as possible in the community so our spirit can be felt with people outside of our faith.  Most of them are so amazed that we come to their activities but grateful for the support.  Hopefully someway we are planting seeds of the gospel in their lives.

Change is really in the air for my family.  Tami and Dan along with their precious children Callie and Brody are taking a big step this week in moving to Gillett, Wyoming.  It's with sadness in my heart that they are leaving but I have a lot of faith that it will be a move that will be good for their family and circumstances.  This is a major step for them and we wish them God's speed and pray for their protection.  If they stay close to the gospel and get involved in their ward there this transition will be much easier for them.  We plan to visit them on our way home from our mission.  They are the only ones in our immediate family that we haven't seen since we left on our mission.  We miss them terribly but look forward to April and a happy reunion.
Keep them in your hearts and prayers I know we will.  Love you all so much!

Well now that I can't see the keyboard anymore due to my tears I best close and have a good cry.  My family means the world to me and the thought of them moving is so hard on me as I know it is on them.

Have a wonderful week.  With love always.

Rudi and Kathy

 Enjoyed Sunday dinner with these great folks.  The Mollers from Rupert, Idaho, and the Gorrell's from Columbus, Ohio.  Sure going to miss them come October when their mission is over.

 Our Bambi friends.  We've watched them grow up from cute little fawns.  Love the critters that live in our yard.

 Not looking forward to scenes like this from last winter.  It's suppose to be even colder than last year if that's possible!

 Going to miss Tami and her family as they move to Gillett, Wyoming this week.  Good luck in your new adventure and be safe.

 Thinking about all the fun experiences we had during the summer with Troy's family.

 Wish summer could last all year.  Great times with Tiffini and Traci's family.

Going to miss these two cuties.  Can't wait to see you in April on our way home from our mission.  Stay safe and be happy!

IT'S STARTING TO FEEL LIKE AUTUMN IS HERE... (September 7, 2014)

Thought for the week:

"When the world walks out on you, a mother's arms remain outstretched."

"Mistakes are inevitable.  You can only grow stronger if you learn from them."

"I'd rather be rejected for who I am than be accepted by pretending to be someone I am not."

Welcome to another week in the life of a Nauvoo Missionary.  As I stated at the first of this email, it's beginning to feel like autumn.  The mornings are cooler and the evenings are so nice.  Hopefully the hot summer weather is over.  I could do this weather just fine for about 4 or 5 months.  I know, dream on, it won't last!

Our week started off with Labor Day on Monday.  Without family around we spent it like all Mondays, washing, cleaning and grocery shopping.  Since it was a holiday we threw in a movie to keep us sane.  Burlington is our go to place for entertainment and decent restaurants.  Of course, if we go to Burlington we have to stop at Grandpa's for homemade ice cream. It's the best, and butter pecan is out of this world.  I've started dreaming about it, its so good.

Tuesday and Wednesday at the temple were pretty normal, slow but steady.  Wednesday night we went with Jeril and Suzanne Wilson to Keokuk for ribs.  They were yummy but the ride over wasn't fun at all.  Going through Hamilton for one mile we got a speeding ticket for $120.00. It kind of put a damper on our dinner, but Rudi just said he was contributing to Hamilton's economy.  We had a great time anyway visiting with the Wilson's.

Thursday night was so busy!  We finally got to visit the Tufuako home here in Nauvoo.  They are a couple originally from the Hawaiian islands who wanted to settle in Nauvoo.  They work in the temple and invite all the missionaries to come visit them and see their beautiful unique round house.  They are both very talented musicians and sing so well together.  We enjoyed being with them and hearing them sing and play many instruments.  We, of course, also included a dinner.  Rudi and I had to leave a little early to get back to our cottage to feed the sister missionaries.  I'd made homemade lasagna earlier and threw together a tossed salad and garlic bread.  We tried to be hungry again and really enjoyed their company.  They could only stay an hour so we ate and then had a short message from them.  I sent home a lot of leftovers and the rest of the peach pie that they loved.  The life of a missionary is kind of hectic at times.  Yes, we get tired but love all the wonderful people and memories we are making.

Friday night the Todd's, temple missionaries from Florida, invited us to go to dinner with them in Keokuk.  Once again we had an enjoyable evening with lots of laughing and telling family stories.  They also go home in October.  I think everyone is trying to get in the last dinner together with all our dear friends.  Winter is going to be a little lonely without our close friends here.  I guess I better get use to saying good-bye since I too will be leaving
Beautiful Nauvoo someday.

Saturday we just rested after the temple from such a busy eating week!

Today in Canton we found out another investigator will be baptized on September 21.  She is partially deaf but trying so hard to learn more about the gospel.  She bore her testimony again today as she did last month.  Very courageous, and a great example of strength to all of us.  In R.S. she sits so she can see the teacher and the other sisters so she can read their lips.  She is also teaching the Y.W. their motto in sign language.  She will definitely be an asset to the church and especially the Canton Branch.

Today is Break the Fast at the Todd's house.  I'm once again taking the dessert.  I don't think anyone knows I know how to cook regular food.  I decided to try a new recipe I was going to make this summer when Tiffinin and Traci's families were here.    Logan loves smores, but we ran out of time, so today I made Smores Fudge Bars.  They turned out yummy, I sure hope they all like them.  I'll make them for you Logan when I get home.  After dinner I have choir practice and then home to relax after a busy Sunday.

This coming week at the temple we start our extended hours in the evening.  The temple will now have its last session at 8:00 p.m. so we won't get through until after 10:00 p.m.  We get to work Tuesday nights late.  I'm not sure about Wednesday yet.  I'm hoping for the earlier shift.

Well family and friends that's our week in a long nutshell.  Every week is different but usually exciting.  We continue to enjoy the work in the temple and being with such wonderful missionaries.  Oh, I forgot, early Friday morning we went to the Stake Center to sing Go Now In Peace to 50 of the site missionaries who will be going home in the next two weeks.  What a tear jerker!  These people have also become close to us and will be missed so much.

Have a great week and I hope to hear from you soon.  Love your support and love for us.

Rudi and Kathy

Bro. and Sis. Tufuako playing their many homemade instruments.  Wonderful, talented couple who serve in the temple with us.

Enjoying a meal with them in their round house.  She is such a gracious woman.

Sis. Tufuako telling us about her dream to live in a round house.  They built it and continue to add special touches all the time.

She makes bread in tin cans that make the bread look like large mushrooms when they are baked.  Look closely at them on the oven.  Such wonderful bread!

Bro. and Sis. Moller enjoying the dinner we had in the round house.  So many antiques and symbolism in all her decorations.

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!! (August 31, 2014)

 

Thought for the week:

"You can only achieve your dreams when you start believing in yourself."

"Serve because you want to be useful to others, not because you want to be praised."

"I'd rather be rejected for who I am than be accepted by pretending to be
someone I am not."

Hello from Nauvoo.  I can't believe how fast the week goes by.  As usual it has been filled with memories and tender moments.  I'll begin with last Monday.  Our small FHE group which consists of the three neighbors living across the street, Hullinger's, Hall's, and Lidholmes, and us went on a service project to a place called the Linger Longer.  It's a small roadside park and pavilion where the Saints arrived when they exodus Nauvoo in February 1846.  It has a pavilion with pictures and brochures telling about the Pioneers and the trials they went through to arrive in that specific spot in Montrose, Iowa.  It also has two picnic areas and a beautiful view of Nauvoo and the temple.  Our service project was to clean up the area and water the flowers and clean the restrooms.  We had a good time and didn't linger too long.  We then went to Ogo's  restaurant in Keokuk for dinner.  Of course the food was good but sharing friendships is the best.  All of these wonderful missionaries will be leaving the end of October, which makes us so sad to see them go.

This week I had the fortunate opportunity because of being slower in the office, to go on another endowment session as a patron.  I took through the name of one of my ancestors who didn't have any of her work done.  She is now baptised, confirmed, initiatory work done, endowed, and sealed all in one day.  So glad to get that work done so she can move forward with the rest of her family.  I also went on a sealing session as a patron and sealed 19 brethren, 8 sisters, and 4 couples to their families and spouses.  It was a very tender session for the Truluck family.  I now have all but one sister left to be endowed and sealed of all the cards I had printed.  A Big thank you to my family for their help in getting so many of our ancestors on their way.  It's now time to get back to the Family Search Center and research more names.  By the way all of these names come from my fathers side going back through his father to the Truluck line.  I feel they are truly lucky that little old Kathy Thomas Diederich decided to get interested in searching out our records.  There is still so much to do but at least I've scratched the surface.  I know I'm getting wordy but I do want to mention a special thing that happened while working on this line.  We (I'm including Elder Miller who has helped me out so, so, so, much) found a name of Allison Hartwell Truluck.  We looked everywhere for her husband but to no avail.  We then decided that maybe by chance she could be a man.   Low and behold up popped a wife and 11 children.  I call it a mother load of luck!  When I was sealing him and all his kids together the sealer questioned the name of Allison.  I then related the story to him with tears in my eyes knowing that many people had probably overlooked his name because it was listed as a woman.  I'm sure stranger things have happened doing genealogy but it was special to me.  Those of us in the sealing session all agreed that we hope he went by AL.  I hope I get to met him someday on the other side and make sure he knows how much he means to me.  Between Elder Miller and myself we made sure we sourced his name with proof of our findings.  Elder Miller thinks my family is a little twisted!  HaHaHa

Saturday I was assigned to be in the initiatory area.  While there I helped Sister Dewey, the lead temple secretary, take her nanny's name through.  Her nanny had been dead for sometime but was very special to her.  She had big tears streaming down her face when she got to my booth and of course it really affected me and my tears started.  I could feel the spirit so strong and knew how important this was to Sister Dewey.  These kind of experiences make temple work so tender.  She did all of her work in one day by herself, even the baptism.

This weekend is the Grape Festival in Nauvoo.  I'm sorry to say it's very disappointing.  They call it the marrying of the wine and cheese together.  I call it the marrying of loud rock bands and breaking the sabbath together.  Every night for three nights loud bands have been playing until after midnight.  I don't sleep well as it is, and they aren't helping.  Wow, do I sound old or something!  Anyway all of the major activities are today on Sunday.  We had to detour today to get home from Canton.  There was a big parade going down Mullholland Street, the Main Street through Nauvoo.  Lots of people milling around and drinking and enjoying the free wine tasting.  There's a big carnival set up and a car show going on that Rudi is interested in but it's Sunday!  I wonder what Joseph Smith would've thought if he were here?  What has become of his City Beautiful?  It makes me sad to see so many people dishonoring the sabbath day.  Even if they aren't of our faith, don't they still reverence the Lord's Day.  I think I'm not in Utah anymore. I guess I'm just naive but I'm glad I am!  I love celebrating and having fun but really on Sunday!  There's a lot of work to be done right here in Nauvoo.

Tonight we have a special meeting for all the temple missionaries.  We were told yesterday that the temple hours are changing again.  We will now be opened Tuesday thru Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. meaning the last session will get over at 10 p.m.  Those are long hours!!!  With an early morning session at 7 a.m. on Thursday and Saturday.  That means that we will be working 8 to 9 hours each shift.  I know some of you Salt Lake Temple workers might work those long hours but not 5 days a week.  I'm tired just thinking about it! I guess they'll be going into details tonight at the meeting.  We are also having a Sister Allen tell us about the making of the Nauvoo Temple windows.  Her deceased husband was the builder and installer of the windows.  Before that meeting I have a choir practice.  Busy, busy all the time.  I think I need to come home for a rest.  Maybe in seven more months.   Tomorrow marks our 11 month anniversary.

I once again apologize for my wordiness but I know I'll forget so much when I get home.  All these tender moments will become memories that I don't want to forget so I madly write and hope you might enjoy some of my rattling on.

Have a great week and I hope your last summer holiday was special.  Happy Labor Day to those of you who didn't have to labor.  The temple is open tomorrow, so we labor on.

With love to all,

Rudi and Kathy (forever the Lord's servants)

Our healthy and hearty front yard plants.  Thanks to all the rain.

Kathy sweeping the pavilion at the Linger Longer service project.

Rudi with Brothers Hullinger and Hall.  Rudi got the fun job of playing in the water!

Our FHE group across the Mississippi River at Montrose, Iowa.  Yes, we cleaned in our skirts!  You got to love mission rules!

I finally got this plaque framed that Tiffini sent me.  I love it and love looking at all my precious grandkids names.  Thanks Tiff!