P.S. TO A VERY EMOTIONAL WEEK... (October 28, 2014)

I've never put a P.S. on my email but I totally forgot to tell about our special and very spiritual devotional Sunday.  After typing this email three times I thought I'd included my thoughts about the devotional, but I think I'm a little brain dead now.  I don't want to ever forget my feelings while I attended this devotional.  Before I tell about the devotional I want to tell about our lunch before.
I hosted 16 people for lunch after sacrament meeting.  I love entertaining especially our dear friends who are leaving this week.  I spent three days making soups, bread, relish trays, divinity, cherry, blueberry and pumpkin pies.  Yes, I love to bake.  Everyone seemed to love the food and being together for our last meal.  Our little cottage looked like a crowded restaurant.

The choir arrived at the temple at 1:20 to run through our song, Be Still My Soul.  The main doors were then opened to the rest of the temple workers at 2:00.  The entire Assemble Room and the foyer of the temple was filled in 15 minutes.  We then sat very quietly until 3:30 listening to organ music.  It was very spiritual and a special time to contemplate our many hours of service in that holy house of The Lord.  The Assembly Room is only used with permission from Salt Lake.  I guess Elder Perry and many other general authorities qualifies the opening of that sacred room.

Elder Perry with his wife and the other seventies and their wives were dressed in white.  All the stake presidents throughout the Nauvoo Temple district and their wives also sat in front dressed in white.  Finally our dearly loved temple presidency and their wives were also dressed in white and they all sat in the tiered part of the podium area.  It was truly a beautiful and humbling site.  All of the audience were in Sunday clothes.

Elder Perry spoke along with Pres. McArthur and Sis. McArthur.  Brother Rasband of the Seventies also addressed us.  All the talks were very touching and once again the tears flowed.  Elder Perry thanked the temple workers for their dedication and service.  He also mentioned how so many senior couples apply for the Nauvoo Mission weekly.  We felt so fortunate to be able to serve here in this beautiful temple among so many rich memories of the beginning of our latter-day church.  It was so wonderful to feel of his spirit and be able to show him our love for him by standing when he entered and existed.  I came away with my testimony recharged and my heart filled with so much love for my Savior and the great opportunity Rudi and I have been given to be temple workers here at this winding up period of the gospel on the earth.  I hope and pray that my children and grandchildren will remember that grandpa and grandma served in a very special place, and their greatest desire is that someday they will have the desire to continue our missionary tradition.

Hopefully I've finally put everything down that is in my heart.  I'll include more pictures next week of the Pumpkin Walk and our Sunday lunch.

Have a Happy and safe Halloween!
Love to all,

Mom and Dad
Rudi and Kathy
Most important Grandpa and Grandma

A VERY EMOTIONAL WEEK... (October 28, 2014)

Thoughts for the week:

"Most of the time we have to tell people about our needs.  NOT WITH FAMILY.  They already know what we need before we open our mouths."

"Remember that part of your success is the people around who either helped and motivated you, or challenged you.  It's never on your own.  Be humble."

"A true friend picks you up over and over again even though they keep stumbling on their own."

Where do I begin to express this week.  To begin with the reason this email is so late is due to my having to write it three times before it actually worked.  Keep in mind this is the longest email thus far that I have written.  The first time it was completely finished and I went in the other room and when I came back the screen was blank.  I tried everything to retrieve it but with no success.  After a few tears I started again.  This time I thought I could beat the battery life of my ipad.  Suddenly the screen was blank again with only two sentences left to included.  When Rudi got home from the temple and found me in a heap of stress he no problem its still there.  Well, it wasn't so this is the third time I'm trying to get this email finished.  Wish me luck!!!  Maybe I'm not suppose to send an email this week????

Besides this major stress it's been a very emotional week.  Saying goodby to 100 temple missionaries who mean so much to us is very hard on it's own.  We are now left with just 10 couples.  We are getting 7 new couples in November.  Skeletal crew is what it seems like.  Winter is very slow so they only keep at the most 20 couples.  I'm lonely all ready.  All of the missionaries on our street have packed up and left.  Hopefully they'll assign some new across the street soon.

I'll start with last Sunday.  Two days after my sweet brothers left Donna and Ken Biberston arrived.  Love having company!  They brought with them the true missionary spirit of  Zimbabwe Africa.  Love hearing about their mission.  It was so good to see them after two long years.  We tried to show them different sites in Nauvoo since they had been here twice before.  They went with us to church in Canton and enjoyed our little branch of faithful saints.  They also brought small toy cars and trucks for the primary kids.  They were the kind that the sisters in the R.S. sent to Africa for the children.  Such a sweet memorable gift for our kids in Canton.  We had a nice Sunday dinner with them and enjoyed hearing about their missionary experiences.  Sure will miss not having them live next door to us when we get home.  They've moved to Boise to be near their family.  I kow how important that is!

Monday being P-day we spent the whole day seeing the sites of Nauvoo with the Biberstons.  We went to Burlington and went down Snake Alley, went shopping in old downtown Burlington and had lunch at Gators one of our favorite restaurants there in town.  I love shopping with Donna, she has such great taste in clothes and decor.   That night was our farewell dinner and testimony meeting with the missionaries at the sake center.  The Biberstons went to the play at the Old Cultural Hall here in Nauvoo while we were gone.  The dinner was so yummy, with the best pork chops I've ever had.  Found out they were cooked in a crock pot.  The choir sang Dear Nauvoo and then we went into the chapel for our testimony meeting.  What a beautiful experience to share our love for our missions and each other.  Many tears shed, but much love felt.  The choir then sang Nearer, My God to Thee, and I had a really hard time as many others did also singing.  It was wonderful to really feel the words.  Our choir leader change some of the words on the second verse that made it very personal to our mission experience.  They were, Time passes swiftly on, our mission over, memories and cherished thoughts, forever more.  Labors of selfless acts, binding posterity, in scared walls we feel, nearer to thee!  And serve thee ever more, nearer to thee.  These words are very tender to me and will always bring back memories of my mission experience and love for the choir and its members.  After the closing prayer the choir sang Go Now In Peace as we slowly left our choir seats on the stand.  Choice memories and very emotional.  I'll never forget.

Tuesday we went to see the local cemeteries.  We felt such a calm in that sacred place.  Brigham Young said, next to our temples, cemeteries our the holiest places.  We need to always remember how many saints gave their lives for our membership in the only true and lasting church.  We then spent time in the temple.  We hope everyone who visits us will feel like the temple was the highlight of their stay here.  Thanks everyone who has come to Nauvoo to visit us for enriching our lives and hopefully catching the true spirit of beautiful Nauvoo.

After having breakfast with the Biberstons we sent them on their way and made our way to the temple.  We were very fortunate to able to have a special endowment session with all the winter missionaries that afternoon.  The room was almost completely filled with our closest friends and fellow missionaries.  We all had the opportunity to participate in the prayer circle together.  I can't begin to express the emotional high that was felt as we completely circled the entire room.  What a great memory I'll always have of that day in the temple.  Rudi and the other engineers were also able to attend making it even more special for us.  After the session and the tears were once again wiped away I returned to my shift as endowment coordinator just in time to welcome and help the mission presidents through out the midwest and Canada and their wives with their special session.  We also had several general authorities and their wives on the session.  As I stood there with Pres. and Sis. McArthur and Bro. King who helps with endowments with me, I had to pinch myself to take it all in and realize I was really there in my bubble world again.  Pres. McArthur told Rudi later that I made great "window dressing". I think he meant it as a compliment  but really "window dressing".  I've been called a lot of things but never that.  He told us to be very friendly and make them feel welcome so I did!  I guess I was radiating or something!!!  Great Day!

Thursday after our temple shift we went to Burlington for dinner with some more special friends before they leave to go home.  With all the eating and crying this week I'm exhausted!

Friday was a very busy day at the temple.  So many local saints trying to get a last session in before the three week shut down of the temple.  Lots of baptisms, sealings, and endowments performed.  Pres. McArthur said we set an all time high Friday and Saturday for that time of the year.  Great news, I love it when we are busy. That night was our crab night in Burlington with our Crab Buddies.  I guess we need to find some new missionaries who love crab!

Saturday was our last day serving in the temple before shut down.  Lots of hugs from everyone even though we aren't leaving.  So much love felt at the temple!
Later that night once again we ate with some friends in Keokuk at Angelini's for the last time.  So many memories have been made at that  restaurant.  Yes, we eat out a lot, but we also share a lot of love and support for each other over a good meal.  When we got back in Nauvoo we went on the Pumpkin Walk with the Lindholm's and the Hall's.  What an exciting way to display over 500 lit pumpkins.  Many are professionally done for stores in town.  So clever and beautifully displayed.  Pres. Nelson of the temple presidency over sees it and it is  spectacular!  Love the way the whole town comes out and supports all the activities.

Sunday was the climax of a week of so many highs and few lows.  The tears are the lows, went thru a lot of eye makeup this week.  Sunday morning we went to sacrament meeting with the site missionaries.  So good to see them again.  Elder Perry spoke which was such a highlight.  He spoke about his mission in his youth to the Nauvoo area.  It was so touching and heart felt.  What a giant of a man, not only spiritually but literally a very tall man. He must be at least 6'5''.  He just had hip replacement surgery so he was a little slow on the up take.  He's aged a lot and seems quit frail.  He is now the oldest member of the apostles.  I still remember my mom telling me about him being a witness at my parents wedding in the Logan Temple.  He had just returned from his mission and was at the temple that day.  They needed another witness and asked him if he would be willing.  How wonderful to have his signature on their wedding certificate. His wife was also a graduate of my moms nursing class when she become a registered nurse from the L.D.S. Hospital.  I've meet her a few times at their reunions when I've taken mom.  Great memories of them.

Well I really have rattled on long enough.  It really has been a wonderful, spiritual, and emotional week for us.  I keep wondering why I had to type this email three times, but each time I do it refreshes my memory bank and helps me to never forget this choice week.

We continue to love serving in the City of Joseph.  Our lives are so rich with loving friends and family.  We love you all so much and appreciate your love and support of us.  Have a great week, I'm going to rest after so many hours at the keyboard.

With love always,

Rudi and Kathy (forever Nauvoo Missionaries)

 

 

Enjoying having my brothers and Stan and Janet Call for dinner at our cottage.

 Rudi, Ron, and Don at the Stone Quarry in Nauvoo.

 The Three Thomas's.  Love these two brothers of mine so much and appreciate them visiting us in Nauvoo.

 My brothers doing what they do best, making us laugh!  Winner, winner, chicken dinner at Ogo's in Keokek.

 Couldn't pass up this picture, Ron and Don and their sleeping arrangements in our small cottage.

 A trip to the temple.  What a special memory I'll always have of us in the temple. Rudi made sure they saw all of the temple from top to bottom.

 Ken and Donna in Canton with us for church.  Couldn't pass up a beautiful tree like this.

 Floral arrangement at the stake center.  Robert Saint who does my hair puts up two new arrangements every Sunday.

 Donna and Ken at the drainage bridge in Nauvoo.  This is where the early saints drained the swamps.

 War memorial honoring the war hero's of the Nauvoo area.

 Old Nauvoo cemetery.  These two guys look pretty old themselves.  Hope they aren't ready to stay here too long.

 A beautiful statue in the cemetery representing the early saints, especially children, who died during the early period of Nauvoo.

 These special people are responsible for our temple choir.  Left to right, Sis. McCellen our chorister,  Sis. Henderson and Bro. Rementisch our pianists, and the Terry's our presidents.

 The six Chatty Kathy's serving as temple workers. Only one is very quiet, do you think it is me???

 Candid shots of our farewell dinner in the stake center.  Love all these people so much!

 Donna and I at an old church in Burlington.  Since its for sale we thought it would make a beautiful reception center.  Any takers?





 Rudi and I a the same church.  Love the old buildings in Burlington.

 It was so sunny that day that the pictures aren't very clear.  The four of us at Snake Alley.

 Our last trip to the casino with our crab bubbies.  Bro. Todd takes his crab eating very seriously.  He brings surgical scissors to get the crab out better.  He's trying to cut the rest of my cut off finger off with his scissors.  Super fun people that will be missed so much.  The Wilson's also love crab.

 Eating at Angelini's for the last time with these great ladies.  Brenda Lindholm, Judy Moller, Peggy Hall.

 Our better half's holding our left overs.  Husbands are good for a lot of things!

 I love this picture of the temple.  I took it so I could remember the beautiful fall leaves.

 Night picture of the temple.  You can never have too many pictures of this temple.

 Another front door picture!

 Beautiful tree on Hotchkiss.  Our cottage is right in the back of the picture.  Love this street we call home.

LOVE THE AUTUMN SEASON (October 19, 2014)

Thoughts for the week:

"Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them."

"Learn to accept adversary.  No matter who you are or where you serve, you are going to have some.  But do not fear the winds of adversity.  Remember, a kite rises against the wind, rather than with it."

"Even our tears are silent prayers when we seek for comfort in God's loving arms."

Love this cool but beautiful fall weather.  Everything looks so fresh and green.  The autumn colors just enhance the lush green of everything.

Our week started out with my brothers being here in Nauvoo.  Rudi and I so enjoyed having them stay with us.  We laughed so much telling stories about our earlier years.  We were sorry that it rained everyday they were here, but it didn't damping our fun together.  Rudi, Ron and Don walked around to all the sites in the rain.  We took them to Burlington to eat at Gators.  They loved the prime rib and seeing the sites in that town.  We also spent time at the Visitors Center seeing the Joseph Smith Story and then went to watch the site missionary show at the Old Cultural Hall.  We also went to Keokuk for dinner at Ogo's.  Great chicken dinner. We also did a endowment session and Rudi took them on a tour of the temple.  It was so delightful to have them here and appreciate them spending three days with us.  So grateful for such wonderful brothers.

We are getting more bus tours coming through Nauvoo.  Love being busy because that means more ordinances are being performed.  I very seldom get to be on line and move around to all the different areas, but this Saturday I spent an hour in initiatory and really enjoyed being apart of that special part of the temple.  I think helping there is a very tender part of the whole process.  Hopefully during the winter season I won't be coordinating so much and I'll get to spend time doing the real special work.  Not that I don't like being a coordinator but I don't feel close to the patrons as much.

I was so saddened to hear of Aunt  Norine's passing.  I always called her my second mother.  I'll miss her and her loving presents.  I'm so glad that one of the last things Rudi and I did before we left on our mission was to stop in Jerome Idaho to see her on our way home from visiting with Rosey and her family in Boise.  I so regret that I didn't take any pictures of her.  We had such a wonderful visit with her and Robert and Ilene.  Wish so badly I could be at her funeral but Nauvoo is just too far away.  She raised the most beautiful family and she will be so missed but not forgotten.  Thanks Bingham Family for adopting me and always making me feel welcome on the farm.

Our dear friends Ken and Donna Biberston arrived in Nauvoo Saturday.  So good to see them after two years of them serving a mission in Zimbabwe Africa.  They will be here until Wednesday, so we plan to do as much as possible with them in between our shifts at the temple.  Today they went to Canton with us to church.  The last two weeks we have taken visitors with us.  The branch is grateful any and all visitors.  I made small cards with candy on them.  It said,  "Knowing you has brought  MOUNDS CANDY BAR, of ALMOND JOY BAR, to our lives, Love Elder and Sister Diederich.  They loved it and we love them.  This is possibly our last time in Canton.  We don't know if we will continue going there or be assigned back in Nauvoo for the winter.

I'm fixing dinner for the Biberstons and then after we'll see their pictures of Zimbabwe.  We enjoy spending time with them and will miss them so much now that they have moved to Boise to be nearer to their children and grandchildren.  Don't blame them, family is what it is all about!

Next week is so busy with our last week with 40 temple missionary couples leaving to go home.  Sad just thinking about it.  We also have the regional seminar for all the mission presidents throughout about eight or ten states in the midwest.  Also a lot of general authorities will be here.  I'll have a lot to email about next week.

We continue to love our mission and serving so many people in the temple.  I feel so renewed every time I'm there.  Didn't think I would ever say that being at the temple five days a week would be wonderful, but it is.

We love and appreciate our family and friends so much.  Our kids and grandkids continue to support and encourage us daily.  So many friends have come to visit and email us.  Thanks for remembering us.

With love always,

Rudi and Kath

Stan Call enjoying his tenderloin sandwich.  I promised to include this picture this week.  Why have a bun???

 Janet Call eating her taco salad in a bag.  What a joke!  Great salad but so funny.

 Our dear friends the Hollands from Texas.  Bro. Holland passed away this summer after suffering from cancer.  They served here in Nauvoo with us.  Wonderful missionaries and a great example to us.  He will be missed but always remember.

 Just a quick taste of my favorite season.  The leaves are changing colors quickly now.  More to come next week!

More trips, visitors, and FOOD! Yes, we are on a mission!!! (October 12, 2014)

Thoughts for the week:  Janet Call shared these with me.

"When you hold a grudge it doesn't leave your hands free to do anything else."

"If Jesus is your co-pilot, you need to switch seats."

Another great week full of exciting events.  First I best explain to those who don't know who Stan and Janet Call are.  Stan is my first cousin.  His father is my mothers only living brother, or should I say was her only living brother.  They've both passed on.  Stan and Janet arrived in Nauvoo Thursday and will be here until tomorrow.  What a delight to have them here and enjoy taking them around to many sites.  They're so fun and easy to talk to.

I'll begin last Monday on our P-day activity.  Five couples went to Kalona for a day road trip.  The weather was so perfect and the sights of this old German Amish community was wonderful.  There were so many horse drawn buggies we felt out of place driving a car.  We went to neat shops and of course ate at a fun restaurant.  One of the shops was a wood making shop.  Everything in it was made out of different woods.  We feel in love with a lazy susan and had to have it for our kitchen table at home.  So many clever things to look at and wish we had more room to take things home.  Keep in mind when we arrived in Nauvoo our car was packed with so much that we couldn't fit a piece a paper in.  How are we ever going to get all we've bought back home.  I've suggested a trailer but Rudi said No!  I guess I'm going to have to strap him to the top of the Tahoe.  Think twice Rudi about that trailer!  That night all the temple missionaries got to see the new movie "Meet the Mormons".  So well done and what a missionary tool.  Go see it if you haven't already.  The church has taken a giant step forward!

I'm madly trying to finish this email before all my visitors get back to the cottage.  Ron and Don my twin brothers just arrived right before dinner and Rudi has taken all of them to the pioneer cemetery here in Nauvoo.  Hopefully I'll finish before they get back.  I'm so exited to have my brothers here for a few days.  Their wives were unable to come because of work so they're both staying with us.  This cottage may be rocking and rolling with us laughing and talking about the good old days.  Love them both so much.  Wish my sister Rosey could be here to make the circle complete.

This week has been special at the temple.  Two groups of Korean saints   were at the temple.  Rudi volunteered to pick them up in Keokuk at 5:00 a.m. Tuesday morning and bring them over to the temple to do an endowment session.  They didn't speak English but when they say the temple they all just got so exited to finally see the temple.  Beautiful people with great faith.  That night another group came through.  They also couldn't speak English.  I was working in clothing when they arrived.  What an experience trying to cloth all of them and try and get their correct sizes.  One mans cell phone went off and he proceeded to speak very loud in Korean.  I tried to explain to him not to use his phone in the temple.  What a comical sight we must of made.  Twenty Koreans all trying to get clothed and not being able to communicate.  A test of my faith!  Luckily we got them clothed and on the session on time.  They are so appreciative and lovely people.  I'm glad I got the experience even if it was crazy for awhile.

Stan and Janet did a session on Friday morning and then Rudi took them on a non-tour of the temple.  They really loved it.  After our shift ended we took them to Burlington to Snake Alley, Gypsies, around downtown Burlington and then to the Casino to eat crab.  We laughed so much and had such a great time with them.

Saturday morning we worked in the temple starting at 6:00 a.m. and finished at noon.  We then took them out to Bonaparte and Benetonsport to Iron and Lace and other fun shops.  We had no idea that all the little towns along the way were having their autumn festivals.  We had a blast eating all the fun crazy food that goes along with the festival atmosphere.  I forgot to include the pictures of us eating the jumbo tenderloins and taco salad in a bag, better know as the walking taco salad.  I'll put them in next weeks email.  Too much fun!  We also went to the Dutchman in Cantril.  The drive out there was beautiful and full of fall foliage.

Today they went with us to Canton to church.  All the meetings were so special I'm glad they were there to enjoy the spirit of our Canton Branch. We look forward to spending quality time with my brothers during the next few days.

Stan and Janet return to Utah tomorrow.  We'll miss them but so appreciate their visit and sharing time with us.  Our friendship has deepened and we look forward to traveling with them in the future.

Ron and Don leave on Wednesday so our fun continues.  How much fun can two missionaries have?  Good thing our P-day is on Monday so we can have some quality time with them.  I can't wait to see them on our airo bed tonight.  It should be pretty comically.  I'll be sure and get some pictures.

Don has been to Nauvoo before but this is Ron's first time.  We love to show people around our beloved Nauvoo.  We hope everyone takes away some of the spirit we feel about our mission and love for the temple.  Everyone so far has made the temple a must see and enjoy serving there.  Rudi loves to show everyone the inner workings of this magnificent structure.  I love showing them the beautiful rooms and serving them in the ordinances.

This is a very busy month for us but we love having visitors and look forward to Ken and Donna Biberston arriving this weekend.

To all our wonderful family and friends we say thank you for your love and support.  Have a wonderful week!

With love always,

Rudi and Kathy

A road trip to Kalona, Iowa on  our P-day activity.  It's an Amish German town.  Relaxing in their rocking chairs,  the good life.

 Rudi, checking out their mode of transportation.  These buggies can really clip along at a pretty good speed.  They even have brakes!

 Love the huge sunflower plants.  A beautiful day to stroll around town.

 Out on the farm checking out the goats.  We went with the Gorellell's, Ford's, and Wasum's.  So many fun people to get to know and love.

 Inside a cool museum in Kalona.  It's also the capital of quilt making.

 Wow, so many Hummels.  Remember it's a German town with many Amish people.

 More goats at the farm!

 A year round tree decorated in autumn decor.  So unique and festive.

Yes, more eating!  Rudi enjoying crab again.  He should be growing gills soon.

 Kathy loves the crab also!  Sad looking picture.

 A stop at Hel=Mart on our way to a road trip with Stan and Janet Call my cousins.

 Janet and Stan enjoying yet another ice cream cone.  Love these fun people and couldn't wait to show them around our favorite sights.

 Inside the mart.  Lots of doll houses.

 Stan and Janet in front of the rocking horse collection.  Lots of cool collections.

 The best collection was the electric trains.  Tons of tracks and interesting trains and displays.

 Notice have miniature  the pieces are in the train farmland.

 Miniature gas station, so cute.  The grandkids would love seeing it.

 Rudi and Stan living their youth again with all the trains.

 Stan and Janet at the Canton Branch chapel with us.  How wonderful to have them with us and enjoy our Sunday experience.

Sign on the way to Canton.  Great lesson topic.  "I'm gorgeous inside."
We all are gorgeous on the inside, we just need to look beyond the surface of people.