Thanksgiving Day

On Thanksgiving Day we worked for only three hours since that’s how long the site missionaries needed to be in sites.  We worked 8-11 and then we as FM missionaries got together for a meal of soup and rolls and dessert.  It was delicious!

After the meal we had time to sit and visit or play games.  There were several games that I’d never seen or played before.

At first I spent time doing some other things including organizing the food.  Then I got in n a game.  It was such a fun time playing with the others.

Many types of soups. We had tiny cups so we could try several types. I loved them all.

This game was one I didn’t play.  I just wanted to document some of the people that were ther.

The most interesting thing about this mission is finding friends I didn’t know I had.  Mingling with them builds me and helps me recognize the goodness in others. How I love these people!

A Mission Thanksgiving Meal

Tonight we had our mission Thanksgiving meal with the temple missionaries.  There was so much food!  And it was delicious!  We sat with the Christensens whom we attend church with in Hannibal.  They are temple missionaries.  After the meal, we had some entertainment.  

Elder Mecham was the narrator.  We have some very talents musicians.  

Sister Lusvardi sang Come Ye Children of the Lord with Elder Munoa on guitar and Sister Flanders on the violin.  Beautiful!

Elder Meyocks sang something I've never heard of but he is very country sounding with a deep voice.  He reminded me of Johnny Cash.  Sister Mensel on the violin.

Sister Wadley sang as well.  She has a lovely voice.

This is a shot of a lot of us.  There was another table to my right as well as the 30 people sitting at our table.  Very few open chairs.  What a wonderful evening!

The Julanders sang "Count Your Blessings" from White Christmas. I love that song!  It makes me remember the wonderful blessings I have been given from my  Heavenly Father!

A New Assignment ... Again

Two weeks ago, we got two new couples in the FM group.  One of them is quite elderly and they're not able to do a lot of things physically that FM missionaries need to do.  Jordan asked me to come into his office.  He told me that he didn't know what else to do with Sister Jones, so he wanted to give her the job as FM secretary.  He was really pleased with the work I did and I think he was a little sad to give the assignment to someone else.  He thought I might be sad.  Sad???  Are you kidding me?  I get to go back to the 7am-1pm shift with my husband.  

What's my new assignment?  Officially it is to be an assistant to the handyman.  That means I get to work with my husband.  Oh darn!  One of our assignments was to assist in putting up the Christmas tree in the Visitor's Center.

Some of the other FM missionaries came to help too.  Sister Keeton is "fluffing" the branches.

Barant was in charge of putting up the tree since he knows how.  Elder Bailie was working on the lights that didn't work.

Elder Pinette was working on fluffing too.  In fact, we all fluffed.

A view from the top!

Getting the star put on straight.

Sister Scott fixing some of the branches.

Last week the weather was really nice so there was some outside painting that needed to get done before the winter really sets in.  I went with the painters to the Orson Hyde house which is being rebuilt.  

Once that was done, I went with Sisters Howard and Odum to the Heber C. Kimball home.  There are a couple of rooms that are being repainted.  Since rollers were not invented yet in the 1840's, and this house was painted with a roller, we need to sand the paint off the walls so the roller marks will not be visible. 

Two of us sand and the other vacuums up the paint dust. It is a really dusty job and we wear eye protection and breather masks.  What a sight we are!

When Jordan gets back from vacation next week, I'm going to ask him if I can have a permanent assignment change to the paint crew.  I really enjoy painting and I love working with these sisters as well as the Elders who work on the paint crew.  There is so much to be done and I want to be part of it.  Who gets to go inside these historic homes and help make them more historically correct?  Me!  That's who.  

A Replacement Moroni

Back in June we had a pretty good thunderstorm during which Moroni was struck by lightning.  His face and arm were black for quite a while.  After time, the blackness washed off with the rain.  We noticed, last week, that there was this crate sitting in the  parking lot.  We knew with the upcoming temple shut down, that this was the new Moroni.

 I took a couple of photos last week of the one that was still sitting atop the temple.

 Today was the day scheduled to replace Moroni.  It was super cold today.  Our normal highs are in the low 50's and today was a negative windchill when we got up.  It was in the teens for a high.  The sun shone brightly and it helped melt the snow that was on the sidewalks and roads.  We came by and saw that the crate was opened and the beautiful new shiny Moroni was lying inside.

 Two cranes were needed to take the old one down and put the new one up.  One crane to lift the statue and the other crane to carry the workers who would be unfastening and fastening the statue.

 We were informed that the placing of this statue on such a high place needs to have calm winds.  This is usually done at the break of dawn as that's when winds are the calmest.  This flag showed anything but calm winds.

Then we looked again.  One of the Sisters said, "Someone said a prayer."  The flag was just hanging there and the winds were gone. 

 The basket went up in the air with no one inside and I wondered about that.  One of the temple engineers told me that they put a 500 pound weight inside and put it where the men would be working for a matter of predetermined time.  It's a safety measure.

 Once things were safe, the two guys unloaded the weights and climbed aboard for their climb aloft.  They unscrew the lightning rod out of the top of Moroni's head and screw in a circular device that allows the crane to attach and lift him.  Then the unscrew the four bolts holding him on the ball.

 Once he's attached, they gently lift him off.  He appears to be riding in the basket with the workers.  He's actually behind.

 The statue is taken off and it makes the slow and gentle descent to the ground.

 I found it strange to see Moroni beside the steeple rather than on top.

He is attached to a long rod and there are cables below that.  Those cables are attached to others inside that send the lightning into the ground.

 I was really happy about having a sunny day with these gorgeous blue skies that helped to make this process really photogenic.

 Down he comes!

 Behind the trees.

 Someone on the ground then grabs the cables to steady the statue as he comes to rest on the earth.

 As the pole hits the ground he wanted to roll a bit.

 And finally he's down.

 This is a photo after the process was completed and the new statue was erected.

 Here's the new, golden Moroni glistening in the sun!

 This is the face of the Moroni on the ground. I'm quite surprised at the detail of his head and face considering he is so far up in the air and no one can see it.

 Here's the new one going up.

 The guys in the crane were obviously professionals at operating these machines as there really wasn't any wobbling of the things being raised and lowered.

 Just another view of the guys working on Moroni.

 This guy is one of the temple engineers posing with Moroni in the crate.  I like how his horn is wrapped.

 I don't know who or how this crate was delivered.

 Again, look at the detail of his face and head and chest.  And look how SHINY he is!

We found out that the old statue will be taken back to Utah and repaired.  Then he will be either set aside or sent back here in case the new one gets struck by lightning.  This one is unique to the Nauvoo temple.  His left hand it open.  Apparently some of the statues, his hand is closed.

It was an historic day here in Nauvoo.  I will probably never see an angel Moroni placed on a finished temple let alone see one removed and a new one placed.  It was pretty cool!

More Departures from FM

This is always a difficult thing to see but it's part of being in this mission.  People are coming and going constantly.  The incoming are much more fun than the departures.

Jim & Jolene Paxman left us the first weekend in October.  She was a painter and spent a bit of time cleaning as well.  Elder built more pickets than even he can count.  He did a the furniture moving as well.  They became such good friends.  I cherish their friendship!

The Spellmans left us early due to some health issues.  I really didn't know Sister Spellman very well as she was a site missionary and not on my cast for Sunset.  Elder Spellman worked in the mechanic shop.  I'm told that he worked slowly and methodically and that he liked to visit.  I didn't spend a lot of time with him either.  He left a hole in the mechanic shop.

Lon Simpson worked here for only 5 years but he is a master at building custom woodwork for historical sites.  He and his wife sold their home and moved somewhere south of here.  Lon was the king of the pun.  He always had some "smart" remark or one-liner in our morning meeting.  I don't think there is anyone out there with the skills that this man has.  He is missed.  Especially by Elders Howard and Schmidt who work in the carpentry shop.