A Parade!

Last week in the  course of two days, our young sister missionaries came back to Nauvoo.  They came last Spring and stayed here for six months.  Then they left in October and were supposed to be gone for six but with Covid 19 they were gone for seven plus months instead.  Now they will be back here to finish out their mission.  In the mean time, they will train the new sisters who were supposed to be here already but will come on June 22nd.

Since all but two (Riddle and Pendleton served in the Iowa City mission so they didn't fly back here) are in quarantine for two weeks, we had a parade of cars go past their apartments to welcome them back.  Here was our sign. Sanguine means optimistic and hopeful.  It was used on the Trail of Hope to describe the saints as they left this place and traveled west.

Things are so different here since they left and we need them to be optimistic and hopeful about what they can accomplish as missionaries while the sites are still closed.  Anyway, we met in the VC parking lot and got our instructions as to the parade route.

Elder Munoa had all the young sisters get on Zoom for a meeting to begin approximately 10am.  Once the motorcade reached the Big10, he told them to go look out their windows.  We surely surprised them!

We were outside and standing fairly far apart and still so many wear masks.  At least when in the presence of President.

Some cars were very decked out.

And some people, like the Jensens, were very excited for the parade to begin.

It was rather touching being able to see their beautiful faces again!

They did a good job staying fairly separated by apartment.  Somehow I know that that isn't what's really happening.

They were so surprised and there was a lot of squealing.  It dawned on me that they know only about half of the senior couples still serving here.

Anyone that came after October 8th will be a stranger to them.  Nevertheless, everyone was really in the spirit of this thing and got involved.  Even though our historic sites and this town look like it has been abandoned, these young sisters bring such a light and enthusiasm into it.  So happy to have them back and can't wait to get to know some of them better.  I dawned on me that I only know a fraction of them too.  I know faces and names but not necessarily together.