Carrera Marble………………

We get the opportunity to be around some pretty amazing people here in Nauvoo.  One of those special people is the temple president, Spencer J. Condie. He became a General Authority at the age of 48.  He has personally known so many of the Prophets and Apostles and has some really amazing and cute stories to tell. He gave our sociable on Sunday evening and I loved every minute.  I will try to insert the notes that Richard took on this page, but something he said made a huge impression on me.  At the end of his presentation he showed a slide of a mountain in Italy.  It is called the Carrera Mountain and it is totally made out of marble.  It is the mountain the marble in the  famous statue of David was taken from.  Every year in this district they have a marble sculpting contest, similar to ice carving contests.  Each person is given a huge piece of marble and so much time  to sculpt a masterpiece.  He showed us some pictures of some of the entries.  One had carved the thumb of a famous king, 13 feet high. Another had carved the well known car, Volkswagen, in marble.  After showing several pictures, he showed a beautiful statue of Mary holding the slain body of Christ. They had “signed” their work, Michaelangelo Benetti.  What an extreme contrast! He then told us that we had been given a “block” to carve as well, whether it be a mission, an assignment, a child, a lifetime and it was up to us what kind of a masterpiece we have to present.  It is totally up to me, I am the sculptor. I choose what to make of  my life, regardless of what happens to me, I choose how I act.

It is something that I think I have finally come to realize.  We are not always in control of the things that happen to us, the situations we sometimes find ourselves in, choices others make that influence our lives, but we are in control of what we do, how we act, and how we allow the Atonement to help us deal with life.  Thank heavens for the Atonement of Christ and it’s enabling power.  Help me to realize that when it comes to the bottom line, it is up to me. I hope that when my opportunity comes to present my “masterpiece” to my Father in Heaven, I can sign my name to the very best I have to offer.

FINALLY…………………….

Spring has sprung, the creek has riz………oh what a beautiful day it is! Literally!!

This is down at the end of Parley Street and the Mississippi has outgrown its banks.  We have been checking frequently on the rivers’ progress and it is quite an awesome sight.

The river ferry is in the water now……..

There however, is nothing quite like an amazing thunderstorm.  How I love the Midwest.

Went to Fort Madison the other day and the barges are back on the river.  The river is so high that the islands out in the background were close to being covered over with water. I love to see this swing bridge in action.

Nauvoo is starting to bloom again and the people are back out in the gardens working. Trees are in bloom and they are many different colors. This particular tree is in our front yard.

It’s times like these that I wish I could draw or paint. Someday.

Along with the springtime comes a lot of work.  We have had over 120 new missionaries in the last month.  That means, each one has to be visited, welcomed, trained in the sites, assigned to districts and the list goes on.  We have been meeting ourselves coming and going and it just gets busier from here.  We have been saying goodbye however, to a few of the people who came out with us a year ago!  Can you believe that next week will be our year mark!!!!!!! So we had a dinner last Sunday with those of us who are left from our group with four more going home next week.

All of the “boys.” Richard, Elder Belly Button, Elder Spencer, Elder Johnson, Elder Sanders and Elder Openshaw.

Sr. Johnson, Spencer, Openshaw, Sanders, then Knudsen. We have loved each and everyone of these people and will be friends from here on out.

Sr. Knudsen and Sr. Brown.

Along with all of the new senior missionaries, we have welcomed back our new young single sister missionaries.  Some of them were here last year and so we have an instant bond.  I am excited to have them back.  They are working with us in the sites for a few weeks.

Sister Petricek and Sister Ross with us having a little too much fun at the Cultural Hall.

Speaking of the Cultural Hall, Richard and I, along with the other George and Agatha’s have been practicing the fine skill of “acting!” Elder Camp from SLC is here now for the rest of the summer.  He is the Executive Producer for Nauvoo Productions!  Now how would you like that for a mission call?  He has been a lot of fun to work with.  He actually said, that in all of his years here (5), he hasn’t worked with anyone quite at the level that Richard and I are considering the average age of the missionaries here, I am not sure that is saying a whole lot about our ability, but I will take what I can get! So, it looks like we will be George and Agatha for the rest of our mission. “Here’s looking at you kid!”

IMPRESSIONS OF SERVING IN NAUVOO……

So we were at a party at Pres. Grygla’s and they asked each one of us what our greatest impressions of serving in Nauvoo were.  Many thoughts were expressed but I will tell you mine.

1.  This has to be the closest thing to a “Zion” type society I will ever be in.  Each and everyone here is called to serve, that means they have dedicated their time (mine being 18 months) to serving the Lord exclusively.  We don’t have television, so I really don’t know or am bothered by all of the things that are happening in the world.  Each and every person that is here is here because they want to be.  We are with each other 12 to 14 hours a day sometimes, working and serving together.  I have made better friends here that at any other time in my life.  If you think about it, it is literally like an extended family, I spend so much time with them and serving them in some capacity, with them serving me as well.  We are working towards a common goal, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are all different, and some I relate to better than others, but on a whole, it is a unique experience. So, no influences from the world.

2.  I CAN DO HARD THINGS…This experience has certainly taught me that I can do hard things.  I left my family, my parents, my children, grandchildren, and extended family.  There is nothing harder on me than that.  There is no one who is more family oriented than I am, yet I am here.  I am putting my total faith and trust in my Heavenly Father and what I have been asked to do.

There is so much to learn here, from the scripts at each site, to the dances, songs, shows, how to get from one place to another, who and what people are, what my responsibilities are etc. The learning curve here is very high and heavy and for the most part, I have done it.  Certainly, not by myself however.  So many times I find myself in awe that I am able to do what has been asked of me.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that when the Lord asks something of me, and I do my part, He makes up the difference.

We are responsible for helping to train the missionaries each month in a training meeting. (our full compliment of missionaries will be 260) It seems like we hardly ever have a time block when we are not busy. Richard works tirelessly and is really a huge part of this mission running successfully, although he would never say that.  So finding time to put a 45 minute meeting together is hard.  Last week I had a very busy Tuesday.  I was in charge at Land and Records, and I was without one of my helpers, (she was helping split the casts), and so I didn’t even take a lunch.  We had 22 tours that day, and so I went home for supper tired.  We had a practice for Sunset that evening and then came home and worked until midnight on our presentation.  Up and at the meeting by 7:30 and training went very well. (Thus the Lord making up for our ineptitude) I worked all day and then came home and went and did two shows of Rendezvous. Came home after the show and went to sleep and literally got up Friday morning.  I had slept around the clock! But this I have learned for a certainty, I am not doing these things of my own strength.  The Lord sustains me and I can literally “feel” Him stepping in and helping me to succeed at what I have been asked to do. It is an overwhelming feeling, I am humbled. I will keep trying and doing all that I am asked to do.  

3.  This is a special place, it represents sacrifice and testimony, strength, endurance, faith, gratitude, cooperation, as well as injustice and hatred.  I am in awe each and every time that I tell one of these peoples’ story.  Each time I do research on a particular person and wonder how they were able to continually be driven from place to place, bury their children and spouses and move on, I am in awe. Each time believing that I would not have been able to do what they were asked to do, forgive and hope for a better tomorrow, I am humbled.  Yet, I know why they did it and I know that just like me, the Lord walked beside them, because His plan for their lives, was  bigger and more wonderful than anything they could see for themselves. They trusted in the Lord and in His Atonement, and their faith kept them going. I know one of my friends as we participated in the Exodus walk on that cold 28* weather day said, “Maybe I could have done this if we were all leaving together.”

4. Maybe one of my biggest ah ha moments is this, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have dedicated 18 months of my life exclusively to doing what I think He wants me to do.  I wear a badge each and every day that says,

  SISTER JARDINE

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Am I worthy to wear this badge, in some ways, probably not, but am I trying? Absolutely, to be what He would have me become. To realize that this life is meant to be a learning process, to come to know Him more fully. To change what I can and to try to become what I am not yet. It is about my heart, my faith, my gratitude and my knowledge and how I lift my brothers and sisters. Maybe in some ways, I am like these pioneers in Nauvoo.  I am shaping the legacy that I will leave to those who follow after me.

Maybe trying to put into words what my feelings about Nauvoo and this experience means  is tentative at best. It really is about my heart and hopefully others will be able to know about Nauvoo and about this tender mercy  by knowing what a difference it has made to me and to who I am trying to become.

STANLEY VISITS NAUVOO!!!!!!!!

I WAS EXCITED TO GO TO NAUVOO, ILLINOIS, TO VISIT WITH JAGGER’S GRANDPARENTS, WHO ARE SERVING AN 18 MONTH MISSION THERE AT THE OLD PIONEER TOWN ESTABLISHED IN 1839-1846.  THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO! THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY THINGS TO SEE AND DO AND I WILL SHARE JUST A FEW SITES WITH YOU.

THE FIRST PLACE I WENT TO WAS AN OLD BAKERY!!! THEY MADE COOKIES IN HERE IN A BUSTLE OVEN.

 

THESE ARE THE OVENS AND THE FIREPLACE THAT THEY USED TO BAKE THEIR GOODIES.  THEY WOULD BUILD A FIRE RIGHT IN THESE OVENS AND LET THEM BURN FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, THEN TAKE OUT THE ASHES AND PUT THEIR BREAD OR COOKIES IN HERE, SHUT THE DOOR AND THAT IS HOW THEY WOULD BAKE.

MOST PEOPLE COULD NOT AFFORD A BUSTLE OVEN SO THEY DID EVERYTHING IN THEIR FIREPLACE, INCLUDING BAKING BREAD.  THEY WOULD BURN A FIRE SO THAT THE BRICKS GOT NICE AND HOT, THEN MOVE THE LOGS OVER, SPREAD CORNMEAL ON THE FLOOR AND THEN COVER THEIR BREAD WITH THE EMBERS..   IT WAS CALLED ASH BREAD!

LOTS OF OLD TIME COOKING UTENSILS.  CAN YOU GUESS WHAT EACH ONE IS USED FOR?

I HELPED MAKE GINGERBREAD COOKIES TODAY.  LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS AND THEY ARE YUMMY!

NEXT I WENT OUT TO HELP FEED THE HORSES.  IN NAUVOO, THEY PULL WAGONS TO TAKE PEOPLE ON RIDES.  THEY HAVE 28 BEAUTIFUL, BIG HORSES HERE. THEY ALL HAVE NAMES LIKE MIKE AND MICK, JED AND JACK, ABE AND IKE.  I LOVE THE HORSES.

MIKE WANTED TO GIVE ME A KISS………………………………………

THESE ARE THE WAGONS THAT THEY PULL.

I WANTED TO DRIVE ONE!

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MISSIONARIES WATCHING ME MAKE A ROPE.  YOU HAVE TO TWIST ALL OF THESE PIECES OF SISAL TOGETHER.

I ALSO LEARNED HOW TO MAKE POTTERY…..

TO MAKE A BARREL BY A COOPER.

THESE ARE THE TOOLS THAT I HAD TO USE…..

THESE TOOLS ARE USED TO CUT STONE IN THE 1840’S.

ME RIDING IN A HORSE DRAWN SLEIGH, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF SNOW HERE THIS WINTER!

THIS IS CALLED A WEASEL.  IT IS USED TO MEASURE YARN THAT THE PIONEERS WOULD HAVE WOVEN OUT OF WOOL FROM SHEEP.  IT MEASURES A SKEIN OF YARN.  EACH TIME THE WHEEL IT IS TURNED FORTY TIMES, IT POPS!  HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE SONG “POP GOES THE WEASEL?” THIS IS WHERE IT CAME FROM.

ME RIDING A PRETEND LARRY THE LAMB!

THIS IS A WEAVING LOOM. IT HAS 18 MILES OF THREAD ON IT. WE WEAVE RUGS AND TABLE RUNNERS ON IT HERE. IT WAS ONLY A MAN’S JOB TO BE A WEAVER.

I’M GETTING READY TO HELP MAKE CANDLES.

THIS IS A LONG PROCESS THAT TAKES SEVERAL DAYS. THE FIRST CANDLES THAT YOU SEE HAVE BEEN DIPPED 5 TIMES, THE LAST ONES OVER 30.

THIS IS ME IN THE PRINT SHOP. I LOVED IT HERE TOO. THESE ARE THE CASES THAT THE LETTERS( EACH LITTLE PIECE OF METAL THAT YOU SEE HAS A LETTER ON THE END OF IT) WERE STORED IN ORDER TO PRINT A NEWSPAPER OR BOOK.  THE CAPITAL LETTERS WERE IN THE UPPER CASE AND THE SMALLER LETTERS WERE IN THE LOWER CASE.   ASK YOUR TEACHER WHAT THAT MEANS.

THIS IS WHERE THE PAPER WENT TO BE PRINTED.

THIS IS THE PRINTING PRESS. IT TOOK ALL WEEK TO PRINT A 4 PAGE PAPER…….NOT LIKE OUR COMPUTERS NOW.

I WENT TO THE BRIGHAM YOUNG HOUSE.  HE WAS KNOWN AS THE GREATEST COLONIZER OF THE WEST. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING AND COLONIZING OVER 400 COMMUNITIES.  GUESS WHAT, HE IS JAGGER’S GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER!

TO TOP OFF MY WEEK, I GOT TO SEE WHAT A PRAIRIE GRASS FIRE LOOKED LIKE. IT WAS A LITTLE SCAREY. PIONEERS HAD A VERY HARD LIFE AND CROSSING THE PLAINS MANY PEOPLE DIED, FROM TOO LITTLE FOOD, TO FREEZING TO DEATH, TO THINGS LIKE THIS PRAIRIE FIRE.  IT TOOK ONLY TWO AND A HALF MINUTES FOR THIS TO BURN THE WHOLE FIELD.

ONE MORE THING ABOUT NAUVOO THAT IS WONDERFUL.  IT IS A PENINSULA. THAT MEANS IT IS SURROUNDED BY WATER ON THREE SIDES.  IT IS THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI THAT SURROUNDS NAUVOO AND THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING ON THIS RIVER.  IT IS THE NESTING GROUND FOR BALD EAGLES.

GEESE BY THE THOUSANDS!

CARDINALS EVERYWHERE!!!

SUNSET ON THE MISSISSIPPI………………BEAUTIFUL!

SO I HAVE LEARNED MANY THINGS HERE IN OLD NAUVOO. I HOPE YOU HAVE HAD A GOOD TIME LOOKING AT SOME OF MY PICTURES. THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE WITH YOU.  THANK YOUR TEACHER FOR BEING SO WONDERFUL AND COME AND SEE US SOMETIME!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU JAGGER

WE ARE ALL RELATED!!

I was working in the Print Shop and had several tours during the day.  At one point as I was giving a tour, this woman said, “I know you, I just don’t know from where?” So, I am wracking my brain thinking, oh my she looks a little familiar, but I have the onset of “Old-Timers!”, and have no idea whom she might be.  I continue on and she says, “I recognize your voice from somewhere!”  Well let me tell you, that is not my best quality and so I am starting to get a little jumpy.  Where is this woman from and who is she.  She certainly looks nice enough, someone I would be a friend to, but…………………………

All of a sudden she shouts, “Did your daughter marry Ryan Williams?” Lo and behold, it is Ryan’s aunt from Utah and we met them at the wedding……………….

Such nice people and they are good friends with the Wises’, some of our favorite missionaries here.  It is a small world!  (PS couldn’t I be recognized for something amazing like, talent, wonderful hair ,intelligence etc. but my voice!!! AGGGGGHHHH)

AGATHA AND ACCESSORIES!

Well, I pretty much am Agatha until we leave here.  Last summer I used a bonnet that was in the Green Room and decided that this summer, my own hat might be in order.  There is a sister here who works in the temple who makes the hats.  So mine is brown, shocking I know and I am making a cape and purse to go with it.

Inside is beautiful.  I really do love it.

Much richer brown velvet in real life.  So here is to Agatha, and to the most expensive Halloween costume on earth for the rest of my life!!!!

ETCETERA…………………………

So in Nauvoo we don’t look for any excitement. We make our own!!!!!! This is the annual prairie grass burning.  They let a section of prairie grass grow and then burn it in March.  We started off by having a big hot dog roast across the street at the Taylor’s home.  They are in charge of the pageant.  Then people for miles around came to see this burning.  It took 2 minutes and 34 seconds!  So I can only imagine what a terrifying site this would have been to the pioneers.  So many elements to have dealt with crossing the plains.

One of our new missionaries, Elder Ballard, from Snowflake, Arizona.  He plays the harmonica and does a great job.  He has 18 of them.  Who knew they came in keys.

This is his wife in the middle.  They sang a song at the talent show that was an old boy scout song.  She has 9 sons.  Yes, I said 9!  Sister Maughan is to her right, she is new also and the three of us could get in quite a bit of trouble.

So for our talent show guess who was the MC?  Richard F. Jardine, can you believe it.  He was actually one of the best parts of the show.  He told some jokes, and people were laughing at him.  I was really proud of him and he is surely shining here in the mission.  He has so much responsibility and gets more it seems like every week. 

We were in charge of training meeting again this last Wednesday.  They are pretty stressful for us.  It is for the entire mission and we have 45 minutes of training.  These last few weeks have been so hectic.  66 new missionaries to train, visit, orient on the sites, put in districts etc.  Tuesday I was in Land and Records, which I love, but we had 22 tours that day.  That means 22 groups of people who needed help and cd’s made.  The woman that was helping me had to go help divide up the casts, which left me not even being able to go to lunch.  I worked until 5 which was pretty stressful, came home and went and did two Rendezvous shows, and then home again to finish our presentation.  We had been working on it for a few weeks, but nothing consistently, no time.  So we stayed up until midnight to get that done.  Richard put a power point presentation together, he is so handy to have around.  Then up at 7 for training.  I can truly say that this mission has taught me several things, but one of the most important is this……………….If I have done all that I can and I am doing my best, the Lord will surely make up the difference!  I know that for a surety.I can feel His strength, help, and influence.  I couldn’t do all that I am asked to do here without His help, for which I am so grateful. People are so kind here and lots of them expressed appreciation for our presentation.  It was about being grateful, understanding that we are good enough, and being patient in the process……………………..We showed a video I saw on YouTube called, “no arms, no legs, no worries,” which was so inspiring. We finished with my favorite quote by President Hinckley. “Thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

 

An anonymous thank you………………………………….