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!”