Taiwan Taipei

We were floored when we received the assignment to serve in the office of the Taiwan Taipei Mission.  We will be in Taipei for 18 months.  We spent a year studying Spanish while we were in Nauvoo.  Go figure!!!!

Camp Nauvoo

Service Project - Camp Nauvoo - October 6, 2012

The timing of this Service Project was unique.  We had one day, when all of the missionaries were available - that was Saturday morning before Conference.  Camp Nauvoo is owned and run by the Community of Christ (RLDS).  One woman tries to maintain it and it needed a lot of work.  We came at 7 am and divided into crews - actually, we formed crews with Crew Chiefs the week before so that we wouldn't waste any time.  One group cleared a path to a beautiful old oak tree.  The Community of Christ church want to make a chapel out of the setting.  Another crew went into the cedar groves and picked up fallen branches and put them into piles.  One of our ranchers, Brother Rees, drove the tractor with the trailer to gather the piles and haul them to the burn pile.  Another crew got week whackers which we borrowed from the FM group to whack around the cabins, tree bases etc.  Another group pruned trees so that the grass could be mowed with a riding mower and not get the driver in the face.  Another group hung curtains in the cabin windows (the sewing crew prepared them ahead of time).  Another group tightened the bolts on all the wood benches and made repairs where needed.  Finally, the Holbrooks brought doughnuts and milk.  We were finished in an hour and a half and very pleased with the results.  Wayne and I were in charge of this project and we had never done anything like this before. 

Fort Madison

Saturday the 8th of September - after our morning shift, we went with the Douglas' and the Robbs to see old Fort Madison.  They were having re-enactments because it was rodeo week in Ft. Madison.  The Fort was built in 1808 to protect the upper Mississippi River.  It was a safe trading post for indians to exchange furs and lead for manufactured goods, like fish hooks, knives, animal traps and blankets.

These are our friends:  Bruce and Sue Douglas, us and Maria and Ron Robb.

 

The fife and drum corp were all boys.  We supposed that in 1810, that was the norm.

This was the whiskey ration line.  Every man held out his cup and the officer filled it half full of whiskey.  The men were required to drink it all up while still standing in line (so that they would not hoard it).  One fellow didn't want whiskey, but they made him take it and stood over him while he drank it.  He made a terrible face.  The indian did not get any although he begged. 

 

 

Labor Day / Birthday Party

On Labor Day, after our temple shift, we held a big pot-luck dinner on the green area between some apartment buildings.  We have a lot of green areas.  We all brought food, a chair, a drink, and our own plates and utensils.  It's the best kind of dinner to have with a group like this.  The food was wonderful and there was plenty of it.

This is Brother Marshall.  We usually see him in a white suit.  He has a wonderful singing voice and he sang for us.  He gave us a little lesson in classical music and then he sang, "Climb Every Mountain."  We were delighted.

Here we are enjoying the party.

This is President and Sister Condie

 

and then dessert!



Carriage Ride

This is Burt Wasson.  He and his wife, Chris were here last year as temple missionaries.  They came back to the historic mission because the mission needed teamsters and Burt is a teamster.  Our friends,  Jill and Kyle Franklin, arranged a carriage ride for all of us.  We had to go in two shifts and we went after hours, but Burt was willing to take us.  He gave a wonderful narrative of the history of the outlying areas of Nauvoo.  We enjoyed it very much.

It turns out, it was President Condie's birthday.  Jill had a big cake made and we all sang Happy Birthday.  Then President Condie used a paper plate to fan the flames out.  I thought that was a pretty good idea and will remember it.  He entertained us with funny stories about the general authorities he has worked with.

In the middle is Jill.  When we asked how we were to pay for our dinner, she said, "It has already been taken care of."  She and Kyle treated us to a wonderful party.

Dinner

One of the most fun things we are doing in Nauvoo is going out to dinner with friends.  This is Charlie and Duane Ekins.  They are a wonderful couple from Delta, Utah.  Duane loves beef and he loves the rib-eye steak he can get at Napoli's Italian restaurant in Burlington, Iowa.  We have gone to Napoli's several times ourselves.  It looks like a real dive, but the steaks are wonderful and they aren't expensive.  The Ekins are going home this week.  We went to Napoli's two weeks ago because Duane thought it would be his last chance to get a good steak.  There were six couples, including President and Sister Condie.  When we finished dinner, the owner picked up the check.  We were floored.  Duane told a story about President Condie.  The four of them went to Napoli's and as they entered the restaurant, there was a very large man - tattoos, beard, bandana, a real rough-looking character waiting for his dinner.  President Condie, who is about 5'10", wearing a white shirt and tie, stopped at the big man's table, knelt down on one knee and put his arm up, challenging him to arm wrestle.  The minute the man took Condie's hand, Condie smashed his hand to the table.  It happened so fast, the big guy didn't have a chance.