Reverent day in Historical Nauvoo

Sunday A Day of travel & worship in Nauvoo Illinois. One of the highlights of this trip and one I had long anticipated was traveling to nauvoo with the choir and sitting in a stake church house for sacrament services reserved for our group. Husband and I placed ourselves in the center of the room.

Visualize this room filled with the kindest people who have put their lives in Gods hands to do his work through their music, Then the opening song came...right now I don't remember any of the 3 songs it was in particular, all I could do was try to control the huge lump in my throat as tears filled my eyes. I told myself "cry later and just enjoy this unique once in a lifetime experience", so I did. The sound sitting in the middle of these near perfect singers was something I had never experienced before sitting in a church meeting.I will NEVER forget.

Pres.Christenensen who was traveling with us had to speak afterwards and I don't know how his wife Debbie did it so well, as when the choir sang she was touched as I and could not sing a word. It's a very humbling experience. I told one of the members that I knew I was not going to be able to sing with them during this meeting, she jokingly said "oh just sit there and sing to the top of your voice and enjoy it", but I couldn't utter a sound.

The first picture shows us coming out of the church walking across the big lawn.The last is the choir singing their goodbyes to the visitor center there.

We had a nice box lunch waiting for us as we came out of the meeting under shady trees. Then the buses took us around the town to all the historic sites as the pictures show. It was so fun to see how the shoes were made and wagon wheels, Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum and Emma's resting place under a beautiful marble headstone. One picture shows a metal basket hanging from the ceiling it was for placing bottled milk into the well to stay cold. A ring was given to each of us made from a square nail.

Placed near the Muddy Mississippi River, Quaint charming restored Historic homes & shops, where in a freezing cold winter day in Feb. the Mormons were forced to leave their land,homes and possessions and cross over the frozen river to the West. All for religious freedoms. Courageous Pioneers. I think I would have stayed, I'm not so brave.

We traveled the rest of the evening on our buses with treasured feelings and renewed spirits that "all is well, all is well". I was thankful each day as a prayer roll came to our tables and I could put my fathers name on it, I had been so stressed a long time before leaving that he would die or die while I was gone. So I added his name each day and left it in the Lords hands. I learned that he was doing well as I called home, in fact better than he has done in a long time, a great blessing to our family.

I am literally like a BIG SPONGE on this trip just soaking it all in, I am unable to read or write, I jot down key words in my journal and hope to make something of a story when arriving home. Cameras from BYU TV are following us, they are doing a documentary to be shown inbetween Conference sessions in Oct. and maybe on the BYU channel which I just discovered.In fact I found a program on there that walks you around Nauvoo and tells you the history in case you can't go see it in person. I am learning alot too that was missed.

I am also using a few of Gerry Adairs photos in these stories from the Deseret news as she was traveling with us. You can tell hers and mine apart easily!

My world and these musical choir/symphony's worlds are far apart when it comes to our talents and our passions. Yet we get along so fabulously, everyone has a special story to tell us ANYWHERE, sitting on the bus, in the elevators, meal time or wandering around, even just running into each other, they share and I share with them what I am seeing and feeling. We are all here for one purpose.

Notice my "sweating" husband, I couldn't be around him alot that day (or some other hot ones) as I get a gag reflex when I see sweat, poor thing he couldnt help it, and it was hot/humid around 100 degrees. The town was closed down, so shops were not available to go inside. You can see the new Kirtland Temple, it beautiful grounds.

One thing the choir does every time they are leaving an area such as a visitor center, or Hotel etc. is sing "God be with you till we meet again" to the people who have served them. I cried every single time as did the people they sang for.