It's been a month!

Our Dear Friends,

It is unbelievable, but a month has passed since we began our mission.  We are enjoying all of it.  We serve in a different site every day and we have to have our minds alert and the spirit has to be strong as we have so much to learn.  The Elders serve in seven sites that they have to learn and the Sisters have about sixteen sites to learn.  I haven't even been in they all yet.  This week I will serve in the Wilfred Woodruff Home, Brigham Young Home, Cultural Hall, Bakery and another experience of Nauvoo on the Road.

Today we did our first Nauvoo on the Road.  We took a 12 passenger van and a trailer and went to Pittsfield, Il for their first annual family day.    We had two young single sisters and three senior couples.  We set up rope making, cookie making, pioneer games and bricks.  As people came by we let them participate in our activities and then asked them if they had ever been to Nauvoo.  We then explain what it is and about all the summer activities there.  We has about 185 people come by our corner.  It was fun and we had so many interested people.   Next week we go to a school and do the same thing in a gymnasium with students coming in in groups.  We also have busloads of children come to Nauvoo for field trips during the week.  They get a carriage ride and spend time in the Family Living Center and some of the other sites.  We don't mention religion but we wear our tags and invite them to come back with their families.

The young performing missionaries (from BYU and other schools) arrived last night so the place is beginning to get hoppin'.  I am even tap dancing in one of the numbers in "Sunset By the Mississippi."  We came too late to audition for one of the specialty numbers but that's okay, we are learning lots and working hard.  We work six days and spend four nights in shows on this mission.

We took four single senior sisters and went to Amish Country to shop and buy Dave's Sunset hat on Wednesday.  It was in Cantrell.  We had a really nice time.  Dave and his harem. 

The saddest news is that my dog, Murphy, went into renal failure on Thursday.  We have been on the phone lots with the vet.  I have cried many tears and have been feeling very guilty that I am not there at this time.  He has been in the hospital for seven days.  We finally made the decision that we were going to have to put him down when he rallied around and his numbers came down.  Thanks to my wonderful friend and pet sitter, Marquita,  he is home and we are watching carefully and praying for him to continue to get better.   Marquita has gotten much more than she bargained for - running Murphy to emergency rooms and such.  She has been a wonderful blessing. 

We love the gospel.  We love Nauvoo.  We feel so blessed to be able to be missionaries here and to remember the faith and the hope and the dedication of so many that lived here with the prophet, Joseph Smith.  We feel honored to walk on the same streets that he walked on.  This is a wonderful mission. 

I sent pictures before but I am not sure people were able to get them or open the attachment.  Trevor is going to help me set up a blog where I can put pictures and my weekly update. 

We love you all.

Sister Sherry Curtis