Fun Around Nauvoo!

We saw this paddle boat when we were stopped on the bridge at Ft. Madison.  It is a cruise ship that goes down  the Mississippi.  It looks very Mark Twain on the outside but is supposed to be beautiful and modern on the inside.  Notice the clouds.  We got a huge thunder storm about five minutes after this picture was taken.  So beautiful.

Did someone say to wear green?  Here we are in the Family Living Center and we all wore green that day.  Sister Scott, Sister Campbell, me and Sister Pierce.

Here are our young sisters the night before some of them left.  We have gotten really close to all of them as we work closely with them in the Visitor's Center.   Front:  S/Kupfer, Etherington, Holt, Russell, Monroe, Allred, Mills, Searel, Hughes, Poulson,  Newell, Hintze.  Front:  S/Morales, Hansen, Hall, Maile, Mills.  S/Richardson left that day.

Notice how huge this hibiscus is.  It is as large as Dave's head.  They are amazing!

A beautiful butterfly just outside the Visitor's Center

We saw this tug inside the lock at Keokuk.  We walked down to see the lock and Dave yelled, "Look, the doors are opening! and we saw this huge barge inside.  It has fifteen barges on it pushed by this tug.  A barge that big holds as much as 860 semi trucks.  It was amazing.

You can see the whole barge.  About 60% of all exported goods are barged down the Mississippi.  It is exciting to see them.

Yes, it is me.  I'm standing on the back step of the Cultural Hall.  This is how we missionaries dress in Old Nauvoo.  Oh, how we love it here and we have learned and changed so much. 

September is Here!

Dear Friends and Family,

The time has flown by and we have been here nearly six months.  Nauvoo and the missionaries here have become home to us. We have loved serving here and will never be the same because of what we have learned and felt here.   We are winding up our first six months and hope to begin our second six months on March first. 

We have been called as site leaders over the Visitor's Center.  It has taken us a while to get used to being in one place all the time.  We decided to really pray for a good attitude and to look for the "one" that we can talk to and teach.  We have really been blessed to have had some very positive experiences in there.  I have been able to give out three Book of Mormons in the past two days and have received two referral cards.  It has been pretty exciting to do this as a missionary.  Nauvoo is a different kind of mission as we have many members come here but also many who just have heard about Nauvoo and want to find out what is is all about.  We work in the sites one day a week and the Visitor's Center four to five.  I was in the John Taylor home today and Dave was in the Riser Boot Shop.

Many missionaries are going home this month (including us).  Nauvoo will have a skeleton crew during the winter months.  They have taken our three "Rendezvous"  casts and made them into two for the winter months.  It is hard making changes but everyone is willing to do whatever they are asked.  You soon find out that  what you thought was not so good turns out to be just fine.

My school is starting this week and it is the first time that I haven't been there in 25 years.  I have found out that they can get along perfectly fine without me. I wish all my good friends at ACS a happy beginning of the school year.  I will be going back to school in October to mentor the new teacher and do do the third, fourth and fifth grade plays.  I will be finished on February 5.

We leave Nauvoo with mixed feelings.  A part of wants to stay during the winter months with all of our wonderful new friends and yet we know we need to go home and finish things there.  I am really excited to see my dog.  We have missed him so much and he has been so ill but a little miracle has happened in his life and ours and we know that we will be able to see him soon.  We will be home on the 29th of September. 

We have had many friends come to see us this summer and we have loved that.  Nauvoo is a very special place and I hope that many more of you can come to visit next summer.  We just found out that The Young Ambassadors and the BYU Ballroom Dancers will be here next June.  That will really be fun and exciting. 

We miss you all and are looking forward to seeing you soon either at school, church or the temple.  We have lots to share with you. 

I will be posting this letter and pictures on our blog (curtisreview of old nauvoo@blogspot).  Hope to see you in a month.

Love,

Sherry