Stuck in Chicago

Because of the stormy east coast, flights were cancelled and we got stuck in Chicago. The weather here is cold and windy, but not too bad.

We spent the day at the Museum of Science and Industry, an interesting but tiring day. Probably the most interesting exhibit was of a German submarine that was captured by the US and preserved. It was immense. Other exhibits I thought were interesting were on lightening and earthquakes.

A German U-boat

A miniature model train layout of Chicago

Eldon in a John Deere tractor

A combine

The good news is we can fly out tomorrow for Manchester, New Hampshire. What a relief! So we'll be there for Halloween after all.

Bootiful Nauvoo

Our last day of service in the temple. They cancelled the last session because of the Halloween celebration in town! But a couple from India came just before closing and wanted to do a baptism and a few initiatories. We both helped in initiatory. They were refined, elegant, and very dark skinned. The sister did the work for her sister who had died in childbirth and for a cousin.  When they apologetically asked Eldon to stay late and miss the celebration, he said, "I didn't come 3000 miles to look at pumpkins!" It was a privilege and a wonderful way to spend our last hour in the temple.

So we missed the parade, but after we finished in the temple we walked down Mulholland Street in the cold and looked at the pumpkins. Nauvoo does this each year in lieu of trick or treating. The missionaries enthusiastically join in the pumpkin carving.

A heart full of love

Tonight was our closing social. We had a nice catered dinner and a short program. Sister Beverly Jensen and I played a duet of "A Heart Full of Love" and "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Mis. Sister Franklin showed photos of missionaries in loving relationships while we played.  I think "A Heart Full of Love" is such a beautiful melody.

Our good friends, Doug and Beverly Jensen

In one of President Condie's messages last week he talked about how Christ taught we should be peacemakers, but it's Moroni who tells us how. In Moroni 7 he says we need to pray with all of the energy of our souls that our hearts will be filled with love. Not just feel love, but be filled with it. For if it's filled with love there will be no room for irritations and impatience and fault finding and contention.

In the social tonight President Condie gave a hilarious essay he wrote about what it will be like in 2042 when we all meet in Heaven. We have several artists in our midst and they will paint the autumn leaves and sunsets. Elder Lance will be in charge of clouds so they won't clash. Elder Pollock will teach the harpists how to play banjos, etc. Sister Jordan will give smiling lessons. It was quite amusing.

Sister Holbrook and her painting of the temple

One of the artists, Harry Heil, was Uncle Glen's student. He did abstract water colors for each of us.

Elder Heil's watercolors

The choir sang the closing song, "In This Very Room," which was a little difficult to accompany because of the tears in my eyes. What an amazing group of people. As President Condie said, we have been forging friendships that will exist in the eternities.

It was a memorable evening.

Don't cry because it's over; just smile because it happened!

Notes from Sacrament meeting:

The theme was families. Of course I have the best family in this world or the world to come!

The first speaker talked about an aspect of family that we sometimes ignore: our ancestors. I could relate to what she told, because our story is similar. Missionaries were willing to go without purse or scrip to Denmark, to Sweden, and other places to preach the gospel. Our ancestors were willing to accept it. Then they immigrated to America, leaving friends, extended family, and the comforts of home. They experienced persecution, seasickness, illness and hunger. And when they got to America they then walked a thousand miles to get to Zion. Were they thinking of us? They had great faith. From their descendants have come many many more missionaries. Their sacrifice was worth it!

Andreas Fugl

Hanna Carlsson Fugl

Johannes Olafsson

Johanna Christensen Olsen

Another speaker talked about our responsibility to teach our children. There will be rejoicing in heaven if there are no empty chairs. That is certainly my hope--that when we settle down in our mansions above, there will be no one missing. I know I've not done as well as I should with this responsibility. One time when Carl was a teenager, he came home from church and said, "Why didn't you tell me that we should pray morning AND night?" Good question. What else did I miss telling him?

Carl Eldon Olsen

After church we held our last choir practice in the Assembly Hall because we're singing there next Sunday at the final testimony meeting. We'll be singing "Gaelic Blessing" and "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." We're also singing tomorrow night at the closing social--"In This Very Room." That song really sounded cool in the Assembly Hall! It has been a privilege and a joy to play for this excellent choir. I have never and will never have such an experience again. Well, perhaps in Heaven.

Perhaps this experience in Nauvoo really is the MTC for Heaven. I have learned so much, and not just about temple work. I've learned about my weaknesses and what to do about them. I've learned to love Eldon even more! How is that possible? He's never so handsome as he is in his white suit. I've learned to be content with where I am; what a comfortable feeling. I'm so grateful I've had this experience. The Lord has truly blessed us. I know that without the saving ordinances in the temple, our family would not have the chance to be together forever.

The closing song in sacrament meeting was:

I have a family here on earth,
They are so good to me,
I want share my life with them
Through all eternity.
Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can.

Geode hunting with Sandi

Eldon had already taken his shoes over to the DI and said he was not going hunting any more, but Sandi wanted to go and her enthusiasm is contagious. So I went with them. It was a beautiful morning and we enjoyed the fall foliage as we went. We went to Joseph's Creek.

Joseph's Creek earlier in the summer

I didn't realize we'd have to bushwhack, but that's what we did. We found a dozen or more beauties.

Sandi and Janeil at Joseph's Creek with our treasures

Eldon cracked them open and they were all geodes. So Sandi and I were pretty good at spotting them.

Our last family home evening in Nauvoo

This is a time of doing things for the last time. Our family home evening was amazing. The Winegars hosted it. Sandi made a delicious and beautiful gourmet meal.

Then she gave us a good lesson about the symbols on the temple, in particular the sunstone. It can have several meanings, but the one I like best is of the restoration--the sun rising above the darkness of the apostasy. We noticed hers on the bookshelf as she talked about it.

Then she gave us each one with a nice note! I've always thought it was a funny looking face, but now I know more about it, I will treasure this as a keepsake of Nauvoo.

We truly have been blessed in our good neighbors. The Winegars have taken care of the yard beautifully. It's as if they watch out for us older folks. Kent has given Terry Peal pointers on how to improve his golf game. Terry said he didn't realize how much older he was until Kent said he was in 2nd grade when JFK was shot. I was out of college by then!

Sandi has shared so many treats with us. She could be a professional baker.

We will miss these good folks and will always remember them fondly.

Devotional

Today I felt a little like Esther, "For this cause came I to Nauvoo." To play the organ for the closing devotional in the assembly hall of the temple.

You can see the organ in the far right corner.

It was the culmination of hours of practice. The choir sang two numbers--"Turn Your Hearts" and  a great arrangement of "Each Life That Touches Ours For Good." It had a challenging organ accompaniment. Since the choir and director were at the other end of the room and the acoustics were incredible, we couldn't stay together until I got someone to sit on the organ bench and mimic the director just for my benefit. It went very well. Plus we sang "The Spirit of God" with the whole congregation and that was stirring. I played over an hour's worth of prelude. President Condie said he wanted me to play for his funeral!

There were two seventies there--Craig C. Christensen and Ronald A. Rasband. One thing I remember. Elder Christensen said lots of people say as they leave the temple, "Now to go back into the real world." But he said that wasn't right--the real world is in the temple.

In just two weeks we'll be saying goodbye. I played "God Be With You Til We Meet Again" for postlude. We've made some good friends here and it will be hard to say goodbye. But we're also really looking forward to seeing our family and friends back home again.

The last P-day group activity

We went on an excursion to four parks to see the autumn leaves and enjoy the out-of-doors. It was a little nippy, but very nice. There were 14 of us and 2 had a birthday that day so Sandi made birthday cakes for them. We were able to wear causal clothes because we weren't seen by the public! It was a great day.

Sisters Memmott, Rockwood, Douglas, Olsen, Winegar, Anderson and Peal

The entire group

The first park was the Geode State Park. There was a beautiful lake there. We had a picnic breakfast there.

Lake Geode

Then we drove to Starr's Cave Park and Preserve in Burlington, Iowa. That's a fairly large city and we had never been there before. A naturalist took us on a walk and we identified trees etc. We also enjoyed the nature center.

Then we went to a very small park called Mosquito Park right on the banks of the Mississippi. It's named that because it's so small, not because there are mosquitos there!

 We ended up at Crapo Park, a very large park in Burlington, where we had the birthday lunch and went for another walk. We saw a sternwheeler passing by.