April 1, 2014
Hi Friends and Family!
Another
fantastic week has passed here in Nauvoo. What wonderful experiences we are
having out here. It has warmed up significantly. When we first came it was in
the 20s and 30s with cold, cold wind. We even had a snow storm that melted
quickly. But the last few days it has been sunny, beautiful and in the 60s!
Yesterday it even hit 70 degrees! Yay, Spring is coming! But the wind is always
blowing.
We had another
week of training, and rehearsing for the shows we will be in. “Rendezvous in
Old Nauvoo” is a kind of funny vignette with singing, and speaking. It has
characters from back in the pioneer times. There are 3 casts that take turns:
twice a week. They said we will be in the show by April 14! Yikes! We don’t
even know the songs. But it is fun to see every missionary in it, including the
president, counselors and their wives. No one is exempt! We also had a special
tour of Carthage with all our group of 14 couples who came out together. Our mission
includes this part, and we will have the opportunity to serve there.
Some of the
great pluses we get to experience are the “extra” events. We have attended the
Nauvoo temple on our P-Day, which was so special and spiritual. The new temple
president and his wife are named MacArthurs. Funny coincidence: He was Harry’s
zone leader in and assistant to the president in Tokyo, Japan. And he was very
good and helpful to him when Harry was a new greenie missionary. They are
really neat people! Also Susan Easton Black Durrant and her husband, George
Durrant are here as temple missionaries. They were both professors at BYU, and
taught at Education Weeks too. She is a specialist on Joseph Smith, and Nauvoo,
and has written many books about him. She has been giving free lectures since
November on the life of Joseph Smith, and we have been able to hear her last 3
about the events leading up to his martyrdom, and Joseph’s and Hyrum’s deaths
and funerals. It has been so amazing to hear interesting facts she has researched,
that we had never heard before.
We started on
our first day as assistant leaders of the Visitors Center on Sunday. We were
there after church, since all the sites are open on Sundays too. We had to help
answer lots of questions, and even lock up and turn off all lights, etc. A big
responsibility, but also very rewarding. We will serve there at least three times a
week. We don’t wear pioneer clothes in there. But the other two days we serve in
the sites, wearing our pioneer clothes: dress, pantaloons, apron for me, and
collarless shirt, vest, dark pants and a cap for Harry. Yesterday was our first
day and we both were in the Family Living Center. It was so much fun to teach
people about life in Nauvoo in pioneer times. I made six loaves of bread by hand!
And demonstrated it to the guests who came. We bake it right there in a brick
oven that the men built a fire in for us that morning. We had about 200 people
come through there, mostly in families who were here on spring breaks. We even
had an Amish couple come with their baby to see what we do in there. I also
taught about candle making, and how they made their clothes out of wool, and
flax. Harry taught about making barrels, rope and pottery. We were there for
six hours solid, no breaks! This week Harry gets to be in the blacksmith shop,
and me in the post office. We learn as we do it. No training in the sites. It’s
a little scary, but also fun!
We had a fun
excursion last week on our P day. We drove about an hour away to Cantril, Iowa
to an Amish store called Dutchman’s. We all were told to go there to buy his
black Amish hat for the programs. What a great experience! They sold lots of
healthy food there, like grains, and fresh meat, eggs, milk, etc. They also
have Amish clothes, boots, hats, etc. And all the workers are Amish too. It was
like we went back in time to the pioneer days. We loved it! But we couldn’t
take pictures in the store cause that is against their beliefs.
Tonight was
the missionary Talent Review. And WOW, there was some amazing talents! They all
auditioned, and they asked us to perform too! We dressed in pioneer clothes,
and Harry and I sang “In The Summertime.” We had a guy play guitar for us,
while Harry played the standup bass, and I sang harmony. He also told funny jokes
before from his Blubber song. The audience roared! They loved us! I guess they
are pretty starved for humor! Ha! From these numbers they choose some to be in
the summer “Sunset on The Mississippi” show on an outdoor stage. There were
fiddles and banjos, and harmonica numbers, and readings, solos with guitars,
piano and saxophone solos, and lots more. So we shall see if they use us for
the shows. Ha, wouldn’t that be a riot?
Well, I will
close, but as you can see we have been very busy. We don’t spend much time in
our cute 2 bedroom pioneer home. We really love it, though. It is very
comfortable. And you won’t believe it, but I cook dinner and breakfast every
day! There is no fast food around here! I have made roasts, meat loaf, chicken
casseroles, spaghetti, and lots more. Dad loves it! We miss you all terribly,
but being busy keeps our minds off it. Please write to us, even if it is a
short email, and tell us what you are all doing, especially about the
grandchildren! We will try and call on Sunday nights if we are not too late at
the visitors center. We are off every other week, okay? We love you all so
much! And we are so happy to be serving here on this mission. We feel very
needed here, and that the Lord has called us here for a special purpose. Thank
you so much for your encouragement and support.
Love Elder and Sister Schultz (or Mom and Dad to some of
you)
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