August 16, 2015-Pageant Openings, loads of visitors, and our own family reunion

Dear Family and Friends,

            Whew! We made it through July! We kept calling it “the tsunami” because of how many visitors we were able to greet, help, teach and entertain. We had over 2,000 per day. The pageant people estimate that about 55,000 persons watched the two pageant in one month. It seemed we ran from one place to another; serving in the Visitor's Center, narrating wagon rides, setting up the sound system for the Sunset shows,  and performing Rendezvous twice a week. Then we ran to the pageants to help hand out brochures and programs. It was wonderful to take part in this second summer season. Elder Schultz was in Sunset every night, and we performed our “Summertime” song with his jokes, twice a week. Every night we were so exhausted we literally fell into bed.

            Part of our busy-ness was all the visitors who came to see us and experience Nauvoo and the pageants. We had 3 solid weeks of visitors that made this mission more wonderful. We had the young sister missionaries from last year come as a group. It was so fun to have them to dinner and hear about all their activities after their missions. Then we had Bart and Karen Grant, originally from our Brea ward but moved to Utah a few years ago. Then my 2 sisters Cheryl, and Dianne, with their spouses, my brother David, and my cousin Cindy and her daughter, Tiffany, came for a week, and we had great fun together. I got them tickets for the shows, and wagon rides and they saw both pageants. They also went to the Indian mounds, and the Amish store and village on their own. 

             Then after they left, my 2 nieces, Daunine and Kristen came with some of their families for five days and experienced it all.  My cousin, Kriss Gates and her husband, Ed, came for the weekend, and saw the shows and pageants. Also that weekend our former bishop Deric Lords, and his wife Debby, daughter Missy and grandkids came for 2 days. It was so fun to see them too!

Daunine & Kristen

Daunine, my sister-in-law Carol, Kristen, Stacie

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 Ed & Kriss Gates

"We just spent two beautiful days in Nauvoo! My cousin, Nancy, and her husband, Harry, are 

serving a mission there. It was our first time to be there in the summer to see t

he pageants and summer shows. We loved it!

Debbie & Deric Lords 

Shannah & Stacia

 Nancy's Family

From L to R: Tiffany & Cindy Karrington, Diane & Rick Ingram, Nancy, David Startup,
Steve & Cheryl Worsley

            Then to finally top it off, we had our Schultz family reunion with all eight of our children, all spouses (except for Brian who had to stay in Germany and take a test), and 23 grandchildren. They rented 2 big homes, and we had a blast!  It was a little crazy and hectic but we loved it! They saw the historic sites, went on wagon, carriage and oxen rides, and saw the pageants. 

          One of the highlights was doing a handcart trek together. Each family had their own handcart, and we only did a one mile, which took one hour. Everyone dressed in pioneer clothes, including the babies, and it was fun, but also hard work. I think we all gained a greater appreciation for the pioneers, and had just a taste of pushing and pulling together, through streams, up and down hills, over rocky terrain, etc. We also had our own Family Home Evening in the Seventies Hall, which was built to train missionaries, or the first MTC. We made lots of memories together that week, and it was sad to say goodbye to them all. Heather and Poppy stayed an extra day, and then Christy and Spencer stayed a whole week, which we really enjoyed the one on one time.

            We have had many wonderful missionary experiences this summer; we have planted seeds in the hearts of nonmembers, and helped strengthen members who came here. We especially have enjoyed sharing our testimonies with the youth who came with conferences and 2 EFY’s. We have been on our mission 17 months now, and would have been going home in a month, but we are staying until December. We have loved every minute of it, and look forward to four more months. We hope you are finding joy in serving the Lord in your various callings. The gospel is True!!    

Love, The Schultzes