What DO Nauvoo Missionaries do?

I did a whole blog on what our missionaries do and my computer froze! So, this may be the reader’s digest version, since I get tired of hearing myself type!

Before we got here we heard all sorts of things about being a Nauvoo missionary—mostly that it was exactly the kind of mission everyone wanted. We also heard things like “a missionary’s Disney Land”. Or “you have to know someone to GET to go there”. We even said we must have won the mission lottery. Well, in case you think being a Nauvoo Missionary is just to give tours and wear period clothing—let me see if I can expand your vision…

Yes, our missionaries do “get” to wear pioneer clothes and give tours.

Doesn’t this look fun? It is—but picture these same Sisters in these same dresses in over 90 degree weather with 100% humidity, with people waiting in line to see their site and artifacts they have to protect from well meaning, curious hands!

And, with the tours, comes learning new skills: Making horse shoes goes with this site. Add this fire to that summer weather I mentioned—NOT for sissies!

And, weaving, is learned and taught by the Elders, along with stringing this loom—which takes several days!

This is Sister Kinini showing how to use a printing press---I haven’t learned this one yet!

Yes, they do have some fun! As Joseph said, it’s not good to keep that bow strung tight all the time!

(Does anyone know how to get the text to go NEXT to the picture, instead of beside or under it?)

“Working” in the sites—really IS work. The missionaries clean every site every day—vacuuming (if they are lucky enough to have a vacuum), sweeping, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, emptying trashes etc.One of the sites is the Lands and Records building. Missionaries are also assigned on a regular basis to this site. They help visitors find ancestors, (their property, if they had some—and any other information we have on them,) as well as doing research on everyone who ever lived or died in Nauvoo during the time the Saints were here. There are so many records and they are busy sorting, entering data, and researching, all day, every day. Some of our missionaries LOVE coming here—I would be one of those—I’ve only been there one day—for about 4 hours—but I’m aching to go back!

The men get all the “fun” jobs! Here is Elder Madsen, making bricks! They make them out of our very own Nauvoo Clay! There is so much clay here, that that is why the area was so swampy—the clay wouldn’t allow the water to soak into the ground—the good news is—there is plenty for all the bricks we are making. This winter they have made 25,000 just to get ready for this summer.

—This is a picture of the sisters making gingerbread cookies—their goal was to make 50,000 before the summer—but we ran out of room to store them—so they only did about 48,000! I actually got to help with this one day. This kitchen is located down under the visitors’ center. I loved going into the VC that first two months—it smelled SOOOO good! Some of our missionaries only work in the sites on Sundays. The other days they are working with Facilities Management. Keeping this place beautiful and in good repair takes lots of hands. Right now, over 30 of our missionaries are working 5 days a week to make Nauvoo “the beautiful”!

There are buildings for carpentry, masonry, greenhouses, a sign shop, storage rooms full of antique furniture etc., and I’m sure a lot more I haven’t explored yet!One of our carpenters made a podium for the baptistry in the temple. We have a couple, here who are artists—they do all the finish work on many projects. They can make anything seem new again.

Here is Sister Laney restoring this old bench…Isn’t she amazing?While their wives work in the sites some of our elders are Teamsters: They work with, take care of, and drive the horses.

Carthage is one of the missionaries’ favorite places to serve, even tho it means an extra half hour drive many days.

Is that ALL they do, you say? No. The above is just what they do during the day…in the evenings they are practicing for and performing in the shows here in Nauvoo!

There is a performance of Rendezvous every night except Sunday—all year long. They start in what we call ‘the green room’, down under the cultural hall—each night at 6:30 for a general practice and review of who is doing what that evening….and then…

The Performance! Many of them—

most of them, especially the men,

were pretty sure that singing and acting weren’t for them, but ALL of our missionaries perform in Rendezvous!

and as you can see, it takes a lot of grit and even some acrobatics for some of them!

The few who really do have talent are used to the max. This is Rus’ secretary, Sister Hadley. She is IN some of the shows and then plays for others. Another amazing woman!

With so many senior couples doing so much, it is nice to have a Doctor on hand! Even HE performs in Rendezvous. When do we get our turn, you ask? Our missionaries are asking the same thing, and we’re working up to it!

Hmm—don’t know how I did that, but the text went beside the picture that time!

So what do they do in their spare time? They make all these lovely humanitarian projects, sub for each other when one gets sick, watch over one another, charish one another…etc. ANDAttend the temple!

Anyone out there who STILL wants to come to Nauvoo? Put your papers in! If you don’t come here, Where ever you go, will be JUST what you wanted!