Dear Family and Friends,
Well we have been here all of 9 days and have had more information poured into our little brains that we can hold. We are feeling very overwhelmed by what we need to learn…and what we should know that we don’t. Between our spiritual assignments and our drama lessons and learning the polka, it’s a lot for two “old folks” to keep it all straight, but we are knowing one thing for sure and that is that we are in a very sacred and holy place and are feeling extremely blessed to be here.
All of the missionaries have been so very nice to us, and we know that we will truly be living in a “zion” community for the next 18 months. To be right here with the temple in our midst and have it close enough to walk to and to be able to see it from most places we serve is a thrill each and every day. We live in a wonderful old home built in 1843. It used to be one of the “site” homes, but has been modernized and fixed so nicely for a missionary couple. When we tell people we are living in the Coolidge home….they all want to know how did we swing that? If we ever get the Blog up and running we will send pictures of the inside and outside. Big living room with a piano. Yes, a PIANO! I was so thrilled! A big bedroom with a king sized bed, large bathroom, nice big laundry room, huge kitchen where we put our computer and printer. I think we will likely be hosting a few socials here. We have been asked to have District meeting here this month and plan dinner, either by fixing all or part of it. We enjoy the people in our district. There are three single sisters and we love them along with four couples. We have many little critters that live around our house. The squirrels scamper up and around the trees and its fun to sit out on the porch and watch them. The tulips are in bloom and there are tulips everywhere and beautiful flowering trees. The grass is the greenest green I have ever seen. They say that there is lots of iron in the soil which makes the grass this color.
We have heard so many touching and heart warming stories from the missionaries, their conversion stories, or their stories of sacrifice to be here. One sweet little sister that I served with at the Brigham Young home sold her home just so she could come and said she guessed she would live the rest of her days out when she goes home in her little 5th wheel trailer. Sister Harwood and her husband adopted five of her cousins children when they were killed in an auto accident and left orphaned. She already had five of her own and raised them all as their own. Wonderful wonderful people here. We feel a strong connection to many of them, and also a strong connection to our ancestors who walked these streets.. We have been asked to share our testimony more than once and express why we are here. We sure haven’t been in our comfort zone since leaving home. I think the Lord likes to keep us all on our toes so we can learn and stretch ourselves.
The Young Performing Missionaries just arrived on Friday and they really liven up this place and bring lots of energy to it. I love the young Elders and Sisters and being around them. They are so enthusiastic about everything they do and have such a love for the gospel. So much talent here!
On our Prep day we took a drive over to Cantril Iowa, a little Amish community where we visited the “Dutchman”. Vern needed a tall black felt hat for “Rendezvous in old Nauvoo!”. It was the most beautiful drive through rolling green hills and farm country., The big store there is run by the Amish and is quite an experience. They have most anything you might need there. And many of their groceries items such as different kinds of flours, soups, dressings, seasongs, puddings, jello are all sold in bulk in plastic bags. We bought a few of their things at a very reasonable price…and Elder Robison got his hat! So now he is set at least for the one play we are in. Now all we have to do is learn all the songs and the dance for “Sunset on the Mississippi”. Elder R. is really dragging his feet over this polka. It was optional and I talked him into it….but? At least the Young missionaries who can do everything will be on the front row most of the time. They are getting the Nauvoo Pageant stage ready and there will also be another Pageant held here this summer from Great Britain. So we have been told “Prepare ye, prepare ye for this summer”! The Lord is hastening his work and there will be thousands of people flooding this place this summer.
We love President Gibbons and his wife. We had breakfast with them one morning at his home with the other two couple who came at the same time. He is the most gentle, kind, soft spoken man I think I have ever known. He has been a seventy and served in Russia for three years shortly before being called to come here. We had a personal interview with him and got some wonderful counsel . President Chynoweth will be leaving this week and we hate to see them go. Good people who have served the Lord in many capacities. He is the one who called and asked us to come here.
There was a wonderful spirit at our fast and testimony meeting today. I have to keep pinching myself to really believe that we are here enjoying the abundance of the spirit of the Lord that resides here. Zone conference this evening where we were greeters at the door. They called a new counselor to replace Pres. Chynoweth and asked Elder Jensen who has been our Zone Leader to serve there. He is a good man and we have really enjoyed him and his wife. They are from Amalga and know Carol and Howard Horton well. Steve Crosby came in the Heber C. Kimball home last week while I was working there and was very touched by the stories there as he has recently come back into activity after being gone from the church for a number of years. A Panguitch boy who I knew in Richfield.
I feel much as Joseph Smith did as I end this day “This is the best place and the best people under heaven” Susan Easton Black will be a lecturer here this summer and two nights a week will give a lecture on the different prophets who lived here. She is a BYU professor and has written so many church books and documentaries. I sure do hope we can squeeze some of them in to our busy schedules. So many opportunities to learn here!
There is also a Gay Rights Rally going on here down at the Community of Christ at Emma Smith’s home and we have had some of them in the visitor’s center where I worked on Thursday. Do you remember Carol Lynn Pearson who wrote poetry for the church back in the 70’s. She came in and caused a little ruckus with some of her associates….she has turned very bitter against the church and tried to rile up the young sisters whom she was talking to, but they remained calm. Pres. Gibbons appeared and took her up to his office to visit with her and must have calmed her down, because she left quietly. I think we will likely run into more things like that as there is opposition wherever the church is….not just in the Nauvoo of old!
The internet is unpredictable here. But hope to get pictures and messages going on the Blog soon. Love you all!
Elder and Sister Robison {Mom and Dad….Mimi and Papa}
