We did it!

Our flight from Salt Lake City arrived in Denver at 12:30 noon on Thursday April 17th. Our daughter, Tiffanie,  picked us up at the airport and got us home by about 1:30. By 3:20 we were out the door and on our way. We knew we'd have to hurry because Gregg's ability to drive without sleeping seems to wane with the setting of the sun. We stayed in North Platte Thursday night and got up at 4 a.m. Friday morning and arrived in Nauvoo by about 1. Our goal was to arrive by noon so we weren't too far off.

We did forget a few items that we simply replaced today. However, there's one thing we might have to have shipped to us. Not bad for a two hour turn around time.

Spring has sprung here and Nauvoo is beautiful. Excitement is everywhere as new senior missionaries race to get settled. After all tomorrow is Sunday again (It seems like Sunday every day in our new life) and Easter Sunday no less. I think we saw about a quarter of our new friends at Walmart today which is about a half hour away.

Our son, Adam, got roped into helping us connect to the internet today. After a good hour of torture, the solution finally came when we turned off the lap top and started over. So simple yet so impossible if you don't know what to do. Yea for Adam--Thank you again! I may have started twitching without our internet working.

I'm super glad that tomorrow can be a day of rest. We didn't get to our apartment until about 4 pm and the locks had all been re-keyed, and we had the old keys. No fun to be so exhausted and can't do anything about it. However, we found a Mexican restaurant (Yes, they exist here in central America...notice I said central America not Central America) and we collapsed during our feast. We started moving in by 5 and had the car empty before darkness put Gregg in a coma. I on the other hand couldn't sleep so I spent most of the night unpacking.

So, here is the real news. When we arrived at the visitor's center in Nauvoo, we met with several different office workers. The housing secretary said with joy in her voice, "You will be living in Carthage Jail."  She didn't use the term "near" or "around", but clearly "in". I was slap happy by then and replied, "Wow, our reputation precedes us." Had I had my wits about me, I would have added, "May we pass go and collect $200?" Gregg on the other hand was thrilled at the prospect of being assigned to the visitor's center where Joseph Smith was shot and killed. There is a remarkable Spirit here and we're happy to be spending the next six months about 30 minutes from Nauvoo. The not so good news is that we will have to drive into town everyday for the singing and dancing part. The other not so good news is that we will have to move back to Nauvoo in six months. I hate moving.

Our apartment is nice. It's in a home built in the 1890's--quite ornate, unique, and beautifully remodeled. There isn't a dishwasher but the kitchen is a good size with plenty of storage space in the front room for all of our supplies. I'm now glad that I brought what I needed to make cooking simple, fast, and relatively inexpensive. As we were traipsing upstairs with all our "stuff", I was having major second thoughts.

Carthage is full of mansions built at the turn of the century--two centuries ago that is. Some are kept in good repair like the one we're in while others look a little scary. Gregg noted that a neighborhood spook alley would be appropriate on some blocks during Halloween season.

Our mission president is new to his position as of two weeks ago. He and his wife seem really sweet and only a little overwhelmed. Isn't that the way it works with callings in the church--ready or not, go figure it out. With a little divine help (okay, maybe a lot), it most always works out better than imagined.

President Gibbons described Gregg and I as "on fire". I'm not sure if that is good or bad since he probably wasn't referring to Hunger Games. I let him in on the fact that our grandchildren are cuter than his so he may have been retaliating a bit.

Here are a few more facts of interest.

• There will be around 250 site missionaries in and around Nauvoo which of course includes Carthage where we will be.
• Of those 250, there are 20 young single sister missionaries.
• Also, there are or will soon be 20 single senior sister missionaries. (Six from our group if you remember.)
• There are no single elders.
• When the BYU students come this summer there will be about 400 of us (The BYU students are required to try out so they are actually skilled singers and dancers.)
• There are also missionaries called to the Nauvoo Temple. They alone do not have to sing and dance. The rest of us are all included regardless of our skill level. Yikes!
• We all meet in one ward so tomorrow we'll meet and greet all of our new friends.
• We start training for site work on Monday.
• We start rehearsal for Sunset and Rendezvous Wednesday of this week.
• Our first assignment at Carthage Jail is this Thursday. Like I said, "Ready or Not...."
• The pageant will run through the month of July.
• Sunset starts on my Birthday (May twenty-something) and runs through the summer.
• Both Rendezvous and Sunset have groups that rotate so we perform each only twice a week.

All is well, but we miss you lots!