The tidal wave is approaching!

A week ago we had 508 visiter's at the Carthage Jail on Sunday between 12:30 and 5 PM. Elder Johnson and I didn't have to work that day, but we're realizing that a tidal wave is coming soon. There were days last summer when Carthage had 8-900 guests in one day.  Yikes!

However, every once in a while we still have slow times. The other Elders taught Elder Johnson what they made last winter when tourism was really slow. Winter hats...can you believe Elder Johnson can be crafty? I took pictures as proof.

During our Preparation day, we took a trip to Quincy Illinois. Quincy is a small town along the Mississippi River where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated for the US Presidency. Many historians think the debate in Quincy was a turning point for the election.

Quincy is also the community that took the LDS saints into their homes when Missouri issued an extermination order for the Mormons living in their state. I don't suppose it is coincidence that it is the same city. Do you?

We also took a tour of the Newcomb home in Quincy. It was built in the early 1900's and had a definite flare of keeping up with the Jones'.

This bakery below was one recommended on the internet. It was closed Wednesday afternoon when we arrived, but the owner happened to see us and let us in. Don't tell anyone, but we bought a brownie, and he gave us some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies---yum!

 This is another picture taken at the Lincoln/Douglas debate park. We went with Elder and Sister Wood who we met in the MTC in Provo last April.

Probably not a coincidence that Illinois was a Union state while Missouri was a Confederate state even though it had a relatively low percentage of slaves. Part of the excuse given for hating Mormons was their voting history against slavery.

 The plaque below is in commemoration of the citizens of Quincy showing kindness to the Latter Day Saints in 1839. There were about 5,500 Mormons who were housed in the town of Quincy with only about 1600 citizens. That's a lot of guests!

Below is a picture of all the missionaries working in the Carthage Jail. We love the young sister missionaries. They are a breath of fresh air.

 My Sister, Becky Connell, and husband Kent came to visit. Below is the beautiful Nauvoo temple that the saints built. It was completed in January 1846 and dedicated in May of that year, but most of the saints left Nauvoo in February before it was dedicated. Enemies burned it down the summer of 1848, and in 1850 a strong wind took down the one remaining wall. If you drive around Nauvoo, you see old buildings that used some of the quarry rock from the temple in their foundation.

It was rebuilt in 2002 and functions as a regular temple. What an amazing spirit fills this sacred building!

 The life size art below is across the street from the temple. The grounds are beautiful with the Mississippi River in the background as you can see.

 These are more life size bronze statues near the visitor's center in Nauvoo. Pictures below were taken in the Women's Garden.