"Booootiful Nauvoo"

Halloween is a 'biggy' in Nauvoo; each little town around the Mississippi has a holiday they do and for some reason Nauvoo ended up with Halloween. This little town of 1,000 turns into a town of 5,000 for Halloween. The Missionaries as well as a few town people carve over 500 pumpkins and hand out 800 bags of candy.

The missionaries have the biggest popcorn maker you have ever seen, I am sure a couple of thousands bags of popcorn were given out. The missionaries are all this little town have, we keep it going. They have a parade with everyone dressed up. Of course the missionaries can either be 'Missionaries' or 'old Nauvoo period dress', it doesn't quit fit into the rest of the Halloween attire.

E/Williams was an 'outrider' for the wagon that carried the "Nauvoo Brass Band". The stores are all open and the hundreds of pumpkins line the street.

The fantastic carved pumpkins are auctioned off to have money for the next year. It is a fun time. Even our President and his wife came to help.

Along with Halloween the fall colors come they are so marvelous, better than any post card. We are so blest to be in this beautiful area at this time. You know the saints must have loved their little town.

Busy time in Old Nauvoo

S/Williams giving a Bustle oven Demonstration to Devanie. The women would hold their hands on the top brick of the oven to see if it was warm enough, if so they would clean out the fire and then hold their arm in side the oven for 15 seconds to make a better check for the oven. Then they would bake their breads, cakes, pies and crackers. The bread that is handed out each day is made in this oven, just like the saints of old. The bread is fantastic.

S/Williams is giving the candle demonstration to the VanOrden & Redford families.

E/Williams is caught in Zone Conference helping S/Ludwig. She called him up to tell of his bad habits and as she did the YP Missionaries would wrap him up in saran wrap. When it was all done he couldn't hardly walk back to his seat let alone breath. Elder Williams needs to change his bad habits. Thank goodness for a Young Sis. Missionary that had a pocket knife on her. Why is a YSM carrying a pocket knife?

Experiences at the Temple

We as a Mission Presidency take the departing missionaries to the temple, and after have a wonderful meal at the Presidents home. Here the missionaries tell of a special experience they have had while serving their mission. We love this part of the evening. Their testimonies are wonderful. While at the temple one time a temple engineer took us to the tower, up into the dome of the temple, were the bell goes off every hour. We could see out of the windows down to the green fields and the beautiful Mississippi River. What an experience that day; one we will always remember.

The statue of Joseph & Hyrum is special for E/Williams. The VanOrden line of the family states that "Charlie the Horse" was given to Joseph by Peter VanOrden, Charlie is the one he rode to Carthage.