Farewell 2016

It seems hard to believe that 2016 has come and gone.  We left home March 1st for the Missionary Training Center.  It has been a wonderful experience and continues to be a blessing in our life to serve the Lord as missionaries in the Illinois Nauvoo Mission.  It was different and difficult to spend Christmas away from home.  We definitely missed our families,  There were many mission activities associated with Christmas and New Years that made it a fun and spiritual holiday here with our fellow missionary family.  We did have our son Kirk visit from California for Christmas.  It was definitely a climate shock for his California blood.  We took him to Hannibal, Missouri (1.5 hour drive) on one of the days to visit the Mark Twain museum and sites.  It was a fun day.

Mark Twain Home, Hannibal

Kirk and Mom on Main Street, Nauvoo

December was the coldest weather so far of the mission.  We had one night that got down to -8 F with a wind chill factor of -25 F.  There was one good snow associated with that storm but within a few weeks it was all melted.  The crowds are sparse this time of year.  There are many days where no one comes to the sites.  In our production sites this time of year it is a time to work on building our inventory of bricks at the Brickyard, horse shoes at the Blacksmith Shop and ropes at the Family Living Center. Our goal is to have 20,000 bricks, 4,000 horse shoes and 3,500 ropes.  In the summer when the crowds are so large we spend all of the time giving our tours and handing out items from inventory.  In the non-production sites, I am spending most of the spare time I can on the Teaching Center doing missionary work with people who call in from all over the world.  Other missionaries are spending time making quilts, hats and scarfs for humanitarian projects.

December was filled with many holiday activities for the missionaries.  In last months posts I covered the Christmas Walk and Live Nativity Production.  Other December activities included a holiday open house at the mission home, carols in Carthage, a cast Christmas Party at Elder and Sister Wilsons, a mission Christmas dinner on Christmas eve and a mission New Years Eve Party at the Pageant Building.  We also found time for a Preparation Day trip to a Swedish town called Bishop Hill which is north of Nauvoo (2 hour drive) in Illinois.

Sister Winegar, Sister Bowler and Sister Rober at Mision Home Open House

President and Sister Hall at Carthage Christmas Carol Activity

Emma Hale Cast Christmas Party

Elder Wilson, Elder Rober and Mark Rober Christmas Sweater

Elder and Sister Leemaster at Mission Christmas Dinner

Preparation Day lunch in Bishop Hill

Games at New Years Eve Party

It's onward to 2017 with anticipation of family visits, the return of the Sunset by the Mississippi Show and the Pageants.  We wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

All our love,

Elder and Sister Rober