Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Valentine’s Day.  Hope you know how much you are loved! Eat one of those big frosted cookies for me.

Too Good!

We have taken up a new hobby, shoveling.  In this past week, we have cleaned the walks (which are really a series of patios connected) 5 different times.  I don’t know of a better way to get exercise, although it can be a bit chilly. We hear the weather reports coming from Utah and are a bit envious. We’ll have temperatures that are in the single digits without wind-chill and Utah will be basking in the 40’s or 50’s.  I do hope there is enough water this summer.

We are very much enjoying our time in Carthage. We’re still working out the bugs in staying a couple of nights in Nauvoo. We (I should say Elder) leaves things in one place that is needed in the other. I think it took us 4 times returning to Nauvoo on one of our trips to get everything.  We now have a check sheet before each departure. It has helped.

We are loving our new mission President and his wife, Mark J. & Julianne Lusvardi.

President Mark J & Sister Julianne Lusvardi

It’s much like getting any new leader; you miss the former leader but see the wisdom in change. Both Presidents have brought skills and positive effects to the Nauvoo mission.  One change that will be coming is less senior missionaries and more single young sister missionaries.  There is a shortage in senior missionaries, so all the missions throughout the world are taking a hit. The new missionaries will help give tours and be dressed in period appropriate clothing. It will be interesting to see how it all works. 

Yesterday the sights in Nauvoo were closed due to the bad weather, but President Losvardi told us to make the decision through inspiration as to whether Carthage would be open.  We all felt we should be open. It was the right thing to do.  We had one tour where the couple had driven over from Indiana for the day just to see the jail and another group had driven from Council Bluffs. Carthage is a place that attracts visitors to hear the gospel.

Have a great week and know you are loved.

Sister and Elder Long