Bundy Mission in Nauvoo: Update 2

Hello from Old Nauvoo,

We have been so busy but it has been wonderful. We arrived in Nauvoo on Monday, April 17 and got lost trying to find our house. Somehow we had the wrong address. Who would have known. There was a good crew there to help us move our loaded truck inside. We lucked out and are in a two bedroom condo. It was remodeled about two years ago and this set of condos are the only ones with dish washers. Woohoo.

All the new Senior missionaries were told to spend the week visiting all the sites, get the lay of the land, and grocery shop. We were able to get most of the sites done during the week. We also went on the wagon ride. The horses are huge, 17-19 hands high. They are Belgians and another breed but they’re smaller than a Clydesdale. The teamsters have to stand on the cement dividers to harness them.

There are 23 sites in Nauvoo now and there are several foundations behind picket fences of other sites. Some of the senior couples live in historic homes or homes that the church bought in the Nauvoo Historic Area. That would be cool but Elder Bundy likes the dish washer. We live just off the main street, Mulholland, in the upper modern town on Warsaw by the Dollar General. Can you believe it – a Dollar General. Glad it’s not Walmart. But visitors wouldn’t mind Walmart and a few more places to eat.

One lunch out the first week was with our MTC family at “The Red Front”. Cute little diner with a “red front” down the street from the temple. It is owned by members of the church. It was delicious and so inexpensive. Missionaries get a 10% “black tag” discount. That’s so cool.

In the mailroom there is a Senior DI in the back. We can take whatever we need from there and leave anything we don’t want. Elder Bundy was able to get four site shirts and two pair of site pants. Site pants can’t have pleats in the front and can’t be blue jeans. Site shirts are with small checked shirts and then you take the pointed part of the collar off and re-sew the rounded collar part. Pretty simple.

I bought a medium blue print pioneer dress at White Elegance in Provo before we left Provo and then brought quilt cotton material for a site dress that the Sisters in the sewing room will make into another dress. My dress fitting was on Thursday morning. I was loaned a beautiful light blue pioneer dress and an apron. Then I chose material for two aprons to go with my dresses. The dresses are so beautiful but using the facilities is with two armfuls of dress. I guess the pioneer women didn’t know anything different.

The ladies also hemmed my boughten and remodeled the sleeves so they are belled rather than buttoned. That makes them cooler.

Elder Bundy was loaned a vest, a blue fisherman style cap, and a straw hat. He wears his blue cap everywhere.

Thursday afternoon was our interview with Sister Dalton and then President Dalton. That went well. THEN, OH MY, everyone, and I mean everyone, got a tornado warning. “Seek shelter immediately” tornado warning. So we got to see the basement of the Visitor’s Center with missionaries, visitors, and Sister Dalton. Pres. Dalton went to the other basement and continued his interviews with other new missionaries. Interesting, and a little scary. There was a family there with 7 of their 9 children (and mom wanted MORE kids). Cute family. Elder Bundy and I and another pair of missionaries entertained them for half an hour. The all clear came and most people left. Sis. Dalton had to kick us entertaining groupies out. Too funny.

We spent our first full week (Sunday to Saturday) in the Riser Boot and Shoe Shop. I learned and taught visitors how to make shoes. Last week we were in the Scovil Bakery (no baking done though). This week we are in the Stoddard Tin Shop.