Summer in Winter Quarters

We have been enjoying very warm weather. But summer brings more than warm weather to Winter Quarters, it brings our family to town. This past week we were pleased to have my sister and brother in law, Mary Frances and Chris Rich, join us. We had a great visit enjoying the wonderful Joslyn Museum in downtown Omaha with its great art collection and delightful museum shop!

We enjoyed the chance to visit, eat great food, and visit the church sites. John took us to see many of the lesser known sites including the First Night Encampment of the Vanguard Party led by Heber C. Kimball a few miles north of Florence.

Chris checked out the Nebraska corn fields—they really are “as high as an elephant’s eye,” right near the Elkhorn River, the first major river crossing of the Vanguard Party in 1847.

We went out to Kanesville (Council Bluffs, Iowa) and checked out the monument of Brigham Young and his counselors Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards who were sustained in the log Tabernacle behind the statues. In this same Tabernacle we saw the musical “Come Home to Kanesville” which was wonderful. A great story of love and faith set against the saga of the Kanesville pioneer experience with great songs and a terrific missionary message.

We loved the chance to share our Trail Center experience with Riches so they came to our very special Saturday Morning Training Meeting with our Mission President Milan Kunz, whom we adore. It is however, planned and conducted by our three Sister Missionary Trainers, and was held in our Memorial Room overlooking the Pioneer Cemetery and the Temple. It was a pioneer testimony meeting in honor of Pioneer Day with pioneer stories of sacrifice and faith presented by several of our sister missionaries. Mary Frances was asked to bear her testimony and she made the family proud. The shoe was on the other foot on Sunday when Fred and Jane told pioneer stories of faith and missionary work in their Fontenelle Ward Sacrament meeting.

Riches also got to join us for one of the biggest “first time in memory” events of the year -- the Hymnfest, “Remembering the Hymns of the Restoration.” The Community of Christ Church, The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints joined with our Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for an evening of music featuring the songs of the Restoration that we all shared. We sang W.W. Phelps songs, “Redeemer of Israel,” and “The Spirit of God.” Each church contributed their own special numbers, and one of ours was an original song by one of our sister missionaries Michelle Myers, “I Walked with Angels,” and sung by another sister missionary, Lianna Bonelli.

We sang many others common to us all, “How Great Thou Art,” “Nearer My God to Thee,” “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” and “God Be with you Till We Meet Again.” We had special numbers by the members of the cast of “Come Home to Kanesville” (in costume) of Fred’s favorite “Lord I Would Follow Thee,” and my favorite “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” We actually had over 200 people--a full house, and more than half were from the other churches. It was such a huge success that they are already planning one for next year!

Sister Terry Latey, our Trail Center Family History Librarian, (below), is the heart of the Hymnfest as well as the Producer/Publicist of "Come Home to Kanesville". She is a remarkable woman as is her daughter, Shelley Broyles, who directed "Come Home to Kanesville" as well as performed at the Hymnfest.

The same weekend we had another family visitor. Mike and Natalie and their darling children joined us during part of the Rich's visit. We enjoyed dinner together at one of our favorite spots “The Upstream Grill.” We spent a lovely time visiting and were pleased to find that Cannon who had just been to Gettysburg with his folks, is a Civil War buff just like Jack. Since John and Barbara are in the temple on Tuesday night, I got to enjoy Ella's company while her folks saw "Come Home to Kanesville." David never stirred!

Another family visitor was a surprise this week-- Luke’s sister Niki Bradley Sepulveda and her two were here for a tennis tournament.

Other visitors have included two groups of CES people—Seminary and Institute teachers touring church sites. We decorated the tables and served a nice lunch we had catered—we have no stove in our kitchen. Our talented sister missionaries, Sisters Minert, Askren, and Rhoades helped Barbara, Sister Naylor, and me decorate and get ready for the event today. We found darling covered wagons in the store room, made by Sister Scott another missionary, and we had a great time filling them with flowers, even pressing the cloths.

Summer is marked by beautiful butterflies that flit through our verdant flower gardens out front, fireflies at night darting through the trees, and cicadas whose staccato music fills the night air. In spite of flooding, detours, and humidity, Omaha is a lovely place to be this summer.