Week 48--July 19-25, 2020

On Monday afternoon we went to Smithville Lake for a fun Family Home Evening and outing.  It had rained most of the night, and there was heavy rain Monday morning. But the storm moved on and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

 The geese waddle toward the water.

Sister Josephson braved the water. She said it felt good.

Browns planned a water balloon toss for us. He said he "cheated" by giving the senior couples thicker balloon. However, that didn't make any difference as the same set of sisters won both rounds of the toss. All we can say is that our aim and dexterity isn't as good as the young sisters.

On Tuesday we went to Mt. Washington Cemetery to do service by photographing graves and uploading the pictures to Billion Graves. The sisters enjoyed it and requested the opportunity to do it again in a few weeks.

Tom is cleaning a grave that Garnalee will photograph.

Sister Martin and Sister Burdge clean the headstone while Sister Wilson and Sister Greenwood take the photos. We were only able to work for an hour before the rains came again.

 On Saturday we went to the 1859 Jail, Marshall's Home, & Museum. The jail sits behind a federal-style brick home where the jailer and his family lived. This is the oldest surviving building on historic Independence Square that survived the Civil War when battles raged on the square.
The home was a 2-story building with the kitchen, parlor, and jailer's office on the lower level and three bedrooms upstairs. One bedroom was the master bedroom for the parents and children under the age of three. A second bedroom for the older children. A third bedroom was for guests. One of the jailers that lived in the house had 12 children.


Garnalee is standing in the parlor of the home. Behind her is the entrance to the jailer's office.

Notorious figures incarcerated at this site include William Quantrill who is famous for burning Lawrence, Kansas, during the Civil War; and Frank James who was treated like a guest for six months awaiting trial after his brother, Jesse James, was killed in 1882.  The jail housed men, women, and children. Earl Sapp was eleven years old when he was arrested in 1896 for jumping onto a train. He was held at the jail for four days before he was released. The jail was used as Union headquarters during the Battle for Independence.



Garnalee standing in one of the cells.  The hewn stone walls were two feet thick and seemed impregnable.



The cell where Frank James was held for 112 days while he was awaiting trial. He received special treatment during his sentence. Newspapers reported that people came by the jail to give gifts and food. Frank James was able to sit with his friends and family. The cell was furnished unlike the other cells. He was provided with a desk and chair, a rocking chair, and a picture of William Shakespeare hung on the wall because he was a great fan of Shakespeare.










Tom has been able to give several virtual and/or outside tours in Spanish.  A couple from Mexico came to the jail to visit.  After the history lesson, we were able to show them pictures of the jail on our iPad.  One of the virtual tours, with a seminary teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina, had 43 people watching the Zoom call.  She had served her mission here in Independence 10 years ago, and became very emotional as she saw the images that were so familiar.  Technology is wonderful.

Our Pioneer Day, July 24th Celebration was no different from any other Friday Morning Training Meeting (FMTM).  The Browns were presenters.  Sister Brown asked us to role-play a scene from one of the Saints chapters assigned for today.  I was Bishop Edward Partridge being tarred and feathered by Sister Brock.  Garnalee was part of the mob that tore down William W. Phelps' print shop.

On Saturday, July 25, we had a virtual tour of Winter Quarters in Omaha, Nebraska.  Sister McGriff, and Sister Hunt gave a 40 minute guided tour of the visitors' center there.  We had no idea it was such a large center.  Through the large windows we could see the Winter Quarters Temple just the next block over.  We had planned to stop there on our way home, and will definitely try to work it in.

Week 47--July 12-18, 2020

Our outing this week was to the Shoal Creek Living History Museum which we went to last fall. The sisters dressed in period clothes for the outing. It was a fun morning with them.

Pictued: Sister Brock, Sister Kinikini, Sister Martin, Sister Kinne, Sister Burdge, Sister Anderson, Sister Randall, Sister Bates, Sister Greenwood, Sister Galbraith, and Sister Wilson.

 President and Sister Cannon

Tom and Garnalee pause at the flower garden of the mansion. The mansion was the last building reconstructed at the Living History Museum (1982). When they disassembled the building every brick was numbered. When they reassembled the building in its present location it took two years. The cost of such an effort depleted the funds, so it is unlikely that additional buildings will be added.
We make think putting together a jigsaw puzzle is hard but that was really hard. There are 21 buildings on the site.  We were only allowed to enter into the schoolhouse.  COVID has put a damper on lots of activities.

The Hibiscus in the garden at the mansion have huge blossoms.

 Tom and Garnalee pause for a break.

As you enter the area, you will pass a small herd of buffalo.  Sister Wilson asked us, "What did the father buffalo say to his boy as he left for college?     Bi-son!

Waiting for the Inn to open for our night's accommodations,.

We have been walking earlier in the morning before the cemetery opens so we have had to find new places to walk. One morning we walked behind the Bingham-Waggoner Mansion where the wagon trains traveled for the various trails heading west. The swales are the remains of the many wagons that traveled the road. Difficult to see in this photo, but the ruts left by the hundreds of wagons heading southwest out of Independence are clearly discernible even after 150 years.

Tom finished his cross stitch souvenirs for the sisters. They say "Missouri Area Historic Sites" with two sister missionaries.

 The 11 sisters were so excited to receive their souvenirs. (Because of their masks you can't see their big smiles.) Tom posed with the sisters after he handed them out.

Pictured: Sister Randall, Sister Kinikini, Sister Anderson, Sister Brock, Tom, Sister Greenwooe, Sister Bates, Sister Burdge, Sister Martin, Sister Galbraith, Sister Wislon, and Sister Kinne.






Part of the Friday morning training was for the sisters to share what they had learned about daily early life for first-generation Latter-day Saints. They covered the topics of Family Economy, Personal Health, Leisure, Travel, and Communication. It was a perfect lesson since they had the period clothes from Tuesday.

Pictured: Sister Wilson, Sister Martin, Sister Bates, Sister Galbraith, Sister Brock, Sister Anderson, Sister Kinikini, Sister Burdge, Sister Greenwood, Sister Randall, and Sister Kinne.

 This beauty was on the door at Liberty Jail for quite a while on Friday. We said even the moths want to come for a tour of the Jail but they aren't admitted either.

We were heart attacked on Saturday evening by the sisters in our building. They also brought us yummy cake pops and warm Chocolate Chip marshmallow bars. We love these sisters so much.

This sign appeared just recently on 23rd, and we pass it each time we go to Hy-Vee or Walmart. It says, :"Bring Your Book of Mormon to School and Work Day September 22nd." We were surprised when we saw it the first time. However, as we thought about the 19 different expressions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that are in Independence we shouldn't have been surprised.












We have members in one of the Wards in our Stake who was exposed to COVID, so all Church meetings are suspended until at least August 2nd.

We were in charge of the FHE on Monday night for all the senior couples.  We played Missionary Feud, an offshoot of Family Feud that Garnalee found online.  It was a lot of fun for everyone who attended.  The evening was also to honor Sister Cummings, the mission secretary, who will be going home next week.
Friday morning is FMTM (astutely abbreviated "Friday Morning Training Meeting")  It was our turn to present.  We reviewed Saints chapters 13-15.  It went very well and we were pleased with our presentation. It's been another good week!

Week 46--July 5-11, 2020

Garnalee arrived at the Independence Visitors' Center on Sunday and found that she and two other sisters had dresses in the similar colors.

Pictured: Sister Anderson, Sister Kinikini,  and Garnalee.










On Tuesday we went to the Fairview Cemetery in Liberty to visit the Alexander Doniphan grave. There was a statue to honor the Confederate soldiers of Clay County. The monument also has the flag of the Confederacy with stars and bars.
















In this same cemetery was also this cute statue of a rhino. It is at the grave of child, so we decided that he must have liked rhinos. 

 The statue for Alexander Doniphan is a tall obelisk.

On October 31, 1838, Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were arrested by General Samuel Lucas. That night he held a military court in which the prisoners were found guilty. General Lucas ordered Alexandar Doniphan to take Joseph Smith and the other prisoners to the Far West town square and execute them at 9 AM the next morning. Alexander Doniphan refused the order and said, "It is cold blooded murder. I will not obey your order...and if you execute those men, I will hold you responsible before an earthly tribunal, so help me God!" Doniphan's refusal saved the lives of the prisoners. 

Sister Wilson recites the quote of Alexander Doniphan. 

We left the cemetery and went to the nearby Eight Witnesses Monument.

Pictured: Front: Sister Kinikini, Sister Martin, Sister Randall, and Sister Kinne.
Back: Sister Anderson, Sister Bates, Sister Burdge, Sister Galbraith, and Sister Brock.
Back Right: Sister Wilson and Sister Greenwood.

Next we went to the Kansas City Missouri Temple. 

Pictured: Sister Burdge, Sister Galbraith, Sister Bates, Sister Wilson, Sister Anderson, Sister Martin, Sister Kinikini, Sister Kinne, Sister
Greenwood, Sister Randall, and Sister Brock.

Because the Temples are all closed for live endowments, three of these new sisters have not yet had that opportunity.

 On Friday morning we walked around the Town Square in Liberty. They have statue honoring Susan B. Anthony, the revered women's suffragist who helped secure the right to vote for women.

 On the town square is also a monument commemorating African American contributions to Clay County. 

There was a water fountain in front of this monument noted by the inscription:

"Come, drink, all who thirst for freedom. The water fountain will no longer separate us as a people." 

During the Civil War Era, one of every four Clay County residents was of African American descent. Although sold in slave auctions and denied inalienable rights, these stalwart men and women helped build homes, churches, roads, schools, and businesses. Along with the planters and farmers, African Americans helped produce the cash crops of grain, hemp, and tobacco that were the foundation of early Clay County wealth. 

"This monument commemorates African American contributions to Clay County first in slavery and later in freedom. We honor these men and women who rose to become distinguished residents, politicians, educators, and business and civic leaders. We proudly recognize them for their work in the development of the Northland into the pinnacle of success it holds in the Greater Kansas City Metroplex." 

Putting together jigsaw puzzles has been a great stress reliever. This is our latest puzzle. 

Garnalee opened the bedroom blinds on Saturday morning and was greeted this Cicada on the window screen. This is the first one we have seen this year, so it must be close to mating season. 

Garnlaee finished the last counted cross stitch project she brought with her. 












Tom gave a virtual tour of the Visitors' Center in Spanish to a family in Iquítos, Peru.  There were also three sister missionaries visiting with them.  The sisters are all from Lima, Peru, just 1 1/2 hours away.  They had finished their missions more than a month ago, but are unable to go home because the country is locked down with the COVID pandemic.  Sister Romero, here in our mission, is also from Lima.  Though she has finished her mission, she can't return home either.

When we went to the grocery store on Thursday, every single person in the store was wearing a mask.  It seems the people are finally getting the message.

Our Friday morning our walk took us around behind the Bingham-Waggoner Mansion. We saw a marker that we hadn't noticed before.  It drew our attention to the swales in the field left over from the thousands of loaded wagons that began here in Independence for points west, more than 150 years ago.  

Former Ward members, Merri Ann Drake and her daughter Annie, both in Kuwait, were given a virtual tour from Sister Bates.  We got to wave to them and see their smiling faces.  They look like they're doing well.  Steve Drake is in Idaho Falls looking after his father who recently had open heart surgery.

Garnalee and Tom will present chapters 13-15 from Saints on Friday to the VC sisters.  Our sister missionaries are such a delight.  They all are excited to serve here before they go to their other missionary assignments.  It's been another wonderful week!

Week 45--June 28-July 4, 2020

Tom has become a Kansas City Chiefs fan so he decided to purchase a Chiefs hitch cover. Now every time he sees the hitch, he'll remember Superbowl LIV.

 The Steamboat Arabia Museum opened this week. We went with the Browns to learn about this steamboat that sank on the Missouri River near Kansas City on September 5, 1856, after hitting a snag in the water  Its recovery in 1988 was like finding the King Tut's Tomb of the Missouri River. The steamboat was loaded with goods for points upriver including Omaha, Nebraska. This is the stern or back of the Arabia's hull. The hull was the area directly under the main deck. Most of the hull remained below the water line when the steamer was carrying freight. Excavators discovered most of the freight in the cargo hold.

The Arabia was referred to as the "Great White Arabia" because she was painted white. The remains of some of the white paint can seen on the hull.













 The arm that turns the paddle wheel is from the Arabia.  We guesstimated that it was about 30' high.

One of the steam engines for turning the paddle wheel .

The paddle wheel was destroyed and had to be reconstructed.

Originally the plan was to recover the cargo and sell it off a piece at a time.  However, after seeing the beautiful sets it was decided that they wouldn't sell anything and just put it all on display.
 These are some of the dishes recovered from the Arabia. The dishes were packed in coffee beans in barrels or crates.

Perfume and writing pens from France were found among the goods recovered. Since the perfume was whale oil-based instead of alcohol-based it would last a long time and was very potent.

Thousands of buttons and trade beads were part of the cargo. The buttons were called calico buttons because of the pattern on them.  The log says there are about 5,000,000 beads on display.

 Viewing the many goods found aboard the Arabia was like walking into a Walmart.
Here is pots and pans and colored bottles. The glass makers of the 19th century took pride in creating bottles that would be more than a container. Using color and design the glass houses of the 19th century crafted a colorful legacy.

Sets of dishes that included Queensware, Wedgewood, and Davenport Ironstone. All of the artifacts were in nearly perfect preserving anaerobic conditions.  The china looked ready for market.

 Knives, forks, and spoons.

Candles

 Buckets and tubs

Files

A personal tool box. The carpenter who bought or made this tools suffered a great personal loss when the Arabia sank. He was left on the frontier without the tools to practice his craft.

Bitter medicines, plasters and poultices, bloodletting, and even superstition were common but ineffective remedies for illness in the 1800s. Most bottled patent medicines did not cure disease. Their heavy alcohol content simply helped suffers forget how bad they felt.

 These rare artifacts are shoes made of rubber. The rubber shoes and bullwhips are some the only examples known to exist from this time period. Their survival is due to the fact that the environment surrounding the sunken Arabia was oxygen free.

Tools of everything imaginable.

 Brown doorknobs.

 White doorknobs and and casters.

In the back right corner of the display case is a glob of nails recovered from the Arabia. Each nail in that glob of nails was cleaned to be placed in a bin like the picture below.

Barrels of nails were on the Arabia.

The boilers that powered the Arabia.

The VC sisters ready to go to work.
Seated around the table are:  Sisters Greenwood, Randall, Kine, Burdge, Kinikini, Anderson, and
Brock. 

Sister Cannon and Garnalee are setting things up for the 4th of July luncheon we had with all of the Summer Sister Missionaries and Senior Couples.

After the lunch we watched the movie Frozen 2. One of the treats provided was Movie Nibblers. The sign says: "Empty one bag of M&Ms into your mask just before the movie begins. You can now enjoy nibbling throughout the movie without the hassle of removing the mask  each time you need to put food in your mouth. Enjoy the movie."

Group selfie at the 4th of July party.
Front: Sister Anderson, Elder Harrington, Sister Galbraith, Sister Harrington, Sister Brock, Sister Kinne.
2nd row: Sister Randall, Sister Bates, sister Martin, Sister Wilson, Sister Greenwood, sister Burdge, Sister Kinikini.
Back: Sister Brown, Elder Brown, Elder Larsen, Sister Larsen, Sister Cannon.

We love this photo of Sister Romero from Peru, Sister DeLeon from Guatemala, and Sister Galvan on the 4th of July.

Just a few pictures to update how the plants we have cared for have grown. This week the care of the plants was turned back over to FM.
We are now serving 4-5 days a week at the VC and Jail. We are not open yet but a senior couple needs to at the visitors' centers with the sisters.

A planter full of Coleus. 

A planter of Wax Begonias.

A planter of mixed flowers.

A planter of Begonias.

One of the flower beds at the front of the Visitors' Center.

The Elephant Ears have gotten really tall. We will soon be able to take our Adam and Eve picture behind them.

The lilies are in bloom at the Independence Visitors' Center and they are gorgeous. We didn't plant these nor have we had to care for them.












We had interviews with President Cannon this week and learned we were to be in the second round of senior missionaries sent home from Historic Sites. President Cannon was able to request that we stay and verifying that we healthy and strong by using pictures from our earlier mulching efforts as proof. We are happy to say that we will be staying until our mission ends in August.