Mission Letter from 5/29/2011

Hello from Hill Cumorah,

As we sit here looking up Hill Cumorah every day it doesn’t lose its significance.  Moroni was here and the records were here!  This has been an interesting time.  The weather here has changed almost daily from rain and cold temperatures to hot humid temperatures.  We are now to Memorial day….that begins the summer season.  That is our busy season and like a light switch turning on, we had all kinds of people here yesterday. (Sat.)

  Yesterday at the Hill Cumorah visitors’ center we had over 300 visitors!  That is twice as many as most other days… and we will cont to have more.  It is exciting, busy, and tiring all at once.  We also had a YSA conference at Zion’s camp, here near the visitors’ Center.  Young people were here from all over New England.  The first night was terrible for them and they were putting up tents in the dark and in a pouring rain storm and fog.  Yesterday and today they visited the sites and are on their way home this afternoon.  They came in wet and muddy, but seemed to be having a great time.   We had one young man who joined the church in Africa and then came to the US for college.  He wanted to hear the Christus presentation in French.  We also had many families from all over the country; From Virginia to California……. some from Blackfoot, Idaho that knew the Peterson Family.  We were very late closing up last night just letting everyone who wanted to come in, come in.  Then we were quite a while cleaning and vacuuming up mud and wet grass……to be ready for today (Sunday).

Today we were in our little branch in Penn Yan.  One family is moving for work (that hurts a small branch) so we had a linger longer to wish them well.  It is hard to know what will help the branch most.  They have a very small group of key active families and they are spread out over several small communities around Penn Yan.  They have asked us to speak in Sacrament Meeting on Fathers’ Day but during the busy season and during pageant our first responsibility is the sites… so we will have to wait and see.

We were able to take a memorable tour of the Grove with Bob Parrott the keeper of the Grove.  He has some very interesting insight into the history and the development of the Smith farm and the Grove.  He has now been in this position for 12 years in an effort to fulfill President Hinkley’s vision of the original grove and allowing visitors to experience the Grove as Joseph did.  The effort is to allow the grove to return to its native environment.  Fallen trees remain to decay and feed the future trees.  Many varieties of vegetation not found in the grove in the last decades are returning, animals are returning, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, fox, deer, many varieties of birds and the supporting insect and organic life.   The plan is for the size of the grove to expand to about 150 acres of forest seclusion. (as it was back then)  The grove is filled with sounds of nature but removed from the sounds of the world-- A place to have a secluded sacred experience for every person who enters.    It is sad that some people do not respect the grove but continue to carve on trees and traipse through the fragile plant and organic life.  If people are willing to come quietly, they leave with a spiritual feast.  It is interesting to see the effects of the fall of a giant tree in the forest.  Though it falls and takes other trees in the fall, it opens the canopy for new life and new growth of every kind.  We see certain varieties twisting and turning to reach the light—even growing horizontal until they find an opening to the light.  We see some trees that even grow support branches that grow from the established trunk to sure up the main stock.  We see trees that have been injured and overcome the injury; both go around the injury and send new growth for the future generations.  The imagery and the lessons from nature are endless as we become more observant.  It is interesting that although Bob is not a member he describes the workings of the spirit on him every time he is in the grove…..and he was the one to point out these lessons of reaching towards the “light” to us. 

We were also able to meet with the engineer that has worked for the past 20 years to restore the Joseph Smith Frame home and to reconstruct the Log home.  He describes the spiritual experience of seeking the precise components that were really part of the homes and then restoring them just as they were when Joseph was there.  He again is not a member – yet.  The restoration of the Frame home took several years of deconstruction and then reconstruction.  All of this is because of Pres Hinkleys’ vision and desire to preserve history for posterity. He wanted so badly for the children to feel the greatness of Joseph Smith and all he did and to appreciate these simple but sacred sites. We are not sure that all of “posterity” even cares…some find it fun to be down right destructive…..and that is sad.

We continue to have memorable tours. Seems each day brings a new experience.  One interesting thing we see often is fathers bringing a son or a daughter on their 14^th birthday.    In two cases sons were bringing their fathers (the fathers in their 80’s) to see the sites for the first time. Something their fathers had always wanted to do.  They were a bit slow but the sons were patient and kind and that was great to see.   Probably a memorable tour, but not necessarily a spiritual one, was at the Peter Whitmer farm last week.  A couple with their daughter came from Orem just as we were closing up for the night.  The tour was good and we enjoyed sharing testimony. We walked to our cars together.  Then the family went to get in their car and the mother sat on a very small crochet needle and poked it in her bum.   It was stuck and the Father had to extract the needle.  We quickly provided bandages and antibiotic ointment.  We will remember that tour…..   But, they will remember it more by the time they drive 2000 miles home sitting on that injury.  J

We continue to learn more every day as we study, pray and are taught. The “young missionaries” are good teachers and they are always helpful.  We are grateful for that.     We continue to be impressed by the witness that the events of the restoration and the coming forth of Book of Mormon really happened here.  

We love our family more all the time and although we miss all of you soooooooo much…. we know we are in the right place doing what the Lord has called us to do.    We sure do appreciate all your notes, letters, and words of encouragement.  Like every missionary we check the mail every day.  J

Lots of Love,

Grandma and Grandpa (Elder and Sister Nielsen)