Happy Valentine's Day! Wish you all could have been here last night. The Single Sister Missionaries planned a Valentine's Dance that would have topped any Junior/Senior Prom with decorations, food and fun. We said, "If only our grand kids could see us now!" They took up the carpet in the visitor's center and it became a dance floor where we danced to 'Cotton Eyed Joe" etc, etc.

Sister Ludwig, keeps track of all the grandchildren in the mission. There are over 1800 grandchildren now. She said she knows every single grandchild is praying for us.

We are practicing for our performances in Rendezvous and Sunset By the Mississippi. Our director said that we never know who will be in the audience. She said a man with a cold heart may be watching our performance. She related it to a story of when she was a little child. She took her goldfish into her bedroom one night. The stove was at the other end of her house so her room was very cold. She cuddled up with her siblings in her bed to keep warm. In the morning her goldfish was frozen. She felt so badly. Her mom said she’d take care of the fish while she was at school but had forgotten. By the time she got home from school, the fish had warmed up and was swimming happily around. She said just like her fish, a man whose heart is cold can be be warmed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have Corn Bugs here. They look like a big ladybug.

We're just across the river from the Catfish Riverboat. Looks just like in the old western movies.

We're happy to be near Amish and Mennonite communities. It's like home. Being able to shop at Aldi is great.

Someone who visited one of the church historic sites here said he'd like to speak to the owner of this place. The missionary said, “Ok, but you’ll have to get on your knees to do it.”

We are both loving our mission. There's not idle time or time to get into trouble. Elder Jaster is working on heavy equipment just like he wanted and he has a pickup truck. I'm working at the sites. I learned how to make rope last week and also swept the floor in Brigham Young's home. Our schedules are different each week. I hear President Ludwig likes change. The motto here is "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."