I thought it would be harder to wake up this morning, but thankfully I'd listened to the voice that said to go to bed last night, so it wasn't too bad. Driving across the country and kind of adjusting to the time as you go during the day, it kind of works... we'll see I guess! After breakfast we were off, not quite as early as Ken wanted, but it was hard to wake up Fiona! We were on the road just after 10, so not too bad!
I think I've driven through Kansas before, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't think I was prepared for how beautiful it was. After we left Hays, the landscape just didn't stay the same. There were rolling hills, there were trees, there were huge prairie fields, it was its own dynamic space. I kept wanting to take pictures because I wanted to bring it home with me. The pictures - at least my car window pictures just don't do it justice.
We stopped for lunch just before 1 pm and when I realized how little Kansas we had left I was actually sad. Ken and I switched drivers after lunch and I started reading. I had told Ken that last night I had downloaded all the church history stuff in the gospel library app. I had read a little thing about polygamy last night. Some church history stuff is hard, hard to understand, hard to make sense of. But the conclusion of this article, was that the people involved in polygamy all had very similar experiences - they originally were horrified, had an amazing spiritual experience, and went forward in faith. And that is what I want to always do, go forward in faith.
I started reading to Ken out of "Church History in the Fullness of Times - Student Manual". I started reading in chapter 8 (I think I read a little of chapter 7 too) and it was fascinating. My understanding of when they went where is limited. It was really cool reading about the Saints going to Ohio and then to Missouri as we drove across Missouri. Ken was awesome and just kept driving, and I just kept reading. We're currently in the middle of Chapter 12 and I'm excited to keep reading tomorrow!
I can't remember what time it was when we crossed into Missouri - I could look at the time stamp, but it was so green, and lush, and beautiful too. I didn't look around quite as much because of the reading, but still, watching the country change before your eyes is really amazing. I'm just loving this experience. The girls are being pretty amazing too.
We were in Iowa for I think 10 minutes - maybe 15, before we were crossing over the Mississippi into Illinois. I took video crossing the bridge like I promised Fiona I would on the drive out. Driving along the Mississippi towards Nauvoo was so beautiful. I wanted to stop, but I'm glad we didn't.
We checked into our hotel, picked up some snacks from the gas station, and then went to go see the Pageant.
On Wednesdays the Pageant that is performed is The British Pageant - Truth will Prevail. The story is about a few different families - in the write up about it, it says that much of the text of the performance comes from journal entries of the early Saints from England. The girls enjoyed the show, I know Kate really felt the spirit. I know I did. The stories of the early pioneers, their faith, their perseverance, their endurance, it is so uplifting, and so inspiring. Their stories give me courage. I'm so grateful to be in Nauvoo with my family. I'm excited to see things tomorrow, and most importantly I'm excited to feel things tomorrow. I'm grateful for the spirit that testifies of the truthfulness of the gospel, and I'm so grateful to share that with my Ken, and my girls tomorrow. Life is good!
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