After attending church this morning we went to the Mormon Handcart Park in Iowa City. The park is located on the University of Iowa campus, and is the place where the pioneers gathered to build handcarts and begin their journey west.

Sandy and Sister Cluff. The Cluffs attend the Iowa City ward with us.

The following comes from a sign in the park:

"The first group of handcart pioneers arrived in Iowa City in May of 1856. They were housed in the depot for a few days before coming to this site where plenty of water and firewood were available. For the next two months this area was a bustling city of tents as each group of immigrants arrive, worked on their handcarts and made other preparation, then departed on their trek across the plains."

This afternoon Jerry and Jan Larson came to the apartment. Jerry was my best friend in high school. They served in Nauvoo for 18 months as site missionaries, and were released last year. It was fun to reconnect with them and to compare notes about serving in Nauvoo.

This evening we attended another "sociable." The BYU Noteworthy group performed and delivered brief messages. Then we attended a musical entitled, "Our Lives Go On," performed by the pageant performers.

It's been a great day.