JULY 15-22,2012
The time has come to get a grip on my life in the fast lane and I need to be writing here. The procrastination has gone on long enough and if I want to have you all who are interested in my life here in Nauvoo,stay connected, I had better start today. So here goes.
SUNDAY Up early (5:30) as we have to be to Church by 7:30 or we sit in the back on the hard chairs. The Nauvoo Pageant has started so over 700 people were at Sacrament today. Yes, you read it right 700. They have the Stake Centre set up right to the stage and have Sacrament tables set up along one side. They are prepared for the crowd and very organized. They hand out programs on a single sheet with the program and announcements on one side and the Hymns on the other. By the way the two other wards meet at 10am and 2pm. so it is not like there are no other choices.As I think about the talks today, I think the one Young Sister Missionary who said "Heavenly Father loves you" was just what I need to hear. At 6pm we had a District meeting with ten of us. We have cleaning assignments for the month. Sis.Purtell and I get to clean the Women's Statues next week which I volunteered to do as it is just right across the street. We had an ice cream pie for dessert. Susan Easton Black  was our special speaker tonight at our Sociable (Fireside).She is a Church History professor at BYU, wrote the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith that we used a few years ago in Priesthood and RS. and has a home here in Nauvoo.It was very detailed talk of when Joseph Smith was kidnapped in 1842. Which led up to his martyrdom.
MONDAY Up at 5am as I had to be at the Wagon Shed at 6:30 am for the first wagon tour at 7 AM. Yes I do a one hour narration as the wagon as the horses take us on a tour of Old Nauvoo. We have had to start so early because the weather has been so hot and they shut things down around noon depending on the heat index. The temperatures have been unbearable. I had to come home and change my clothes as I was soaked by 10 o'clock and I had one more wagon ride at 11. Worked on the Sarah Granger cast list for most of the afternoon and then at 6 pm we had a performance on the outside stage with our group. 100degrees in the shade.This show is called Sunset By the Mississippi and we and the Young Performing Missionaries sing and Dance. Tonight Sis. Moses and I did the Specialty number Rindercella. She reads it and I do the pantomime. Great fun. I will send pictures on of these days.
TUESDAY 8- 8:30 am my first study time with Sis. Christensen. Her companion went home and so we arranged to do this. We are studying Preach My Gospel - Christlike attributes. The first one is Faith. Indeed, my faith in the Savior has grown as I have served here. I am confident that I am were I need to be each day and feel His guiding hand as I talk to people. Today I served in the Heber C.Kimball home and even though we didn't have a tour until 12:30, I had an opportunity to talk with my companion Sis.Jardine and find out her story.  Everyone who comes here has a story.Everyone who has lived here has a story. And that is why I am here to tell the story of the people who lived here. Just one detail on the Kimballs, his Great Great Grandson, Dr. Leroy Kimball was born in Cardston, Alberta in 1901 and he was the man who started restoring Nauvoo and ended up as President of Nauvoo Restoration Incorporated for 25 years while all the changes were taking place that we enjoy today. Went to the Pageant tonight. Seats were set aside for us missionaries. It was great.They have 20 professional actors and about 150 volunteers. These are families that come for one week. They have a rehersal on Monday and then Dress rehersal on Monday night another practise on Tues. and then the show Tues.thru Sat. at 8:30.
WEDNESDAY This is my preparation day and it starts at 8am with a weekly Training Meeting,this morning we had a special speaker. Elder Gavarret who is a Seventy.who was here to open the Pageant. Then I went to the Temple, did my grocery shopping and worked on my Show Dress in the Sewing room. By the way,the reason our dresses had to be floor length and add 3 inches,was because of GROW TUCKS. They put three one 1/2 inch hems around the dress and as you wash the dress and it shrinks or if you hand this dress down to someone else, they can be let down. In old days they did this on the sleeves too especially for children for them to grow into their dresses.Tonight  we had Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo. This is the stage production in the Cultural Hall at 7 and 8:15pm. I was so busy with my cast manager responsibilities, I didn't get on to the stage in time and another sister filled in for me. I keep having these learning experiences. Her comment was "you snooze you lose".
THURSDAY Today I was at the Family Living Center which gives demonstrations of how the pioneers made rope, barrels, candles, pottery,bread, wove rugs and spun wool and flax.It was a busy day with many tour buses in town for the pageant. Another HOT day on the outdoor stage for Sunset. I enjoy doing the Polka with one of the YPM's Elder Moore. I felt the emotion come when we sing the songs of the different Armed Forces.Tonight, when we sang  the Marines my heart went to Spencer who is preparing to go to Africa with his job for a few months.
FRIDAY This morning my mind is on the problem of my home in Hill Spring, as the renter is moving out in August. I am going to have to rely on the Davis's to help out. Also I am so far behind in catching up with my other life that I am behind in my birthday greeting to family. Lots in July. So if I have missed you I am sorry and hope  all is well with you. Today, I was in the Log School House.School was held in homes and this log home was reconstructed in 1991. The teacher had to be certified and got 25cents per student per week and was also paid by the classes taught. While I was there I met Larry and Babette Jensen who had just been through Hill Spring and had visited her sister who is a good friend of Jean (Judy's sister). Small world.
SATURDAY I had a special experience at the Merryweather Store and Post Office site today. We are to give a gospel message at each site related to such. So as I am talking about  how letter were the only way that people were able to communicate and made a reference to the Scriptures containing letters such as Paul to the Ephesians, I remembered that I once heard the reference to the Scriptures being letters from Home as a way that Heavenly Father communicates with us and we communicate with Him by prayer.
Then tonight as we finished the one show of Rendezvous and the cast was talking to the guests out front and were preparing for the second show, we had some hecklers, placard carrying men come by and they were yelling and one of the guests tried to talk to them. We had been warned by our President to expect this and to ignore such. but they were calling us racist etc. Very interesting experience.
SUNDAY So now this goes to press. I have had a quiet day as I didn't have to work and Idid get caught up with my rest and this blog. Then this evening we had a beautiful program presented by the Young Performing Missionaries from the Band and Stage. It truly was exceptional and the music extraordinary well performed.
I also talked to Nola who is at home again,Kari who is expecting her baby July 31st and Spencer who leaves for Frankfurt/Africa tomorrow. So it is a great way to end this peaceful day.