We have had a most wonderful week. Everything seems to be going quite well. Last Sunday Elder Camp gave us a talk about last years YPM's and how the second week of pageant is really when the fatigue started to set in, and sickness occurred. And sure enough this past week three of our Elders rotated through a stomach flu that completely whipped them. On Monday my counterpart for HHRB, Elder Christiansen, was out bad, so that meant for both Monday and Tuesdays shows I had to play the part of Peter for both casts. It was actually rather exciting. We always have a company meeting right before our shows, and when someone will be sitting out the dances, we use that time to re-position our cast to fill the empty spots. So then everyone is on their toes for the show! On Monday we were doing this process of filling in so that I would be Peter, and we forgot one detail...my solo on my off cast, right before whistling and whittling brigade (same solo I wrote about last week:)) Because in that single solo I have a different counter part...but he couldn't do it, because in this cast (A cast) he played the role of William the Englishman...anywho..No one realized there wasn't anyone to sing that part basically untill it came to that part of the show: So I walk off stage from the scene right before, and it's like it all hit us at once and we realized that someone had to go on! So I actually walked on (As Peter) and sang the solo...it was really out of place, and rather funny. The sickness then took my companion out for a day, and he missed HHRB; and then Elder Elwood was out for a day. The sickness has really hit the Sr. missionaries too, yesterday they closed 3 sites early because there was not enough man power to give tours there.
Then on Wednesday, which normally is my P-day morning, I subbed in JPAA for Elder Johnson because he and his companion were spending time with Elder Harrisons family that were in town. So this week was even more busy for me because of the extra show roles I had. But it was very fun. It was really neat as well because on Monday I was playing Peter when Emily's roommate Saundra came with her family...and if it weren't for the cast switch she wouldn't have seen me in that role. And then on Wednesday at JPAA one of my friends from high school, Morgen Luedkey, was there. Turns out her grandma is our accompanist 2 times a week, because she's on a mission here, too. It's so much fun to run into people I know.
Also this week I ran into a girl from my tap class this last semester at BYU, and on Saturday Danny Anderson's little brother and sister were there with their Church tour group. (It's Ben and Caroline right...) They came to the visitors center right after one of our shows. and then I saw them, and Bro. Tesch at the Pageant that night, too! It also turns out that my companion, Elder Toone, is cousins to the Barlows, (one of them recognized me as "Becca's older brother"...I think he said you were scenic lab partners or something)...who were on the tour with Ben And Caroline.
On Saturday morning Elder Packer was able to open his mission call here in the first MTC for the church, The 70's hall. He will be serving in the New Jersey, Morristown mission. He leaves Sept. 7th. We had to have the meeting at 7am because that's really the only open time we have. We, the Elders, arrived first- only to be greeted by our leaders, and President and Sisters Ludwig. As we were walking down the street towards the 70's hall, sister Camp and Sister Ludwig were chatting at how exhausted we looked. But then Sister Ludwig made a really neat comment, that was later shared with us. "How great a blessing it is to be entirely exhausted in the service of God." THAT IS SO NEAT. Being a missionary is the best time ever, literally our every hour is filled with service. And here it sometimes feels even more physically demanding than my proselyting mission in Texas. But being so physically tired has really allowed us to trust and depend on Divine help to see us through the end of the day, or the end of the week. But being so tired never felt so great, nor was it ever accompanied by such great blessings.
One of my favorite happenstances here in Nauvoo is when we greet a family, or group in the morning...and then we continue to run into them at all of our shows. (be it over a day, or over their entire stay here.) One of these experience happened on Friday and then again on Saturday. On Friday we were out singing on the streets of Old Nauvoo and we were greeted by a group wearing similar outfits to our own. They were a group of Mennonites from Iowa. We sang for them and then they sang a parting song for us in German. We continued to see them at Sunset, and at Pageant. They were very shy, but as soon as you talked to them they opened right up. Then an even neater group of young men came to JPAA on Saturday morning. They were a small group of deacon age kids from West Ogden that came with their 'basketball' coach. They first talked to me because they thought it was hilarious how I (as the school master) fell in love with the 'feckel face lady' : Then they came to one of each of our shows that day, and after each show they looked to greet me, and we talked about their experience. During Sunset before we do the 'Audition' skit, some of us get to go into the audience and sit by people. I went and sat by them before surprising them and running up onto the stage when they called for volunteers:) It was really neat. Two of the kids are recently baptized members and were here having a really neat experience. Overall it was neat to create a memory for them, and for me, and to share the experience of the spirit of Nauvoo.
Today we finally got some down time to take a much needed recovery nap. It's basically the only down time we'll have before we leave...which is still a month away. We're busier than every, but loving every minute. Last night as we were leaving pageant, I looked back at the stage and the amazing scene of this audience watching this huge production...and I felt overwhelming gratitude to be here and be a part of this Heavenly Town.
Our Typical Day
7am special meetings as needed
8am rehersal for the coming weeks pageant with family cast
9am sites/ district meeting/ or song rehersals
10 call for JPAA
11:30 lunch
12 call for 2nd JPAA
1 set for HHRB
2:30 HHRB
4:30 2nd HHRB
6 dinner
6:30 call for Sunset
7 Sunset
8 run to pageant to greet guest before show
8:30 Pageant starts
We finish our part of pageant and make it home by about 9:45
Then we crash at 10:30pm
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