Today is a day of mixed emotions!  Today marks the half way point of our summer here in Nauvoo!  The time goes so fast.  But we're still excited to make every moment count as we continue on through the summer! We also got a companion transfer today.  It was mostly a surprise, we found out about it on Friday, and all of a sudden two days later we're thrown into new companionships.  My new companion is Elder Toone! He's basically as tall as me, and built like an ox. He's from Centerville, Utah. He is 22 years old.  He plays both Henry and Captain in High Hopes, and Boots in JPAA.  

We had the funniest performance on Friday...Well mostly just me I guess.  When we do my off cast, I play the no-name character of Arza Snow.  My no-name sister (portrayed by Sister Brower) Patience Snow came on in the very first scene and was talking to another character and whispered that we used to have a dog named Blackie. To which I shockingly replied..."What you lost Blackie?" Keep in mind none of this is the story line, or heard by the audience.  So then through out the whole play I was playing the young Arza Snow, who was looking for his lost dog.  I was pouting on stage, and basically it was just really funny!  There are several slow motion parts that we couldn't stop laughing through!  Then I have one singing line that goes like this: "I whistle for my pony, I whistle for my dog; I whistle in the sunshine, and sometimes in the fog."  And when I sang the Dog line I pouted, and immediately I heard the sisters laughing out loud from off stage.  I struggled to sing the rest of the line because I wanted to laugh so bad!

June 27th is the commemoration of the Martyrdom.  We'll be singing at a couple of commemorations. 

Also this week, Vocal Point from BYU came.  It's weird because we feel like they are guests in our house.  But it's also a lot of fun to share the stage with them.  We went to their concert on Friday. And they'll put on the socialable tonight. Then we'll have an ice cream social just us and them afterward.  We also got to meet the core cast for the pageant this week.  We've started rehearsing the dances for pageant and our days are only going to get more and more busy!  We have rehearsals at 7:45 every morning...so some days that will be a total of 7 shows for me!  Whooo!

Love, Elder Rose

Beautiful Nauvoo

These past two weeks the BYU folk dance team has been here performing.  One of the nights they performed someone announced how many performances they had done in the 2 weeks.  So our team started doing calculations.  For the team as a whole we have performed in about 108 shows.  I personally have been in 86 of them, and all of that done in just three weeks of shows, preceded by only 3 weeks of rehearsals!!

We're starting a "Nauvoo Unity Fitness Fit Club!"  You would think that running around all day in shows and in being so active, that you would stay in great shape.  Not so :)  We have treats too often, and we're not always eating healthy or exercising great.  Sometimes I get really out of breath in the show dances.  So in an effort to stay in good shape and healthy, we're starting this program.  Everyone will set their own goals and then we'll track the completion of our goals on a big poster we've made to hang backstage!

  

Unity has become a theme for our group this summer, we're all striving for a "Zion Community." (thus the unity fit club!)  But it's been great to follow the example of the Nauvoo people, and be willing to unite in everything.

Today we took the tour to see the Mansion house, the Nauvoo house, Joseph Smith's first home here, and the Red Brick Store.  While we were up in the second level of the Red Brick Store we ended the tour with a song.  We sang one of the two songs we sing before our show everyday...."Nauvoo"

 

"Through cities towns and countries fair, I've often found my way;

A numbered joys attending to fill each happy day.

Ten thousand beauties rare, have often filled my view,

but lovelier still and Queen of all is beautiful Nauvoo.

but lovelier still and Queen of all is beautiful Nauvoo....."

 

When we sang that time, not only was it the best we've ever done, but it was accompanied by the strongest spirit I've felt- out of all the many times we've sung it.  It was amazing!  A beautiful reminder of the truth of this work, and the things that took place in the Red Brick store, and here in Nauvoo.

Also, today we sang in Church.  "My kindness shall not depart from thee."  Another experience beyond the power of man.  Being here and being a missionary is so amazing.  Mom and Dad, and Grandma Rose came this past week as well. And they felt the awesome spirit that is to be felt here on this sacred ground.

 

This past Friday we had the great speaker, Susan Easton Black come and teach us about the events leading up to the Martyrdom.  We all learned alot about the history and events that took place.  How unjust their enemies were.  But also how amazing these Saints were.  Joseph was not only Prophet, but running for president, a Lieutenant General in the army, and Mayor of the city Nauvoo.

Truth. That is all.

 

Jon the School Master in "Just Plain Anna Amanda"

We have now finished our second full week of shows.  Mom, Dad, and Grandma Rose came yesterday and surprised me by showing up for our 4:30 performance.  They had a rough flight in to St. Louis during a thunderstorm.  But they made it safe, and enjoyed the shows Saturday. 

 

My companion, Elder Hazen, has had the most odd luck the past couple of weeks.  This morning as we were walking from Church to the visitors center we cut across an acre of grass.  He was commenting on chiggers, and jokingly asked "are they even real?"  I told him they were real, and I had them on my ankles a few times in Texas.  No one has had any bites yet so some the group are unsure if they are real.  Then he joked that if anyone was going to get chiggers it would be him.  In the last two weeks the poor kid has broken out in a rash from poison ivy, fell off the stage and cut his hand open, fell on stage and hurt his back/shoulder,  and got a spider bite that swelled up his hand!

 

Every week we get two mornings where we are assigned to work out in the sites of Old Nauvoo.  We have a prep meeting in the morning at 8:30 and then we work the sites from 9 to 12 noon.  This past week I worked in the Family Living Center making rope for visitors, and then on Friday I worked at the Pioneer Past Times, where we played old fashion games with visitors all morning.  We had lots of youth groups come through and some tours as well.  One of the groups that came through this week was a group from Missouri where the recent Tornado hit.  We had some time to visit with several of the youth.  They said that no one from their stake had been killed, only two were injured.  Their stake center had been destroyed, and some of the youth that were here didn't have a house to return too, they are temporarily housed with other members untill they can find a house to rent. Some of them are just like these early saints, they are venturing into the future, wholly relying upon the gospel.  They literally have no homes.  It was neat to perform for them.  We also performed for the BYU folkdance team that is in town.  We've had some good reaction crowds...Those are the best kind.  Elder Murset even commented to me about Dad being a good laugher, and audience member.  We love it when the audience will respond to what they see on stage!

 

With the storms gone, the weather here has been heavenly. Cool breezes and a soft sun shine.  So nice.  They said that earlier this week was hotter than usual for June.

 

That is all.

Love Elder Rose

My Address

My Address in Nauvoo is:
YPM Elder Rose
P.O. Box 215
Nauvoo, IL  62354


I'd love to hear from you!

First full week of shows

Sunday June 5: Today we changed the order of some of the scenes in our show, and re-blocked a couple of them, so that took a good portion of our time today. Today, President Ludwig, also had a "MTC camp" for us for a couple of hours. It was his attempt to teach what they teach in the MTC, and it was a good refresher. Elder Black, one of the Elders who served in this mission, before his proselyting mission, says that it's alot more like a mission now than this program was when he came the first time. President has done a great job at really strenghtening the process and program here. After the 'mtc' we had a pot-luck, and everyone was plesantly surprised at the really good food everyone brought! The Camps said it was far better than last years!


Our first week of performances really flew past. It was great. Some shows are just for smaller audiences, and some shows sell out! But it's always neat to perform, because we know no matter how small the audience, we can still make a difference. We also got to start working in the sites this week. Elder Hazen and I worked in the Brick yard! We have a script that we are supposed to follow, but in our own words. We gave several tours, and helped make bricks when we weren't busy.


This week we also had a really neat experience. In addition to all the fun people we got to meet and sing for (like the Morgans!) on Friday we had a family come, whose daughter is deaf. Some of the Visitor Center Sisters can sign, and so they came in and signed the whole show for this girl. It was really neat to see. Before the show HHRB begins, we go into the Visitors Center and sing from the balcony to all the people waiting down below. When we started to sing, I could see this girl's parents come over and tap her on the shoulder and point up so she would know we were there. It was a neat moment for me and my friend Mr. Spirit :). I am so thankful for the ability to hear, and sing, and everything. It was all in all, a great realization to the amazing blessing music is in my life.


One more funny experience, yesterday during one of our blackouts in between scenes, I was carrying on a bench, and I tripped. I almost caught my balance, but then I fell, and the bench slammed onto the stage. I was the only one on stage in the dark, the audience waiting....and I burst into laughter, I'm sure the audience was wondering what in the world was happening, the cast got a real laugh at that moment!


We're all ready for another great week! with a practically new show!!
Love Elder Rose

It's Showtime

Yesterday was opening day!  It was a great day.  We started off with a prep meeting at 8:30 a.m., then we ran through some mic changing stuff for the nights program of "Sunset", and then my cast did both shows of "Just Plain Anna Amanda"; one at 10:30 and after lunch at 12:30.  Then we went straight into "High Hopes and River Boats" at 2:30 and 4:30.  We took a 20 minute dinner break before we were to be at the Sunset stage!  It was alot of fun, and some of our best work yet!

 

On Friday night we actually started our rotations for "Rendevous"...and we were first, so  after sunset, we all went over and all the YPM's supported Sister Johnson and I in our song.  It went really well.  my "Pa" forgot a few lines, but he'll get better and better as the summer continues.  It's a high energy and really fun part.  It was a great way to kick off the night before opening.  It didn't completely feel like opening day because we did "preview performances" for the sr. misisonaries, and NRI and the sewing room... But it was a larger audience by far.  I was surprised how many people showed up!  Elder and Sister Camp said it was more than last year.

 

Today after church (it lasts only one fantastic hour for the missionaries) we went down to the Trail of Hope and walked down Parley street towards the Mississippi.  As we walked it, the wind began to blow and steadily kicked up.  Then right as the last of us finished, it began to rain.  Perfect timing!  We were gathered in the little memorial they have down there, while a few of us ran to grab the Vans.  We sang a few hymns while it was raining ~ it was a really neat experience.  It's amazing to ponder what those early saints must have felt while they were leaving.  We then went and visited the Seventies Hall. Since we won't be working sites yet this week, I'm hoping we'll have the time to see the sites themselves.  It should be a fun week!