Singing???

Temple service is where we spend the majority of our time here, but there are many other things going on here that we can enjoy if we choose. I'm still keeping an eye on the lilypads as they continue to grow and spread out into the river. I also love those little fireflies and I'm determined to get a good video of them. 

On June 27th, the anniversary of the martrydom of Joseph and Hyrum, we attended a nice commemoration of that event in Carthage. The YPMs sang & the band played. A soloist sang " A Poor Wayfaring Man" against the backdrop of Carthage Jail. It was very moving and thought provoking. 

We were told before we accepted this mission call that we would not have to sing and dance. Well, they were 50% right. Alas, we attended a "singing" practice for all missionaries. The pageant director gave us a little pep talk about what a great experience this would be. Oh, and bring your kleenex and bug spray! We sat up and listened to the director since he is the director of all the church pageants, general conference, etc. Well the practice was pretty amazing so I can only imagine what the actual performance will be. There are two pageants that alternate every other night during pageant season. One is the British Pageant which tells the story of the British saints who were prepared in their homeland to accept the gospel. At the end of the pageant, ALL missionaries; temple missionaries, site missionaries, YPMs, etc. come onto the stage at the finale, from the audience, singing Called To Serve & a couple other songs. There will be a sound track playing behind us so I don't think you will be able to pick out our voices, however good or bad we sing. We are actually pretty excited. So, whenever we are in the audience, we will join in the finale onstage. So, I guess we will be singing on our mission  after all!

Last night the community band played a concert on the grounds West of the temple. Afterwards, the city of Montrose, across the river, did fireworks that we watched at the end of the band concert. It was just like the concert and fireworks at WSU (friends in Ogden) only a much smaller crowd, but still wonderful. And, we have fireflies here that add to the show!

Last week we attended a special missionary mtg where Robert Wright spoke. He is the author of Testament in Stone. His book tells about the symbols on the outside of the temple. Very interesting and informative. There are many symbols on the exterior so it was so interesting to hear him talk about them. The temple is so beautiful, inside and out.

Again, we feel so blessed to be serving here at this time. We are surrounded by such deep church history. We also feel we are walking in the footsteps of some ancestors who lived here. We have spent time at the Family History Center and researched family names, with the help of the great missionaries there. We have had many amazing, faith building experiences. It's hard to believe we have been here two months now. That means our mission is 1/3 over! Nauvoo is a beautiful place with a spirit all it's own.