Week THIRTEEN - Last Week in Nauvoo!!

[This is the week we got to spend in Nauvoo.  It was a choice experience to share it with Sister Ashby and to meet all the amazing people she has been serving with this summer.  Below is her latest email.  Her message was brief since it was Red Cast's turn to serve at Carthage.  Sundays are still busy in Nauvoo.]

Red Cast @ Carthage on Sunday.
Elder Petersen, Elder Tregeagle, Elder Needham, Elder Cottam, Elder Baker
Sisters Hammond, Sister Ashby, Sister Bills

Weekly Sunday Concert

I sent a letter home with my mamma about some cool experiences I have had over the past two weeks! [HERE is the letter she wrote back in July but never had time to send it.  It's a GOOD ONE!]

I cannot believe [my time] in Nauvoo is almost over. Our last week of shows is upon us and the Pageants ended last night! I definitely cried during the "Evening Dance" and the Scottish one! It has been an honor to perform and serve with so many amazing actors in the core cast who are all here for the right reasons. They are lifelong friends whom I will hold dear to my heart and I will miss them dearly! Especially, the ones who live all the way in England! P.S. Shout out to them for helping me improve my British accent!  I am exhausted and excited to finally get some rest, but sad to leave Nauvoo.

Nauvoo Pageant

British Pageant

Anyway,  HERE is a funny video from the Red Cast!

I am so grateful for my amazing opportunity to serve in the beautiful city of Nauvoo! And, as we begin to have our “first lasts", I will treasure every second I have with this amazing group of YPMs!  My testimony of God's will and timing has grown so much here in Nauvoo. I am grateful for my strengthened relationship with my Heavenly Father, as well.

Week TWELVE - FAMILY!!!!!

I am so flippin' excited to have my family arrive in Nauvoo TODAY!  I will be seeing them sometime very, very soon.  I can't wait to give Doda Bear a great big hug!  I will finally figure out what has been going on with her [since her brain surgery].

We had another INSANE rainstorm this past week!  We had to cancel "Sunset By the Mississippi" and hide in the Bistro of the Visitors' Center because there were tornado watches and warnings out!  IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!  Everyone who was in the audience, before the show was cut, came to the Visitors' Center for safety.  We packed them all in there were prepared to all bunch into the Bistro if the tornado watch turned into a warning.  As we waited, we gathered around and sang to them!  It was an amazing experience for me to feel Christ's love for each and every one of them.

Sunset After the Storm
(photo credit: Pageant Family Cast fb page)

Two and a half weeks and I am home. I can not believe it has gone by so fast!  But my body is definitely feeling it.  All of us YPMs are.  Pretty much everyone is sick or has some injury.  My shin splints are pretty bad and every morning [when] I get up, my feet kill as soon as they hit the floor.  Dancing and walking in pioneer boots ALL DAY KILLS!  Hah!

CARTHAGE JAIL VISITORS' CENTER

Sister Bills, Sister Ashby, Sister Hammond
Elder Needham, Elder Baker, Elder Petersen, Elder Tregeagle, Elder Cottam

Singing on "The Flats"/Nauvoo Singers
(Sister Ashby beatboxes in this song.)

Sunset By the Mississippi

Week ELEVEN: The Tale of Sister Ashby Embarrassing Herself in Nauvoo

Photo Credit:  Sister Sherry Curtis (Senior Missionary Leader)

Hello, Dearest Family and Friends!

The title of this email is interesting, yes, but I promise it is inspiring. The other night at "Pageant", I realized how I never cease to amaze myself at how many times I can embarrass myself in one day. Thankfully, I have not tripped in "The Promise"... yet.  (We still have three weeks to go.)  But, many other countless things have happened. I am sure I already told you about the 4 wasps. Well, they are back. I fell off the wagon wheel trick the other day, got stuck under Elder Eagans' winter shawl during the leaving Nauvoo scene and neither of us could contain ourselves, almost fell off the stage, fell on Elder Dickson during "Sunset", biffed it on the "Sunset" stage after only being on stage for 5 minutes (and all we were doing was walking), twisted my ankles, tripped on the pebble ground backstage at "Pageant,  and countless other things. But, I believe the best one was at the "Pageant" on Friday night. We were in the "Nauvoo Pageant" doing the final prayer scene after the Evening Dance. The lights dim to a deep blue so it is kinda' hard to see. We are all seated with our cute little stage families the YPMs are adopted into. My family was on the far stage left. As we were finishing up our little stage prayer, the guy holding the lantern was holding it right above my head. As sister Kelly said, "Amen", I went "AMEN!" sorta' loud and then stood up really fast. My head hit the lantern and it made this really loud sound.  I was so embarrassed.  But, it was hilarious, so that is all good.  Mom sent a thought in a letter last week. "You don't need to be perfect to inspire others.  Let people be inspired by how you deal with your imperfection."

"The Promise"
(Photo credits: YPM mom, Catherine Bullock)

Sister Ashby and Elder Dickson in "Sunset by the Mississippi"

Sister Bills, Elder French, Sister Ashby in "Sunset"
(Photo Credits:  YPM parent Carmen French)

"Pageant" is interesting because we have all these protestors come to them.  Sister Nelson [one of the stage YPMs] says it's her dream to one day "get into a heated discussion with a protestor...but that's not very Christlike, so it's unlikely to happen."

My voice is hanging in there! Still weak, but good! That's kinda' how all of us are at this point! It was so much fun to see Jessie and be completely surprised by that! The first time I saw her was at the "Trail of Hope" last Sunday when she walked up with her cute kids. I completely broke character for a hot second and then went back into it.

Two weeks ago, I composed a beautiful picture with my vocal rest whiteboard of a movie pitch. Since there were 9 of us on vocal rest at the time, we all decided to play a game. The movie "A Quiet Place" is pretty popular, right?  So, anyway, we all were pretending that we were in the quiet place and if we talked, we died.  So, I created a beautiful inspiring picture of all of us in the forest with the title caption: "A QUIET PLACE. WHERE VOCAL REST IS THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE."  Too bad I didn't have my camera!

Everyone is getting sick. I developed this nasty chest cough four days ago and it's been really annoying, but it's getting better. So, hopefully, it will be gone soon. Elder Dickson has a really bad fever but is getting better and some others have coughs, too.  I don't have a fever or any other symptoms.  Just an annoying chest cough.  It's weird.  Whenever I am on stage for "The Promise", I'm fine.  And then, as soon as I step off stage, I start coughing again.  

Sister McCurdy who is in my morning (Red) cast has been very sick.  She's been having health challenges for a while with her stomach and got really, really sick several days ago.  Our cast went and visited her in the hospital today after church.  She looked really good!  She will hopefully be getting released soon and back to performing by Wednesday.  Yay! We miss her and have all been praying for her!

Sister Adams, Sister Hoagland, Sister Smith, Sister Jackson, Sister Isaacson, Sister McCurdy, Sister Bills, Sister Ashby

Sister Hoagland, Sister Adams, Sister Isaacson, Sister Ashby
(Photo credits: Shared by Sister Isaacson via Wendi Isaacson)

I AM HOME IN THREE WEEKS!  How insane is that?  I cannot believe it is almost over.  It is so SAD!!!

[At Sister Isaacson's opening of her mission call] Late last night, I peeked at the computer screen just before the Zoom call with family. I was kinda' scared of my "reflection" for a second because we had just finished "Pageant". LOL!  Sister Isaacson has been called to the Portugal, Lisbon mission.  [Elder Goodwin opened his mission call to the Philippines this past week, too.]

I have been meaning to send out letters, but I haven't finished them yet!  I will send them this week; those will include some of the amazing spiritual experiences and missionary moments I have had, including the ASL INTERPRETING EXPERIENCE!  Boy, was that the most terrifying thing of my entire life!

I had a dream this week that you all came to Nauvoo, and I was so sad when I woke up and realized it was just a dream.

LOVE YOU ALL! SEE YOU IN A WEEK, FAM BAM!

P.S.  Can you bring me some more Singer's Spray (I'm out of both bottles)...or you could bring me some treats (that would be cool)...or, like if you stop by a McDonald's...BRING ME FRIES!

THE LETTER THAT NEVER GOT SENT

[Sister Ashby wrote some letters/cards for us but never sent them out.  She gave then to us while were visiting her in Nauvoo two weeks later.  Our family read our letters from her in a quiet grove of trees on the flats below the temple.  It was a beautiful experience.  This letter was written on July 20th.]

Sister Ashby in the "Just Plain Anna Amanda" Pre-show

Dear Mama Ashby,
Thank you so much for your prayers and all the letters!  It was such a fun treat to receive letters from not only you and the girls but everyone else as well!  I loved hearing from all of you!  So to explain a little more, when I was put back on vocal rest the last time [a couple of weeks ago], I was pretty frustrated.  I felt like I was healed and didn't need to be anymore.  He also put my companion, Sister Hoagland, on it and she didn't get to perform in "Anna Amanda" although she felt she was completely fine, too.  Everyone was good for a while, but now I have developed a really nasty cough and am doing all I can to get rid of it.  It is, of course, beginning to affect my voice, so I am trying so hard to be careful.  I went to the pharmacy today to purchase more cough drops and chest Mucinex stuff.  Elder Dickson developed a really, really, bad fever and is on his "deathbed".  So, he's been put out for all of yesterday and today.  Sister Bills has lost her voice.  Sister McCurdy is in the hospital and probably will be for another three days (due to stomach and Asthma problems).  Sister Adams was slammed in the neck with a pillow and couldn't see for an hour.  So, it's been crazy, to say the least, but now Sister Adams is all good and I am doing what I can. I am so sorry that this has caused you stress.  I didn't intend for that. The leaders are giving us rest, but it's hard.  When we are on vocal rest, and taking breaks from singing or performing, we are also prevented from getting to know the people and talking with the families who come to Nauvoo. We do warm up our voices each morning here, which is good.  It would be lovely to have vocal lessons again.  It would be nice to not lose my voice after doing three "Sunset" shows and not to have to worry about it 24/7.

I can not wait for you and the family to come to Nauvoo and give you the biggest hug!  I am so excited to introduce you to everyone!  Last night, I had a dream you came to Nauvoo early and I was so happy.  Then I woke up and was sad because there is still another week or so!  I cannot believe today is the 20th of July!  It's absolutely crazy!

A part of her letter was written in "cross writing".  This method was used by the
people of Nauvoo for correspondence to save paper.

I am trying that thing you did in your last letter where the pioneers wrote this way!  That is so cool that they did that!  I had no idea.  Right now I am on the temple grounds scripture studying.  We were supposed to go the Carthage today, but since Sister McCurdy is in the hospital, we don't have a fiddler (and since we use the violin in more than half our songs) we couldn't go.  But, I am so glad for moments like this.  The temple is so beautiful and peaceful.  The sunset sky last night after the tornado watch was so beautiful.  It was a mixture of blue, orange, pink, and white.  The sunsets here never cease to amaze me.  Elder Goodwin received his mission call last week, but since his Fam wasn't coming until this week, he opened it FINALLY yesterday!  He is going to the PHILIPINNES.  So that was way cool.  Sister Isaacson received her mission call this Wednesday!  So her fam bam is coming back [to Nauvoo] tomorrow so she can open hers with them here, as well!  It's been so fun and exciting for them and for all of us, as well!  Sorry if you can not read this!  I hope you can!  If not, let me know and I can hopefully write this normally or something!  But still, this is such a fun way to write to you!  I love it!

photo credit:  Pageant Family Cast fb page

So, something I totally forgot/didn't have time to write about, was this really cool experience I had last week.  This was Wednesday night when I was finishing up vocal rest.  We had "Trail of Hope" and I wasn't a performer that night and since I was unable to talk, I decided to help Elder Cottam with parking.  I was standing next to the Blacksmith shop by this big tree motioning a car in when suddenly, Sister Skousen (one of the tech sisters) is running at me yelling!  She ran over and said, "There is a lady here tonight who is deaf and we need you to interpret.  I just there, shocked for a second and then shook my head.  There was NO WAY I could do that!  I only know basics and hardly ANY church grammar.  Sister Skousen said, "Yes, please! I know you can do it! Please.  I need your help.  I cannot do it myself." (She signs, as well.)  I tried signing "There must be someone else who can do this. Someone way better!  Like sister Mann or Elder French!"  She proceeded to remind me that Sister Mann was performing that night and Elder French already declined.  She pulled me to the ground and we knelt in prayer.  We prayed we would be guided and have the Spirit to help us teach and interpret.  Then, when we went to move, my heart was pounding harder and harder with every step I took as we made our way over to the group.  Turns out, the deaf woman was Becca.  I had signed a little with Sister Mann and her earlier that Sunday when she came to our concert.  Her face lit up when she saw me.  We talked a little then explained we would be taking turns interpreting and teaching the rest of the hearing group.  As we began the [discussion], important information about the Trail of Hope, and games, my head was spinning.  The whole time I kept a prayer in my heart to have the gift of tongues and to help her understand.  I knew she was good about reading lips since our conversation with her and her family on Sunday, lead me to know that no one in her family knew sign language (which to me was really sad). But, what was to happen when it got dark?  I would have to be really clear with my facial expressions and signs.  Long story short, I struggled.  I had to fingerspell a lot (which she would then tell me what the sign for it was).  As we began the trail, we explained to her that we and gotten two lamps...One for the individual leading the rest of the group and one for her, so she could hold it up to wherever light was lacking.  Then, as we started down the trail, we [explained] that we would take turns interpreting for two [vignettes] and then lead the group for two.  My first one was terrible.  I was so embarrassed.  As we went down the trail, I progressively got better. When we reached Eliza R. Snow's, I watched as Sister Skousen did her best (which was much better than my best).  I thought to myself, "Why wasn't I blessed with the gift of tongues?  I know Heavenly Father with the snap of His finger could have allowed me, for a short time, perfect knowledge of these words.  So why not allow that if she could have had such a better experience?"  I felt so disappointed in myself.  When suddenly, the strongest impression came over me and tears filled my eyes.  It said, "You don't need to be perfect; the Spirit is the teacher here.  He will provide the rest."  Afterward, she thanked us and her family did as well.  We thanked her for her patience with us and we hugged and watched her walked away in the darkness with her family to the river.  Sister Skousen and I both looked at each other at the same time with grins on our faces and burst out laughing. "I can not believe we just did that!" I signed.  Truth be told, we definitely had the best "THERE I WAS" to share at prayer circle that night.  Anyway, that was a pretty insane experience.  But, it's cool that even when I wasn't able to do missionary work with my voice at that time, Heavenly Father found another way...and it was the most terrifying experience of my life!  Ha, ha, ha.

I can not wait for you all to come and I miss you like crazy!

Love, Sister Ashby

Sister Skousen

Week TEN: Storm Chasers: Nauvoo Edition

NOTE:  We received letters from Sister Ashby this week, too.  An additional post was written including snippets from her letters.  Here is the link to that post.

Uncle Mark and Aunt Ginger have been going to Nauvoo for the past
14-ish years. They go for a month each summer to help prepare the families
who come to participate in the Pageants each summer.  This year they have been
working with the Red Cast for Pageant.

Hello, family and friends! This week has been another crazy week! We are definitely ALL getting very tired! We had 9 people on vocal rest this week. We also ended up getting yelled at for that, so, Oops!

This week definitely has been one of the harder ones. Sister Buchei [one of the senior missionary leaders] said that all the YPMs are so amazing and wonderful at creating Zion, Satan couldn't budge his way in.  Instead, he is finding his way in through other ways.  It's definitely been tough because I wasn't allowed to play "Rachel" on Friday in "The Promise" since I was back on vocal rest.

Off from the emotional hard part...we are all good now and I am back singing.

Now, for the fun part! This last Friday night, we had a massive storm hit! It was insane! We were all about to go on stage for the big finale in the British Pageant for Red Cast closing night.  We had a GIANT lightening storm and one lightning bolt lit up the entire sky and the thunder was SO LOUD! They waited another five minutes or so and, the stage techs called the cuts on the show halfway through a song and seconds after that it began to POUR!  We all booked it backstage for our costumes and things and then booked it across a field to get to our car where we were parked! Needless to say, we were absolutely drenched within seconds, before we got to the car.  I was blinded. We couldn't see anything and Sister McCurdy lost a contact. When we got home, we danced in the rain.  IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

Anyway, so sorry for the shorter email! Lots happened while we were trying to write our emails, so we didn't have a lot of time.  I can give you more details in a letter I'll send this week.

Low photo quality:  Sister Ashby (purple dress) dancing in the number
 "Gallant Ship" in the British Pageant.  This is one of her favorites.

Nauvoo Pageant opening night last week.
Photo credit: The Nauvoo Family Cast Facebook Page via Elise Hammond.

Week NINE: Long Week in Nauvoo

Nauvoo Pageant Stage
Photo Credit:  LDS Media

HELLO ALL! THIS WEEK HAS GONE BY SO SLOW! [partly because she was on total vocal rest and couldn't talk with ANYONE]

This week was crazy but so fun! Pageant [practices] are going great and the dances are SO MUCH FUN!  And I still haven't body rolled down the stage, so we are doing well in that department! It was really scary, at first, seeing the stage. It's on a huge slant, but I'm getting used to it. I also haven't tripped on stage, yet.  I did get dropped during "Sunset"... It was HILARIOUS! In [the number] "Nauvoo Boys", we have a section of the dance where all these fun tricks and flips are going on. Mine is that I get thrown into the air.  One especially hot night, I kinda' just slipped through Elder Needham's and Elder Dickson's hands. Thanks a lot, sweat.

Pageant starts next week [on Tuesday] and I could not be more excited! It has been so fun to get to know the family cast and work with the directors! It's been so fun to also have past YPMs come to visit us!

The stage sister missionaries and I are loving sharing dresses. That's why you see us all in different dresses all the time.

Sister Hoagland's Dress???

It's been interesting performing here because pretty much all of us are vocal rest (ha, ha).  We are all kind of at our vocal breaking point right now.  We actually had to cancel going to Carthage today because so many of us are unable to sing right now.  My voice is doing great, but I am still trying to be careful (and I am really scared of damaging it, too).  It is slowly getting better and making its way back.  I have my FULL RANGE now, but I pick and choose when to sing.  That way, I can ease back into it. I am definitely pushing through all my fears, big and small. Last night, I sat through a FIREWORKS show across the Mississippi!  I hate fireworks! [She has had a fear of fireworks since she was very little.]

We also got to do another super fun photo shoot with the elders yesterday. We went to the Mississippi River and got in our pioneer clothing... you all know I was SOAKED by the end of it. I almost fell in 3 times.

We got some sad news. We just found out that one of our Amazing YPMs, Sister Gunn, will be going home today. It is like losing a member of our family. Nauvoo won't be the same without her and we will all miss her dearly. We were all bawling like crazy.  It's so hard for me, especially, since I was the one who got to look after her and serve her when she had health issues before one of our shows last Wednesday.  Serving her that way helped me to love her more than I possibly could have...and now she is leaving.  I know she will be blessed for her service here and I am lucky to have a new friend for eternity.

I have had some really difficult weeks with my vocal cord struggles and the hope of getting it back. I was overcome with fear for my future.  But luckily, with an amazing companion and fellow YPMs who just show so much love and support, I am OK now.

My testimony has already been strengthened so much in God's timing and faith in His will and power.

That is pretty much all that happened and I am loving every second of it!

Sister Hoagland and Sister Ashby chillin' in the Bistro during the
tornado warning a few weeks ago.

A Letter Home

[We received letters from Sister Ashby this week.  They arrived on Monday, July, 9th, but they were written July 3rd.  Here are some snippets of what she shared.]

JULY 3, 2018

Tomorrow is July 4th!  It's so crazy.  It seems like only yesterday I was waking up to leave for the Airport and hugging you all goodbye!  And then getting to the airport and discovering a mysterious chocolate stain somehow made it onto my dress and then I spent like 30 minutes trying to get it out.  Anyway, that part was irrelevant but funny.  My voice is doing better and feeling better.  Vocal rest is so, so hard!  I love everyone so very much and just want to talk to them all and laugh with them24/7!  I addition to that, I have serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).  But everyone is so good and helpful.  I would not be able to do it without their support and aid.  They take really good care of me here.  Everyone always says that I have been such an amazing sport and always have a good, positive attitude and smile.  Some have even told me I am a great example and they can't imagine how hard it must be.  Sometimes I don't feel like I am being very positive in my head, but I try my best!  It also doesn't help when my companion and others (especially Elder Hernandez) makes it hard to be on vocal rest.  They always groan when others remind me of vocal rest because they say they love talking to me. Ha, ha, ha. I'm glad they do because I love to talk to them, too.  Dad's art came and everyone loved the prints.  I was told to say a HUGE THANKS to Dad from the YPMs.  This weeks theme is patience in the Lord's plan for us.  It's been hard with my voice, but I know it will be healed in the Lord's timing.  Ther have also been many other moments this week where I have had to practice patience in one way or another.  We all have.  Sister Nelson is so funny.  She always says, "I didn't even pray for this!"  I am normally a pretty patient person so it hasn't been too difficult.

Opening mission calls has been so fun, especially in the Seventies Hall. [It is a tradition for the YPMs to open their proselyting mission calls in this place because that is where the early Saints opened their calls.] We have so far been able to open up three calls:  Elder Call to Brazil, Elder Mcmeen to Jacksonville, Florida, and Elder Hardy to California.  Now, Elder Goodwin won't be too far behind if President Lusvardi pulled some strings like he said he would!  There are even rumors he may have his mission call by NEXT WEEK!  Pageant practice has been so much FUN!  The core cast is awesome and so nice!  The choreographer, Jonathan, is so cool, too!  The family casts arrived on Sunday.  It has been so fun to get to know them a bit and now that they are officially here, I see Mark and Ginger more, as well. [Uncle Mark and Aunt Ginger go out to Nauvoo every year for a month to help with the family casts.] The pageant stage is so steep!  It's been so scary working on it, but way FUN!  We have all of our dances learned and "Gallant Ships" is my favorite one!  The Irish dancing is also WAY COOL!  I'm way glad that I still get to perform some. 

Sometimes, I feel like maybe someone is singing for me.  After the Sunday concert and some other performances, I had band YPMs (who sit right below us) and stage YPMs come up and ask if I was singing.  When I replied "No," each of them said they swore I was singing.  Kinda' cool, huh?  I really have been thinking a lot about what Elder Hatch said to me after the blessing I received...how "my ancestors are here with me."  I think that is just so amazing and cool that they are helping us with our missionary work on the Earth.  I have also really been thinking about Suzi and how much I really, really miss her.

Sister Johnson (one of my favorite Senior sister missionaries), was talking to us about her rebellious days when BYU had a curfew for only girls.  Funny!

I continue talking with my Heavenly Father and asking and listening. And, I really appreciate your amazing Mom advice.  It is true!  Sister Hoagland and I are having WAY too much fun together here.  Definitely making some awesome memories together.

Love you and miss you all.

Love, Sister Ashby

***

To her sister, Makenna:

Thank you for your prayers.  My voice is slowly healing and making its way back.  I have had to practice FAITH a lot during this time.  Your awesome letters make me so happy and I love hearing about your summer.  I am so sad that I couldn't be there to stay up late and gossip about your first date and give you tips..."sister things" like that! But, Nauvoo is amazing and I can't wait to share it with you.

To her sister, Dakota:

You are such a tough girl, Doda.  I am so proud of you! You inspire me daily with your strength and happy positive attitude.  I know it's not easy most of the time, but you are truly a fighter!  I am sorry you've had to miss out on some things this summer due to your surgery.  I hope you can find another EFY week to attend.  Heavenly Father is aware of you and loves you so dearly.  I know that to be true!

To her sister, Oakley:

Thank you for your prayers about my voice!  It's starting to heal,and I know that part of that is because of you prayers.  One of my favorite songs we sing in Nauvoo Singers is "A Child's Prayer".  It is so beautiful and testimony strengthening.  I can not wait for you to hear it.  Some of the lyrics (as you probably know) are "Heavenly Fahter, are you really there and do you hear and answer every child's prayer?"  I believe and know He does!  That includes yours!  So, thank you for that!