Week FIVE

Below is Sister Ashby's email this week.  [Included are a few amendments for clarification.]

This week has been good! I uploaded tons of pictures and videos to my Google Drive.  This week we got to perform for Brad Wilcox, so that was cool!

I did the solo for "Grandma's Feather Bed", too, and just had to alter the top belt note a little.  [This is a solo for the musical number in "Sunset by the Mississippi" that she has been waiting to do until her voice heals.]

This week has been quite entertaining! So the wasps seem to be gone but now there is lots of tripping. In the opening scene [of "The Promise"], Sister Smith face planted it on stage and it was the funniest thing EVER. IT WAS SO HARD TO STAY IN CHARACTER! Sister McCurdy has been tripping lots, as well. I haven't had any moments, yet, which is surprising but good! Elder Hernandez fell down the stairs while passing the sacrament and the gluten-free Rice Chex went flying. [We are assuming that it really was funny and that no one got hurt. ;P ] 

It was so great to see Family this week!  [Aunt Heidi, Uncle Mike, and Baby J visited Nauvoo last Wednesday as they were in Chicago for a family wedding.  Heidi was able to see Sister Ashby in most of the performances, visit with her a tiny bit (because they only have 2 minutes before they have to run off to another show), take some pics and video and then report back to her worried Mama that ALL IS WELL.]

Aunt Heidi, Uncle Mike, and Baby J

The Trail of Hope has been amazing! We had almost 700 people on Wednesday and my voice was killing me by the end. [Aunt Heidi was there that evening. She can attest to the numbers. Sister Curtis reported to Heidi the next morning that they had 672 people the night before that came down the Trail of Hope. The YPMs had to do their monologues 27 times to accommodate all the visitors coming through.  They had a couple of youth groups visit Nauvoo this last week for Youth Conference.]

Walking to the Trail of Hope

YPMs singing before Trail of Hope begins.
(Look at that crowd!!)

 It's getting a bit hotter here and the dresses are ovens but they are still fun!

"Sunset By the Mississippi"

Friday morning, I had the opportunity to go sing at Carthage. The morning was very, very wet and we had a fun drive there.  As we got to Carthage, we were able to sing for many of the youth groups in attendance. Afterward, we were talking to one of the senior missionaries and her husband. She proceeded to tell us about the day Joseph [Smith] was martyred. It was in June, a rainy, rainy morning that then turned very humid later that day. That stayed in my thoughts all day as the day became hotter and humid. It is always such a special time there.

Time is flying by so fast! I cannot believe it is already June. I am so excited for you to come to Nauvoo!

LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH AND MISS YOU!

Addendum (by Sister Ashby's mama):

With no intention of singling Sister Ashby out among the amazing young missionaries she serves with, I share this story:

Today, after church, this darling senior couple chased us down the hall and introduced themselves. President and Sister Stoddart.  (We had never personally met before.)  He was just called to serve as the Branch President to one of the two branches in our own stake. They proceeded to tell us that they had just visited Nauvoo this last week with their daughter's family and had met this performing missionary named Sister Ashby.  In visiting with her, they discovered that she, too, was from South Jordan. They tried to discover some SoJo ties, but didn't find any and the time.  They enjoyed talking with her and were very impressed with her.  During the next couple of days, they kept seeing her all over Nauvoo performing with her various casts and she continued to impress upon them even more.  They felt a connection with her.  Later this week, after their return, they were talking to President Harris (who is a counselor in the branch presidency and is from our ward) about their visit to Nauvoo. They mentioned meeting this amazing Sister Ashby who was a young performance missionary there. President Harris then said, "Well, you know she's in our stake, right.  In fact, she is in my ward!"  They could hardly contain themselves.  President and Sister Stoddart, after finding out that our ward block was just ending, ran over to our church building after their meeting was over to hunt us down. They just wanted us to know how impressed they were with Sister Ashby, her talent, and her Spirit.  She had touched them dearly during their short visit to Nauvoo.  They and their extended family had felt her testimony, her light, and her goodness.

These beautiful young performing missionaries serving in Nauvoo all have the ability to touch lives in ways they'll never know.  While they interact with visitors, their testimonies of the gospel shine through and they impress upon people young and old, member and non-member alike, the spirit of that special place.  Impressions that make a difference. Impressions that change people's lives.  Impressions that last! To the amazing group of missionaries who have been called to serve this summer in Nauvoo...Thank you!