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.