Sociable

Here in Nauvoo a fireside or devotional is called a sociable. Every year the YPM's are called upon to prepare and deliver a sociable usually in July. This can be on any subject and is usually an hour long. It is another item on the checklist of things we don't have time for. For example the Young Single Sister Missionaries or YSM's plan and rehearse almost every night for two months in preparation for their sociable. Its a big deal out here.

This year we were assigned the 25th of July and Sister Camp was, as usual, all over it. She spent 2 weeks prayerfully preparing the script. This was after discussions with the YPM's on what they thought was the most important thing they had learned here so far. Unanimously the YPM's selected the theme of what it meant to be part of a Zion community. They had great thoughts and Ideas as to what it was to create and maintain a community of one. It was truly wonderful to hear their perspectives. S/Camp put together a terrific program utilizing all aspects of a the YPM's call mixing choral, solo, instrumental and the spoken word all together into a very spiritual message. Because of the heat we made the decision to move the program from the outdoor stage which seats 850 to the West Theater which only seats 240. This may seem like a trivial thing but at last year's YPM sociable we had over a 1000 people attend. With this in mind we scheduled 2 shows hoping that would suffice.

We had a whole 4 hours to block and rehearse before the performance on Sunday night, there was no other time to do it. The YPM's came prepared with most everything memorized and ready to work. In 5 hours (they sacrificed part of their dinner time) we blocked, rehearsed and set lights for the show then we turned over to the Lord.

I will just say this. The Lord blessed us. I have never been to anything more spiritual in my life. The Spirit was so strong and not once but twice. The Spirit stayed for both presentations as the YPM's bore the purest of testimonies.

Once again Nauvoo is showing itself as the best place on earth. What a privilege and honor it is to be serving here in this sacred and holy place.

E/Camp

100th Show

Today marks the 100th performances of two of our. Just Plain Anna Amanda our children's show and High Hopes and River Boats, our main-stage musical. All the stage YPM's perform in both shows of High Hopes 6 days a week. Both shows of Just Plain Anna Amanda  are performed by either A or B cast. Is this just confusing or what? Don't get me started. Hard to believe we are winding down this summer season and hard to believe that we are wrapping up our second summer in Nauvoo.
I love this place and I love this people.
Sister Camp and I are waiting for family  and friends that are coming to visit us here in the final remaining weeks. Now we will have to clean this house some time in the next few days. Ugh!
Well off to start another day in hot, humid and wonderful day.

Happy Fourth of July

Greetings from dear old Nauvoo.
It was as usual a wild and hectic week and this one proves to be no different. The YPM's haave for the last week and half spent 45 minutes in the morning learning the dance routines they will need to know for the Nauvoo Pageant. Tonight is final dress and they will add another show during their already packed day. After Sunset by the Mississippi is over at 8:00pm they will take 10 minutes to change wardrobe and then report to the Pageant site to visit with the guests for the 20 minutes before showtime at 8:30.They then dance int two of the larger production numbers and leave for home around 9:30pm to go to bed.
Meanwhile the band leaves early from Sunset to play over at the pageant for about 20 minutes after which open the show with the National anthem and then head home for the night at at around 8:45pm.

 I can't begin to tell you how much I love this place and how much I enjoy and LOVE these young missionaries. They are amazing and teach me so much. They I am sure "old friends", brothers and sisters that S/Camp and I associated with in the pre-mortal life. Their spirits are so familiar to us.


The 4th here in Navoo is like any other day here with shows and band concerts as normal. Just a few more people in town in fact all the tickets for every show are gone. Full houses=good times for all.

I hope you all have a great holiday and know that the Camp's are well and very very tired.(but it is a good tired!)
Life is grand, the church is true and we love this little town called Nauvoo.

Maintenance Mode?

Right now as I write this the Stage YPM's are performing their 39th performance of High Hopes and Riverboats. This is their first of 2 shows today. Half of this cast has already completed 2 shows of Just Plain Anna Amanda while the other half served as site missionaries. The energy expended here is amazing and Sister Camp and I just try to keep up. I am usually watching the shows and taking notes but we have a sold out house and their is no seat left for me to occupy.

The Band YPM's are by no means slackers here in Nauvoo. Elder and Sister Brague are responsible for the band. Elder Brague is the director and he has the Band doing some great things this year. They travel around Nauvoo during the day aboard a horse drawn wagon playing mini concerts as the go at various stops. They are really fun to watch and sound terrific. The Band also plays for Sunset by the Mississippi which is about the only time during the day both Stage and band get to perform together. They do this show along side the Senior missionaries and its really fun to watch.

I have already tested the YPM's with "minor changes". After the first week Sister Camp and I did not like the way the scenes were ordered in the second half of the show. So we changed it. The cast took it in stride and did not miss a beat. I would not of dared do that anywhere else but here. These young people know they can do anything asked of them here. They know they have additional spiritual help and they are not afraid to use it. In doing so they recognize that their talents have been given to them by a loving Father and they are exited to share it. They do it every single day here and they are truly inspiring to watch.

Well must be off...Thanks for all of your support and prayers in our behalf, we need it.

We're Open

The shows are open. Saturday was the day and all went well. The Nauvoo Brass Band was on the wagon and filling the Nauvoo air with sweet sounds only they can play. The Stage Missionaries did two shows of Just Plain Anna Amanda with the Puppet show warm up, two shows of High Hopes and Riverboats, Sunset by the Mississippi and Jimmy and Marie. All in all a great day. It is a tough day for me because I enjoy the rehearsal process primarily because I get to spend 12-14 hours a day with such wonderful Elders and Sisters. Now we begin the summer schedule and Sister Camp and I take take care of maintaining the quality of the shows. Its very easy for these young people to get complacent and we strive to inspire and keep things fresh. Still loving Nauvoo and these wonderful young people.

The Camps’ Nauvoo mission so far, by the numbers:

·     2000 miles added to the car’s odometer

·     Two moves of apartments

·     40 Young Performing Missionaries, coming from 25+ states in the U.S.

·     11 full days of 14-hour rehearsals

·     28 vocal musical numbers harmonized

·     15 choreographed show numbers perfected

·     A gazillion lines memorized

·     Four musical shows blocked, rehearsed and close to performance-ready

·     25 band musical numbers memorized (at least) and another 20 performance ready

·     Choreography and stage movement taught to more than 200 senior missionaries on the outdoor stage

·     Two tours of the Carthage jail

·     3 testimony meetings

·     1 group wagon and 1 carriage ride

·     Three district meetings (so far…)

·     15 haircuts for elders

·     Two evening sociable (firesides)

·     One ice cream sociable

·     BBQ lunch with the mission president and his wife

·     Shopping excursions in Keokuk

·     26 musical instruments

·     100+ props, benches and set pieces identified, repaired/built

·     64 show dresses

·     20 show pants hemmed

·     20 pair of suspenders buttoned up

·     26 white men’s show shirts unpicked and modified

·     60 additional show shirts fitted and pressed

·     17 band vests constructed and fitted

·     60+ show hats and bonnets repaired, cleaned and fitted

·     Tons of petticoats, bloomers, suspenders, and dress shields


No wonder we’re exhausted!

But what a ride! These are among the best young people we’ve every had the privilege to work with – they are focused, dedicated, humble, and willing to work incredibly hard, both as performers and as missionaries. The only concern I’ve heard from any of them is how they can find time for personal and companion study when their days start at 8am and end at 10pm…

Tomorrow we finish blocking the last couple of scenes; the stage YPMs are supposed to be out of book tomorrow (have all their lines memorized for all four shows)…nothing short of miraculous when one considers they only started rehearsing their lines 10 days ago... This could never happen anywhere but in Nauvoo – these missionaries are sustained and quickened in very obvious and tangible ways – it’s very humbling to witness.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Well all the YPM"s arrived on May 6th and as usual all heck has broken loose. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse is the name of the game with the stage YPM's rehearsing from 8:30am until 10:00pm most every night. That includes Sunday. What this means is that I am directing 5 shows in a very intense and grueling schedule. We all are exhausted. Chante Stutzneger is working on the clogging right now which gives me the brief opportunity to update the blog.
The YPM's this year are great. They are every one beautiful and talented and their faith and testimonies are incredible. S/Camp and I are in love with each and everyone. Both band and stage are utilizing their status as Missionaries and working very hard with a smile on their faces. We should be ready for opening day at the current rate. I'll now more tomorrow, it's their first day out of book. Usually the most painful of days...

Gotta run, I'm being called back to rehearsal.