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.