A little reminder

So things since Nauvoo have been....well amazing. I have been working in the Cultural Arts department at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. We have been costuming the play Savior of the World. We also costumed for El Salvador del Mundo, which you may have guessed is the spanish version. It has been a great experience. El Salvador del Mundo was being filmed for distribution and so costuming for it was a bit of a challenge, there is also the fact that hispanic people tend to be shorter and narrower than caucasian people. The production ran for one week so it was hard to see all the cast go. We miss them a lot and had so much fun! It was hard for me because I was just starting to get to know some of the cast members and make friends. But hopefully I can continue to keep in contact with them. Savior of the World has been running for just over a week now and it has also been fun but very different. This was the first year El Salvador del Mundo has worked in the Conference Center Theater but Savior of the World has been running for several years. So working with the El Salvador cast I was on equal footing (being new to the theater myself) and with Savior of the World it is like joining an already established group of friends. So it is a little more challenging. But it is so fun! I am so happy to be here and living in Salt Lake!

Don't judge a book by it's firsts chapter

So people here are awesome! I love them very much but I won't lie there have been a few people who welll....let's just say it's a bit more challenging to love them. But when I try it just works...Also people change sometime they are just in an uncomfortable situation when you first see them or even the first few times and then suddenly they surprise you. For example, there is one guy in the core cast that I just feel soooo awkward talking to, nearly every other cast member has been fine and easy to get to know....a couple of times at lunch he has sat with us sewing ladies but he never looks at me or seems to acknowledge my existance in anyway. Today he came and sat right by me and still no recognition. I was kind of annoyed at that point and just decided he was a grumpy guy and I didn't need to get to know him. Then today on my way in to do costumes I ran into him several times. Each time he gave me a big smile and waved. I was slightly baffled. I actually talked to him tonight at the dance. It was still kind of weird and I had NO idea what to say but I think the feeling was mutual. I think that he is just a bit shy, despite the fact he is an actor. Then again I am the exact same way. Anyhow, I realized that I just to conclusions and I shouldn't have. Prehaps he has not been feeling well or something like that, who knows. But he did me a favor tonight which I really appreciated. Nauvoo has helped me change my perspective, I am sure it will take several times of coming here but I think coming has put me on a path that will better allow me to serve the Lord. I love this place, I love the people here, and I love the people who were here. Their sacrifice made it possible for us to live the way we do today!! Love you all!! Good night. :)

Just what I needed

So the last couple of days I have been feeling a little weary, spiritually and physically. Not that I wasn't having fun in Nauvoo but I just felt....heavy I guess. Like I had so much on my mind. Well today we had a devotional given by the guy who used to play Parley P. Pratt, he is not the director his name is Paul Walstead. He is awesome! In the devotional he talked about how Satan tries to make us feel weary and he attacks us when he thinks we are weak. He then talked about when Nepho was commanded to build a boat. Nephi did not doubt or fear he just said "Ok where is the ore so I can build tools?" He also talked about Peter being a fisherman and how when the Savior walked across the water Peter got out of the boat in the middle of a storm even though he knew it was the safest place. It just touched me and I really felt like he was talking to me. He also said something that really touched me....he said "What defines who we are is the way we serve the Lord" It is my new motto.

Later in the day I was talking to one of the wonderful ladies I work with and she mentioned she served her mission in Belgium. I mentioned that two of my FHE brothers were from Belgium. She totally knew them when she was in Belgium!! How cool is that?? It is amazing how small a world it is! It really made Kathleen happy and it was cool.

Pictures from Nauvoo!

Ok I hope this works. I never can get pictures to load right. :) Today was amazing! I got to spend time at several places in Nauvoo that are usually swarmed with people, but I was by myself. It was so special!! I even was in the Red Brick store by myself which is crazy!! It was wonderful! My car broke down (due to user error) but one of the ladies in the sewing room called her husband and he helped me see the error of my ways :) Because to that time I ended up going to the brick making place and listened to the presentation which was fun. The missionary that was working was talking to us afterwords and he mentioned the directions to get to Inspiration point, there is a clearing that overlooks the river. Joseph Smith used to go there and ponder and pray. I felt the Spirit so strongly there!! It was just amazing!! You can feel the strength of those early saints. I love it here! I also went to a couple of short plays today. One is called the Letters of Emma and Joseph, in it the people that play Joseph and Emma in the pageant recite exerpts from correspondence between the Prophet and his wife. Then I went to the King Follett discourse which was given shortly before the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. Oh on another note I have been doing hair for two of the lead characters in the play which has been great!! I style Emma Smith's hair and also Becky Laird's hair, Becky is a fictional character but one that is a central roll for the portrayal of the story. I do the hair when Suzie (the costuming director) is busy, which lately has been quite often. I love it of course!

Ok here are the pics

The sky has been spectacular lately because of the crazy thunderstorms!

Check out facebook tomorrow for more!

100% humidity, 110% Exhaustion

So as you can tell from the title...I am a bit wore out. Thank goodness I have tomorrow morning off!!! Today was AMAZING though!! It started out with an amazing devotional given by the music director named Paul. He talked about the "ordinary" miracles in our lives. They are many!! It never ceases to amaze me how much God does to let us know He loves us! From then on the day was just emotional. I went to the temple with Janee, it is AWESOME!! Someone told me that they tried to keep the materials and workmanship as close to the original Nauvoo temple as possible. It just amazes me!!! It is so so so stunning!! This place....it is special, I wish I could take what I am feeling and give it to all of you but words cannot describe. There is just a special witness of the Savior that those early Saints left. They left it in the words and deeds. They left it in their sacrifice and their undying faith. I am sure that they, like us, had moments of trial and weakness but they made it through and so can we!!!

Never a dull moment

So today was...well NOT dull! After coming back to my cabin and starting to fall asleep there was a HUGE HUGE thunderstorm!! Like tree limbs down everywhere, lightening blowing out the power thunderstorm! It was INTENSE! I am not going to lie I was kind of freaked out. It would shake my little cabin like there was an earthquake! I have been in crazy thunderstorms before but nothing like that! It calmed down around 9 am and I finally got some real sleep for about 2 hours.

Church was really nice today the ward is ridiculously large due to all the tourists to Nauvoo. But it was still really nice...then I went for a Sunday drive down by the river which was GORGEOUS...I will post a picture soon...but I got stuck in the mud turning around...I was still in my dress and high heels...haa haa haa...what an adventure!! I made it out though, all by myself...well with help from my Heavenly Father :)

After church I moved into a hotel with a girl named Janee who happened to have an extra bed and didn't want to stay by herself anyways! Wahoo! I am going to give her the money I would have been paying for my cabin. But I have air conditioning, running water, and an indoor toilet. It is amazing how much you miss those things!!! So I am here for about a week then back to the cabin I go...but at least they are moving me cabins so I will have an Air conditioner! I am just so so so so so so happy to be here...no matter where I am...but I won't lie. Being in a hotel is much more comfortable!

Zion

So since my youth in the church people talk about Zion. We talk of building Zion, of being a Zion people and other Zion things. I knew this meant that we are expected to work and sacrifice for others and that in this process we would find joy. Let me just say Nauvoo is Zion. I am exhausted beyond belief. Let me tell you why.

To start lets just say I have not been sleeping due to circumstances in my cabin...not that I am complaining I am glad to have a place to sleep. But running on about 3 to 4 hours of sleep, I started my day at 8 am. I got to the costume shop and started working on making a pattern for some bags that store small costume peices like scarves and things....(By the way Mom THANK YOU for teaching me how to look at something, think about it, and figure out how to make it from scratch!) Around noon they have us quit working and go home for a break...I finally left at 1:30 ish....got home and took a nap for about an hour and a half, then I was back at the shop at 4:30 to watch Suzie (the costume director) do hairstyles for the core cast members so that if there is an emergency I can do the hair. Then we went to Burlington for some random items, then I had to work the pageant until about 10:30. Then back to the shop we go and wait for the cast to check their costumes back in. This only happens on Saturday, and hurrah for that! We take ALL of the laundry to 3 different laundromats and wash and dry them, then we bring them back to the shop hang them up and sort them by size....let me give you an idea of what this entails...Most Women in the cast have a dress that has 5 pieces, they coordinate so that the costume gets lighter through the show...anyhow they have 3 bodices and 2 skirts, a petticoat, and pantaloons. Then they also have day caps, and shawls that have to be laundered. The men have pants, one shirt and two vests. This does not include the children's clothes. If we were not serving the church I don't think this would be possible! I have never seen laundry folded and hung up so quickly in my life!!

That is just the laundry story....I just cannot explain to you what it feels like here. Everyone smiles, everyone is your friend, everyone is happy. We work until we can barely move and yet we want to work more. It is just unbelievable! Not to mention all the wonderful sewing tricks I am learning!!

I guess back to the main point....it is Zion...for the first time in my life I know what that means....it is caring for your brother and sister...and also letting them care for you. Service is a two way street....I have learned that here more than any other time...not that I have not had service given to me, my family is ALWAYS helping me out! But here, a complete stranger will open their home, or give you a loaf of bread or help you learn to use a serger....It is just....amazing. I have learned that with the Love of Christ anything is possible...it binds us through the heart. It gives us compassion, humbles us, and allows us to accept. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can live....and I mean live...in so many senses of the word! It is happy here....just so happy!...I hope and pray when I leave here I can work just as hard because of the things I have learned.

I love you all!!