Wow! It's been a while. I apologize for the long delay since the last post. You see, I wasn't sure how to write a post about the most life-changing experience I've ever had. What I will do is post a couple of my favorite letters home on here and you can read those. This will just give you an idea of a typical week in Nauvoo. In addition to the funny things you will read, there were amazing testimony builders. We had talks every week from our mission president that were inspiring and uplifting. I have never felt so close to my Savior as I did in Nauvoo. The beautiful thing is that what I learned in Nauvoo doesn't end in Nauvoo. I will continue to bear my testimony and live my life differently because of my experience there. Nauvoo was a miracle for me. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It's the most beautiful blessing I have ever experienced.
Hello family!!
I didn't have time on P-day to write to you, so President is letting me write while I wait for my companion to finish her meeting with President. This week has been so great!! We started performing on Saturday! There was a lot of adrenaline and a lot of energy for both shows. The first show was great and we had a couple of really funny things happen. During the first scene there is a really fast costume change and the Elder got his hand caught in the sleeve and then he had to get on stage so he thought he would just put it through the sleeve the rest of the way while he was on stage. His hand would NOT go through the sleeve. It was completely stuck. Because of that, his jacket looked extremely awkward. He really looked like a hunchback on stage. He had to shake hands with the people on stage and it was his right hand that was in the coat. So when he went to shake another Elder's hand, it was a girly handshake and then he had to grab his bag with his sleevie hand. We were dying backstage. It was so funny! Another thing that happened was one girl tripped on another guy's foot and she fell right off the stage onto her bum. Everyone on the front row kept asking her if she was all right. She was thoroughly embarrassed. We had another guy step on a girl's dress during the dance scene and rip the bottom off so it was about 3 feet of fabric just trailing around her. And then there is a lift that some of the couples do where the guy just lifts up the girl in the back and holds her like a bear hug around her legs. Anyway, the heels on girl's shoes got caught in the front part of the elder's pants. He kept trying to lift her higher so she could get them out and she ended up having to sit on his shoulder while she took her shoes out of his pants. It was a little awkward but absolutely hysterical. Oh my... I hope that makes you laugh!
Sunset by the Mississippi is by far my favorite show. I still struggle a ton with high hopes and riverboats and what I feel should be the story here. I'm working on having the same energy for that show, but it is difficult. At sunset though we had a hilarious thing happen! One night this week it was attack of the June bugs. Matt, Melodie, Josh, and Steve, do you guys remember June bugs??? Sickness and death!!!!! They are so disgusting!! They are fat, brown, loud, an inch long AND they fly!! ugh!!!!! They are stupid bugs too!! They kept dive-bombing the stage and you could hear them splatting on the stage and then because they land on their backs they just buzz around and it's really loud and sick!!! During one of our group numbers, a june bug landed in my companion's hair and she started jumping around and shaking her head during the group number. Oh my gosh... it was so funny!! About 5 minutes later, during the patriotic medley, one of the bugs landed on a sister's neck and she let out a giant scream. The audience loved it. It was hilarious and will probably be one of my favorite memories of Nauvoo.
My voice is holding up really well!!! I will have vocal chords of steel when I get home. We are constantly singing and I know the Lord is helping all of us. Also, when I got out here both of my feet were hurting excrutiatingly from when I broke them. I thought they were healed before I came but I couldn't dance at all. I started wearing my boot to all the rehearsals and I couldn't learn the clogging I needed to. It was very frustrating and I was really worried I was going to be sent home. It's kind of a dancing mission... I went in to talk to the mission president about it because I was so worried. He gave me a blessing and told me the Lord is very proud of me and my service here. He said my feet would heal completely because the Lord wants me to dance with all my heart here. About a week before the shows started, my feet were completely fine. I kid you not. I was not doing anything differently. In fact, I was working harder and not wearing the boot. My feet have not hurt in two weeks. My companion's feet hurt every day after our performances and my feet do not hurt. Do you understand what a miracle that is?? My feet have been hurting for 9 months and all of a sudden I can dance for 8 hours and my feet don't hurt. I tear up thinking about it. I know I needed to learn things from my feet hurting. The Lord has a specific design for His children and all of their trials are catered specifically to them. I love you guys so much. My heart is so full as I think about how blessed I am. The gospel is true. Shout it from the rooftops!!! It's true!!! The only true happiness in life comes through our Savior Jesus Christ. His atonement allows that happiness in all of us. He wants us to come to Him so much!!!!! You are all so amazing!!!! Thank you for your support!!!!!
With all my heart,
Sister Gardner
