We sent Bethany off to Nauvoo on May 12th-- we blinked-- and now it is June 4th. How did that happen so fast? Perhaps it's because we have been in the May/June performance season-- it almost rivals the breakneck pace of December. And just like December, it is all wonderfully enjoyable, good things-- it just doesn't leave much time to document the events or catch your breath.
Here is her first group email sent on May 17th:
Dance the Nauvoo Whoop Dee Doo
HELLO from Nauvoo!!!
I arrived in the St. Louis Airport and met up with all the tech, stage, and band missionaries! There are about 50 of us all together but there are only 27 stage missionaries, 13 elders and 15 sisters!
We drive in a big bus all together and learned music on our way to Nauvoo.
My first full day was Thursday! And it was packed with rehearsals both dance and singing! My voice is a little tired but I think that’s just from the initial shock! My body is sore buuuut I’m just so blessed and happy and excited to be here!
We got most of our casts two days ago and I am double cast in both the casts of trail of hope (as a violinist and as Sally Randall). I am Anna Amanda in the children’s show called “Be Your Own Hero” (formerly known as Just Plain Anna Amanda)! In all honesty in am completely stoked! There are about 7 other shows and we are still casting a couple of them!
My companion’s name is Sister Meiss (sounds like meese) and she and I are the main violinists/ fiddlers! She’s really wonderful and we are already really close!! Alsooo on that note, all the other Elders and Sisters here (stage, tech, and band) are literally the most beautiful, talented, Godly humans I have ever met! I love all of them already and I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be really good friends with these people for years to come! 🤍🤍
Everyone! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 The spirit of Nauvoo is real! And everyday I am just so glad to be here serving my Savior in such a special way!
I want to experience these next three months to the fullest and so I’ve made a couple goals for myself! I’m going to read the Book do Mormon cover to cover! I’m finding at least three things to be grateful for everyday, and each day I am finding a time when I felt the spirit of Nauvoo. The spirit of the early Saints is so powerful and I am so so blessed to be here representing some of them and their stories. And also the miracles are just overflowing in Nauvoo! It is a city of miracles, blessings, the poet of the priesthood, and the Savior!
One of the most incredible things about serving in this mission is the lack of comparison! I have been in the music world for years and one thing I can say is that it is so common to compare skills and abilities. Rankings in orchestra, who gets the lead, whose singing the solo... etc. That’s just part of the music world. But what’s so amazing about being here with these people is that there is absolutely no comparison or hard feelings to one another! It truly is miraculous! And I am so grateful for the unity that is felt among these missionaries!
If you are coming to Nauvoo this summer please know that you are in for a treat! These missionaries that I am serving with are amazing!!
I love you all so stinking much!! Talk to you next week! 🤟🏻🤟🏻🤍🤍🤩🤩
Alsooo a little p.a.
My letter address is
P.O. Box 915
Nauvoo, IL 62354
And my package address is
975 Young Street
Nauvoo, IL 62354
-Bethany-
Not your typical mission activity:)
Weeeek Two Comin Atchooo!
Hello everyone!!
The days don't even feel like days here! My life is just one long day of rehearsal and naps! But I love every single second of every single day here! I can't imagine being anywhere else! I feel like I have so much to say and yet we aren't given very much time on P days so this might be short!
Here are my highlights though!
Ummm Elder Cook is comingggg this week! HEs coming to dedicate some old apostle homes but while he's here is going to preside at our sacrament meeting this sunday! I am so excited for the wonderful spirit that we are all about to experience!
Also side note my P day will be on tuesday next week! because we open our first show on monday so we are going to BUSSIN! We are p[peniong two shows on memorial day... maybe three! I am so excited!!
I got to go to Carthage yesterday! It was such an amazing experience to be on such sacred, special ground. The spirit there is so special! I was moved especially by the fact that one of the prophets last requests was to hear John Taylor sing a Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. I was moved by the fact that something I love so much is something the Prophet Joseph also loved! That also got me thinking about how amazing and moving music is. And how easy it is to feel and share the spirit through music. I truly think that music is different from anything else in the world. It is almost not of this world and it seems like a little piece of Heaven.
In other notes, lol our porr stage elders have really taken a beating this week! This is just a very physically taxing mission and these elders are working so hard and they have just been dropping like flies. twisted ankles, bad knees, hurt backs, concussions! the list just goes on! I however have been feeling pretty good! which I consider a huge blessing because I was really worried about the physical aspect of this mission, but so far so good!
Many or all of you know my mother and what a wise woman she is! This past week I have reflected on something she likes to say. She is a big believer in the miracle of practice. The fact that there are things you just physically or mentally can't do and then you practice and all of the sudden you can do them! through the miracle of practice things that you can't do are made possible. and I have really learned that over and over again in the past week! It is the lord's will for these shows to look good, for the dances to be exciting, and for the songs to be beautiful! And if our will as missionaries is aligned with his then nothing is impossible. I have full confidence that we will be able to pull off 8 shows in 2-3 weeks!
I love being here! I can't express that enough! There are no bad days here, just hard days. And I've learned to let the hard times take me to my knees. The spirit is everyone's daily companion here in nauvoo and I am sure that's how it was for the saints. The spirit was with the early saints as well. and that's what makes the spirit of nauvoo so powerful!
Talk to you all next week! Sending hugs!!
Love,
Sister Fox
Picture email soon to come!!
Last week my favorite missionary moment was getting a text message from Sister Crockett-- she and her husband are the main directors and in charge of the performing missionaries. She sent these fun pictures of Bethany and her companion taking a little rest during a violin practice session.
I call this "Death by Violin".
Then a half hour later I got this photo of them.
Bethany says the costumes are so beautiful. I think this picture is so beautiful.
Here is her week 3 group email:
It's a Treat to Beat Your Feet In the Mississippi Mud!
Aaaaa I have so much to sayyyy and I don't know where to start!
For starters......I caught a frog last monday! I named him Fredrickson. We were rehearsing on the sunset stage (there were so many bugs it was literally snowing bugs!!)
Buuuut it was so fun to rehearse sunset by the mississippi! In two weeks we have put together 3 full shows! It's been a whirlwind! But I have just been basking in the music and spirit! I got cast as some fun dancing and singing solos in Sunset by the Mississippi! Also there are so many fun fiddle numbers in that show! It's a blast!
Also haha side note, I eat probably double compared to what I used to eat at school! We are all just buring so many calories a day that we pretty much eat two meals for every meal! Kinda crazy! All of the stage sisters live in one big house together and any time we have any extra time for dinner or lunch break, we all just sleep on the floor or the stars or the couches! Basically we just nap whenever we aren't in rehearsal or performing!
We opened our first show last night! yesterday for memorial day all the Young Performing Missionaries sang at a cute little Nauvoo community picnic! But it was raining so we moved the picnic inside the tiny high school gym! Honestly, it kinda didn't occur to me that people actually live in nauvoo. I mean I guess in my brain I just assumed it was just a tourist spot....but PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE HERE! LOL! I think that's so cute! Anyway... the memorial day thingy was really great! And Sister Miess and I got to play some patriotic music on our violins while they read old military letters. It was really special!
Honestly too much happened this week to say everything! But the few really important things were that we opened Sunset by the Mississippi and Trail of Hope! I just love performing here because everyone is so dedicated and hard working but nobody is worried about messing up because it's not about us. It's about the visitors and the spirit. Aaaa it's just amazing!
And the most special thing that happened this week was Elder Cook! He came for the dedication, which the dedication prayer was really wonderful! There were some really special blessings for the missionaries in it! But what was even more special was going to sacrament with Elder Cook! It was so wonderful to hear from an apostle of God and not have it broadcasted to the whole world. Because everything he said was just for us. He gave an incredibly powerful Apostolic witness about the Savior! I feel very blessed to have been there.
I'm just amazed by the deep history of our church. I really love being in such a sacred place. Walking on the same ground that the early saints lived on. I love being here!
Last thing! I want to just say that faith is a choice. There's no if, and, or buts about it. You can choose to believe in the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the early saints are incredible examples of that.
I love you all!! XOXO
Sister Fox
They drove almost their whole gang out to Nauvoo in their motor home. They are the first of what will be a steady stream of familiar faces in the audiences this summer. So much fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment