Wednesday, May 10, 2017 – Goodbye Jay & Kristin, Mission Trg. Mtg, New Missionaries,  YPM’s, Planting the Women’s Garden, Sunset Rehearsal

This morning early we had to say goodbye to our guests, Jay & Kristin Wilson. Our Nephew, Jay and his wife have been staying with us for the last three days. We have really enjoyed their visit. We love having family come to Nauvoo to stay with us and take in all of the history and feel the spirit. Jay & Kristin were able to visit most of the historic sites as well as attend the Nauvoo Temple. 

What a wonderful Wednesday Mission-wide Training Meeting this morning. First we were introduced to two new Senior couples that have just arrived in the mission. Elder & Sis. Johnson (3) and Elder & Sis. Barton. Both couples have been assigned to perform with Sis. Johnson and I in the Emma Hale cast.  We sang our traditional “Welcome to Nauvoo” song from our “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” show to them. 

We also sang to the other group of new arrivals in the mission, the YPM’s (Young Performing Missionaries). During our meeting the YPM’s introduced themselves to us individually and as a group they sang to us. One of the songs they sang was the beloved children’s hymn “Whenever I hear the song of a Bird” and they sang like a choir of Angels, literally! It was beautiful, what a great group of talented young people. We will enjoy them singing, dancing and playing their instruments all summer long.

This morning we planted flowerbeds again. This time we were in the Women’s Garden and once again we had a great crew of Senior missionaries who volunteered and gave up part of their P-day to help us plant. It was a great morning of work and we finished just in time too. It started raining just as we had cleaned up and we were putting everything away. We had over three quarters of an inch of rain from the storm this afternoon.

Tonight Sis. Johnson and I had our “Emma Hale Cast” regular weekly “Sunset by the Mississippi” rehearsal. But, tonight was special because we rehearsed with the music of the “Nauvoo Brass Band” playing for us for the very first time. What a difference live music makes, it really made our practice on stage more lively and with a lot more energy.  The YPM’s in the Nauvoo Brass Band did a great job.