Nauvoo activities

Last Monday, the temple missionaries had a talent show "sociable" - as they call it here.  It was an assigned pot-luck dinner with a fun talent driven program following.  I participated in a barber shop octet as well as in another number (along with Becky and four other couples) where we sang "getting to know you" along with a little soft shoe, etc.  We are starting to pull together as a close-knit group of missionaries.  Working together in the temple by day, having great "sociable"s a couple of times each month,  attending church together on Sundays and enjoying home evenings and dinners together on a regular basis as well.  It's fun and fulfilling.  We are really enjoying our time here in Nauvoo.

This week, we made it to Carthage.  After all, Thursday was the 27th of June, the day that Joseph Smith was martyred 169 years ago.  We went there to attend a commemoration held in his and Hyrum's honor.  We weren't the only ones there.  We were told to take our own folding chairs.  We assembled on the lawn below the window from which Joseph fell.  Music was provided by the Nauvoo Brass Band (16 of the Young Performing Missionaries) and a choir made up of the other 24 Young Performing Missionaries and another choir consisting of the Young proselyting sister missionaries assigned to Nauvoo and yet another singing group (BYU's Vocal Point singers) which happened to be in town for the occasion.  The Nauvoo Mission President, President Gilliland, gave the oration and President Condie, president of the Nauvoo Temple, gave the benediction.  The whole was short and sweet - only lasting about 45 minutes.  Because of the crowds, that day was not the day to tour the jail - we will return in a week or two to do that.

The core cast (about 20 members) for the pageant arrived last Wednesday. The "family cast" (everyone else that does not have speaking parts) will arrive this week to prepare for the production that begins the following week.  As I understand it, the family cast, some 100-200 people will be replaced every week of the production - giving many a chance to participate,  each group arrive the week before, to see how it is done and to help with the "country fair" that occurs each night prior to the pageant itself.  I have been asked to help with the Spanish translation two or three times each week throughout the 4 weeks that the pageant will be provided.  I will sit under a canopy off to the side and will wear a headset so that I can easily hear what is going on - English in one ear and Spanish in the other.  I will be given a role to read such as Parley Pratt or Joseph Smith.  It will be my duty to read the Spanish equivalent of that role as that actor says his lines on the stage in English.  I, along with the others doing the same for the other roles, will be speaking into microphones, so that those in the audience wearing headsets can hear the presentation in Spanish.  I have been practicing a lot over the last few weeks to learn to sync my words with those spoken on stage.  We were each given a DVD of a previous year's production to help us learn.  I only hope that this years' cast members talk at the same pace.  Sometimes it is really difficult to keep up - especially when two are in excited conversation.  My Spanish is not all that good.  But this is a great building experience.