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| I never tire of Nauvoo Sunsets. |
In the middle of July, the fall cast of Young Performing Missionaries (now referred to as Nauvoo Performing Missionaries) arrived and began the monumental task of learning music, choreography, scripts, and performance blocking. I am always amazed at how the spirit literally magnifies their talents and makes so much more out of these missionaries than even they can imagine. Rehearsals are grueling. Some lose their voices, develop painful shin splints and swollen knees, and many are emotionally spent. Yet our Heavenly Father blesses them to carry on and push through each day. They lift and serve each other. It is a blessing to be among them.
On Aug. 11th, our summer cast of performing missionaries returned home. I love them all so much, collectively and individually. They have given their all to this work and I know they will be richly blessed because of it. I have told them, just like I tell my own children, "You give Heavenly Father your best and He will give you His best." We can't even begin to comprehend what His best is for them. It'll be spectacular.
Our purpose here in Nauvoo is very different from our last Nauvoo mission. This time we spend our days helping the Nauvoo Performing Missionary program run smoothly, taking care of all of the little details for the leaders, the missionaries, and the guests who come. It's busy, but a blessing to serve. You know the story of Mary and Martha, when the Savior visits their home. Martha went about making sure everything was taken care of and Mary sat at the feet of the Savior. Most people talk about the idea that Mary focused on what was most important, the Savior. One day, Sister Rasband was looking at the large painting of Mary and Martha that hangs in the Provo MTC. Others, who were gathered there, commented on this very same idea...we should all be more like Mary, and less like Martha. I love Sister Rasband's reply at that moment. She said that sometimes she likes to be Martha, so that others can have a Mary experience. I have thought a lot about her comment and feel like that is what we do here. We prepare all of the details so that the missionaries, and those who visit, can feel the love the Savior has for them and have a "Mary" experience. We love taking care of the missionaries and hope that, somewhere along the way, they understand that the reason we do what we do is because we love Christ and we love them. We love Nauvoo, this great work we are involved in of gathering, serving, learning and sharing.
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| Summer Cast Leaders: John & Chante Stutznegger with children Teson and Xander, Cristian Torres, Dianne Ingram, Debbie & Cory Sackett, Teri & Dennis Crockett, Desiree & Scott Crump, Stephanie & Mike Cottam, Ruth & Carl Jones Second Row: Emma Leishman, Ruth Howe, Katie Talbot, Brooke Nielsen, Danna Facer, Madison Franklin, Pyper Foote, Brante Copling, Abigail Storm, Angela Whiting, Jenna Urry, MacKenzie Jeppesen, Kate Nysetvold. Third Row: Lydia Mueller, Makayla Hunter, Sara McGriff, Abby Derrick, Lily Stay, Bethany Fox, Rebecca Miess, Celina Adams, Kassidy Magleby, Dianna Black, Haley Reed, Rachel Fonseca, Melissa Ault, Sadie Webster, and Emilie Garner. Fourth Row: Sam West, Jacob Kropf, Manny Gutierrez, Chance Anderson, Joseph Grooms, David Chandler, Luke Urry, Nick Peterson, Matt Peterson, James Handy, Fifth Row: Joseph Isaacson, Joseph Thompson, Braden Eddington, Tanner Perkins, Michael Ferrier, Josh Fenwick, Scott Young, Kyle Atkinson, Caleb Mousley, Nathan Holbrook, Tyler McQuiston, and Nate Hart. |
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| It's Polka Dot Thursday! Debbie Sackett, Teri Crockett, Someone, and Dianne Ingram |
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| Baby Bambi at the Brickyard |
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| ...and Thumper at the Temple 🐇 |
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| Scott loves to share the history of Nauvoo with the missionaries. One Sunday, after church, we took time to go to the Old Pioneer Cemetery. |
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| I love this view of the Mississippi River lined with American Lotus plants. |
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| A Preparation Day field trip to the Lucy Mack Smith home. |
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| And then off to Sarah Granger Kimball's home. We just love it when the missionaries are so interested in the history of this amazing place they are serving in. |
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| On one of our Preparation Days we went to the National Cemetery in Keokuk, Iowa. Some of these headstones date back to the Civil War. I feel like it really is sacred ground that we are walking on. |
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| That same Preparation Day we took a little Mississippi River boat ride. It was fun to go through the Keokuk Lock and see how the whole process works. We ended up being on the boat with a "boatload" of other senior missionaries 😉  |
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| I only serve as comic relief in the Nauvoo Brass Band. Sister Jeppesen and Sister Webster are the reason for this photo! |
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| I love this picture from "Grandma's Feather Bed" during Sunset By the Mississippi. Sister Leishman is about five feet tall and Elder Young is six foot something. This just cracks me up! 😂 |
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| Along the Trail of Hope, Elder M. Peterson and Sister Andersen portray George A. and Bathsheba Smith. I love both of these missionaries and their willingness to do all that their Heavenly Father asks of them, and more. |
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| Yes. That's correct; It's 9:00 at night, the temperature is 84 degrees. The humidity is 91%, which makes it feel like it's 99 degrees. |
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| It takes a village to prepare smoked brisket for our performing missionaries. Elder Brown, Elder Bowman, and his brother, Elder Bowman 😉 were so gracious to help us get ready for our missionary dinner. These senior missionaries, and their wives take care of us so amazingly well and we love them! |
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| Just a beautiful evening, out by the barn with the Percherons. |
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| One of Scott's favorite things in the world when we travel to Ft. Madison...the old swing bridge turns so the barges can pass underneath and we get "barged". |
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| Another history trip, this time to the Stoddard Tin Shop. |
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| Playing the part 😊 |
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| Elders Atkinson, Hart, McQuiston, Peterson, and Chandler 💕 |
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| One of the Summer Casts of Be Your Own Hero: Front: Emma Leishman, Matt Peterson, and Nick Peterson Back: Brante Copling, Nate Hart, Lily Stay, Nathan Holbrook, Tanner Perkins, Danna Facer, and Kassidy Magleby We love this group soooo much! 💕 |
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| One thing we love to do is have dinner with the YPM leaders: Cory & Debbie Sackett, Dianne Ingram, Teri & Dennis Crockett, Cristian Torres, Mike & Stephanie Cottam, and Ruth & Carl Jones. Scott is the one taking the picture 😉 |
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| Down in the Bistro of the Visitors' Center, feeding the missionaries with Elder Crockett and Sister Ingram. |
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| Nothing like dinner in the Bistro. |
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| The FM grounds crew does an amazing job beautifying Nauvoo. |
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| The garden area behind Lyon Drug. |
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| It has been a tender mercy to be able to attend the temple with our missionaries as they go for the first time to receive their own endowment. |
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| With Elder & Sister Crockett 💖 |
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| The most recent tour Scott has given...this one at Browning Gun: Sisters (left to right): Hannah Mathews, Abigail Atkinson, Jenna Urry, Allegra Erickson, Pyper Foote, Hailey McCarthy, Molly Trujillo, Rachel Andelin, Madisen Andersen, Karli Wheatley, and Karen Schultz. Elders: Christian Devey, Wyatt Halley, Dallin Salway, Luke Urry, Tanner Perkins, and Nick Peterson. |
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| We had a surprise visit from Larry & Karen Dunn. We loved being their tour guides for an afternoon. Sharing Nauvoo with friends is one of our favorite parts of serving here. |
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| In front of the restored Orson Hyde home. |
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| Fall Cast Front Row: Tekoah Chamberlain, Hannah Mathews, Hailey McCarthy, Allegra Erickson, Pyper Foote, Sarah Olson, Abigail Atkinson, and Rachel Andelin Second Row: Molly Trujillo, Karli Wheatley, Sara McGriff, Madisen Andersen, Celina Adams, Emilie Garner, Jenna Urry, Lydia Mueller Third Row: Lynn Hall, Nick Peterson, Matt Peterson, Luke Urry, Kyle Hardin, Nephi Sorenson, Dallin Salway, Christian Devey, Garret Hinton Fourth Row: Caleb Tibbitts, Nate Hart, Nathan Holbrook, Joseph Robinson, Tanner Perkins, Joseph Thompson, Jacob Kropf, and Wyatt Halley. |
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