Nauvoo's Natural Beauty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pageant!

Pageant started this week! It is such a great show! I love being able to be a part of it all. We are in 2 big dance numbers and thats all but it is awesome. We come on for the "welcome" dance and I do some big lift things in it. Then we are also in the "Evening" dance where I get to do some "Scottish fling" dancing! I love it! It is such a priviledge to work with such amazing people. The people in the core cast is pretty much who I want to be when I grow up! Maybe someday I will be like Aurora and Jeff Dickamore. haha they are so wonderful! (They play Robert and Becky Laird in the show from Scottland) Anyway it is such a good old time and I LOVE working with the family casts! At first I thought it would be pretty difficult to work with kids and teens and stuff but they really are so great! At the end of one dance we have to get into a "family prayer circle" for the close of the scene and last weeks "red" cast I was with the Barns family and they were so nice. Last night was their last night and this week the new cast is starting the shows (They do two week rotations then switch out the families) and I am now in a prayer circle with the Woods and the Hills. Sounds funny eh? just wait and me and Elder Black are in their group so the Woods and the Hills are with the Blacks and the Smiths... Yes indeed what a funny happenstance. It is truly a wonderful experience. Even if we perform on a 45 degree raked stage. It's a hoot

 

 

So since we are only in 2 dance numbers we have a good amount of time to sit and talk behind the outdoor stage. We have started to have wonderful deep gospel discussions. It is so great. Last night we talked about how to keep our focused outwards and serving the Lord and the people who come here in the midst of self obsorbing duties here such as how our acting is or how our singing is or our costumes or hair or attitude. It really is a hard balance.


Elder Partridge gave a wonderful analogy, how in a regular full time mission if the world was a music store, we would be the man behind the counter helping those who come into the store searching for truth, and fixing instruments, but on this mission, we are the instruments itself. We are brought into the store, we are tweeked and worked on until we sound just right so we can continue to make the music the Lord would have us make. We both have the same goal but our roles are different. Anyway I have to go now but it was a wonderful analogy.

...on we go!!

With all the changes from sister Allen leaving us, things have been quite lively lately. I am now Granny in our little kid puppet show ( and I think they told me I am going to be the hostess for it too.... I'm not sure) Sister Allen's part of Catherine was given to my companion Sister Welch. She sounds SO fantastic and I couldn't be happier for her! I also jumped in on the street vignette we do "Youth of Zion". I now play Caroline Rollins (of the Mary and Caroline Rollins that saved the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon) it sure is fun!!

Everyone is working hard to get along and to move the work along, but sometimes it gets difficult. But I know that if we all soften our hearts, the Lord will bless us and show us the way to be true disciples of Him.

I'm trying to think of things that happened this week. It is crazy that it is already another week out here. The days are SO long, so I can't believe how fast the weeks go by. I don't know if I have told you this saying they use out here before but they say, "The days are long, the weeks are short, and dinner never comes!" Ain't it the truth. our friday's are probably the longest. We start at the temple at 6:45 and go go go all day until trail of hope and that ususally doesn't get finished until after 10 pm. We are going so much that we have to actually bring all of our stuff with us that we will be needing ALL day, because we don't ever come back to our house until the late night.

I love it though. I've really learned what hard work is, and the true definition of being worn out! Also, I learned you can get a WHOLE LOT done in a day when you wake up at 5;30 or 6 am!! What a though eh?

I love this gospel and I love that I have the priviledge of doing something so great! I know we have a living father in heaven who loves us individually and unconditionally. He knows the intent of our hearts and will love us through any trial we might face. I know the Lord's timing is everything, we only need to trust in Him and have faith that His will is the best and all will work out. Joseph Smith was a real man and a true prophet of God. He did indeed see God the Father and His son Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove and he translated the true Book of Mormon through divine inspiration. I love this churhc and I know it is true!*

Love!!!
Samae

what??? hehe

We have friends in the kitchen....who make us lunch every day.  Though these sweet couple missionaries will remain nameless they are WONDERFUL and they took this picture of us and they wanted to send it home for me. Proof positive that we have all kinds of fun!! I think we look so cool! I love you all!!

LOOK!!!!

YES!!  it is what you think you see...........a real French braid!!! I am so excited!

Ups and Downs

 We started pageant rehearsals this week. Yep just added it to what we are already doing. We rehearse from 8 to 9:30 and call for our regular shows are 9:45 Its interesting thats for sure, but awesome.

Also, we found out tragically that one of our sisters has to go home. Sister Allen. She is a stalward individual and such a great girl. There is something wrong with her though and they aren't quite sure what it is. I've been there before and so a LOT of my same feelings are coming back like they did last year. It is interesting but hard. What a blessing it was to find out about my cancer before I came here. What happened to sister Allen would have happened to me..I feel I was so blessed and taken care of.  My heart is with her and it is hard for all of us.  But we all just had an amazing testimony meeting and I personally feel a lot better about the whole thing.

My prayers are with you Sister Allen and I love you.

I am learning so much, there are ups and downs but things are great and the Lord's hand is in everything.  I love this work...and it IS work!!

 

 

Sister Samae Smith

from June 23rd....HALF WAY

We had the opportunity to go to the mission presidents house today for lunch (Just our district) and we got to talk with him and his wife for a long time afterwards. They told us their whole story of how they met and got married and such it was a fun time. I get to work with some really amazing people out here! The very best.

And seeing BJ was the GREATEST surprise ever!!! I can't believe how much I missed him since I've been gone. People here think it is SO funny that he calls me Sally... that has never sounded strange to me but I suppose it is pretty odd. I loved him being here though.

 

Vocal Point is here this week. It's pretty funny, they walk around in the EXACT same clothing everywhere they go. It is pretty cute to see so many A Capella b-boys running around. We heard a snippet of a song today of theirs and it was great. They are nice and they can really sing! I'm excited to hear them tonight in the fireside though (They are performing for us) and then we get to see them on tuesday after Sunset by the Mississippi do their show.

 

we have officially reached the half way mark. Yesterday was day 51 out of 102 days here. It is crazy that it is half way over. Elder Camp said this second half is going to fly by twice as fast as the first half... and I am determined to not have any regrets on the last day. Focus. Focus. Focus!! It will be great. And I am going to be the best missionary I can be. first a missionary, then a performer. Thats what I'll be

 

 

 

 

love, sister smith