THAT time already?

Is is really THAT time???  Yes..........yes it is!!



















I will be on Southwest flight 1723 coming in Salt Lake at 7:30 pm Tuesaday the 13th!!
There will be many tears......but what a experience it's been!




One thing I can promise.....we have given it our ALL!!

 

 

Young Performance Missionaries, Nauvoo Summer 2013

 

 

 

 

An Apostle visits......

What a wonderful week we've had. I mean, of course, it is getting so hard. We are all kind of falling apart physically. Sicknesses are coming back and fatigue is taking over our mind control haha but we know with the Lord we are sustained and we can do all things!

This last week Elder Dallin H. Oaks came to town!! He was here for a family reunion and not on church business or anything. We didn't want to bother him much so when my companion and I saw him at pageant we tried to steer clear for his sake. But this last friday he came and gave all of us missionaries a training meeting! It was SO good. It was kind of like a college lecture a bit but I didn't mind. It was very historical. He mostly spoke on money problems the church had right around the death of Joseph Smith and the turmoil between Emma and Brigham Young. It was very intriguing. ANd he also randomly spoke on the holy ghost. It was great to see and hear an Elder of the Twelve speak when it wasnt conference. I was curious as to how it would be, but he was still just as eloquent and smart as ever but to have it be more personal and fun was so nice. His cute little wife spoke too for a bit and she is just a doll!!

After the meeting they actually came to our performance of "just plain Anna-Amanda'! I was totally shocked! He was in the back row and I now play the hostess and granny in the beginning opener act for the show on top of being mamma in the actual show.  I called on his wife for a game we were playing when she raised her hand. It was fun!!



Then after the show they all came out and were bombarded by people of course. He was surrounded by family too which was cute but he found me in the crowed and shook my hand and actually hugged me. Maybe he forgot you're not supposed to hug a sister missionary haha. but I suppose an Apostle can do whatever he wants. haha then we got a picture or two with him! I tried not to be an obsessed groupie so I hope I did well.

So that evening, (I suppose friday was my big day of events) after Sunset by the Mississippi long story short one of my fellow sister missionaries and I (Sister Porter) actually gave out a Book of Mormon! It was the most incredible experience. I just happened to be with her talking to this cute couple on the front row after the show. I don't have much time to go into the conversation but they seemed like they were SO ready to hear and accept the gospel! In my heart my thought was "JUST GET BAPTIZED ALREADY" Everyhing they were saying was exactly what we hope people to feel while they are here! It was incredible!

I have a bitter sweet feeling about leaving here so soon. It is so sad to leave such a beloved and sacred place. And to be done being a missionary. I am going to be so sad to no longer wear a nametag, but I am so grateful to be where I am because I have learned so much! I think and hope I have changed and grown to be an even better person than I was before. ANd I am so much more confident in talking about the gospel randomly now to people. I can take all these attributes home with me and apply them.


I love you all and I love this gospel!
Samae

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!