More Messiah

Saturday- Dec. 7, 2013
Sister Ballard couldn't go over to the Messiah practice at Nauvoo but Sister Harris did.  I got off early from the Carthage Visitor Center & Jail to a practice at 2:00 to 3:30 pm.  This practice was in the Grade School music room in Nauvoo.  The choir practiced with the full orchestra and it was really beautiful.  The conductor was a man from the Catholic Church but was very strict with the orchestra  but not the choir.  He told the orchestra that they had to know when to come in because he was going to conduct the choir and bring them in when they should sing but sometimes he didn't bring us in so we just had to know the songs and come in at the right time.  It was surprising how many Mormons were in the choir.  Their were only 6 missionaries singing in the choir.  We had been practicing for 2 months.  We will perform the Messiah in the Catholic Cathedral on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013.

Sunday- Dec. 8, 2013
We went to church at Nauvoo at 8:00 am until 11:00 am. We hurried back to Carthage because we worked at the Carthage Jail and Visitor Center today.   It is really special to serve here and give the tours to the visitors.  We really enjoy meeting people that come to see the Carthage Jail.  When we have the Sunday off their isn't anything to do except maybe write letters or sleep or read books.  It is really fun to skype with family members on Sunday evenings when we aren't having meetings.

Tuesday- Dec. 10,2013
We had Messiah practice again this evening at 7:00 pm until 9:30 pm.  Sister Ballard and Sister Harris went together this night.  Our husbands drove us over to  Nauvoo at the grade school music room to practice and then they went to Elder Durrant and Sister Susan Easton Durrant his wife, meetings.  The Durrants talked about Joseph Smith's brothers and sisters.  They both know so much about Joseph Smith and they are doing firesides every Tuesday and Thursday nights.  We have had to miss a lot of them because of the Messiah practice and Rendezvous.  They have been called here to the Nauvoo Temple to serve a Mission.  So it is fun to go to their firesides and learn so much.

Wednesday- Dec. 11, 2013
We had our 8:00 am training meeting and then served at the Carthage Jail & Visitor Center.  Then in the evening we went to a party at Elder and Sister Gnieting's home at 7:30 pm.  Others came and we sang and ate finger foods.  When a lot of couples came their husbands played instruments and we sang.  Their are so many talented missionaries here in Nauvoo, it is amazing.  It was so much fun to sing Christmas carols as the small band played.

Thursday- Dec. 12, 2013
We had the Dress Rehearsal at 7:00 until 9:30 pm at the St. Peter & Paul's Catholic Church in Nauvoo. We had to do the Rendezvous to night but ran to the Messiah practice at 8:00 pm.  It was amazing.  The sound in that building just bounced off the walls.  The soloist didn't need mikes and it was so fun to sing in the choir with the amazing orchestra.  We drove back to Carthage, the car seems to know the way.  We are traveling back and forth every night to Nauvoo then back to Carthage.  We are really putting the miles on our car.   O,well the fun of being on a mission.

Friday- Dec. 13, 2013  
 Early in the morning at 7:30 am we had a Nativity practice because Pres. Gilliland wanted us to perform it again for the Missionaries this next Sunday night since they missed it on Dec 6th.  Elder Harris and I got up early and drove to Nauvoo again.  Elder Harris was a shepherd and I, Sister Harris was an angel.  We traveled back to Carthage to serve at the Carthage Jail & Visitor Center.
         The Messiah performance is tonight at 7:00 pm.  We have to be there at 6:30 pm and it has started to snow today.  We got about 7 or 8 inches of snow.  It is beautiful but not fun to drive in.  Some of the orchestra couldn't make it because they lived in Quincy, Ill.  We sang in St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church.  We all had corsages with a red rose that this man Bob made.  We had a lot of couple missionaries there to hear us all sing, it was so much fun.
 
Saturday- Dec. 14, 2013
When we woke up I couldn't believe all the snow we had in Carthage.  Elder Harris was out on the tractor pushing snow so people would be able to get into the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail.

              Here are some pictures I took in the morning to show you how deep it was.

                                                                                         
         This is taken from our back porch looking at the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail.
                                                     

                  This is the house we live in.  The front porch hasn't been cleaned off yet.

                                              This is our car covered in snow.

This is the tree by the front door.

                                      Here is how deep it is on the fence.

                                   This is how deep the snow is on the front porch.

This was taken inside the house looking out the window and through the blinds. The branches are so heavy with snow.
We have certainly been blessed as we have had to travel to Nauvoo so many times, isn't the snow beautiful though but it is really cold here.