The Miracle that is Nauvoo

  It is not uncommon, or unusual to hear about the many miracles that happen in Nauvoo.  I know miracles happen everyday all over the world, big ones and a lot of small one, I am not detracting from those.  But while being in Nauvoo they get pointed out OFTEN.  And there are a variety of different types ranging from; weather ones, medical ones, transportation ones, family ones, and the extra special-personal ones.

There are no reflection pools by the Nauvoo Temple, this was a nature-made one after the many intense rain storms.

  Blue Cast was not spared our share of miracles.  From a sister who thought she ruptured her achilles and ended up not having surgery, to a brother who had a tear in his retina and his surgery was near as intense as they thought.  To the rain stopping or starting at the exact right moment.  To the passing storms that destroyed nearby communities but left Nauvoo untouched.  Now don't get me wrong,  there were a lot of HARD things going on and things that we struggled with, things were definitely not perfect, but it was very easy to see the hand of the Lord in all things that happened around that sacred, special town.

  My family was no stranger to these blessings and miracles.  One night as they were coming offstage, my father twisted his ankle.  Within 5 minutes of that happening he was given a priesthood blessing by someone with authority to do so, and there was a group of people saying a prayer for him(even though they had no idea who is was that was hurt).  The swelling went down, he felt no pain, and was recovered in the next couple of days.

  I had knee surgery at the end of April, which everyone was aware of and I had to take it easy at some points.  But what nobody in Nauvoo knew, was my heart issues.  about a week before I left Utah I had an appointment with the PA that works with my cardiologist.  I mentioned during that appointment that I had almost passed out after being on the treadmill for less than 5 minutes during physical therapy.  She immediately scheduled an echocardiogram, and commented on the possibility of needed surgery soon.  So I had a fun nervous weekend waiting to see if I would be in Utah having surgery, or in Nauvoo singing and dancing and performing.
   My follow up with the cardiologist basically went like this "You are not severe enough to NEED surgery right now, if we do it now it is just doing it before it is necessary.  But it will have to happen soon.  What?  You are going to be in the Nauvoo heat and humidity for 2 weeks, singing and dancing?  You almost pass out after exercising for 5 minutes on the treadmill, can't walk and talk without being short of breath? Well...just take it easy, drink so much water you feel like you are draining the Mississippi, listen to your body, and try not to pass out." Ok, got it doc!
 
They way they organize these pageants still astounds me.  Before we get there we are already divided up into districts and (depending on what district we are in) placed in scenes and given entrances and exits.  They have a Core cast of amazing, talented people, that perform the whole month and have a lot of responsibilities given to them-including helping those of us that feel like lost sheep :)  Then they have 5 different family casts that volunteer 2 weeks of their summer to be in Nauvoo, practice and perform and then the next cast takes over.  Our cast was the 2nd family cast.  While the first was performing we practiced and then performed the next week.  They gave us these blue blocking books (since we are in the Blue Cast) that had our schedules (that would probably change) and other important information we would need.  If you look at what our written schedule said, we were supposed to be on the stage Monday night for like 30 minutes, and pretty much everyday for the rest of the week.  Due to the weather, however those plans changed.  ALOT.  We learned our spots and the dances in the Headquarters open area.  They had a flat outline of the stage on the floor so we did the best we could.  Then when we finally were able to be on the stage, we MIRACULOUSLY and definitely with the Spirit and guidance of Heavenly Father, were able to pull it off pretty seamlessly.  There were a few days that we practiced on the stage in the heat and had to do the dances multiple times.

    Which really isn't that bad, but this stage sits at an angle.  A pretty good angle.  Now also remember, I had knee surgery in April-you don't dance the same on an angle as you do on the flat floor in Pageant Headquarters.

  

I would take some time out with my knee.  But the first night we performed I didn't feel any pain.  As soon as I stepped onto that stage.  It was as if my knee was perfect again, and I performed and danced the most energetic and best I could.  One of the 12 Apostles was there that night and had given the cast as a whole some blessings.  Not a coincidence.

 Then let's add the Nauvoo heat and humidity which I love.  And this stage that radiates the heat right back.  And dancing multiple times.  Oh yeah, remember my heart?  I didn't pass out! Came close a few times, had to sit out a few times and blame it on my knee, but it didn't happen! Yeah!

   We were able to put on 2 pageants that we worked on in less than a week.  With the majority of our cast never being in a theater production, let alone a pageant.  And sure we definitely messed up a few times (more than a few), but you could feel the spirit so STRONGLY every single night.  We were simply the Lord's instruments in the dance and the music of testifying of His Son, Jesus Christ, and his Restored Gospel on this Earth today.

   As I looked back and thought about our practice time, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the rain.  I honestly do not know how much I physically could've handled, toward the end of the 2 weeks I just iced my knees for HOURS to numb it up before we performed and my heart-I don't want to speculate what COULD have happened because of it.  I know the Lord has a plan for each of us.  I know I wasn't the reason why it rained so much, but I am grateful that I could benefit from it.  That it was a tender blessing in my life, as well as being part of His grander plan for each and everyone of His children impacted by it.

 The greatest miracle of all however, is the personal one.  The change that one goes through as we commune with our ancestors and our Heavenly Father DAILY, to do His will and help others come unto Christ as we are.  To share the light of the Gospel.  To ache for those who are struggling to work it all out. To allow the Lord to be a part of your life and a part of your family.  It is hard, it is hot, it is uncomfortable, it is wet, it is sticky, it is gross, it is glorious, it is humbling, it is eye opening, it is heart opening, it is sacred,  it is Zion.  And we are ALL the better for witnessing even the smallest glimpse of it.  And you don't have to have been in Nauvoo to have that a part of your life.  You can work everyday to make your home, your family, your life, YOU, Zion.

And never forget,
The greatest miracle of all, is us.

My Time in Zion (The beginning of the story)

    From July 5-18th my parents and I camped in Nauvoo to help put on 2 outdoor musicals.  I've blogged before about the City of Joseph.  Nauvoo has always had, and will continue to have, a special place in my heart.  This summer's experiences have just entrenched those feelings more and more into my soul, and who I am as a person.

   There is so much to write about and gush about as far as my time goes that I could probably write a book.  That being said, I have decided to write more than one post about it all.  I haven't really decided on a number yet but I hope that as I share these special feelings with the cyberworld that I will be able to convey truly what the spirit of Nauvoo, IL has done for me.

  A little bit of background information....The City of Joseph was an outdoor musical that ran for almost 30 years.  Here's my blog entry from before on a little history of the City of Joseph and what it means to me.  When it was announced that it was being discontinued, for many of us, it felt like something inside of us was dying.  I bawled my eyes out that very last night of our performance as we stood on stage and with the audience sang "God Be With You Til We Meet Again."  It was sad, it was heartwrenching, and life continued.  We went back the next year to check out "the new pageant" and there was some (ok ALOT) of bias on my end.  I couldn't get past everything this new pageant wasn't.  I couldn't look at what all it WAS.  And it definitely WASN'T the City of Joseph.

  And it wasn't supposed to be.

  I am a believer that things happen for a reason and the timing is never a coincidence.  The City of Joseph did a lot of good for it's run.   Something that was said often during the Nauvoo and British Pageants was the phrase "stand on the shoulders of those before you."  The City of Joseph built the foundation for the Nauvoo Pageant to stand and grow on its shoulders. The Nauvoo Pageant: A Tribute to Joseph Smith came at the time Nauvoo and the community needed it.

 Last summer, when we were back in Nauvoo for a City of Joseph Reunion, was the first summer of a new pageant.  The British Pageant.  I was intrigued, and not biased, and didn't have any grudges against it, and I LOVED it.  It moved at a pace that felt a lot like City of Joseph.  It had so many different stories and different things going on. It gave history and background, it shared the Restoration, it shared the gospel, and you could feel why the British Saints left all they knew to come to Zion.  I wanted to be a part of it. For the first time in a long time, I longed to be onstage again.  Thankfully, my parents were experiencing similar feelings and decided to apply and see what happens.  I am the only one of my siblings that does not have a significant other, or children, or something that's keeping me anywhere and I got put on the application too.  Long story short, we were accepted and plans started being made for 2 weeks in Nauvoo.

  If you've read previous entries, to say that this past school year was a little rough would be an understatement.  Often times I would catch myself dreading going to Nauvoo.  I just wanted a summer full of relaxing.  Or a summer by myself. OR OR OR other things that were pretty focused on myself.  Thankfully, I didn't bail and I was exactly where I needed to be for those 2 weeks in July this summer.

The Lord is so aware of us and knowledgeable of our needs.  He loves us so much that He won't just hand things to us.  We learn and grow as we discover and understand all things temporal and spiritual.  I am grateful that I am reminded of this daily and am (slowly) accepting His will and His timing as my own.

 Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a living modern day Apostle, took his family on vacation and brought them to Nauvoo while we were there.  We had the opportunity to have him speak to us in the cast the night of our first official performance.  He said a lot of things that have stuck with me, but the best thing was that he put into words what I had been feeling since I was 10 years old.  He commented on how for the early Saints, Nauvoo was the brightest spot in their history.  It was the closest they had gotten to living a perfect Zion society.  And we, for this brief amount of time, have the opportunity to recreate that feeling of Zion.

BOOM! Mic drop.  That's it!  Nauvoo in and of itself has a special spirit and feeling that you cannot help but experience.  But performing in these pageants, working toward the same goal, instantly loving and feeling like family to complete strangers, bearing your testimony in such a unique way, LOVING unconditionally all you come in contact with and being willing to do anything to help them and support them in anyway you can, THAT is Zion.

Yes, I have felt blips of that throughout my life, especially on my mission.  BUT not close to that magnitude.  One of the families that was there that had participated in the new pageants for many years shared that their family refers to Nauvoo as "Zion's Camp." And that's exactly what it was.  The challenge now, share that light and those feelings with everyone you come into contact with and recreate Zion wherever you go.  It is possible.  And I'm ready for that challenge.

The Amazing Blue Cast-The family cast we were definitely supposed to be a part of as we went on this adventure.