Sunday, July 21st

Hello!

Those photos are so fun! I can't wait to get more in the mail!

It sounds like Emma is having fun at acting camp! I can't wait to hear more about it! Did she take a journal with her? I hope so. I've been thinking back.. but it's hard to do! I have never been great at keeping a journal, and now I'm scared I'll forget all about my high school and college experiences! I can't let that happen! I'm so grateful I have been better at keeping a journal here... That way, if I'm ever struggling, I can look back on this time here in Nauvoo and take some strength from my previous experiences. Anyway, that's why I hope she took a journal: so she will remember all the fun she had and all she learned. Have they been cast yet? What is her part? Also, my teacher from last semester was Ben Hopkins. I don't know if he's working at the camp this summer. I've never heard of anyone by the name of Reese. I'm glad she's having so much fun and that she's made some friends! Yay for friends with the same standards, who lift us up to be better!

 I would LOVE to take a church history trip! did I already tell you that? Probably, but I feel like I know how to go to these sites now that I've been a missionary at one of them... You go as a seeker of truth, trying to strengthen your testimony, rather than just take a vacation and be a tourist. These sites, especially Nauvoo, have so much to offer Spiritually.  One of our sisters, Sister Porter, has a great analogy for it. She's a runner, and she says that when you're running they have water stations set out every two miles for you to take a quick break and a drink. At the end of those two miles you are exhausted and you feel like you can't carry on... But then you get that water and you're rejuvenated and ready to keep going an extra two miles. In live, Nauvoo is one of those water stops for a lot of people. They feel down or they have doubts, but then they come here and are Spiritually renewed, both in faith and testimony. It's so great!

I'm so excited that the apartment situation worked out! You are seriously THE BEST! You and Mama Nelson both! Man, how crazy and stressful that must have been... But I'm so glad it worked out! Is there anything I need to sign or do?... Do you want to wait until I come home to work out the details and fill me in? It's only three weeks away... :( boohoo!!!!!

In closing, I want to share something I have written down in my journal. Sadly, I didn't think of it, and also, unfortunately I can't remember where I heard it or who said it.... But it goes like this:

"If it weren't for God, we wouldn't be here. If it weren't for Jesus Christ, it wouldn't matter. If it weren't for Joseph Smith, we wouldn't know."

Cool, right? And so true! With God, we have a purpose, to learn and become more like Him and to one day live with Him. Because Christ atoned for our sins, we can repent and continue to move towards that goal. Because of Joseph Smith, we have the restored gospel and all of the blessings that go with it, including the knowledge of the plan of salvation and that families can be together forever. What a glorious plan our Father has made for us! Thanks for raising me in the gospel so I could know it, live it, love it, and share it!

 DADDY!! I'm still waiting for that letter with your thoughts and impressions from your Nauvoo experience... And am anxious to receive it! I want to know what you learned and felt here! LOVE YOU!!!

I love you so much! Please keep me updated! Letters are better than food here, almost as good as sleep! :) Hurrah for Israel!

xoxo Sister Welch

 

 

 Sunday, July 14th

Hello!! It's been a crazy week... Rather short. And only four more to go... WAH!!!! :(

 We started performing in Pageant this week. Our schedules are slightly different... We have all the same things, except no Trail on weekday evenings. Instead, we do TOH Thursday and Saturday mornings with the Core Cast of pageant filling in for Sarah Leavitt, Brigham Young, the Greeter, and Eliza R. Snow. They also add Jane Manning. Jane Manning was a beautiful woman. She was an African American member who walked about 800 miles with her family to get to Nauvoo. Their feet got so dry they cracked and bled until you could see their footprints in blood... But then they said a prayer together as a group and asked to be healed. And they were! So neat. The YPMs also do TOH on Sunday nights, and the Band YPMs get to come help with crowd control and company captain-ing. It's so neat to have them their and be able to sing and pray at the end of the day as a whole family of 40 YPMs.

I'm glad to hear you and Emma still love all the music to our shows! I'd be afraid you'd be sick of it, since you came to it twice a day almost every day you were here! Haha. What recordings do you guys listen to? Ones on Youtube from previous years, or did you record our stuff?

 

I loved getting all your post cards! It was a perfect way to wrap up your time here, since you had given them to me periodically throughout the week. The last one made me cry! I was so happy you guys got to come here and experience the beauty of Nauvoo, both temporally and spiritually!

I'm glad you guys are having fun in NY!! I'm so jealous that you got to see Newsies! Maybe we can go again when I get home? ;) did you go do baptisms in the Manhattan temple? I remember we got to with LIGHT! Such a neat experience. Interesting, since it doubles as a chapel, too, right? But it was amazing to find such peace in such a crazy, noisy city! And you got to see Wicked! How was that? Better than to two times you saw it when it came to Gammage? Haha!  

 EMMA! I LOVE YOUR HAIR CUT! You look so posh and grown up! Ah! So adorable! Can I copy you?

We do have to go to all three hours of church. We only did the one hour thing the first Sunday we were here. Speaking of Church... Guess who sat with me in RS? Mama Nelson! Elder Nelson's family is here for the week. It's so great to see them! What happy people! Sister Spittle's family came this last week, too.

I'm sorry this email hasn't been more meaningful or Spiritual. It's been a tough week for some reason. But, like we sing in High Hopes, "Peace, together we'll find peace... All is well!" All is really well. The saints are such wonderful examples of that. They were asked to leave almost everything they owned and start a journey that could last years, but they did so willingly, with faith and hope. Their testimonies kept them going. Though the task ahead seemed dreary, and they faced many trials along the way, they kept their spirits up, because they knew it would be alright in the end. I thought of that this week as I sang that song. Though there are trials that have been placed in my path here in Nauvoo, all is well! I have a testimony of this true gospel, and my family has been sealed in the Temple for all time and eternity! What more could you ask for? Everything else will work itself out, you know? 

 I love you guys! Emma, I would love a letter about your trip to NY! And all your other happenings! You can type it if you want, I just want a letter!!! :) Love you all! Travel safe! Keep the Spirit with Nauvoo, and don't be afraid to share it! Something I've learned here is that the best missionaries are the bold ones. That's a personal goal I have: BE BOLD! Love you, talk to you soon!

xoxo Sister Welch

Sunday, July 7th

Hello!

It's so fun to see those pictures! I can't wait to see more!

Well... I actually have another bad migraine today... Boo, I know. I'm sorry! I think I need a break from my contacts. I changed them this week, and threw away my old contact case as well... But, it's ok! Elder Wortley said he would work out my "migraine spots" as the chiro people called them haha! So I actually don't have time to reply to your email... So, I'm going to have it printed and I'll send you a written reply in the mail! Is that ok? I hope so, because that's the plan :)

 I'm so glad you guys were able to come out and visit! It's so wonderful here in Nauvoo, isn't it? Such a strong Spirit! All the YPMs love you guys, everyone said you were awesome! Thank you for being so open to feeling the Spirit!  And thank you for that postcard! It made me cry! I love you all SO MUCH!!!! I'm so happy you got to share in my Nauvoo experience, and that I got to share yours!

 

Flu bug is gone from the YPMs! Yay! But so is Elder Camp... He has to leave for three weeks to work with Studio C (BYU TV thing... Like Divine Comedy... heard of them?) He left today after our prep meeting... We'll miss him so much. It'll be weird without our priesthood holder and director...

Pageant is here! We've had a couple of rehearsals with the family cast and it is a blast! It makes our crazy schedules even crazier, but I love it! So worth it!

I want you to know that I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer! His Atonement provides forgiveness and also comfort. I know that the work I am participating in is so sacred and happy. The gospel is so happy and so right! I know it is true! Don't forget the Spirit you felt here! Keep it with you and share it with others! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

xoxo Sister Welch

 

 

Sunday, June 30

 

I love you! I'm so glad you're here! You should be out of church by now... I have absolutely LOVED having you here in Nauvoo! Since you are here, this will be short... sorry. Haha

 I'm so happy I got to talk to you after Trail of Hope! I sure do love you...! Would each of you tell me what your favorite part of it was? How it influenced you and made you feel? And you don't have to say I was your favorite part, because it wasn't me, Sister Welch, playing a character. I am only the instrument by which Margaret Gay Judd Clawson can bear testimony to those who visit Nauvoo. Though it is VERY funny how Margaret's parents had a similar relationship to yours, Mom and Dad... :)

 You ought to check out Land and Records if you haven't yet. If you have specific names of ancestors, you can look them up there and find out if they owned/how much land they owned here in Nauvoo. I haven't been able to go there yet, but I think that'd be an awesome thing for you guys to do before you leave! And tell me about it...! I heard it just brings the heritage of Nauvoo even more alive! It's so neat, the Spirit that is here in Nauvoo. You can feel the presence of those who walked the streets when Nauvoo was first built. How neat to know that we have a connection through both Grandpa and Grandma Burgess here!

 Make sure you go to the blacksmith shop and brickyard... Because you can get a brick and a prairie diamond! Yay souvenirs! However, I'd also like to challenge you to go to these sites not as tourists, but as seekers of truth, to keep feeling the Spirit and building your testimonies! I know you've felt the Spirit here, which makes me so happy that you're open to it! Keep it going!

 Mom, it WAS Sister Brown you talked to in the VC. The ASL sister missionary? She gave me a hug today after church and told me she talked to you guys: "You're family is so cute!" Lots of people say that after meeting you, actually. To which my response is always, "Aren't they the BEST?!" And the Sisters absolutely adore Emma. Each has said she is so cute!.... And, of course, everyone says that we look exactly alike. Elder Nelson says you look more like me the older you get... YAY!!! Twins after all!

 Also, some sad news today... One of our Sisters, Sister Allen, is probably going home tomorrow for health reasons. she's had what the Camps are calling "episodes"... And rightly so. She has periods where she loses control of her body... The doctors think it might be MS... So scary. Since her insurance doesn't cover her out here, and it's a pretty serious concern, our leaders felt it was best that she get diagnosed at home where she'll have her family. We're all very very sad to see her go. heartbroken, actually. After we found out, we sang songs, cried, and beared testimony... and also told our "favorite Sister Allen moments". She is seriously one of the funniest people I've ever met. I'll miss her. she's been a great comfort and example and friend to me here. I'll really miss her, but I'm glad that she's going to get everything figured out. Please keep her in your prayers. Nauvoo will definitely not be the same without her. 

Well... Time to go! Enjoy Nauvoo! I love you! Keep a prayer in your heart as you go about Nauvoo. Questions will be answered, and the Spirit will be felt. I testify that that is true, this is such a sacred place! Love you!!

xoxo Sister Welch

Here are some photos from our trip to Nauvoo!  More to come - Arlene