Dear Family and Friends,

It is a very scary thing how fast this week went by. We've already been here 4 weeks! We've done 35 performances in just this first week of shows. The time is only going to go by faster, which is a very sad thing. Nauvoo is amazing. I love it more than any other place on earth. I still can't get over the fact that I get to live in an original brick home, I get to walk the streets the saints walked, and I get to tell of their stories on stage. Speaking of the home I live in, (I don't remember if I've told this yet), It's a 3 story red brick home. It's the Yearsley home. It's the tallest residential home in Nauvoo, so that's kind of cool. The next coolest part about the house is that it used to be a jail. It's kind of creepy actually. There's a jail cell down in the basement where we do the laundry. They would take the prisoners in through the cellar doors. I want to do some more research on it when I get home.

I have to tell you about the Hardy's. Elder and Sister Hardy are called on this mission specifically to make lunch for the YPM's everyday. They are the best cooks ever. We seriously eat Thanksgiving quality food everyday. Needless to say I should have lost weight already (but hey! I haven't gained any either), but they pour straight cream into almost everything. They just happen to make the best desserts too. Bad news. AH. It's the best time of the day. Goin' to Hardy lunch. I love 'em.

So some quick experiences from the week. On Monday and Friday mornings A cast doesn't have performances, and it's not our P-day so we get to work in the sites. Monday morning I got to work in the Heber C. Kimball home. We give tours, and bear testimony to the people. I fell in love with Heber C. Kimball because of his home, and the stories I was able to tell of him while giving tours. He and his family were so faithful. They were one of the first families to leave Nauvoo to head west. On Friday morning I was in the John Taylor home right on main street. Before we open for tours we have to clean the homes. So here I am just vacuuming away, and it hits me...I'm cleaning a prophets house. John Taylor's home. It's was his wife would have done, minus the vacuum. It once again was an overwhelming feeling. I mean honestly, who gets to clean the prophets house now, let alone an original home in Nauvoo? wow. The next best thing about sites is that I get to do tours with two senior sister missionaries. They are just the sweetest things alive. I love hearing about their lives stories, and the kind of faith that they have.

Some other neat things that happen everyday. So in one of the shows I have this solo. There's no pressure, it's only the spirital climax of the show, right after Joseph Smith dies. Yeah, no pressure. So everyday I pray and pray that I will be able to sing, and bear testimony, and that my voice will work to the best of my ability. I know that it is only through the Lord that I can do this because he gave me my voice. For a lot of the shows this week I would not even have a voice at the beginning of the show, and then when it comes time to sing, I know that I will have a voice if I have faith, and so I go on and sing, and then I don't have a voice after. When I sing it is not my voice. It is better. I DO NOT sing at home the way I can sing that song. I can't sing in any other song here the way I sing that song. It is because of the Lord. That is a miracle. Everyday.

I want to talk about the Nauvoo temple again. I don't really know what else to say other than it is so amazing. It is so apparent by just looking at it, that it is God's house. Only the best of everything is on the inside and out. I've never really been interested in getting my endownments until I get married or go on a mission, but when I was there on Wednesday I had this desire to know what it's like in the rest of the temple. I want to have those blessings and responsibilities of having my temple ordiances. I probably won't be getting them any sooner than I would have before, but now I can study more specifically to prepare for the temple.

Everyday I have incredible examples of faith and obedience to look to. All the sisters are so amazing. They're always looking for ways to be more obedient, and faithful, and kind, and everything else good. They're making me a better person. I love my companion. She is such a great spiritual example to me. She is always studying, and asking questions, looking to become even better than she already is. One thing a mission does is thrust all your weaknesses you know you already have, and ones you didn't know you have right in front of your face. It's great fun. I'm learning more about myself, and the gospel everyday. It's hard, and we're tired, but if it were easy, and we weren't tired then we wouldn't be doing the Lord's work.

We're doing our best to become even more obedient, and faithful, and to trust in the Lord everyday. There is NO WAY anything could happen without the Lord's help. I know that Joseph Smith saw God and his Son, Jesus Christ. I know that The Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God through Joseph Smith. I know that God is there continually for me, and that he HEARS, and ANSWERS my prayers. Jesus Christ did pay for all my sins, and he died on the cross for me, and for all my brothers and sisters here on earth.

Pray for us! Pray for our leaders, the Ludwigs, Camps, and Bowers. Pray that we won't get injured, and that we'll keep our voices, and our health. Speaking of injuries, my ankle is doing very well. I'm trying to not wear the brace as much so I can start getting all the strength back in my ankle.

Sorry this one's kind of long. Making up for my short one earlier this week. Have a good week!

Love,

Sister Jones