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Tonight was the performance before the pageant night.  The BYU Noteworthy has been performing all week in town but they did a sociable at the stake center and I can't take pictures there.  They did singing and testimonies.  They were really good and inspiring.  They are a class and this is their last week before class is over.  $ of the class members graduate and move on.  They are so very talented and sing absolutely beautifully.  They are supposed to perform tomorrow night but I don't know if we can get back in time to see them.  Tomorrow is Joseph Smith's martyrdom's story over in Carthage and we are going to try and go see it as we missed it last year.  It'll be our only chance.

Later this evening we went over to the pageant stage and got to watch the pageant people put on a production of "Our Story Goes On".  It's about the stages of life and it's pretty heart wrenching.  Talks about the gospel plan and what happens in our lives.  It takes an hour and a half and is quite the spectacle, worth the price of entry (free, of course).

As the sun begins to set, with the temple in the background, everyone is scurrying around for good seats.  I'm trying to find a place that I can take pictures without too many obstructions, taking a swig or two out of the water bottle, and spraying on bug spray.  We may not have the water this year but we got bugs!

Some of the temple missionaries waiting for things to begin.  The Gammels, O'Biriens, Lymans. and Sumners.

Sister Joines and Webb, our trusty site missionaries, at our side to watch with us.  They only have a few weeks left.

So I can remember the name of the play...

Isn't that an impressive backdrop for a play in Nauvoo?

Getting a little bit darker...

Darker still...

I need to keep this video clips pretty short or I can't upload them.  This is kind of the theme song of the whole play.  You'll get the idea.  He's not the greatest singer but you'll get the idea.

...and the final song.  Such a great message for all of us.  Just to the left is the piano player and he was terrific.  Most of the singers were just phenomenal also.   Just worth every second of time to listen to them perform.  And no mud this year...but a lot of flying insects.  So, I guess it's bugs or mud.  One or the other.... 

So, in another week, pageant starts up.  We have our schedule and we'll be working from 1 PM until 8 PM every night, Tuesday through Saturday from July 5th until July 30.  If it's anything like last year, we will be dead tired by the end and ready to be done but this year, unlike last year, we will only have a few weeks until our mission is over with and not another year to go through.  Good thing, I don't think I could handle another year!  I am so wasted as it is.  Time for these two to come home....