We’ve been in Palmyra, NY for six weeks now – time flies when you’re having fun! It’s a real joy to work at the Historic Sites in this “Cradle of the Restoration.” The Joseph Smith Sr. Farm is where it all began, where young Joseph read that scripture in the book of James and went to the grove to pray. And in the Log house where the Angel Moroni appeared to him and told him about the hidden plates. It was here at the Hill Cumorah where Joseph was taught by Moroni and finally given the plates to translate the Book of Mormon. It was here in the city of Palmyra where Joseph went to find the Grandin Press to publish the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. It was here in nearby Fayette, NY where Joseph & Oliver Cowdery finished the translation and later organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on 6 April 1830. We are here, in the very midst of where the Restoration of Christ’s Church began – no wonder we feel great joy!!
The Hill Cumorah Pageant starts on July 11th & 12th then runs next week from July 15th to July 19th. They expect about 10,000 people a day to visit the sites (the pageant seats 9,000 per night). The Hill
Cumorah staging is all in place for the pageant and they have transformed it from a green, grassy hill to a beautiful staging area. On Fri. night there were hundreds of cast members practicing there for the pageant, it looked like an ant hill full of busy ants. They are also busy sewing costumes, they said they’d be turning out over 200 new costumes in the next few days. It’s an exciting time for this Palmyra area.
We are assigned to the Pittsford Ward for our Church attendance (about 25 miles away), and when we went today the attendance was really poor. Then they announced that they wanted to excuse all those Ward members that are associated with the Pageant for they had their own Church mtgs. today along with instructional mtgs. for pageant week. This is a BIG 2 weeks for all the Church members in the area. Excitement fills the air!
Life here is getting busier and busier or at least it will get really overwhelming in the next few days. The tour buses are scheduled one on top of the other, then a few come in without reservations, so we just manage to keep it going. We have 5 or 6 bus tours a day from Mass. , NC, VA, Las Vegas and all over UT, etc. – and the numbers grow and grow. We (senior couples) will be working 14 straight days without any P-days. These lovely young sister missionaries are working the full 14 days from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm every day. We have to be sure they get a “break” now and then and get some lunch and snacks to keep them going – the senior couples days are usually only 5 to 6 hrs. long. However we are assigned the Peter Whitmer site which is a 45 min. drive each way – every day, so it will lengthen our day quite substantially. Oh, well! That’s what we came here to do and we’re loving it. We just hope we’ve got the stamina to pull thru. HA
Ray loves his early morning walks – he walks in the Sacred Grove every morning, how cool is that? Everything here is green and beautiful. We do get lots of rain here, sometimes we get sunshine and rain in the same day. The past week or so the fireflies have been abundant – every night we can go out in our backyard about 9:30 and it’s a beautiful show of sparkling fireflies. They are also abundant and a beautiful sight down at the Sacred Grove and in the fields adjoining the grove.
This a beautiful place and gives us a spiritual renewing each day. We love the gospel of Jesus Christ and love bearing our testimonies. We send our love to all our family and friends.
Always, Elder & Sister Hamblin (Ray & Donna, Grandpa & Grandma, whichever fits.)
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4 comments:
Sounds really neat! I wish we could come this summer, but I guess circumstances are that this one is not good, with Jake going out and all the family being here and now, with Harry...and Jana's wedding is this weekend. Then Brent leaves with Jake for Florida, and Tess & Addi are soon to follow, and I finish the month off with Girl's Camp...so hopefully we will plan for next year and it will have priority!
Sounds good grandma. Hopefully we can plan a trip next summer too. I've never been that way and I want to see fireflies. I want to see all the church sites too, but I have always wanted to see fireflies. Love ya and miss ya.
Sounds like there will be a lot of excitement for the next little while. And a lot to do. At least you know you won't get bored. Tell Grandpa I'm a little jealous he gets to walk through the sacred grove each morning. I bet that's a neat experience to know that you're walking where Heavenly Father and Jesus once appeared. Wow. Well, we love you and miss you. Oh, and don't work too hard! =)
When oh WHEN are we going to get a new post???? I thought missionaries were supposed to write their families once a week!! I know you've been busy, but we were patient through all that...now's the time!
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