"that's the end of our show...",

Hello :)

This past week has been wonderful and sad and happy and fun and just joyful! I love Nauvoo sooooooooo much. It's going to be hard leaving here, but I am excited to see my wonderful family!! I hate good byes...I''m really bad at them. I've grown to love the people here so much, and that makes it really difficult. I feel like each senior missionary is a grandparent (Although they're not replacing you gpas and gmas :) ). But saying goodbye to them is difficult. This whole past week they would look at us and start crying or say how dull it would be when we leave. Some of the teamsters would place their hats over their hearts whenever they would see us :( BUT!! Life is so good and the reason it is sad is just because it has been so joyful and happy!

The weather has just been perfect for us this past week. Everything has gone really well :) Last week we started doing performances at 3:45 PM in the Women's Garden. We would do a "hymnfest" where we just played hymns. It brings a new spirit to the day and to the garden. I wish we would've started doing it earlier because it really adds to the spirit here in Nauvoo. But it's really a neat thing. Yesterday was the last day of performances. So after that performance, we listened to the stage elders and sisters sing around the balcony in the Visitor's center for the last time. They sang three songs, Nauvoo, Joy, and Invocation. "Joy" is a song the one of the sisters in the stage wrote and it is perfect for us. I'll show it to you when I get home. But it was really hard to hold back tears. It was beautiful and wonderful :) We then did our last show of Sunset. I never thought I'd be sad singing the upbeat song, "that's the end of our show...", but it was tough.

We went to another Synthesis concert last night. At the end, they asked the Nauvoo Brass Band to play "Sing, Sing, Sing" (sight-reading) with them. So we got up there and played. It went a lot better than I thought it would be, and it was fun :) so It was a good way to end our last performance. :)

Today we went to sacrament meeting, then had a testimony meeting in the Nauvoo groves with all the YPMs. It was very touching. What a great group of missionaries we've got here. :) After that, we had a potluck, whatever-you-need-to-get-eaten-before-tuesday deal. It was great. There was so much food. I was completly stuffed afterwards. Then we organized binders for next years YPMs. And after emailing we'll watch a slide show. Tonight will be Zone Conference with the whole mission.

Tuesday morning will be hard because when we get on the bus to leave the seniors will all be there, hugging us goodbye, the same way they did when we arrived.

I hope this letter doesn't sound too sad. The reason I'm sad to leave is because of the joy of the gospel I've found here in Nauvoo. I've changed (in a good way I hope) :) I've become a better person, and I still have much more work to do before I truly become what I want to be. Leaving here is really only the start of my amazing adventure called life :) I've got to apply everything I've learned and grow even more. And I get to do that with you :) My family!!!!

I love you! I'm excited to see you!

Love,

Sister Israelsen

PS I love the picture of Kimmy and the sheep

Introduced to Chiggers

Dear Izzy Fam :)

 Time is going fast. As people from previous years come to watch us perform I think about how that'll be me in the future. I won't be doing it. Just watching and wishing. I'm still in Nauvoo right now though. So I'm going to make the very best of it for this last week!

This week has been packed. So many things happen in a week that I can't even remember everything.

Last Sunday, the band took time looking at some cool sites around Nauvoo. We went to four main areas. The bridge right outside of the main part of Nauvoo (Where Joseph and Emma kiss in the movie).It is a really neat bridge that was actually built in the 1840's by the saints in NAuvoo. There is a little waterfall right next to it. Next we went to David's Cove. It's a really neat looking place where David Smith (one of Joseph's sons) would often go to think or do art. It was a neat area. Then we went to a GIANT tree. It was soooo humongous. We got some pictures next to it. Last of all we drove over to Ft. Madison, across the river. We went to a place directly across from Nauvoo. It was an amazing veiw of Nauvoo. You can see the beautiful temple and imagine the saints there. It was the place that the starving saints were blessed. Heavenly Father sent quail, it drop out of the sky into their camp. Just enough for them to be filled. I know Heavenly Father blesses His children who follow and love him. In the little gazebo there I actually found a quote by Lewis Barney (our ancestor). That was really neat.

On Wednesday, in the parking lot of Walmart a giant truck snuck up behind sister Harmer and I and then honked at us. That was probably the loudest horn I've heard in my whole life. It was like a boat horn. Then he drove a little ways away from us and sat there in his car running in the middle of the parking lot, not in a spot for a whille. It was kind of scary. but not too bad. We also got chased by dogs this week. So now I can successfully finish out my mission, right :) haha

I was most definetly introduced to the chiggers this past week. I itched forever like crazy. Haha! I would even wake up in the night itching. It may take me a while to not be scared of grass. I've hardly walked in it here. It'll be an exciting day when I can lay on it without worries :) hiking and such will probably help with that.

On Thursday one of our teamsters, Elder Lindsay (He's the one who rode Roman Style on the two horses...i told you about that, right?) Anyway, he was our driver for the day, and he wanted to go off course and stop at the sewing room so we could play for his wife. We did, We didn't really have a choice :) We played a swing number and they danced together, it was adorable. Then we played An Angel From On High. It was probably the most beautiful we've ever played it. They blew kisses at each other as we drove away. SO CUTE

I've been running every night, which feels really good. Someone better be ready to run with me when I get home. :)

On Friday, we had a farewell breakfast. our farewell :( All the senior missionaries made food and we ate and talked and then they sang for us and we sang for them. I love the senior missionaries.

I had a drive'n'chat with Sister Ludwig on that same day. It was really good. basically we drove to the river and sat in her car and talked about life for an hour or so. It went really well. She is so smart.

Congrats to Todd and Kimmy for graduating swimmming :) Kimmy looked a little different in the picture. I guess I'll see soon huh? :)

I got to have a blessing from President Ludwig yesterday. Kind of like a back to school blessing, but it's a back to life blessing. It gave me peace. I love serving the Lord so much, and I know I can continue that.

I love Nauvoo so much. I'm going to miss the people and being a missionary and everything. I'm happy to see you all though :) I have just learned soooo much out here. About the person I want to be, or at least the kind of person I want to be. I have also learned to love and want to learn. There are so many things that I can study. It almost overwhelms me and then I remember that I have a lifetime to learn. So slowly, but surely, I'll get there.

I've almost finished reading the Book of Mormon. not forever haha :) but for this time around. I'm half way through Mormon.

I know that the church is true. Today in sacrament meeting (by the way I'm going to miss having giant sacrament meetings were everyone comes a half hour early and sits there and listens to the spirit.),we had our last fast and testimony meeting. It was beautiful. I loved how everyone bore simple, pure, true testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel and everything. Short and simple but true testimonies bring the spirit like nothing else can.

I cannot express enough love to you, family!! To have a family who all loves one another, and is kind and is such an amazing example. I'm noticing more and more everyday how wonderful you truly are. I can go through each one of you and name of a list of things that impress me. I'm so blessed to be in a family like ours. AND It's FOREVER!! That brings me sooo much joy. I love you!!

Love,

Sister Israelsen