Some Weeks, You Just Have to LAUGH!

   We're quite exhausted here! Going to bed at 12 or later after pageant and then waking up at like 5:30 or 6 for showers is NOT super fun. We're all sick, passing out, having breakdowns and SMILING AND LAUGHING BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE CITY OF NAUVOO!!!! WE'RE THE LORD'S MISSIONARIES AND BY GOLLY WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE HERE!!!

(Mom note: Their director has asked that family and friends send them letters of encouragement this week. It's been a hard week. They have added the Nauvoo and British pageants this week so that adds 6 more shows a week to their already very busy schedule! I would appreciate it if everyone would send her a quick letter with their favorite uplifting thought or scripture this week! Let's fill her mailbox again!)

                              At this point, I should probably mention that I'm mildly delirious...
       But despite it all, it has been a great week of joy! I LOVE the Nauvoo and British Pageants. I love the people and I especially love the children. One in particular is named Boyd Packer Robinson and he is just a doll! He's seven and such a goofball. He told me I was his girlfriend and I told him I couldn't be his girlfriend because I was on a mission. He looked at me for a really long minute and then asked if I would be his SISTER-friend. So I said yes. How could I not?


         I had an exhausted giggle-fit in Relief Society today. Nothing caused it, but all of a sudden, life was hilarious. And then I was laughing more because I didn't know why I was laughing. It was great. And Sister Meyers was just looking at me going "breathe. Sister Hallett. Breathe. Are you crying? Breathe!"

I have bugbites that look like chicken pox all over my legs its great.

 (Mom note: I took this picture after getting after her about wearing socks and more insect repellant!)

          The laughter wasn't helped by a sweet sister in church today-- We have a live ASL translation of the meetings and in SM today, this one sister who is known for being talkative starts trying to talk to a man sitting in the ASL section. No matter how many times he signed "I'm deaf. I don't understand you." She just kept talking and talking. He finally gave up and nodded politely. Sister Munroe, Sister Allred and I all died.

Guys. Life is awesome. Even when it isn't, you sometimes have to make your own sunshine, but try to be grateful for what you have. We live in an amazing age of light and restoration.
I love this gospel. I love Nauvoo. And I love all of you.
(Yes, I will be home in less than a month. Shhh...)
Love,
Sister Hallett

(Mom note: We got to spend last week in Nauvoo so we were able to watch Sister Hallett at work! And WORK she does! She is always busy, running from one place to another. On top of the theater tech work that she and Sister Starrs do (on several shows a day), they also do tours at some of the historic sites. They never rest! Included are some pictures we took while there.)

It's so cold!

And I love it!!!
Well... Comparitively.
When we first got here, we had a day that was 69* and 57% humidity. And we were dying. Sweat dripping off us, unable to dance with any sort of happiness.
Well. This week we had a day that was 64* and 60% humidity. And I cannot tell you how many times I took my jacket off to give to one of the Stage YPM girls. It was SO COLD! (said they, I thought it was nice until we had a Nauvoo Hurricane later that night.)

Met an awesome girl named Allison on Friday. Usually on the days that I feel that someone needs our message, I look for the downtrodden looking and the teenagers that would rather be doing hard labor than being in Nauvoo. But this girl was so welcoming and sweet and the more I talked with her, the more I felt like she was the one I was supposed to be with that evening. I shared some scriptures with her and told her that college was not as scary as it sounds. :) Good times. :)

MY FAMILY IS IN NAUVOO!! Sister Starrs and I had just sat down on an empty row when I look up and think-- "that girl is wearing a dress just like mine.... WAIT A MINUTE! That IS my dress! EMMA!!!" So we walked over to them and I said "Hi, we're representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints--" I didn't get to finish, because my mom had grabbed me and hugged me at that point. It's been good to see them. :) (Hi ma!!!)

Anyways, I love Nauvoo. I love this gospel. People need your kindness in this world, never be afraid to give it.

All my love,
Sister Hallett


(Mom note: This is last weeks email. Sorry it is late- Cell service in Nauvoo is spotty and slow so trying to upload her letter from my phone wasn't really an option.)

Short Email...

...Long week.

Sometimes, when you feel overwhelmed with your daily expanding job, you  pray that Heavenly Father will send you heavenly help...
And then He sends you a new Tech Elder.
Yep! We got a new Yippum. (YPM,) His name is Elder Nelson, and he was one of the original ones that was supposed to come out with me. He is awesome and we get along really well. (Though he does make fun of my vegetarian food.)
Oh yeah! I started doing 2/3 Vegetarian. Basically it just means I only eat meat for our community lunch.
Um... Commemoration for The Martyrdom was amazing. But I'll have to tell you all more about that when I have more time.

I love you all.
The Church is True.
The Prophet Knows the way- no matter what popular opinion or man may say.

Sister Hallett

It's NOT hump day, and I DON'T want to talk about it

(Mom note: Amberlyn refers to "hump day" meaning yesterday (Sunday) marks the 1/2 way point of her adventure in Nauvoo. We also got a bunch of photos in the mail this week. I've included some of them. Sorry for picture quality. Photos of photos- I've GOT to get my scanner working!)



Okay. So maybe it is....
But I digress

Hello! This week has been exhausting. But wonderful. I feel like I'm constantly running on empty and full at the same time! Empty of energy, but full of the spirit! It's interesting how when I start feeling homesick or missing my friends and family, how I am almost instantly calmed.

I've started giving tours that make me step back and go--- wait..... how did I just have enough energy to play with those kids or to match the level of that youth group I just bore my testimony to?
And then sometimes I give tours and I feel like I'm emulating Sister Hannah Smith.... But that's always a fun time, I like those days. (lots of hand talking, Sister Smith. All good things. All good things.)

Ummm..... Nothing too terribly exciting happened that I feel like sharing with the general public... I greatly appreciate the letters and things that people send me! I promise I do appreciate them, even if I'm slow to respond to them. I promise I have every intention of writing you back, I just have zero time. (I'm looking at you, Kyle, Robyn, Arizona Halletts, and Emma!)

Things I've Learned This Week:
-My District Leader, Elder Cobia, is Buddy the Elf. He will set up a roll play and then goof off the entire time you try to talk to him....
-Emma Smith is my hero.
-How the early saints made candles.
-When addressing children, it is perfectly acceptable to tell them that a Courting Candle was a timer that their parents would set for how long they could play with their friends--- That's what dating is, right? ;)
-Hurricanes can happen on the Mississippi river. Not really. But.... There was some damage done. Elder Camp refers to them as a "Him-icane." Because it's the opposite of a "Her-icane." Anyways. Some downed trees and some twisted street signs and a little bit of flooding, but nothing a bit of prayer, manpower and Facilities Management team couldn't fix in an afternoon.
-Youth Conferences are both awesomely amazing tools of wonder and testimony building------ and also  the bane of my existence.

Alrighty. Well. I love you all. The church is true and Heavenly Father loves you.

51 down, 51 to go. (I've also secretly been gone for like.... five years.)

Sister Hallett

(Photo's with captions from Sister Hallett)

 My Companion and I in full pioneer get-up. Those loop braids and center part though!

 The day we lived in a Hot Tub. It will only get worse from here. Why is humidity a thing?

 Have I mentioned how quickly weather changes here?

 Headset! I'm an official Tech!

 "Gird up your loins, fresh courage take" How we get stuff done: 2014 YPM-T Style!
Sister Starrs' "Hipster" dress. Only she could pull it off.

Trying to open my package from mom. Sister Starrs won the prize.
(Mom note: I may or may not have completely wrapped each package with clear packing tape, and then decorated it with cute packing tape.) ;)

Just another Manic Sunday

This Week In Nauvoo I've Learned:

-Santa is Mormon. No joke. I sat behind him in Sunday School today. And he was visiting Nauvoo. Santa Claus is doing a month long church history tour, ladies and gentlemen.

-When you pray in January that you would just carry the water bottles if you were allowed to go to Nauvoo, don't be surprised when you're having a grumpy grump day in June that someone will literally hand you the cart that holds all the water bottles. Heavenly Father sure has a sense of humor. 

-Preschool teachers and animators with missionary daughters set loose in the dollar store send the best packages. (Thanks mom and dad!!)

-I have some awesome friends and family that send me lots of mail and they've noticed in the mail room. Thank you all!!! 

-The D&C is AWESOME! I spent a week on just one chapter. (76. Go read it. Now.) 

So this week has been good, but hard. Everyone is sick, and when everyone is sick, no one is. (If that makes sense....) the show must go on and The Work cannot be delayed, so we're living on ibuprofen, throat coat and blessings. Prayers would be greatly appreciated in our behalf. However sick we are offstage though, miracles happen on stage. People whose voices are barely above a whisper can suddenly belt and do beautiful arias onstage. Then they get back and can't speak again. The Work Will Not Be Delayed. 

My mission has been really hard on my scriptures and journal. My journal is mostly duct tape these days and I'm going to have to get a good new set of scriptures when I get home, because mine are falling apart too... They're wearing out for good use though!!! 

Well. I'm off to the Community of Christ tour. (Joseph Smith sites.) I love Nauvoo, the gospel and you!

Sister Hallett

Tell Sister Hallett She's a Spinster Week

Hey y'all! Weeks go by so quick here and I don't have too much to say. But I do have a couple funny stories.

So one of the joys of working in the Nauvoo mission is getting to work with over three hundred senior missionaries. Their stories are fascinating and they are all such wonderful people and they-- the sisters in particular-- love talking to us. 

One of the downsides is that they see me, a college girl, 19 years old without a boyfriend or missionary and instantly think something is wrong with me. In the last week I have been told:

- I need to "settle down" and "make a goal to be married within the year." 

- I need to quit regular school and try cosmetology school. 

- I need to "quit being so picky" and "just pick one."

- If I didn't get married soon, I'd end up with a widow or a divorcee. 

- Choose one of the YPM Elders and date and marry him when we get home. 

(VERY LARGE NOTE: NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, I DO NOT AGREE WITH THEM, NOR DO I WANT TO DATE ANY OF THE YPM ELDERS. END OF ALL CAPS NOTE.) 

Sister Camp says they all just want to have grandbabies, even if it's through their Nauvoo kids. 

Funny story number two: During Trail of Hope, I walk through the crowd and talk to people, share my testimony etc. 

This week I had one woman-- member, with her kids-- stop me and tell me that I was NOT in ANY circumstances an "actual missionary." I calmly asked her what she meant, and she said that the stage performers were because they were sharing their testimonies through their talents, but all I was doing was moving around microphones and that wasn't missionary work. She was so angry about it. Like my being a tech was personally offensive to her... But I just laughed a little and bore my testimony- which she rolled her eyes through-- and moved on. People are so funny sometimes. But you've just got to turn the other cheek with people like that and remember that they're children of Heavenly Father too. 

Took a tour of Carthage Jail this morning. The spirit was immensely strong. Words cannot express how much I love this gospel and how much I want you all to come experience Nauvoo.

The church is true

I love you all

Sister Hallett

When it Rains in Nauvoo...

It pours. Hard. Out of (Literally) the clear blue sky. Ruining your pair of comfortable shoes and damaging a microphone speaker. But thank heavens for the impression I had to pick up my scriptures right before it started raining.
But I digress.
I feel like this week has gone by so quickly that I have nothing to say-- but then I remember that I'm Sister Hallett and so of course I have things to say!

First: There are worse things in this world than Seagulls. Mayflies and gnats. I've figured out that pure vanilla keeps the gnats away. If anyone knows any mayfly tricks, they'd be greatly appreciated.
Also- Rain in Nauvoo is crazy. We got rained out of a performance, my favorite shoes may never be the same and we are worried about some of our speakers... but by the time we got it all inside it had stopped and the most BEAUTIFUL rainbow had appeared.

We started working at sites this week. I've worked in the Brigham Young Home, the Family Living Center (I made bread and talked to 5th graders. I was like a duck to water!!) the Schoolhouse, the John Taylor Home, and Wilford Woodruff home. I love working there because I get to learn about the history and then almost immediately get to start teaching it. I LOVE TALKING TO PEOPLE.

I had a great experience on Wednesday night. While doing Trail of Hope, I met a man and woman who had met earlier that day in Nauvoo. She was a member, he was not. She spoke English, he did not. They were both from the same city in France, near the German boarder.
I spoke to Sylvie in English for a little while about Nauvoo and the trail-- when all of a sudden, I had the strongest impression to bear my testimony to them in French. I was terrified and my inner dialogue went something like:
Sister Hallett: What? That's crazy, I can't do that
Spirit: Do it
SH: But my French isn't that good, what can I do, bear witness that the strawberries are bought at the grocery store?
S: Do it.
SH: But what if I make a mistake? French are really critical!
S: stop arguing and do it.
SH: But--- but!!!!
S: Do.... It.... Right.... Now.
SH: Okay.......

And so I started talking. At first a little shakily, but soon I was bearing my testimony with words and conjugations that I know weren't in my vocabulary.
When I was finished, Sylvie looked at me with little bits of tears in her eyes and thanked me for my testimony in "Absolutely perfect" French. I was so surprised, but I know that Heavenly Father knows Marco and Sylvie personally, just as he knows me personally, and in that moment, they needed to hear the gospel in their own tongue.

I love this gospel so much. I am grateful for the miracles I see happen every day.

I love and miss you all,

All is Well, All is Well

 Sister Amberlyn Hallett

 

Brigham Young Home

 Wilford Woodruff Home

 Family Living Center