Hill Cumorah Pageant -- 2013

Lots of people came to town during the two weeks of the Hill Cumorah Pageant, in Palmyra, New York (part of our mission).

Vernon Law, 1960 World Series Champion and baseball Hall of Famer, was in town during Pageant and was the guest speaker at a fireside in Rochester on Sunday night. He spoke of "how living the Gospel of Jesus Christ has helped me realize my dreams".

 

Vernon Law being presented an original 1960 baseball program
by Elder Snarr, the senior missionary who made this event happen.

 

 The next day, we picked son Philip up from the airport, and attended the first annual "Mormon Night", baseball game in Batavia, home of the "Muckdogs", where Vernon Law threw out the first pitch.  Philip rooted for the "Tri-City Valley Cats", a farm team for the Houston Astros, who won the game. The only other people rooting for the opposing team, was a family from Buffalo, who -- oddly enough-- were Astro fans. We had a fun visit with them and invited them to Pageant.

The next night we took Philip to the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  He was a toddler the last time he saw it.

Carl and I attended Pageant almost every night and were amazed to run into so many people we hadn't seen for a while.

One of our first surprises was in literally running into our daughter-in-law Nicole's parents, Michael and Rochelle. Last time we saw them was at Jeremy and Nicole's wedding.

 

 

 

We ran into some folks from our home ward in Friendswood, Texas.  These two couples were in the cast.

Lydia and Dick Rowan

David and Ingrid Frey

Another surprise was running good friends we haven't seen for a few years, Marta Bourgeois (Rudy there also, but not pictured), and Eileen Peterson, a member of our Texas ward.

Marta, Eileen, Carl and I (Rudy B. was there too, but not in photo)

We were also delighted to see Shelli Horman, from our home ward, who flew in from Texas with her husband and children.

 
One of the biggest surprises was running into Steve Robinson (whom we have known since he was a boy) and his wife Sara and their young children. Steve had just gotten a job with Corning, which is in our mission. They didn't expect to see anyone they knew at the Pageant in Palmyra, and were totally shocked to see us.

It was so much fun to see some of our former missionaries, who came back for Pageant with their families. They were surprised that we were still here (a 23 month mission is a long time!)

"Elder" Caldwell

"Elder" Hoffman

"Elder" Anderson, who was one week shy of getting married.

Sadly, one of the Pageant performances got cancelled, due to lightning storms which were a threat the entire evening. It was very disappointing for many people, who had come from great distances. We worked at one of the information booths that night, and got to visit with a few of the cast members while waiting for final word on the cancellation of the show.

Jordan Davis, a member of our Brockport ward, Carl, and another cast member

"Nephi", who is portrayed by a recently returned missionary.

It's been such a treat for Carl and I to have attended the Hill Cumorah Pageant for two years in a row. This amazing production portrays scenes from the Book of Mormon -- from Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem, arriving in a promised land, and showing Christ's visit to these people, his "other sheep", following his resurrection.
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Changes in our mission

On July 1, we said our final farewell to President and Sister Christianson. It was very sad. I am forcing a smile for this picture.  Carl and I have worked with the Christiansons for 18 months, most of our mission.

From left to right:  Elder and Sister Willyerd, Pres. and Sister Christianson, Carl and I,
Sister Allred, and Sister Harris (who is Sister Christianson's sister).
One of the blessings of serving a  mission has been working with such
great senior missionaries. We sure do love them.

It was a privilege to greet the new mission president, Arthur Francis, and his family, who had just flown in from the airport, and were picked up by the Christiansons. On the way to the mission home, they dropped by the office to meet us.

 

Here they are with their boys (the 4th one is out of the picture). What a change for these boys, who have left all their friends and familiar surroundings to come out for 3 years to the New York Rochester Mission.  These boys, who are part of a family of 7 boys and 1 girl, range in age from 9 to 16 yrs. old. In case you are wondering, President Francis is 6' 7" and his wife is 6'.  We look like a bunch of pygmies next to them.

This is the office where we meet every Monday morning for staff meeting.