RAIN! RAIN! RAIN! ...but the show must go on. We started very tired today. Last night was a 1am bedtime and the wake time did not change. We ate breakfast, the normal fare, caught the bus and went to morning devotional. It was good, a few rehearsal schedules throughout the morning and then a full run-through in the afternoon. Morning was not as hot but it was still sweating conditions. We ate lunch, had a devotional by Elder Snow, a member of the Seventy, and then went to a full rehearsal, all hands.
The rehearsal started and the rain began. A quarter of the way through they stopped the rehearsal due to thunder and lightning. All the technical crew came down from the towers and we went to the study shelter to let the storm pass. 15 minutes...30minutes...announcement that we will resume the rehearsal from where we left off. We all walked to the stage in time for a new cloud burst. Again we went back to the study shelter and waited for word. THe word came that rehearsal was cancelled and we should go to our cast team tents.
The rain kept coming. THe cast team tents are just a canopy. The water kept coming down. Our cast team leader led a discussion about Ministering Angels, using Elder Holland's conference talk and then we had a prayer, I was asked to include a request for the Lord to temper the weather. Half-way through the prayer the rain picked up and got so loud no one could hear me. The water was all over. It was an amazing set of cloud -bursts.
When the rehearsal was cancelled the first time Spencer joined the rest of the youth playing Ultimate frisbee with most of the youth out on the grass. The rain kept coming, they kept playing. He soaked his clothes. I gave him a dry shirt and it ended up wet as well. He was having fun. It was only after Frisbee that he realized that his church clothes were not protected from the rain, yes, they were soaked. Fortunately, Janette and Spencer found the dryers on-site (for the costumes) and were able to do a quick dry.
We did not expect many to show for the pageant but they came. Numerous bus loads of people and car after car. I am certain there were multiple thousands. The rain was constant but people did it anyway. We were surprised.
The anit-Mormons were at the road that passes Cumorah. A truck was parked on the side of the road with "What Mormons don't tell you" painted on the side. Down a bit, near the entrance off the public road were the protesters. They were using a bullhorn an telling everyone how wrong the Mormons are and how Joesph Smith was a liar. Fortunately, they are so far from the actual pageant you can not hear them until you walk in the parking lot. We just expect it.
Before and after each show we are assigned to be greeters. Spencer greets them and walks them into the bowl to find a seat. Janette, Meleah and I greet people after the show. We have missionary tracts in hand. Our job is to help people that are non-members recognize the good spirit they have felt and invite them to come to Christ, and also invite members to submit referrals for special friends. We did not get any tonight but we enjoyed greeting and asking how people enjoyed the show.
Many stakes in the east apparently use the Pageant as a Youth Conference trip. Some stay at Hobart college. A lot of people.
We get to sleep in late this morning. We are having a brunch before we go to the Hill. All of us are spent. We know our parts and now just need to do them 6 more times.
THe rain cooled things down a bit, except for the dorm room. Better but not best.
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