"Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo"

Ben had a lot of great experiences in Nauvoo. I read through some of his journal entries and will try to summarize what he did for the last two weeks. Things that are italicized are Ben's words and thoughts.

For his third year, Ben traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois with Vocal Point. The group performs there next to the temple every night for two weeks, as well as making daily trips out to surrounding cities. It is almost a mini-mission for them because they get to share the message of the Gospel through music and through their examples.

Some of the fun highlights of the trip include:

-a tour of Carthage jail, where the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred-A tour through the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois-a session through the Nauvoo temple-watching performances by the Young Performing Missionaries in Nauvoo-tours through museums about Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri and a walk through the actual cave he writes about in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"-playing Frisbee with kids in the area during the precious little down-time that they did have-a chance to learn from people in Bentonsport, Illinois who live off of the land and have a simple yet sweet outlook on life

The best part about Vocal Point taking this trip to Nauvoo is that every day and every activity is filled with spiritual experiences that help their testimonies grow. After almost every performance, someone would approach them and share an amazing conversion story or express gratitude for the wonderful feelings that they felt while listening to them sing. Ben feels so blessed to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and to be a part of this missionary effort.
Ben's visit to Carthage was personally inspiring. Even though he had been there before, this trip was especially poignant. When we got to the room where he was martyred, the guide mentioned that Joseph put his arm out for a pillow for one of his companions and said that all he wanted to do was see his family one more time and preach one last time to the saints. He didn't have any guile towards those that held him, and he was always looking out for his friends. We sang "Lead Kindly Light" and a huge emotion just fell over me. I truly mourned the Prophet of the Restoration.

Perhaps the most memorable and inspiring moments were the spiritual and personal interactions that he had with the other members of the group. Because they all have a deep love for the Savior and understanding of the Gospel, Ben loves having conversations with them about Gospel principles. I love having a testimony meeting with Vocal Point. That is definitely the highlight of the Nauvoo trip. It is a time when all jokes are set aside and everyone is able to express their most personal feelings to the group. We become so close and our relationships so strong.

Ben's three years in Vocal Point have had their challenging times and fun times, but every bit of it has been wonderful. I feel the same way I did at the end of my mission. I have done my best and am satisfied with the work I've done in Vocal Point. I am excited to enter into a new phase of my life and am willing to do whatever the Lord has prepared for me.