My brother went into the MTC on July 8th of this year. It was by far one of the hardest things that I had ever had to do. Four minutes never seemed to go by so fast. And afterwords they had the gall to tell us to have a good day. Way to put salt in the wound MTC!
After 6 long weeks he made it to the mission field of Jacksonville, Florida. I still find it hard to think that he is teaching people in the Spanish language.
I am glad to be able to keep correspondence with him through letters and emails, though I have to admit it is still hard not to speak directly with him. He and I are really close as brothers and to be so far from him has not been easy. But I know that he is where he needs to be and that he is doing the things that he is meant to do. He and I had the opportunity to do seminary together his senior year and my freshman year and I had no doubt in my mind that he was going to be a great missionary.
I realize that there is a lot of things that we are not going to be able to do together for the next couple of years. This fall brought the first time that he had not seen a show that I am in. He will not be here for the publication of my first book, though he continues to support me unfailingly through email and letters. He and I spent a lot of time together and I know that I will have to wait two years before we can pick up where we left off.
I find peace in knowing that it is not "goodbye", just "see you later." After all, he is going out to ensure that there are no goodbyes. We are able to be together for eternity. He is going out to give that gift to others.
I couldn't be prouder of my brother. He is the example of what a follower of Christ should be. A real man "like unto Moroni". He was always there to help me and is still there when I need him. He encourages me to keep improving and keep praying. He lets me know that when I am in need, the Lord is there just one prayer away.
He is an example to so many people. As I walked into seminary for the first time last year, I knew I was going to be "Avery's little brother." (In fact, my nickname for a while was "Li'l Avery.") I knew when I said that I was a Winter that my name would be associated with my brother's. And I couldn't be more proud to be Avery's little brother.
My brother heeded the call. He put on that black badge and went forth to do the Father's will, saying "Not my will, but Thy will be done." He is going to harvest the field and bring the Father's children home.
They say that thousands of missionaries go out a year, but what if we were to say thousands of sons, brothers, daughters, and sisters. Every missionary that goes out there is some body's family. They are soldiers in a war already won, like Helaman's Stripling Warriors. They do not doubt that if they have faith, and trust in God, that they will be prosperous. They will face adversity, the buffetings of the adversary will be all around them, always trying to drag them down. But they are surrounded on all sides by angels. Though two missionaries is all you may see, there are several angels standing around them, armed with swords and shields.
There is no greater cause for which the families will let their loved ones go than to do Heavenly Father's will. Missionary moms are among the most faithful and brave of the Lord's followers for letting their sons and daughters leave for 2 years. The fathers of these missionaries are strong, holding their head up, though on the inside they are torn between sadness and joy.
I hear about all of these crazy, funny, and inspiring stories of things that my brother has done. Like putting another elder's name-badge in jello. Or changing their ipad settings to Chinese. But also the strength and faith of the people they teach. The inspired meetings that to the investigators seem like "coincidence", or "fate", or even "luck".
I know that my brother is doing amazing things in Jacksonville, Florida. I know that he is a modern Stripling Warrior. He is where he needs to be. He will always be one of my heroes. And I couldn't be more proud of him.
I would say that I'm part of a "Dirty Rotten Cast" but that would be lying.
The musical, based off of the 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, has joined the list of my top favorite musicals.
The story is about two conmen on the French Riviera, who make a bet to extract 50,000 dollars off of a selected target, and the loser must leave town. With a surprise twist at the end, the audiences are sure to be rolling with laughter!
Near the end of January, I received a phone call from my mom, saying that the owner of the Terrace Plaza Playhouse (mentioned in my post, "The Backstage Story"), Jacci Florence (also mentioned in the post), had told her that they were short a guy and asked if I wanted to be a part of the musical, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". I was super excited to join, and jumped at the opportunity.
I went to the first rehearsal the following Tuesday. There, I met my double, Mike (who plays as Freddy the nights that I would be performing).
The choreographer then said that they would be reviewing the number titled, "Oklahoma". My mouth dropped when I saw them perform it. I had no clue how I was going to learn it. And, just to add to the confusion, I found out that I had three weeks to learn the show. Over the course of the three weeks, I had become friends with the cast members. I've said it before and I'll say it again, at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse, they really do treat you like family.
I was welcomed into the group by everyone from the very begining, and they were willing to help me catch up and learn the show. I cannot express my appreciation enough to the cast, my "Dirty Rotten Family".That night we started a number titled, "The More We Dance", which was tiring but fun.
After weeks of practicing, learning, catching up, singing, etc., the big night came: Opening Night.
I was nervous as could be, it was the moment of truth. I was pacing around my house all day, much to the entertainment of my family.
There's a certain energy that comes before the start of every show, it spreads through the actors and even through the audience. All the hard work was finally going to pay off.
As I walked on stage with my dance partner for the overture dance, the butterflies in my stomach were so large that I was afraid my own legs wouldn't hold me.
Once the overture was finished and the audience applauded, the anxiousness just melted away, as though a tension were being slackened.
Hearing the audience laugh reminded me of parts of the show that I had forgotten were even funny. Often during the show, the actors would stand backstage, laughing at the jokes and actions of the actors onstage. Even onstage, sometimes, I would nearly brake character due to hilarious things that happened.
Each actor and actress in the show brings something different to the table that makes it so enjoyable.
I was able to see one of the performances when my double was in the ensemble, and it was rare that I had a straight face during the show. I have to admit that I was a little giddy just sitting in my seat at first, though. In my mind at the theater I was in performance mode. I was even tapping my feet to the choreography of some of the numbers, and humming to some of the songs.
Your stress will just melt if you see this show. It is light-hearted and fun, with jokes that will make you laugh, and music that will have you humming for the rest of the week.
The music, by the way, is amazing, and the leads are phenomenal (which happens a lot at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse). I can assure anyone who goes to see this show that they will not be disappointed, and that the tickets will be money well spent.
Even my family (who have seen the show a couple of times now), still bust out laughing at the jokes. There were parts of the show that were hilarious to me even though I had heard them a hundred times. Often in our home, someone will belt out the lyrics to the song, "Ruprecht" substituting a family member's name in place of Ruprecht.
I have really enjoyed the experience of performing this show, and appreciate the chance of working with some of the greatest and most talented actors and actresses in theater.
If I were to say any more good things about this show, this post would go on for a while.
I would highly suggest coming to see this show, it would be a shame for a musical as good as this one to not have a full house at for at least one of the performances.
The nights that I perform are the 6, 9, 14, 20, and 23. The show goes through April 4th. To buy tickets, follow the link to the theater's website here
It has truly been a pleasure to work with this amazing cast, and I hope that you will see how great they are when they perform.
I have been able to make friends that I'm sure I will have for a long time to come, and I'm sure they will agree with me when I say that one of the greatest feelings for an actor is hearing a happy audience laugh or applaud.
Thank you for reading!
For all those fans of Sherlock Holmes, please read my story "The Deadly Tower" on this blog, and feel free to check out the previews of my books!
