American Village 4th of July, Fireworks

     President Muck, one of the Mission Counselors set up a service opportunity for some of the young Elders, Sisters and Senior missionaries to serve at the American Village on our Nation's birthday!!  We arrived early and enjoyed a MSO recreation performance of "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and several other patriotic songs.  There were an estimated 4,000 people enjoying the performances, period costumes and actors presentations. 
     The young missionaries were ushers, crowd control and the Seniors manned the info booth.  Elder and Sister Barfuss were assigned to an assembly hall where every 30 minutes there was a 15 minute play on "Spy Secrets of the Revolution" and "My father, a Patriot soldier."  Both were done very well with actresses who had competed for the internship opportunity.  There were 90 youth who memorized and performed 1850's drama scenes, purchased their own period costumes and worked all summer for the Village. There was also demonstrations of 1800s social dancing, Army recruitment, a famous poet, Davy Crockett and Patrick Henry's famous speech, "Give me Liberty of Give me Death".
     Ben Franklin showed up for a special hands on program for the children about electricity and his famous kite experiment!! Rosie enjoyed him the most!! When she thanked him for being there he responded, "Well of course, I'm almost 200 years old now!"(speaking in Colonial English)
     Tours of the replica oval office, Mt Vernon, several other buildings and The Old North Church were ongoing.  The News station MC'ed an hour program with a live Montevello Orchestra, the Boy Scouts presenting the colors, honoring the founder of the American Village and all the performers.
     Fireworks were most amazing backed with live orchestra Souza marches throughout the evening.


Dave and Diane Bell met Elder and Sister Barfuss for dinner at "The Cheese Cake Factory" and treated us with a ride to see Diane's sister's mansion and her home LDS Church growing up in AL.  It was a great evening. Aunt Betty lives in the Birmingham Stake Boundaries and we met her once.

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