Faith, Obedience, Sacrifice, Charity

Today's training was especially great for us as it was presented by Jenny Lund, an old dutch oven competition friend, who is the Director of Church History Sites.  Her training was wonderful and we learned much.

Most visitors have no understanding of what happened here.  Of why it happened and why it's important.  Our opportunity is to share this, and to do so in a way that it comes to life for them.   Faith, obedience, sacrifice and charity are the messages that are seen over and over again in the lives of the handcart pioneers and the experiences and the stories we share illustrate this for our visitors.  A typical year has around 50,000 visitors from May-September, with nearly 50% being visitors other than youth trek groups.

Many of the pioneers were wonderful journal keepers.  This seems so amazing to me.  I do a terrible job of journal writing.  I often wonder what kept them recording their daily activities and experiences so faithfully.  From those first hand accounts we have accurate detail and understanding, through their eyes and experiences, of this place and what truly happened here 156 years ago.  How grateful we are for the valiant people they were and the faithful lives they lived.

Day #2 Training

Today we met with all missionaries and leadership at "the Trek Center".  This great log building serves as a training center, orientations for school groups and trekkers, and for Sunday services during the summer months.  It's the most unique church building we've ever met in!  There's a buffalo skin on the wall, signs reminding everyone of an urgent need in this dry, windy climate to drink lots of water, photos of pioneers, and flat screen tv's for presentations...we received lots of instruction and then headed out on site to tour the "homestead". 

We learned that there were 27,000 youth trekkers here during summer 2011 and about 20,000 other visitors.  The campgrounds and trails here facilitate these trekkers, and the other sites are of great interest to visitors. 

Entrance to MHHS

 Blacksmith Shop w/handcarts

Barn

Handcarts for visitors to take out

Museum & Humanitarian Center

We're Here!

We arrived at Mormon Handcart Historic Sites on April 25, 2012.   The beginning of grand adventures as we serve our mission here in Wyoming! 

We had a meeting that evening in "the Pavilion" with Elder and Sister Fenn, the Director and his wife at Mormon Handcart Historic Sites (MHHS).  They're delightful!  There are 98 missionaries serving here at this site of Martin's Cove.  Another 44 serve at the Willies Sixth Crossing site.  According to Elder Fenn,  this is "the most celestial RV park in the world"!  From the kindnesses and interactions we've had in our first hours here, we're getting our first glimpses of why this is so.
The Church owns 12,000 acres here, with another 85,000 leased from the BLM.  This is also a working ranch with 1200 head of cattle.   We began our first day with training and tours of Missionary Village facilities and what to expect in the coming days and weeks.

That evening we met with our District for dinner.  They're a great group.   From the left, Elder & Sister Smith, Elder & Sister Ohm (District Leaders), Elder & Sister Shepard, and us.  Smiths and Ohms are here for their 2nd year. 

It was a great first day here in the mission.  We're excited for a full schedule of learning in the coming days and weeks!