Trying to Catch Up - Blog entries still coming!

One of the challenges of life in a remote campground, in a box on wheels, is the inefficiency of the technology we've always taken for granted.  Internet service has been poor to non-existent for the entire time we've been here.  Recent upgrades and extensive work and labors by an internet specialist senior missionary serving here (Elder Onstine), has finally paid off as we have more reliable service.  But the crazy WY winds and atmosphere seems to still play havoc with consistent connnections. 

All that being said...I'm trying to get many many past happenings posted on this blog.  So if you check in and it looks like there's nothing new, scroll down and take a look at older posts.  I'm adding happenings from the past in date sequence.  If you double click on the photo it will enlarge.

Rattlesnakes!

I had a close encounter with a rattlesnake this week.  It was actually one of the scariest situations I've ever found myself in, but since I rarely go anywhere without my camera these days, lest I miss some golden photo op, I have the photo to prove my close call with calamity.  Never wanted to have that experience, and now that I've had it, I hope I never do again.  Miraculously, there was a sister missionary nearby in an atv who came to my rescue as I was out in a field and afraid to go forward, backward or sideways, lest I run into another snake while trying to escape the one who was a foot or two away from me.  There are many rattlers in the area, but this encounter was way to close for comfort.  When others heard about it the story got bigger and better each time I told it!  It even went well with some music that we were rehearsing in band practice, and before you know it a new song was born!

 

When Rattlesnakes Came to Play

                           (sung to the tune of Grandma’s Feather Bed)

     July 2012 – Mormon Handcart Historic Sites in WY 

When I was older n’ dirt, lovin’ my rockin’ chair, 

It felt like time to serve the Lord, lookin’ fer adventure thru prayer.
So I took my love, I took my “box”, and headed where the antelope play. 
Had adventures a plenty until one day – when rattlesnakes came to play.

 Chorus:

He was 20 feet long and 5 feet high, coiled up and ready to strike.
Head dartin’ forward, tongue shootin’ out, just beggin’ me to come out n’ fight
It’s rattlers rattlin’, he’s callin’ his friends – “live ones here in our space”,
Almost died on the plains by Sweetwater crossin’ – when rattlesnakes came to play.

Well I love the Cove, I love Veil Bridge, love Handcart Parkin’ too, but I never will forget the Footbridge day – when rattlesnakes came to play.
I was walkin’ off the trail, walkin’ in sage, walkin’ where nobody goes
Walkin’ where only dirt and bunnies are – and rattlesnakes come to play. 

 Chorus:

He was 20 feet long and 5 feet high, coiled up and ready to strike.
Head dartin’ forward, tongue shootin’ out, just beggin’ me to come out n’ fight
It’s rattlers rattlin’, he’s callin’ his friends – “live ones here in our space”,
Almost died on the plains by Sweetwater crossin’ – when rattlesnakes came to play.

They were waitin’ for missionaries, innocent & dumb, city slickers workin’ for the Lord.

But we ain’t really dumb, we have hidden help, and rescuers are part of the plan…
There was Sister Starr, off-road rover drivin’ – buffalo meat hangin’ on the side
She swooped right in and layed him low, no more rattlesnakes out to play.

 Chorus:

He was 20 feet long and 5 feet high, coiled up and ready to strike.
Head dartin’ forward, tongue shootin’ out, just beggin’ me to come out n’ fight
It’s rattlers rattlin’, he’s callin’ his friends – “live ones here in our space”,
Almost died on the plains by Sweetwater crossin’ – when rattlesnakes came to play.

Faith to work miracles

We recently learned of the story of Ann Malin.  To follow is the account given of her (Tell My Story, Too - Jolene Allphin):

"Ann heard the Mormon missionaries, studied, and with a prayerful heart was baptized as a member of the Church in 1850 at the age of 18.  After five years of hard work, she saved enough money for passage to America on the ship Horizon...Ann had gone to the shipping docks and was engaged as the cook for the captain and crew of this ship.  They landed in Boston on July 18 (1856) and continued to Iowa where she was hired as a cook in the John Hunt's wagon company.  This company was instructed to follow closely behind the Martin Handcart Company and render any needed assistance.

In late October, food became scarce.  If an animal fell down from exhaustion it was immediately killed and dressed for food.  The rawhides were cut into strips and used to bind the tires onto the  rims of the wagon wheels.  After a time all food was exhausted and the men cut those rawhides from the wheels and boiled them to make soup.  Ann said that as she handed the men their small rations, and saw their suffering from hunger, she prayed to the Lord to take awayh her appetite so she might give her rations to relieve the others' suffering.  She testified her prayers were answered, as she gave away her food, but was never hungry." 

Today I was reading from the Book of Mormon, Alma 31:38 ...And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should  they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ.  Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

I love the example of sacrifice and charity that Ann Malin exemplified, and the second witness that came today from Alma, that the prayer of faith is answered in time of great need.

There Is Work Enough to Do, Ere the Sun Goes Down

"God has work for all his children, regardless of age or ability." 

                                                                           Amish proverb

 Training Day on Rovers - Elder & Sister Bagby,

Elder & Sister Crabtree, Elder Holdaway, Elder Brown

 Sister Starr at Base

 Elders Brunner, Crabtree, Francom, Billings, Coon - trekking

Sisters Davis, Francom, Pratt, Shepard - painting the wagon

 Sisters Ohm, Haacke, Onstine, Varty -

prepared to take out school groups

 Sisters Minnick & Barrett - painting benches in the campground

Sisters Francom & Brunner painting benches in campground

with 7 Elders in the background building fence.

President Bush at MHHS

We couldn't believe it when President George W. Bush recently came to Mormon Handcart Historic Sites!  We put a missionary badge on him and clicked this photo.

...Just kidding. This is Elder Stockamp who is serving at Willie Sixth Crossing site.  But at first glance, don't you think he looks like President Bush!

Martin's Cove

President Gordon B. Hinckley made this statement about this location.

"We hope that a spirit of peace and reverence and sacred remembrance will hover over this whole area as a beneficent cloud on a hot summer day, and that those who here perished will not have died in vain.  I make a plea, go in a spirit of reverence and respect and know that you are walking on hallowed ground."  (May 3, 1997)

Trail Sites & Scripts

The last few days we've had extensive training at the numerous trail sites that will become our weekly work locations.  There are stories and pioneer experiences that are shared at each location.  Our wonderful trainers (who are here for their 2nd year) took us by "rover" to all these sites and shared the stories that we'll be learning and soon sharing ourselves.  It was a fun and informative day.  Two days later we "trekked" to all these sites and actually walked the trails and Martin's Cove where our youth trekkers and visitors will be walking.  To follow are some photos of these two training days:

Gathering at the "Homestead" for our rover travel training

Receiving instruction at the Sweetwater

Windy Sweetwater crossing

Rovers on the trail

Trekking to the Cove

Missionaries at the base of the Cove

Trekking into the Cove

At the top of the Cove

View across the valley