Casper Parade and Trek

July 13, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a busy week. Monday we had afternoon Visitor's Center. I've gone from marginally enjoying serving in the Visitor's Center to really loving it. I've tried to find ways to bring the Savior into every part of my presentation so I really can do the work of a missionary while also being a tour guide. I find that even our non member guests respond well to me expressing my love for Jesus Christ and his Church. I want everyone to understand that the handcart pioneers did what they did because they loved God and followed a Prophet. Elder Lindsey has been able to develope a  great rapport with guests and he (and they) really enjoy the time they spend with each other.

Tuesday morning we were up and out the door early. We headed to Casper with three other missionary couples to pull four handcarts in the Casper Day's Parade. We arrived at about 8:00am unloaded the handcarts and got the covers put on.

One of the missionary couples, Elder and Sister Ames, have a daughter whose family lives in Casper so their daughter brought her Achievement Day's girls plus three 12 year old boys to help pull the handcarts. Everyone was in pioneer dress and they were a good looking group!

The parade route took less than an hour to walk but it was very crowded. This is one of only two parades Casper has every year so it is very well attended. We felt  lucky that we were entry number thirty one because there were almost two hundred entries. When we finished the parade and were loading up the handcarts the later entries still had not started out and it was getting hotter by the minute.

After loading the handcarts on the trailer we headed out to lunch. Since we live so far out from everything it is always a treat to eat out. This time we went to Golden Corral. It was great because we could make a huge salad, something that I don't make at home, then enjoy a variety of other items and end our meal with ice cream! It just doesn't get better than that.

Wednesday we did the morning shift in the Visitor's Center. I really enjoyed taking a group of three ladies through. They were each from different areas of California on a road trip to Mt Rushmore. It was a daughter taking her mother and aunt on the trip. They knew nothing about Martin's Cove, our Church or the history of the area but they were so thrilled that they had discovered a beautiful oasis in the middle of the wilds of Wyoming (their words). Besides giving them a short history lesson on the West I was able to also give them a bit of information about the restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I took their picture in front of one of the handcarts and felt good that they left us with a positive view not only of Martin's Cove but of our Church.

Tuesday and Wednesday evening we had square dancing at Cherry Creek. Wednesday evening was especially fun because all the youth came prepared to dance and we didn't have to pry people off the fence or beg them to join in. Everyone, youth, leaders and missionaries had a great time.

Thursday we were again at Handcart Parking. We had a very busy day with seven treks on the trail but it was fun to see everyone as we interacted with them. As one group left a young woman turned around and shouted back at us "thanks for making this such a great experience!" I know she was thanking all of us missionaries and it felt good to know that we are impacting these youth in a positive way.  It was an early and long day for us as we got out there at 8:00am and didn't get done until after 6:00pm but it always feels good at the end of a day like that to know that you've been productive. We had some wild weather with a few rain showers passing by but it was hot enough that everyone dried quickly once the rain stopped. Elder Lindsey was able to trek into Martin's Cove with one of the groups as Sister Ames needed a less strenuous activity so she stayed with me while he went with Elder Ames.

Friday was a trek day for us. This was our third trek but at the end of the day I realized that even if we do a hundred treks everyone of them will be different, with different experiences and challenges. This was a group from Sandy, Utah. They had about 450 people so were divided into three groups of 150 each with three different sets of missionaries as trek hosts. They were very well prepared with beautiful programs both in the Dan Jones Amphitheatre and at the River Crossing.

Elder and Sister Rollins, Elder and Sister Stull and Elder and Sister Lindsey trek hosts for the Sandy, Crescent Stake at Handcart Parking for lunch.

We also had a bit of wild weather but it was hot so the little bit of rain was a relief. When our group stopped at Lower Cove Amphitheater I was able to tell the Cyrus Wheelock story. It is a special feeling to tell that story in the area that it actually took place. I was also able to testify of the Savior and the love he has for all of us. When I am in Martin's Cove I feel like I am in an outdoor Temple as the Spirit there is much the same.

Saturday was rest and recovery. We slept in and I fixed a nice breakfast. The rest of the day was spent puttering around, visiting with neighbors, reading and napping. I baked a chocolate cake for Sunday's potluck and we watched a movie on TV in the evening.

We love 11:00am church because on the Sunday's we don't have other assignments we can sleep in and I can fix a nice breakfast and we can just take our time...and that's a rare treat. As you know if you've been following our blog Sunday's at Martin's Cove are spirit filled and just plain wonderful and today was no exception. The missionaries who speak are a wealth of knowledge and full of the spirit and we always learn so much from them. The Sunday School lesson was well prepared and fun (remember we're talking Old Testament here) and we had many visitors in Relief Society whose comments added to Sister Miller's well prepared lesson on Baptism. If that weren't enough today we had a fireside with the Pay Sisters (Sister Hinkley's younger sisters). They told the story of their grandmother, Mary Goble Pay who traveled to Salt Lake in the Hunt Wagon Company (they followed the Martin Company). They spoke with humor and love and when they sang a little song it reminded me of the times Elder Lindsey's mother and her sister would sing their little songs.

They also told the miraculous story of recovering the grave marker from their grandmothers baby sister who died in this area when she was only six weeks old.

Elder Lindsey and I with the Pay Sisters and the grave marker.

Our grandson Jacob arrived safely in Mexico City and will be in the MTC there for six weeks before heading to Tampico, Mexico. Our grandaughter Kati is doing well in Ukarine and yesterday we received the wedding invitation for our grandaughter Hannah's wedding soon to take place in the Gilbert Temple. We are blessed and every day we express our gratitude to Heavenly Father for each of you.

Love,

Elder and Sister Lindsey