Have I Done Any Good

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I've taken the title of my post from one of my favorite LDS hymns. Have I done any good in the world today, have I helped anyone in need, have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad, if not I have failed indeed. Those words run through my head at night sometime before I go to sleep and I always hope that something we've done as we've gone about our day has made a difference. I know I've said this before but there is much need here in this little part of the world but there is also much love and many people willing to love and give service to those around them and that fills our hearts with gratitude that we are able to be a part of them and to serve with them.

Monday Elder Lindsey and I started out our week making return visits to some of the people we met the Sunday before. We took with us the Mormon Message Video that Elder Lindsey was in "True Christianity" and used it as a sort of introduction. We will just continue to visit with and love these people and pray that someday they will return to activity in the Branch. If they just understood how much they are needed and how much Heavenly Father loves them they would be back in an instant.

Monday is also my day to clean the building but as I am getting things caught up it doesn't take nearly as long. Elder Lindsey spent time on Monday and Tuesday cleaning and organizing the shed holding the snow blower and tools and making sure the snow blower is ready for what must surely come. We had great training at Martin's Cove for this work.

On Tuesday I always do our laundry. The Relief Society President, Sister Barker made sure the first week to let us know that she wanted to share her laundry with us so that we don't have to go to the laundromat. That has been such a blessing as not only does it save us money but it gives Sister Barker and I time to discuss the needs of the Sisters and come up with ideas on how we can help. It doesn't hurt also that she has three sweet little ones who are not yet school age (the two oldest are in school) so I get some substitute grandma time in too!

Wednesday while Elder Lindsey worked with the Scouts and leaders Sister Allen acted as my companion and we headed to the school in Mission to help with the Halloween Carnival put on for the kids who live in the dorms. Because transportation is often a problem for the Natives and because many live out of town some of the children starting in first grade live in the dorms during the week and go home on the weekends during the school year. It was a great carnival with games, snow cones, a bounce house and great little prizes for everyone. I did the bean bag toss and had lots of help from three cute little boys.

On Thursday we headed to Rapid City for a trizone conference with Elder Nash of the First Quorum of the Seventy. It was a spiritual feast as we learned both from the missionaries who taught and from our Mission President and Elder Nash. We  never realized how important we as members are to helping the full time missionaries accomplish the work. One quote we loved was "miracles happen when members participate in the lessons." My advice to all of you is...get out there and be part of the miracle.

Elder Nash taught many things but here are a couple of our favorite that we think apply to all of us; Daily diligence is important. The more diligent we are in the work the more the Lord can bless us and obedience is a source of strength. The Lord can work with us if we're obedient.

Because we know our limits Elder Lindsey and I stayed in Rapid City Thursday night. We had dinner with another Senior Couple (Elder and Sister Larson) who are serving in Eagle Butte and were able to compare notes. I found out Sister Larson is also the building custodian! Unfortunately I apparently ate something in the previous 24 hours that did not agree with me and spent the night in an awful state. In the morning after taking a shower I put my pajamas back on with my coat over top, snuck out to the car and we made the three hour trip home with no sightseeing stops along the way. When we arrived home I went to bed for about three hours and when I got up I was finally starting to feel better. Not an easy way to lose five pounds!

Saturday Sister Bush who has lived in this area for almost 50 years spent some time taking us around to some local activities and introducing us to people. We visited a craft fair where one of the members we are working with was selling her handy work, went to the rummage sale and turkey lunch at the Episcopal Church and to a beautiful store that sells Native crafts and art work from the area. The members here are so willing and anxious to help us in the work and we already feel like they are family.

The weather is beginning to change. Friday and Saturday were pretty cold and very windy then today we have temperatures in the 70's and no wind, a sure sign that winter will come and we will soon look longley back on this day.

Today was our first Sunday on a two hour block schedule. The Branch leadership decided that right now we don't have the leadership support to do a three hour block. We meet the first hour as Priesthood/Young Men and Relief Society/Young Women. We have a fairly good size Primary and then the second hour we have Sacrament Meeting. Our Schedule is from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Today's meetings were great and I could certainly see the wisdom in this decision.

Forgive me for being so wordy this week. For pictures Elder Lindsey took a short hike to the hill above the Church and took some pictures of the surrounding area. They will give you a nice overview of our little home.

Today we had a new Branch member at church (a teacher from SLC) who is in the area for two years to teach at the school in Spring Creek. In our conversation he asked me where Elder Lindsey and I live. I said "did you see that motorhome out front?" He was a little surprised but now after seeing these pictures I'm sure you'll have to agree with me...we have a beautiful home.

Our love and prayers to all of you,
Elder and Sister Lindsey

Serving

Dear Family and Friends,

Our weeks are getting busier. We've pretty much finished winterizing the motorhome and are getting more involved in the Branch and with the people. And we are loving it! On Tuesday the Sisters had a breakfast luncheon at the church. We had waffles, with homemade butter syrup, sausage, bagels and cream cheese and fresh fruit and juice. We cooked together and visited and the kids ran circles around us and had just as much fun as we did!

Sister Laura Barker and I. She is our Relief Society President and with five little kids she still does an amazing job of  loving and ministering to the Sisters under her care.

Wednesday is Scouts and Young Womens and Elder Lindsey and I have taken to helping with the youth. It gives us a chance to get to know them (several non members) and establish relationships with them. We love these faithful youth who are so valiant despite the sometimes difficult circumstances they live in. 

Thursday afternoon a couple of the young women came over and I helped them get ready for Saturdays Halloween Party by getting tables set up and starting the decorating. They then had dinner with Elder Lindsey and I before we took them home.

Each morning in our prayers we ask to be led to the people who need our help then we go out and visit. We have also spent some time this week learning our way around the little communities that surround us and where members of our Branch live. I love this area of the country, it is so beautiful. Sometimes as we drive through the rolling hills I long for my trike...it would love these roads!

Saturday our annual trunk or treat party was held from 10:00am to 1:00pm. It was great fun. We had games and pumpkin painting, plus the trunk or treat then at noon we served, soups, breads, salad, chips and other snacks and desserts. 

Elder Lindsey the cowboy waiting for lunch.

We also had a few non members come and bring their kids so we were able to spend time visiting, getting to know them and making them feel welcome. Of course we invite them back for Sunday meetings. 

A good looking group of goblins!

We decorated for the holiday and the the kids love it!

Sunday was our Primary program and it was wonderful. Eleven children sang their hearts out and did a beautiful job on their parts...each one of them spoke three times! After church Elder Lindsey and I did splits with President and Sister Allen. Elder Lindsey and President Allen went to Parmelee and visited with several less active families introducing Elder Lindsey and setting the stage for future visits from he and I. Sister Allen and I did the same thing in Rosebud, St Francis and Mission and Elder Lindsey and I will be going back to visit two families tomorrow, one in which we will do a short family home evening presentation. 

In addition to the Addiction Recovery Program our main focus here will be with the less active members and many of them are less active because of addiction issues. There is much work to do and we feel so blessed to be able to do some of it. 

As always our love and prayers go with you,

Elder and Sister Lindsey

All is Well...All is Well

Dear Family and Friends,

I'll start first with the end of the week. On Friday we headed out early for Rapid City and our much anticipated appointment with the Rheumatologist. The final diagnosis is Polymyositis Rheumatica. It is not an autoimmune disease but it is a disease where the immune system over reacts and causes a great amount of joint pain. The treatment is steriods and since that is what Elder Lindsey has been on we will now start the very slow (over the next six months) process of weaning him off the steroids and thus avoid the problems that flare up with long term steroid use. The doctor feels that if we wean him off the steroids slowly we have less of a chance of the disease flaring up again. We will see the doctor again in three months just to follow up but Elder Lindsey is feeling better every day and is getting his strength back. Thank you for your prayers and your calls and messages. We have felt your love and feel very blessed.

After our appointment we found the mission office and stopped in and visited with two of the couples serving in the office.

Elder and Sister Sampson from Lehi, Utah work the front office.

Elder and Sister Uluave from Provo Utah. She is the mission nurse and he handles referrals, gas charges and other missionary expenses.

Next we went to Walgreens and got our flu shots then on to McDonalds for a quick lunch. After lunch we headed to a tire place where we got new tires on the Tahoe. Then since we were in the big city we took advantage and did our grocery shopping at Walmart stocking up on canned goods and refilling the freezer with meat. We spent Friday night at the mission home and were very excited to have the chance to see the movie "Meet the Mormons." The movie itself isn't showing anywhere close to us and because young missionaries aren't allowed to go see it in the theatre the Mission Presidents all got copies. We can't wait to be able to get a DVD to show here in Rosebud. We loved the movie, the stories were wonderful and it was so well done.

This picture is looking up the driveway to the mission home.

Elder Lindsey at the front door of the mission home.

Us with President and Sister Andersen. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to get to spend some one on one time with these good people. 

The mission home is huge. They can easily sleep over 20 people without pulling out air mattresses and during transfer weeks they do just that! Sister Andersen does all the cooking and laundry for the large groups that spend time there. Serving as Mission President isn't for sissies!

Saturday morning we were up early and after stopping at Lowe's and and Walmart (again) we headed for home. This time when we arrived at Wall we decided to take the 35 mile loop that goes through the Badlands National Park. It was so beautiful, we stopped at a couple of overlooks and put others on our list for the next time we take this drive.

The pictures are beautiful but they don't begin to do it justice. You'll just have to come visit so you can see for yourselves. The real highlight of the day was seeing these bighorn rams walking down the side of the road. We've seen a lot of wildlife in our travels but this was a first for us.

We arrived home about 3:00pm on Saturday. It took awhile to unpack the car and when we were done we both agreed there is jut no place like home!

Our early part of the week was spent getting the motorhome ready for winter, cleaning the church and visiting a couple people who will benefit from attending our ARP classes. On Tuesday I attended the Relief Society cooking class where I was able to meet a couple more of the sisters and today at church it was great to be able to greet them as new friends.

Elder Lindsey built new stairs...watch for the finished product in next weeks blog!

This is part of what we've done to winterize the motorhome, 10ml visqueen on wood frames attached to the motorhome with non residue duck tape. It was a lot of work but hopefully will pay off when the temperatures drop.

On Sunday the phrase "We aren't in Kansas anymore Toto" goes through my head because things are very different in this little branch than what we have at home. Yet each Sunday has been special and the opportunity to be a part of it is such a blessing in our lives. Today at Branch Council we talked about specific things we can do to help reactivate the members who aren't attending right now. Rosebud has enough members to be a ward if even half of them were active. There is much work to do. 

One wonderful thing that happened in our family this week was that our granddaughter Kati finished her 18 month mission and arrived home from Ukraine on Wednesday. We talked to her on Facetime for a few minutes. We are so proud of Kati and her commitment to serve our Heavenly Father. We can't wait to hug her!

We hope you have a wonderful week. Our love and prayers are always with you.

Elder and Sister Lindsey

John Cooper

Dear Family and Friends,

John Cooper was 22 and a member of the Hodgett Wagon Company, one of the two wagon companies following the Martin Handcart Company in 1856. On his journey he fell in love with a young woman who was also traveling in the Hodgett Wagon Company and they planned to be married as soon as they arrived in Salt Lake City.

When the wagons were unloaded at Fort Seminoe so that the people with frozen limbs could ride in them into the valley John Cooper was asked to be one of the 20 young men to stay the winter on starvation rations to protect the goods. This he did saying goodby to his sweetheart. Two days after he arrived in Salt Lake City in June of 1857 they were married. There was a difference in John though because when John left England he weighed 160 pounds and when he arrived in Salt Lake City he weighed 80 pounds. John had a motto in life that hangs on a little sign in our motorhome  (thank you Elder and Sister Black) and that motto was; "We must not expect everything to run smooth." This is the saying that ran constantly through my mind this week.

These two showed up and spent a couple days hanging out with us, they were sure cute and it was hard not to fall in love with them.

On Tuesday Elder Lindsey finished the last of his second round of antibiotics but was so much worse that we knew we had to get him into a doctor. We were able to get an appointment in Valentine at the clinic attached to the hospital so we headed over there. After blood tests and a CT scan they made arrangements for Elder Lindsey to be admitted into the Rapid City Regional Hospital. The doctor in Valentine did not know what was wrong but felt he was too sick to stay at their hospital. After a quick stop back in Rosebud to pack a few items we were off. It was a three hour drive, mostly in the dark with lots of road construction but we made it. The clinic was nice enough to give Elder Lindsey a shot of a pretty strong pain medication before we hit the road so he rode in relative comfort. 

We were a direct admit into the hospital and we saw doctors immediately. They did a full workup and did a clinical diagnosis for Polymyositis Rheumatica. They then gave him a huge dose of steroids, more pain medication and several potassium pills as his potassium was dangerously low, and moved us to a room. We got settled around 2:00am and managed to doze off and on until about 5:30am when the day started in force. The steroids worked wonders as the terrible muscle and joint pain he'd been experiencing for the last three weeks began to subside. 

Wednesday morning President and Sister Anderson visited with us and offered the mission home if I or we needed to stay in town for a few days. All of the members here have been wonderful, checking in on us, praying for us and offering help. President Allen even fixed our sewer hose while we were gone so Elder Lindsey didn't have to crawl under the motorhome again.

We can't say enough about the wonderful care that Elder Lindsey (and I) received at this hospital. Everyone was kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. They worked hard to keep both of us comfortable and to figure out the puzzle of his illness.

Wednesday evening the doctor decided that  they would do a temporal artery biopsy to rule out a more dangerous disease. They did this on Thursday afternoon and we were discharged about noon on Friday. The biopsy was negative which was a relief. We now have an appointment with a Ruematologist on Friday, October17th back in Rapid City. By then all the blood work will be back and hopefully the tests will back up the original diagnosis. 

After three days in the hospital we were anxious to get home so we headed out immediately. The drive home was much nicer...I could see where we were. This country is really quite beautiful. We decided to stop in Wall for lunch...home of the famous Wall Drug Store. We spent a few minutes looking around then shared a buffalo burger before getting back on the road for home. 

Elder Lindsey outside Wall Drug.

Friday night we were in bed early and Saturday we slept late! It was wonderful. Ever since Elder Lindsey got sick he hasn't been able to sleep laying down but would instead sit in a chair in the living room with a small electric heater blowing warm air on him. He hasn't had a good nights sleep in over three weeks so for him to have gone to bed in our bed and slept long and hard is a wonderful tender mercy and blessing for both of us.

Saturday Elder Lindsey spent time puttering around outside doing a few things that need to be done before winter. I decided to clean the chapel and foyer of the church in preparation for Sunday. After I finished at the church I made two apple crisps with the apples President Allen gave us. I baked one and froze the other. It was lovely to be home.

These last three weeks certainly haven't  been what we expected but we have had many tender mercies and blessings that continue to remind us that Heavenly Father is in charge and is mindful of us and our circumstances. The first night in the hospital when I was feeling discouraged the song "Count Your Many Blessings" came into my mind and each time I woke up the words would still be there and they were a great comfort to me as  I was reminded that even in the midst of trials when things aren't running smoothly our Heavenly Father is still there loving us and guiding us.

Church in a small Branch is very different than what we are used to except for the Spirit which is still there and witnessing the truthfulness of the Gospel to all who will listen. We are feeling very blessed. Elder Lindsey is stronger every day and we are so grateful that Heavenly Father is allowing us to serve these wonderful people here in Rosebud.

We love you all,
Elder and Sister Lindsey

New Home

October 5, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

Moving is hard...even if all you do is drive your home to the next destination! We spent Monday at Martin's Cove, Elder Lindsey resting as he tried to kick the illness that had a strong hold on him. We did take the opportunity to drive to Lower Cove and enjoy lunch as we visited this sacred place one last time.

Looking into Martin's Cove from the Lower Cove Monument.

As we ate lunch we watched this beautiful storm move across the valley complete with lightning and rolling thunder.

Elder Lindsey at the monument.

As we headed back to the Homestead I had Elder Lindsey drop me off at the Visitors' Center thinking I would give the Grover's an opportunity to take a quick lunch break. As it turned out the Grover's, myself and Sister Jensen who came over from the office were busy with visitors non stop until well after 4:30pm when I snuck away. The Grovers had visitors until after 6:00pm. The Visitors Center hours changed from 9:00am to 4:00pm after labor day but the people keep coming and as missionaries we are thrilled to welcome them no matter what time they arrive. 

Our special friends Elder and Sister Mellor had us for dinner before we got together with everyone for Family Home evening. Pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy and vegetables...it was delicious! For FHE the Mellors showed pictures of their first mission. They served in Eagle Butte which is in the same District we are now serving in. We learned a lot and what they had to say just made us more excited to start our new adventure.

Elder and Sister Mellor, we have had such fun serving with them!

Tuesday morning we pulled out of Martin's Cove at 8:00am. Elder Lindsey drove the motorhome and I followed him driving the Tahoe and pulling the trailer. We stopped in Casper for a quick breakfast and to pick up something at Walmart then were on the road again. The day seemed long but really went by quickly and smoothly. We stopped a couple times for a quick restroom break and once for lunch (it's great to have your own restroom and kitchen). We arrived in Rosebud at 5:00pm (central time) so the trip of just under 400 miles took only eight hours. 

Shortly after our arrival President Allen arrived to help us get set up. He was followed by The Barker family and President Gilson and children (the Branch President). We felt very welcomed! Wednesday was spent unpacking and setting up and unfortunately for Elder Lindsey he was getting sicker. He had finished his antibiotic on Sunday and everyday after he was again feeling worse. On Thursday we called our doctor in Salt Lake and he ordered another antibiotic which we had overnighted with FedEx. 

Friday was spent waiting for  FedEx. By this time Elder Lindsey was very sick. Getting something delivered in a town without addresses is an adventure. I was on the phone with the FedEx office in Pierre (pronounced Pier) giving directions to the church as they were relaying the directions to the driver. It all worked, the driver arrived and since I'd just baked cookies I had a couple for him and he in turn said he now knows where we live!

We now have a PO Box. If you'd like to send snail mail our address is; PO Box 531 Rosebud, South Dakota 57570. Rosebud is a lovely little town. As soon as Elder Lindsey gets his health back we will work on a little video of the area. 

Saturday Elder Lindsey was already starting to feel better. We watched morning Conference then drove to Valentine, Nebraska (38 miles) to get a longer sewer hose for the motor home. It was a tender mercy that someone at the auto parts store knew of a man who has a small business of parts for motorhomes and even though he wasn't open he lives right next door and was very willing to help us get what we needed. 

Elder Lindsey attended Priesthood Session with a few others in the Church while I watched it in the motorhome as I wrote the blog. There is much work to be done here. Of the 300 members on the rolls of this Branch only 30 to 50 attend and addiction is taking it's toll on otherwise good people. We spent some time talking to President Allen about the direction he wants us to take and are excited to get out and meet the people.

A couple more "it's a small world". The Branch President's wife Jennifer is the daughter of the manager of the  motor pool at the COB and someone I knew for years and the District Presidents son recently returned from serving in the Salt Lake Mission and he spoke at Highland Cove while Elder Lindsey was Branch President there.

Sunday we attended General Conference at the church (a long walk) and between sessions we had a potluck lunch. Something we are very used to coming from Martin's Cove. We learned today that fry bread is not scones and that Navajo Tacos are Indian Tacos. We also taught our first missionary lesson between sessions to a 13 year old cousin of a member. She really wants to be baptised but has no real knowledge of the Savior or his teachings so we are starting with the basics. We will meet with her again on Thursday evening.

The front of the chapel looking from the motorhome.

Our home looking from the front of the chapel.

And we thought we lived close to the church in Utah!

This is such a pretty view across the lawn of the church looking down into Rosebud.

Please continue to keep Elder Lindsey in your prayers. He received a wonderful blessing tonight from the District and Branch President and we have the faith to know all will be well. We are holding tight to the quote that hangs by our door from John Cooper "We must not expect everything to run smooth." We have been so welcomed into this little community and already feel a love for the people we are getting to know.

Our love and prayers are with each of you,

Elder and Sister Lindsey

Home...sorta!

September 28, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a very busy week and for us a very different week. As you know from last week we arrived home and since our home is rented out are staying at the home of our long time and wonderful friends Ken and Sue Larsen. We feel like we are in a luxury hotel as we have our own master suite but it's even better because we get to spend time with great friends.

 Monday morning we started our week at the doctors office. Elder Lindsey was still feeling pretty lousy and our doctor did a lot of blood work so as to get a definitive diagnosis. By Monday afternoon the antibiotic he started taking the previous Friday was beginning to kick in. He still has muscle aches which make it hard to sleep at night and he runs down quickly during the day but the fever is fading and he feels a little better each day so we are on the right path. Keep the prayers coming please. After visiting the family doctor for Elder Lindsey we headed to the chiropractor for me. It felt so good to get my neck and back adjusted. I have missed those monthly treatments.

At noon on Monday and Tuesday we attended Addiction Recovery Meetings. WOW, what a powerful program, the spirit in both meeting was strong as the Atonement was applied in all of our lives as we strived to overcome our weaknesses and become like the Savior. We felt such a strong spirit of love and caring out of everyone in the meetings that it took us by surprise just a little. When I thought about it I realized that the Savior will always be there for anyone who takes the steps needed to turn their life over to him.

Monday evening we got together with our Empty Nesters Family Home Evening group and talked about our mission at Martin's Cove. Elder Lindsey showed one of his videos and it was wonderful to be able to share stories of a place that we love and that will always be in our hearts.

Wednesday we attended our local regions ARP training meetings. Elder and Sister Reed gave us some great training and even gave us materials we will need when we start our local meetings in Rosebud. We attended their correlation meeting and again enjoyed the wonderful spirit and testimonies of the missionaries who serve in the ARP programs here in the valley. We are so grateful that we've been able to attend these meetings and get this hands on training, it certainly gives us a bit more confidence as we prepare to start this program in our new assignment.

Wednesday afternoon I went to the dentist and he was able to make a post and attach the tooth I broke off about three weeks ago. It feels so much better to have my tooth back and not a hole in the side of my mouth! No more Bit O Honey for me.

When we have time between meetings we stop by the house and relax. Tauni has been so good to share it with us this week. She has decorated it so cute. I  love to look around and see that my home is being well cared for and well loved!

Thursday Elder Lindsey spent most of the day at our house doing some small repairs and getting things ready for winter. I went downtown and visited with friends from work and had lunch with my friend Allison. It was fun to see everyone if only for a few minutes. I don't miss working but I do miss my friends.

Some of my crew, love these guys.

Allison and I went to our favorite place at the food court...Great Steak...so good! 

In the afternoon we attended a class that our friend Daniel Smith was recording as an audition tape for education week. It was on the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem. Daniel made the Temple robes from descriptions found on line to show us what the High Priest would have worn in the time of Christ. It was a fascinating class.

Finally we made it to Cafe Rio for dinner. It was just as good as we remembered!

This is one of the few meals Elder Lindsey has been excited about since he got sick!

 In the evening we attended the ARP for Pornography Addiction. Elder Lindsey attended the mens class and I attended the class for spouses. The lesson focused on trust and it broke my heart to see these beautiful daughters of Heavenly Father in such pain but they are strong women and are relying on the Lord and his Atonement to help them heal. 

Friday morning we got an email from our doctor. Elder Lindsey does not have tick fever or West Nile Virus (thank goodness) but he does have an elevated white count (three days after starting antibiotics) and is mildly anemic so he is to continue on the medication and hopefully will soon be better. He is still having a hard time sleeping because of joint pain so please keep the prayers coming.

Friday I got to meet my dear friends Kristina and Pam for an early lunch at Wingers. It was fun to pat Kristina's baby bump and celebrate the up coming arrival of Lily, Pam's first grandbaby!

Later in the afternoon we picked up Ernie and took him for a hamburger before saying goodby. His main concern was how I would be able to get his Christmas presents to him from a place so far away as Rosebud. He also knew the route we would travel to Rosebud and promised to pray for us every day. 

Last stop of the day was back to the house where we parked the Toyota, covered it and got the last few things we needed to take with us in the Tahoe. The adventure is about to begin!

Saturday we were on the road early to return to Martin's Cove. We stopped in Rawlins for gas and a few groceries and arrived at Missionary Village just before 2:00pm. It was a very lonely return. Everyone was gone and the antelope looked at us like "what are you doing here?" We spent the afternoon unloading the car and  organizing the motorhome for traveling. I went into the homestead in the evening and joined the other Sisters for the semi annual Womens Conference.

On Sunday morning we moved into the homestead and parked the motorhome and trailer outside the wood shop where we could plug in. We attended church, spoke for a few minutes in Sacrament about our new assignment and attended pot luck in the gathering room. Instead of 100 plus people we had 13 around the big table but the food was still delicious and the company wonderful. Elder Lindsey is still struggling with his health but each day is usually a tiny bit better so we are going in the right direction.

Next week we will be posting from Rosebud.

Love and prayers,
Elder and Sister Lindsey

Goodby Martin's Cove...for now

September 21, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

It seems absolutely impossible that six months has passed and we are leaving Martin's Cove. Even though we are excited for our transfer and new challenges that lay ahead there is much we will miss. Number one on that list are the thirty seven couples we have served with. When we get to Rosebud it will be just Elder Lindsey and I and I know we will both have moments when we wish we could hop next door or a couple trailers down and visit with our friends.

Monday and Wednesday were regular work days and Tuesday we took our last shift in the Visitors' Center. Tuesday afternoon we drove to Riverton picked up a few groceries then met many of the missionaries from Martin's Cove and Sixth Crossing at the Sundowner Station Restaurant. We had been told they had good food and they sure did. Elder Lindsey and I had the best chicken fried steak we'd ever had. We shared and still couldn't finish. After the early dinner we all headed over to President and Sister Lorimer's home for a fireside. As you remember President Lorimer was President of the Riverton Wyoming Stake when it was discovered the Temple work had not been done for most of the Handcart Pioneers who had perished on the trail. The Riverton Stake finished the year long project completing these ordinances in 1992 (The Second Rescue). President Lorimer also negotiated the purchases of all the Mormon Handcart Historic Sites under the direction of President Hinckley. As you can imagine he is a wealth of knowledge and has many wonderful experiences to share. We have heard him speak three times and he has never repeated himself!

President Lorimer. We met at his home in his beautiful yard.

Relaxing while we waited for the fireside to begin. Elder Ormsby is especially relaxed!

Wednesday evening was our farewell dinner and it was wonderful. Pork Loin with mushroom sauce, baked potatoes, steamed carrots with butter and dill, garlic breadsticks and bread pudding for dessert. After dinner we had entertainment and a slide show of a few of the 70,000 pictures Sister Moench has taken over the last 18 months.

It was a dressy affair.

Elder and Sister Paulsen shared our table.

Everyone had formal pictures taken with Elder and Sister Moench.

To end the evening we had a performance of almost original music from the "Poison Spider" Boy Band.

I'd like to share what I wrote for this years Remember Book which tells some of my memories of serving at this wonderful sacred place.

I Will Remember

I will remember being on work crew one day and having the strong impression that the physical work we do here at Martin’s Cove is very important to the Lord and those we honor here so I have felt it a privilege to help maintain these sacred grounds.

I will remember walking on a trek with the mother of a severely autistic boy and of sharing our shared experiences raising these special but sometimes challenging children.

I will remember silently watching a river crossing where six Aaronic Priesthood holders carried one of their leaders over the river in a rickshaw.

I will remember bearing my testimony to a young girl in the Visitors’ Center and watching the tears run down her cheeks as I asked her to always remember how much Heavenly Father and Jesus loves her.

I will remember a mother turning around as her family was leaving, throwing her arms around me and thanking me for my testimony of the Gospel.

I will remember a five year old boy wondering if perhaps I might have been here when the Handcart Companies came through.

I will remember wonderful spirit filled Sacrament meetings and strong and powerful testimonies.

I will remember lively and fun Sunday school classes and Spirit filled Relief Society meetings.

I will remember the best neighbors anyone could wish for, ones that loved like the Savior loved.

I will remember great food and lively conversation.

I will remember beautiful music, wonderful art and Firesides that were a spiritual feast.

I will remember the peace I felt every time I was privileged to trek into Martin’s Cove whether with a trek or with my eternal companion.

I will remember leaders who led by the spirit, and were kind and loving to everyone.

I will remember the spirit that could be felt by everyone who drove through the front gate and which I was privileged to feel every day.

 I will remember the angles round about…

Thursday afternoon our friends Dave and Jan Harris along with their friends Ronda and Paul arrived on their motorcycles. We were their first stop on a motorcycle trip to the Black Hills. We had dinner in the pavilion then because Elder Lindsey was sick he went home and crashed and I took them on a tour of Martin's Cove, the Visitors Center and the buildings of the homestead. On Friday morning we had waffles, sausage, eggs and bacon in the pavilion and were joined by Elder Paulsen who helped cook and then did the major part of the clean up!

Paul, Ronda, Elder Lindsey and I with Dave and Jan

After breakfast the bikes took off for parts east and Elder Lindsey and I with help from our friends finished loading the car and after many good byes and hugs we took off for Salt Lake City. Since Elder Lindsey had all the signs of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (tick fever) and was miserable our first stop in Salt Lake was the Instacare connected to our doctors office. After ruling out other possibilities the doctor decided to go ahead and treat him for tick fever. I am happy to report that he finally got a good nights sleep Friday night and that he was feeling much better on Saturday. Prayers and medication work every time!

We stopped at the house and unloaded the car then headed to Ken and Sue's, our home for the week. We are so grateful for good friends who love and support us. It was fun to spend the evening together, share a good meal and just enjoy each others company.

Saturday our first stop was to get the car washed! It's nice to be able to wash it and not drive down a dirt road right after. It might actually stay clean for a few days. We took the Tahoe to our mechanic for the safety inspection and licensing and to have the heater thermostat repaired and will pick it up on Monday. Elder Lindsey replaced the motor on the swamp cooler then was able to take a nice long nap while Tauni and I ran a few errands. 

We are experiencing a bit of cultural shock...traffic...we don't like it and we are missing our beautiful clean clear air. Friday night we showed Ken and Sue part of the DVD Elder Lindsey made and it made me homesick for beautiful Martin's Cove.

Sunday we were blessed to attend the Rededication of the Ogden Temple. It is always a sweet experience to attend a temple dedication and today was no exception.

After the dedication we went and picked up Ernie and went "home" for a lovely Sunday afternoon of relaxing and enjoying a delicious dinner of turkey and all the trimmings.

A Lindsey family portrait.

Elder Lindsey is still not feeling in top form so it will be nice to see our regular family doctor tomorrow.

Our love and prayers are with you,

Elder and Sister Lindsey