24 August 2018 - Friday

24 August 2018 - Friday

Mom and I had a somewhat busy day, today.  Our first assignment, for today, was to help with the Trek Leader Training registration.  That assignment was at the Outfitting Post and began at 7:30am.  Then we joined the mission choir at the Trek Center at 9:00am to sign the song, "Hallowed Ground".  Our final assignment was to cover the Handcart Parking area for the Trek Leader Training and we got there at 10:00am and left at 4:00pm.  Here are some of those morning pictures;

Mom with Sister Lewis at the trek leader registration

Here we are at the Handcart Parking assignment

Some of our friends dubbed Handcart Parking as "Lasherville" "population 2"

We walked from the Base Cabin to Handcart Parking, this morning, and discovered a new name for Handcart Parking... It had been renamed, "Lasherville", "population 2".  We have been joking this week that we get some of the strangest assignments like being relegated to Handcart Parking.  Our friends kind of turned the tables on us, with this fancy sign, and it seems like the whole mission was involved!   Fun!  (the only problem here is that "Lasherville" is not supported by GPS!)

After the trek leaders left the area, at around 4:00pm, mom and I walked back out to the Base Cabin and headed for home.  Our Nauvoo fellow missionaries, and friends, the Ramsey's, were waiting for us at the trailer.  It has been so good to see them here, and begin to get re-acquainted.  We took them to the spaghetti dinner at the Barn tonight, for the trek leaders, and had a great meal with them.  They also got to see the mission in action, with the preparations being made for next year.

We all got settled into the trailer, this evening, at about 8:30pm.  Mom was so ready for bed!  The Ramsey's had a long drive to get here and they, too, have retired for the evening.  And I am so grateful to be able to report the blog information tonight!  It has been a great day and I had the privilege of speaking to several trek leaders coming next year.  I cannot stress enough the preparation it takes to have a wonderfully spiritual experience with excellent preparation.  The trek leaders I spoke to seemed to be grateful for the conversations we had!

The beginning of the setting sun ablaze over Martin's Cove tonight

Here is a great picture of the sunset here at the Missionary Village

Our antelope friends wanted to be included in the picture!

My final thoughts, tonight, not only reflect great advanced preparation for 2019 treks, but also for this time in our life's journey.  How wonderful it is to have a Living Prophet guiding us in these last days.  I do not consider being a blind follower to President Nelson.  We can all receive confirmation and inspiration with, and from, the things he is teaching us.  But the real blessing is acknowledging that we do have a Living Prophet, and that he is helping us navigate a very challenging time in history.  

He has taught us that in the coming days, we will not be able to survive, spiritually, without the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.  I have determined that for me to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, I need all the inspired help I can get.  When I think of one of my favorite expressions, "the important thing is to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice who we are for who we can become", right now is that time.  And President Nelson is that Prophet to help me be better, and do better.  That is the wonder, and the blessing of having a Living Prophet helping us get off our "present plateaus of performance", as President Kimball admonished us to do!  This is the right time to magnify our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!