10 October 2018 - Wednesday

10 October 2018 - Wednesday

Our last week in the mission field continues to march forward.  It has been very cold here, in Wyoming, the last few days, and we have not seen any sunshine!  Today we had a little break in the weather, with sun shining out at our Missionary Village from 3:30pm until 3:40pm.  But hey, 10 minutes is better than no sun!  And the temperature warmed up to almost 36 degrees!  Most of the day it was below freezing, and an ice rain was falling for most of the morning and early afternoon as we moved handcarts into their winter storage areas.  

The mission experienced the return of the FM manager and his wife today.  The Criddles took two weeks off and went to Oregon to pack up their home and put it on the market.  It was quite a move for two senior missionaries!  They are among the six couples staying here for the winter, and the summer season, next year.  Everybody loves this couple, and they were warmly welcomed back this morning;

Elder and Sister Criddle being welcomed back from their two week sabbatical!

We all got our assignments at the correlation meeting this morning.  It was all hands on deck to assist the Casper young missionaries in bringing all 300 handcarts into the Barn and the Trek Center for the winter.  They picked the coldest day of the year, so far, for this activity.  However, for mom and me, it was a small taste of what the Willie and Martin Handcart companies experienced in 1856;

This was not easy for these senior missionaries!  Mom's heartbeat was high afterward!

The young Casper missionaries making the effort look easy!

Removing all the snow before storing them in the Trek Center

Just a few weeks ago, this was half the dining area in the Barn!

The wind was blowing steady as we brought the carts over to the storage areas.  The pathway was pretty level, and the load was empty, but what a great sense of what the pioneers had to endure over the last 400 miles of their trek!  I could not help but reflect on Francis Webster's story about angels helping push his cart.  I brought over around 10 carts from Outfitting near the Welcome Post, to the Trek Center and two all the way to the Barn.  At first my thoughts were that it was a great workout.  Then my muscles strained to pulled the last two or three carts to the storage areas.  I could only imagine how the pioneers must have felt with the temperatures 30 degrees less, and the weights in the handcarts in the range of 300 pounds.  How could I ever view the sacrifices and the challenges that the Saints endured, without a greater appreciation, after this brief experience this morning?

After we got the handcarts stowed, mom and I assisted in feeding these precious young missionaries.  The meal consisted of potatoes, chili, and all the toppings, along with desserts, and a warm place to recover.  The pioneers had wet clothing, very little nourishment, and family members dying on a daily basis.  Mom and I were so grateful for this small test in our mission experience, today, to "feel" and be "challenged" a little, in the sufferings and the determination of some of the most faithful members of the Church in our history.  I can't complain, ever again, about some cold weather, or the lack of a meal, after this sacred and special glimpse into the life of an 1856 handcart pioneer.

Preparing the meal for the twenty young missionaries

A snapshot of the warn and comfortable building we had to be refreshed!

After the clean-up in the Barn, mom and I joined the Klucken's in working on the senior missionary housing trailers in getting them ready for the winter.  We blew out the water in the pipes inside the trailer next to ours and then put antifreeze in the P-traps in the sinks and showers.  We then drained the toilets and put antifreeze in the remaining water in the bowls and the tanks.  We got the first trailer done this afternoon and we have four more to do for tomorrow's assignment.  

Once I got back home, I got into my pajamas and wrapped up in a blanket to try and warm up my whole body.  The experience tonight was, again, a testimony building experience for me in appreciation for the early handcart pioneers.  I finally got warm tonight.  They had to remain cold for days.  I marvel, and I better understand the love that Heavenly Father had for these precious pioneer Saints in their extreme circumstance.  And I know He loves me just as much as He loves them!  How can I possibly deny the existence of my loving Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  I cannot!