17 September 2018 - Monday - Happy Birthday Jacob! #10!

17 September 2018 - Monday

Today mom and I enjoyed our preparation day together.  We had our morning prayers and Scripture reading at 5:30am.  Then I took my three mile walk, in mid 50's temperatures.  It was very pleasant this morning!  We left for the correlation meeting at 7:40am, and then we were on our way to Casper by 9:00am for our fun day together.  

The correlation meeting continued to be somewhat emotional for many senior missionaries.  The thoughts and the prayer were centered around somber goodbyes.  And after the meeting it seemed like everyone wanted to hang around for hugs and kisses and tears.... except mom and me!  Make no mistake about our feelings for this mission.  We have learned so much, and our spiritual reserves are full!  Now we can't wait to share these experiences with our precious family members and friends!  

There was no definite plan for our activities in Casper, but we wanted to include something a little different than our usual routine of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.  So we tried a new local restaurant that we heard had some great hamburgers.  The name of the restaurant was "Peaches".  It's name did not seem to fit the hype of a place for hamburgers!  However we were pleasantly surprised!  The hamburgers were well worth the efforts to find this local hangout!

But, I did have the test today that heightened my anticipation for the cabin and for Thanksgiving foods!  As we were strolling down every aisle at the Sam's Club, look what caught my attention;

emmmmmmm!

There were three fresh pies on this display when I saw them!  I had one in my hot hands for a brief moment and then reconsidered... Mom makes her pies so much better!  I elected to wait for them to come out of the oven in the coming days when we get home!  How is that for will power!!  This is not just about not bringing home the pie.  It is also the ultimate sacrifice to not also bring home the three pack of whipped cream!

We got back to our trailer at Missionary Village about 2:00pm.  On our way home we stopped by Muddy Gap and got a book about the Riverton, Wyoming Stake experience in the "Willie Project". It is a fascinating account of the development of the Second Rescue of the 1856 handcart pioneers that were part of the James Willie, Edward Martin, Hunt and Hodgetts companies, and the temple work that was performed in their behalf.  

Both mom and I are reading the book separately and refreshing many of the stories we have heard about the efforts of the stake president and his stake members.  It is a complete history of that second rescue. I think many of our family members will enjoy the read.  

We also enjoyed an afternoon walk together around the Ranch 66/Missionary Village.  It is always a welcomed pleasure to take a walk together!  It is just a preview of the walks around our housing area in Rigby!  The Fall weather is so delightful and enjoyable!

Happy 10th birthday Jacob!  Granny and Grandpa hope you had a fun day celebrating with your family and your friends at school!   Many happy returns!  We love you!

16 September 2018 - Sunday

16 September 2018 - Sunday

Things are rapidly closing down here in the mission field.  We are seeing more of the "last" as each day progresses.  Today we had our last Sacrament Meeting with at least 12 senior missionary couples.  We have 9 leaving this week from the Martin's Cove site and at least 3 from the Sixth Crossing site.  They will keep a few couples at Sixth Crossing to run the Visitors' Center there, until it closes for the season on October 1st.  Then all the couples will either return home or move to the vacated apartments at Martin's Cove.

The mission president released most of the leaders today and called the replacements.  Those staying for the winter were called to fill the vacancies.  We do have two or three couples who were called to stay for the winter who have health related conditions.  They are in the prayers of the missionaries as the concerns are real for their extended calls.  So there are a lot of situations that are being evaluated as we get closer to our release date.  By next Sunday's pot luck, we will have about 12, or so, senior couples in attendance, down from 38 that started the summer season.  

Mom and I had the Gillilands over for breakfast this morning.  They will be leaving on Wednesday.  She has served as the Relief Society President and he has been a quiet, and effective, background missionary who is anxious to return to his ranch in Colorado.  It has been great to get to know them and serve with them.  Then at the meetings today, there was a lot of hugging and tears flowing from those departing.  You tend to get real close to those you serve with and minister to.  Mom and I have been the beneficiaries to seeing the relationships strengthened through service!

We spent a very quiet afternoon, here in the trailer, enjoying the balance of the Sabbath Day.  We listened to the highlights of President Nelson's visit to the Pacific Northwest Seattle and Vancouver areas.  The energy, and the enthusiasm, and especially his counsel, is such that I want to hear everything he says!  In this meeting with over 49,000 in attendance, he spoke resolutely about the need for religion in the lives of the people.  And this message comes in an area of the world where religious affiliation is in the decline.  I don't want to miss any of his words, wherever he goes!  

15 September 2018 - Saturday

15 September 2018 - Saturday

This afternoon we got the internet connection back here at Missionary Village.  There is one Elder who seems to know this system well and he will be leaving in less than two weeks.  I did make a suggestion to the FM managers that those who are staying the winter, and will be here next year, learn all they can from him!  This internet system has been sporadic this year, but I have only missed one post opportunity from Missionary Village.  That is a pretty good record, even when there were  many days where the signal was very weak.

My morning walk was brisk and refreshing.  The temperature was in the high 30's, and I walked quickly to keep my blood circulating!  I just can't imaging the challenges the pioneers had when they walked in temperatures, even lower, for days and weeks, without proper clothing and footwear.  As I began my walk, there were interesting clouds waving over the horizon.  Sunrise was still an hour away!

These clouds took on a different look this morning!

Mom and I did not have the internet working this morning, so my blog post for yesterday was done this afternoon down at the Homestead.  Having a laptop computer is sometimes way convenient!  Once we had a break in our work assignment, I was able to put some notes together for yesterday's blog.  I hated missing even one day!  These kinds of daily habits of posting our experiences each and every day, are addicting!  Bill Glasser calls that a "positive addiction".  He wrote a book that was used in one of my undergraduate business classes.  If we are going to be addicted by something like blogging, or exercise or learning "The Living Christ", it helps to have it as a positive experience!

At our correlation meeting this morning, mom and I got the assignment, with Sister Gilliland, to prep the window sills and window framing for some fresh paint at the mission office complex.  This was not an easy assignment with the building being well over fifty years old.  But we were excited to do it right and I was able to find many of the needed tools and equipment for our project;

Mom and Sister Gilliland scraping some very old wood!

I used a sander to make the chipped paint smooth for the re-coat.

I sure enjoy projects like these.  It kept us busy through lunch, and then we had the afternoon off.  The paint should be in for Monday's work crew.  This was the Gillilands last work crew assignment.  They have a shift in the Visitors Center on Monday and, then, the day Tuesday, to pack up and prepare for their farewell, and travel back home to Colorado, on Wednesday.  We have enjoyed getting to know them this year!

The farewell flags were blowing in the breeze as we pulled in to Missionary Village.  It makes for an awesome sendoff for the departing missionaries.  You might remember that these same flags were up at the entrance to Missionary Village when we arrived here in April.  We are again reminded how quickly this six month mission has flown by!  We are very grateful for the time we have spent here and for the experiences that have strengthened our testimonies!

The last thing the senior missionaries see as they head for home!

14 September 2018 - Friday - Amy's Birthday!

14 September 2018 - Friday

The time is flying by, and mom and I just completed our 5th month here in the Wyoming Mormon Trails Mission!  Wow!  I wanted to send this blog post out last night, but the wind and the shaky internet connection caused us to lose our internet connection.  We also had the phone system down at the Missionary Village.  I am taking a break here in the Homestead to catch up on some notes from yesterday.

I am amazed at the beautiful fall weather.  The clouds are stunning and the sunrises are coming later each morning.  I am still walking my three miles each morning.  Today is was 37 degrees as I was making my way to the highway and back.  I am finding that my shower time is being compromised, a little, with the later starts in the morning, but it is worth the time to make this effort to exercise!

The view of the sunrise on Friday morning!

"Farewell" flags at the Missionary Village

As I started my walk yesterday, (Friday), I got right up close before I noticed the flags out.  This is the final farewell salute to the departing missionaries.  We had two couples leave on Friday, and we have nine more leaving by next Friday.  

Mom  and  I  had a  fun   assignment  working  together  on  Friday (yesterday).    We washed the windows at the offices.  I never knew there were  so  many windows!     We  washed  the window tracks, the window sills, and the screens.  It took us a little over three hours to get the work done!  The only things we could not get off were the water stains from the sprinklers.  We  suggested some very fine, wet/dry, sandpaper that will work very nicely if they decide to buy it for the mission.

Elder Tuescher, one of our MTC friends, drove a grader in his work  occupation.   Since we had a grader here at the mission, he was finally able to fire it up and give me a clinic on how it operates.  
So, here is an action shot;

Tommy, are you ready to do some road work?

We got home about 1:30pm,  on  Friday, after our window cleaning assignment.  It had warmed up to 
the mid 80's and we got the cooler going.    It was about this time  that  we  found out the phone was down, in the Pavilion, and the internet was out.  I kept hoping we would have it restored by the end of the day but that never happened.  I even checked at 11:45pm on a potty break, but still no internet! 

But I did respond to a missionary movie activity that was held Friday night at the Pavilion.  I wanted to make sure that they saw we weren't  ignoring  the  senior  missionaries  on these  special activities.  The movie was okay, but at least I made the effort!  And mom got a start on going through our "stuff" in preparation for our farewell in October!

What do we really need to take home with us in October?

I have put together a little spiritual thought for our correlation meeting, for next Tuesday,  based on Henry B. Eyring's statement; "Never underestimate the spiritual value of temporal service".  They have used this quote a lot here  in the mission field  and I wanted to investigate the background of it.  

President Eyring, then Elder Eyring, was giving a talk at a Seminary/Institute conference in August 1990.    He  was  referring  to  Ammon's  service  to  King  Lamoni,  and  how  he  was first to serve, temporally, until the teaching opportunity, spiritually, came along!  I have thought about this effort a lot since I found that resource.  

It seems like many of our callings in the Church begin as temporal service.  We are challenged to work hard and magnify our responsibilities and then the spiritual blessings come to each of us for our service.  However, when we just go through the motions and fail to fully magnify these callings and responsibilities, the spiritual blessings are either delayed or withheld.

13 September 2018 - Thursday

13 September 2018 - Thursday

We had another cold greeting this morning as we woke up to mid 40's temperatures.  For some reason I just love the Fall season.  Here in Wyoming, the Fall season started in August and continues now, into September.  After mom and I had our morning prayers and Scripture reading, I took my three mile walk in the brisk morning air.  With the sunrises coming later in the morning, I have to leave later in order to see the roadway.  However, I need to leave enough time for us to leave the house by 7:45am for our correlation meeting at 8:30am.  Well, we still made that time-frame this morning!

Sunrise was at 6:45am this morning!  This is the view as I completed my walk.

The benefit to starting the walk a little later than usual, is that I was able to finish the three miles in 45 minutes this morning!  I had to walk quickly!  What a great way to begin the day!  And we were able to have breakfast, and load up the car, to head for the correlation meeting at the Homestead by the target time of 7:45am.

Mom and I were assigned to mow the lawns today.  I think this is mom's favorite assignment, and it is certainly our favorite job activity to be assigned together.  I did not get to actually run one of the mowers since we had seven senior missionaries assigned to do what four senior missionaries normally are assigned to do.  And the grass was less than an inch taller than last week when I got the assignment, then, without mom!  

Oh well.  We got it done right at lunch time, and three of the senior missionaries completed their areas about 11:00am.  I am not sure where they ended up!  It seems like we are running out of work for the missionaries to do.  Perhaps with the ten senior couples, who leave, by next Friday, we will have a full shift of assignments when our schedule puts us on the work crew....

Here is mom brushing the lawn for loose clippings

I got to man the Rover we use to dump the grass clippings!

It appeared that the grass could have gone another week without being cut.  I only had one and a half loads to dump.  Normally we have at least four loads!  I got some good sun today, and the wind kept the cool air flowing all morning long!  Mom and I had no more assignments after lunch so we got home by 1:30pm.  

When we got back to our trailer this afternoon, mom and I took a three mile walk together.  She did not go with me this morning, so we took the time this afternoon to get some additional exercise.  These walks are so invigorating at any time of the day!

Then, this afternoon, we watched the Face to Face rebroadcast of the young single adult fireside that Elder Cook presided at, from Nauvoo, this past week.  What a rush of memories we had!  And I was so impressed with the messages that were shared by Elder Cook and the two Church historians, Matt Grow and Kate Holbrook.  They did such a great job explaining the material and answering the questions.

After listening to it the first time, I want to listen to it again!  Our Church history is fascinating and needs to be understood more completely.  What was really neat to me was that mom and I have lived almost 24 months, in part of this impressive Church history, by serving our missions in Nauvoo and in Wyoming.  Hopefully all of us will be able to review that broadcast and then read the first volume of the book, "Saints" volume 1.  I have it on my phone and will have easy access to it this week!

It has been a beautiful day here in the mission field.  Mom and I are so very thankful for the five full months we have had being here serving the Lord.  Tomorrow begins our sixth month, and we plan to race to the finish as we continue our service!  And tomorrow is also the date we celebrate another birthday as well!   Happy Birthday, Amy!

12 September 2018 - Wednesday

12 September 2018 - Wednesday

Looking back on today, I wonder why I am so tired??!!  We had the Visitors' Center assignment from 12:30pm until 5:00pm, and we had plenty of time this morning to get ready for the day!  Mom and I took our morning walk at 6:15am, and the sun was still not coming up.  However, it was light enough to see so we were grateful for the extra time we had to complete our walk and prepare for the day.

We took the opportunity to do our house cleaning this morning.  One of the blessing that we have enjoyed, the entire time we have been here, is a house void of bugs and mice and ants.  It has been a blessing to be able to enjoy our trailer without the common ills that many other senior missionaries have had.  

Most of the missionaries count the dozens of mice they have had in their trailers and apartments.  What a blessing we have been given to have our living space spared from these intrusions.  The least we can do is keep our trailer cleaned regularly and thoroughly!  

The Wyoming wind!

There have been so many different pictures that I have posted on the blog that concern our mission, but I have not really addressed the wind pictorially!  Look at those flags! As we spent the afternoon at the Visitors' Center, the wind never did let up.  This summer the wind was our friend as it kept the bugs and the mosquitoes off of us.  Today, it was just letting off more steam.  The afternoon temperatures were in the mid 80's after we experienced the mid 40's this morning.  

Even though we experience weather and temperatures that are less than ideal, we soon find out that it has been a blessing to us.  The wind today was allowing the air to clear, and the hazy skies to open up some wonderful views of the surrounding mountains.  

We can certainly tell the seasons are changing and we are enjoying the variety it has afforded us.  The leaves are falling, and the air is brisk in the mornings and in the evenings.  The days are getting shorter and the time seems to be flying by.  Soon it will be Amy's birthday!  And that will mark the beginning of our sixth month away from Rigby.  Unbelievable!  

11 September 2018 - Tuesday

11 September 2018 - Tuesday

I could not help but reflect on that Tuesday September 11th, in 2001, when our country was attacked.  I remember getting ready for work, that morning, and hearing about the attack on the radio.  My employees and I were in shock as I got to the Longs Drug Store in Warm springs.  The news coverage was relentless, and the discussions were all centered on national unity.  

My focus was to immediately look for sources for the American Flag.  On a good year I would sell perhaps $500 in American flags.  I ordered, next day delivery, $10,000 in flags, and sold out in one day.  The feelings of the American people were so unified, and, to my pleasant surprise, there was such a rush to fly an American flag.  I think I could have sold 10 or 20 times as many flags.  They were just not available.  Wouldn't it be nice to somehow bring those feelings of national unity back to the United States?

Our day was spent on the work crew today.  Our first two assignments involved another couple and we completed that assignment in about 45 minutes.  When we went to get some additional assignments, the FM coordinator gave us another project that took about 30 minutes.  He had to be a little unnerved when we asked for more work the third time!  

Placing the new signs on the restrooms

Some glue is bleeding through the sign!

We tried to help paint benches but that was covered too!

It seemed to mom and me that all the work had been assigned!  The painting crew was busy painting the benches so we took the signs and began hanging them.  The only problem we had was the glue they had us use was too strong for some of the signs.  We found the glue was somehow discoloring the front of the sign.  I have never seen that before.  So the FM missionary was going to look at what we had already hung and make a determination on how to proceed.  I'm thinking we will need to drill some holes in the signs and screw them on the doors.

There are several hurricanes developing over the East Coast.  Hurricane Isaac, Helene and Florence seem to be the most dangerous storms that are heading for PopPop's area in Virginia.  Mom was able to talk to him on the phone this morning.  The only reason she got him on the phone is because his maid service heard the phone and told him the phone was ringing!

He went out yesterday to purchase groceries and water for some back-up during the storm period.  Unfortunately he bought two or three days worth of food for a storm that could knock out power for up to two weeks.  We hope and pray he will be OK.  Mom asked him where he would go if there was a forced evacuation.  He had no idea where he would go.  Perhaps we can all say some additional prayers for PopPop and his community.  

Bob and Josie, thank you for your prayers and putting PopPop on the prayer rolls before we got these updates!  "In the coming days, we will not be able to survive, Spiritually, without the influence of the Holy Ghost". (President Russell M. Nelson)

I think that we can all agree that the time is fast approaching where we will need to listen to every word, and then respond in every way, to the Prophet's counsel!  We are so excited to listen to General Conference in a few weeks, but President Nelson is so active now in teaching us what we need to do and how we need to prepare for the coming events.  Each time I look into the Church News, there is more information for us to digest.

Tonight there was another celebration barbecue for those leaving this week and next week.  There  were about 30 senior missionaries who gathered for hamburgers and hot dogs.  Everyone brought a side dish and there was plenty of food!  And I got to man the barbecue!  It reminded me, just a little, of the time we catered the July 24th barbecue with those two four foot grills.  Tom and Jared and I must have cooked up 1500 hamburgers and hot dogs!  Even with the smoke swirling around our heads!  We have had some fun times together working as a family!