Sixth Crossing Handcart Historic Site

Sunday March 30, 2014 evening we were set apart for our mission with our children & grandchildren who could make it.

When we got to the MTC and got our black missionary badge and then I signed my name beneath the signature of Thomas S. Monson, the Prophet on my very own ordained minister card I really feel like a missionary now.  We have training with about 50 other senior missionary couples and eat at the cafeteria with hundreds of young sisters and elders of all sizes and colors. 

 

 This is quite a place – full of service and the Spirit of God.

They taught us “warming” is part of a missionary’s calling as much as warning.  To me this meant being kind and happy and thoughtful as I go about my assignments whatever they may be. I think I can be good at “warming”. That sounds easier to me than warning.

We loved the three couples in our district. It was amazing how fast we formed a bond with them as we studied the principles in Preach My Gospel. 

Elder & Sister Payne from Eagle, Idaho will be serving for six months at the Handcart Sites with us but at Martin’s Cove not the Sixth Crossing where we will be stationed.  We will go to Church together on Sunday.

Elder & Sister Klinker from a ranch near Great Falls, Montana going to North Carolina to work in a small Branch doing member leadership support for 18 months.

Elder & Sister Anderson from American Fork, Utah going to Rome Italy Mission to work with Young Single Adults in Palermo on the island of Sicily for 24 months.    

Our returned missionary teachers were so prepared and full of the Spirit as they taught us ways to be effective teachers as we serve the Lord.

Elder Taylor Keddington in the morning from West Jordan, Utah served in England.

Elder Ryan Defigueiredo from Santa Clarita California served in El Salvador.

We made it to the Sixth Crossing just fine and set up the trailer in our little missionary trailer village.  The weather was warm in the 60’s and we even hiked out to the campgrounds and back Saturday.  We have been doing lots of cleaning and getting ready.  Not quite enough to do and too many people telling me how to do it for my liking but I am practicing patience.

Sunday morning we got our first snow storm – Dad was happy because it made for some authentic pictures of the Willie Meadow site where the rescue wagons were first seen by the starving and frozen handcart pioneers. 

 

Monday morning it was even colder around zero and the water was frozen in all the trailers.  As the day went on our propane also no longer worked because we needed to come to town for a different fitting.  We ended up coming to Riverton Monday night and stayed in a motel and will pick up what we need Tuesday morning to be up and running.  Even with the trailer for protection we were not quite up for that real of a pioneer experience – sleeping in freezing temperatures.

Ice chunks floating in the Sweetwater River.

Dad has an important assignment revising the training materials to be shown before trekkers can go on the National Historic Trail over Rocky Ridge.  It is a BLM requirement to make sure they follow the rules – some of them ridiculous – while they are hiking on the actual NHT. That has to be done by the end of the month when the first trek leaders will be here for training.  He holes up with his computer and works away.  I am working with the other sisters cleaning and getting things ready for when the visitors come this summer. 

We are thrilled to be here even with the adjustments needed both in attitude (mostly mine) and trailer living.  It has been an amazing and wonderful experience already.  Can’t wait for the rest of the summer!   

Our little "red handcart" makes getting around and exploring lots of fun!