Bearry Mission Blog: Week 9

What a full week we have had. Monday and Tuesday we went on field trips put on by CES (Church Education System) history department. Monday we started at key sites on the National Historic Trail and had the directors teach us about events that occurred at each site. Some happenings were entertaining some of them were gut wrenching and some were very spiritual. We also went to the interpretive center of the NHT in Casper which is very well done. Casper is the second largest city in Wyoming with all 56,000 people. The Platte River was one of the huge stumbling blocks for the pioneers. The pioneers left the river here and crossed a large distance without a water source until they reached the Sweetwater River. We have concentrated our studies on the Willie Handcart Company because it is our site locations emphasis. So on this trip we learned a lot about the Martin Handcart Company and the Hodgett and Hunt Wagon Companies. The directors are so knowledgeable but so humble and full of thoughtful insights. One of the high points of the day was hearing the stories of the rescuers reaching the Martin company at Greasewood Creek having fires and food ready for the starving and freezing saints. It was a combination of tears and shouts of joy as the pioneers came into camp. In upcoming years, Cyrus Wheelock, one of the rescuers, wrote the hymn "Ye elders of Israel" in remembrance of this event. Understanding the event that inspired the hymn will always change the way we feel as we sing that hymn.

Tuesday the field trip was at our Sixth Crossing sites. The directors as they said, put things in context by describing the feelings that have been recorded about the pioneers experiences in these places as they were reaching what they all thought would be the end of their lives on earth. They all stated that the sacrifice was worth following the prophet and serving their God.

Wednesday was work crew with me spraying weeds and Selby working on the wells again. We love bringing this place up to the churches standards in looking clean and beautiful. Went fishing in the evening.

Thursday - Went to Rock Creek Hollow to beautify it too by paining the buildings and benches and tables.

Friday - All the Missionaries from both Martin's Cove and Sixth crossing went to Rocky Ridge to experience the climb of that daunting mountain. It is the final true assent to the pass of the Rocky Mountains. It was a distance of about 9 miles round trip. The day was nice but it had rained the night before and we drove and walked through thick sticky mud. Selby and I were asked to reenact the Jens and Elsie Nielsen story. Jens was so starved and frozen that as he hiked up the mountain he collapsed and was willing to lay down and die but his wife, Elsie, was not going to let that happen and got him into their cart and continued the pull up the mountain. As I tried that task I knew I was older than Elsie but I hadn't just spent months on the trail hiking over 1000 miles, been on sparse rations for a month, and now had a mile or more to pull my belongings and my husband for at least a mile up this miserable portion of trail through a freezing blizzard, so why was it impossible for me? The answer was that it was impossible, that the only way she and many others made it up over that mountain was that God intervened by giving them strength and help that is hard to describe. It brought us both to tears by the end of the event. Lesson to be learned: God can and does intervene in the hard times of our lives is we will just ask.

Sat. - work crew again, I did cleaning and cooking for the group. Selby worked on building projects. Selby and his friends "built" a golf course and tested it out even though we had another thunder storm. The golf course has a few hazards, such as bulls, a river, sage brush, and a few cow pies, but they had a blast.

Sunday - We had extra visitors at church since it was Memorial Day weekend, their were several youth for Selby's and my classes. We stayed after dinner for a Fireside with Scott Lorimer who was instrumental in acquiring the property from the ranchers for this Sixth Crossing sites for the church. He had an amazing association with Pres. Hickley. We enjoyed this whole week full of light and knowledge!

We pray for all of you that are supporting us at home. We love you and miss you as always, but love this mission.

Selby and Cathy

This is where rock creek meets the sweet water