Week 9 -- Leaving Early - Staying Late

Seems like all we've done this week is go in early and stay late, but it's been so fulfilling!

We were blessed to be on RRA (Restroom Assistant on Monday.  It really isn’t a bad assignment other than we try to start early and work around the trekkers that arrive each day.  Oh did we mention that we clean about 50 toilets and gather garbage from all over the homestead?  Perhaps the highlight of the day was our getting the rover stuck as we went to fill it with gas.  Notice that the picture shows that the left rear wheel was completely buried in mud!  Today there were so many treks that Family Home Evening was canceled and moved to Tuesday night.

Fun Day of Cleaning Toilets (Rah Rah)

Can I Brush Your Teeth?
or
Cleaning Bird Droppings Off This Statue

Getting the Rah Rah Rover Stuck While Trying to Fill It With Gas

On Tuesday we spent the whole day in outfitting getting trekkers ready to hit the trail and welcoming back those that were either just spending the day at Martin’s Cove or those that had stayed overnight on Monday and were now leaving.  We stayed late and made it home just in time for Family Home Evening.

Sister Smart Oversees Outfitting
Note That There are 17 Groups On the List Directly Behind Her Head for This Week

Wednesday was another all day experience.  We spent most of the day at the Visitors’ Center. Elder Smart placed a copy of the Book of Mormon with a non-member.  We both enjoy telling visitors about the history of this great place.  Sister Smart went off for a while to tell the pie story.  She faced this assignment with some fear since someone reported a rattlesnake in the area.  While she was gone, Elder Smart went to the office to catch up on some financial business.  That night we were asked to help teach one of the trek groups how to square dance.  Yes, it was another long day!

We woke up on Thursday with some excitement knowing that we would see some family from home before the day was over.  Sister Smart was to accompany  a trek group from Alpine as their host.  Elder Smart was to spend his day in the office working on the mission finances.  The Staggs arrived around five.   They had come via Rock Springs, stopping at Rock Creek Hollow and the new Sixth Crossing Visitors’ Center.  We all had dinner together and then off for a quick overview of Martin’s Cove with a brief stop at our Cherry Creek Campground to watch the square dancing.  Needless to say, it was great to see family from home. (hint, hint)

Trek Group on Martin's Cove Trail

Friday we started the day at Outfitting, welcoming groups.  Spencer and family came a little later but  they attended the presentations that we were involved in presenting.  They got to see how we send off the groups including the videos we show and how Sister Smart tells the Patience Loader story.  They also got to see how we welcome back groups by showing them the “Remember” video.  We had lunch together in the barn then took them through the Visitors’ Center.  We took them to each building around homestead. Next we all piled in the Rover and went through rattlesnake pass. Then it was off to Alcova (about 30 miles) for ice cream.  Coming back we stopped at Independence Rock.

Staggs in Rover at Rattlesnake Pass

Stagg Family & Sister Smart at Sloane's -- Ice Cream Run

Stagg Family with Sister Smart in Sewing Room

CJ Stagg in Pioneer Vest & Hat

Stagg Family -- Will They Pull the Handcart Behind Them?

Elder Smart Shows Stagg Family the Visitors' Center

Saturday is our p-day.  However we are still asked to be at an 8:30 correlation meeting.  Following this meeting Elder Smart was asked to stay and get some training in the mission finances.  Spencer and family arrived about 9 and Sister Smart showed them around for a while.  Finally Elder Smart was able to join everyone.  We were off to Cove and spent some special time together just enjoying the tranquility of the place.  We came back from the cove and enjoyed a picnic at what we call “handcart parking.”  After a great lunch we went to Fort Seminoe.  After telling the stories of Daniel W. Jones and John Cooper we rode out to Devil’s Gate.  After all that we headed home and said some sad good bye’s.  The kids were looking forward to getting to a pool before their trip came to a close.  We reluctantly understood.L

Spencer & Cyntha & Family at Statue

Quiet & Sublime Martin's Cove

Elder Smart & Stagg Family Quietly View Martin's Cove

Spencer & Cyntha & Family at Devil's Gate

So here we are and its Sunday.  Church meetings, a pot luck get together, and a fireside filled most of the day.  We still have a district meeting this evening, but the day and the week are nearly done.

We sure hope you’re all well and happy and being blessed because of our service.  We love you all and we love our Heavenly Father.

Grandma & Grandpa, Mom & Dad, Sister & Elder Smart, Annie & Paul

Can You Find Us in This Church News Picture?
Dedication of Sixth Crossing Visitors' Center

Week 8 - Cold and Windy

This has been a cold week.  We had to turn the furnace on again.  We also experienced the Wyoming winds we always hear about.  It blew hard most of the week.  We feared another electricity failure, but, gratefully, it didn’t happen.

If this week and last are any indication of how things will go with our assignments, Elder Smart will be working in the office while Sister Smart does hard labor.  Other than one day in the visitors’ center and ½ day in outfitting, Elder Smart was working on finances for the mission and for the branch.  He has a lot to do getting the computer up to date (if that is possible with our internet) and getting correct people on the permission list for the Church financial dept.  Even the mission president was not on the cleared list.  Things were still under the old mission president, but since he was released, there was really no one that was cleared to do the finances. Elder Smart spent a lot of the week pulling his hair out trying to get things correct.  He is not there, yet, but much closer than he was a week ago.

Picture in Visitors' Center Depicting the Tragedy
 at North Platte River Crossing

Elder Smart Outside the Visitors' Center

Sister Smart worked the visitors' center with Elder Smart and a full day in outfitting.  She also mowed lawns,  prepared benches for painting (we were unable to paint the benches due to the winds), landscaped and trained for camp hosting.

Wednesday evening we were asked to help with square dancing at the trekkers camping site.  

Waiting at Cherry Creek Camp Ground to Square Dance

Cherry Creek Camp Ground Before the Trekkers Arrive.
Dry, Open and Barren!

Sixth Crossing Visitors' Center Dedication 

Thursday evening we were able to attend the visitors’ center dedication at Sixth Crossing, the place where the Willie Company was rescued.  It was a neat experience.  Elder Mervin Arnold from the Seventy spoke and President Ulisses Soares from the Presidency of the Seventy spoke and gave the dedicatory prayer.  What a powerful dedication it was!  All the missionaries in our mission met afterwards for dinner and we were joined by President Soares.  Great food…Café Rio type pulled pork salad. 

View From Back Deck at New Visitors' Center.

Elder Soares Speaking to us After the Dinner.
  President and Sister Pace Standing Nearby.

Friday Sister Smart stayed home because her foot would not go into her shoe due to swelling from infection in her big toe.  This was due to a toe nail ripping.   All is well. We do not have any energy when we get home at night to do the housework. So, it was good to have time to catch up the laundry, clean the kitchen and bathrooms, even if she gingerly got around.

Many days we work hard, but we absolutely love being here and serving.  The spirit here is amazing.

Happy Father and Grandfather

Saturday was the usual trip to Casper for groceries, hair cut, car wash, etc.  We had lnch at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate Fathers’ Day.

Today, Sunday,  we had church as usual.  We all take turns doing lessons and speaking in church.  It is fun to have different people each Sunday.  We taught RW/Priesthood meetings earlier this month.  We can relax through July, but we have to speak in Sacrament meeting in August.  The pot luck dinner and social after Church is really fun and so good to get to know everyone, especially the ones from Sixth Crossing and the guest families of the missionaries that come to visit.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all of you fathers and future fathers!

Happy Birthday to Simon  

Love you all so very much,

Grandpa and Grandma Smart, Mom and Dad, Paul and Annie, Elder and Sister Smart

Mission Business Card

Buck Antelope Resting Next to Our Driveway on Neighbor's Lawn

Week 7 -- As Busy As We Can Handle

The mosquitoes around here are starting to get really bad – annoying!  We have one Elder that just rides a rover around here doing what they call “fogging” (spraying for mosquitoes).  We think they come out of the fog laughing at us.

   

Monday morning we spent a little time doing odd jobs.  From about midday until almost 6 we spent the day in Outfitting where we greet trek groups and get them ready to start out on their trek.  It’s an interesting process.  We go on their buses and assign the ma’s, pa’s, trek leaders and trek medical people places to go.  We give each of the groups safety briefings and instructions. Next, if they are not already grouped into families, we assign them to get organized and to get a handcart for each family.  Once they have loaded their handcarts and filled their water containers, they walk a short distance to Fort Seminoe.  Here they are acquainted with Daniel W. Jones, one of the rescuers and a person who stayed another 7 months after the handcart pioneers left for Salt Lake.  Elder Smart told the Dan Jones story, in his usual entertaining way, to a couple of trekker groups.

Outfitting (attached to Fort Seminoe)

Later that day we had a quick dinner and then we were off to home evening.  Yes, it was one busy day.

At the Visitors' Center

We felt fortunate to have the late shift, Tuesday, in the visitors’ center.  Our shift was from 2:30 until 9. That meant that we could sleep in a little.  Sister Smart gave out a copy of the Book of Mormon to a non  member and got a referral from some members that she showed through the center.  Just before we closed, Elder Smart had the opportunity of taking the last couple of the day through and they were from Draper – didn’t know them, though.

Wednesday we started on the work crew affixing a cabinet to a shed.  Sister Smart then began cutting lawns while Elder Smart went to the office trying to figure out finances for the mission and the branch.  Our former clerk is having some serious heart problems and has temporarily left for SLC.  We spent the rest of the day in Outfitting greeting one very large group from Colorado and one smaller group from Logan.  Elder Smart told the Dan Jones story 3 times today.  We had a square dancing assignment that evening for one of the groups, but they decided cancel just like the group we were assigned to on Monday.  That was okay with us.  We were “too pooped to pop”.

Group Arrives at Outfitting

Handcarts at Outfitting

We spent all day Thursday in Outfitting.  Actually we spent more than all day in Outfitting.  Our first Trek arrived at 5:30 am from Cedar City.  They weren’t supposed to be there until 6:30.  We heard the news over our mission radios and made it in by 7.  They were just finishing breakfast.  We continued welcoming 3 other groups that day.  However, Sister Smart took off with the last small family group as their trek host.  During a lot of the day we occupied the “Trek Center” where each of the groups come after their experience in the fort.  Here we welcome them, introduce them to their trek host, start the trek with prayer, sing the song “Fire and the Covenant”, play a short video, tell them the story of Patience Loader (Sister Smart) and then send them on their way down the trail.  With the last group of the day, Sister Smart was the one who walked with them on the trail to Martin’s Cove.  She also discovered that some of them were related to her through William James, who died at Rock Creek Hollow.  Didn’t get home until about 7:30 – once again, very tired but happy to serve.  By the end of this day there were some 1500 trekkers on our trails.

Trek Center

Friday, Elder Smart spent most of his day in the office working on mission and branch finances.  We also had an assignment to clean one of the buildings on the homestead – the sewing center.  Since Sister Smart was assigned to scrape benches at one of the trek camp grounds, Elder Smart started the sewing room cleaning in between his office work.  Sister  Smart came back to the homestead for lunch and finished the cleaning.  It was a busy day for both of us.  Because Saturday was p-day, we finished the evening by relaxing with a DVD.

Our p-day was spent in Rawlins.  We did our shopping, washed and gassed our car, and had lunch at Bucks.  We spent a leisurely afternoon and did some wash.  Oh did we mention our afternoon nap.

Sunday is always a great day.  We always enjoy our Church meetings.  We enjoy our pot luck dinner afterwards.  And did we mention an afternoon nap?

We would like to mentioned that Harlie became our first seminary graduate.  We are very proud of her💓!  Our faith and prayers go out to Kathie who had a serious operation this past week.  Also in our prayers are Steve and Rachelle on the passing of Steve's grandmother.

That's enough for this week.  Please know that we have a strong testimony of the gospel and that we love you all.😇

Grandma & Grandpa, Mom & Dad, Annie & Paul, Sister and Elder Smart

Map with Key to the Homestead

The road to Home; about a Mile off Main Road

Our Home: A Little Oasis in the Middle of Nowhere

The Trekkers Have Arrived -- Week 6

Monday was a relaxing and fun day.  We were the first couple to be assigned to a day at the Welcome Post.  This meant we put a stop sign up and talked with each car as they came into the historic Martin's Cove site.  We determined who was here for the scheduled treks sending them to trek parking and who needed to be directed to the visitors' center. It was the first day of the real trek season and so it was steady but not overwhelmingly busy.  We took our lawn chairs and relaxed on the porch of the Welcome Post.  We met a lot of people and, of course, what could make Elder Smart happier than this?  It was a fun day to share together.

Sister Smart Greets Visitor

Elder Smart Greets Visitor

On Tuesday, Sister Smart had First Aid training and Elder Smart painted benches at the trekkers campground.  Wednesday we worked in "outfitting".  We welcomed a group of youth from Orem and a group of families from Price.  Elder Smart went over the safety orientation with the Pa's and Sister Smart helped the trek leaders and medical personnel sign paper work and learn the ropes. They picked up their handcarts and Elder Smart  took them to Fort Seminoe and told the history and inspirational stories of the fort. He then took them to the trek center where Sister Smart got things set up for the group to hear instructions and we shared more inspirational stories. We had a special visitor here today (see picture below). I think we will enjoy working as outfitting leaders.

 Outfitting Post with Newly Arrived Youth

Sharing Stories with Trekkers

Unexpected Visitor at the Trek Center

Thursday Sister Smart was a trek leader for the Orem group.  She left early (6:30) that morning to meet the group at the start of the trail.  It is always a challenge but fun and rewarding to walk the trail to Martin's Cove.  This is a spiritual place. 

On the Trail with Orem Orchard 3rd Ward

Trek Group Stopped for a Break

On the Trail

Beautiful Scenery Walking to Martin's Cove

Elder Smart washed trucks and rovers and anything else that moved for the mission while Sister Smart trekked.

Elder Smart having Fun?

Friday we worked in the visitor's center again. We always love our time there.  Sharing our testimonies with both non members and members is very rewarding.

Elder Smart received a new calling this week.  He will be serving as the Mission and Branch financial clerk.  This will take him away from some of his other duties at least once a week.

Elder Smart Getting Instruction
From Elder Maxfield on Mission Finances

Saturday is now our P-day and we spent it in Casper this week.  We visited the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.  It was a very interesting morning looking at the displays and watching the videos.  It tells about much of the stuff we talk about at the visitors' center.  The Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail and the Pony Express.  They represented the stories from all of the groups well.  We met a couple from England (the Bishop's from Southampton, England) on our way into the Center. The Bishop's seemed surprised that Paul knew so much about Southampton.  He explained that his mother's family, the Major's, had left Southampton years ago and were some of the first Mormons to join the Church in Southampton.  Paul and Mr. Bishop had so much to share because they are both avid historians.  We  enjoyed talked for about 15 minutes.  We hope they left with a better understanding of Mormon Missionaries.

National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper

New English Friends From England

Display in the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center

We met several missionaries from our district for lunch at Olive Garden.  The couple sitting next to us are Elder and Sister Ward from Logan.  No, they are not any relations to Sister Smart.  They are the second set of Ward Missionaries here.  Elder Smart did his research and found a possible tie with the other two Ward couples, but none to Sister Smart's Wards.

Olive Garden in Casper

LDS  Grave site

Missionary Village (where all the missionary trailers are) is very close to the trail of the pioneers.  As we walk around the area there are several grave sites present.   Elder Smart is his usual self as he sees the graves and his interest spikes.  We have found two with names on them and he has researched and found both of them with their stories.  This one is LDS.  She came across with her daughter in the Atwood Wagon Train in 1865.  She was 87 when she died.  Her family settled in Logan, Utah.  Her son came a year later and was called to build the Oxen and railing in the Logan Temple baptismal font.

It was very interesting as he researched her and her family and found that the new headstone on this grave has the wrong death year.  There is an original one still there.  The family made a new one, but they obviously did not read it well nor did they research it well.  They read her death as 1862 and it actually said 1865.  He verified this by finding her and her daughter's name on the Overland Trails records as coming in 1865.  He also found this to be the case when he found her daughter's life story indicating she buried her mother in Wyoming Territory.




Happy Birthday to Emmalyn and Adelyn and Mickel

Love,
Elder and Sister Smart, Mom and Dad, Paul and Annie