It is Time for Treks and Summer Heat #53

A very full week. Monday started as a Prep day for us.  We had to fill in for someone at the Visitors' Center in the morning and then there was office work that had to be done.  It was after lunch when we could get away and so we just went home and vegged all afternoon.

The mission had a farewell toast to Elder and Sister Crist.  We are going to miss them immensely.  Sister Smart has now lost her Casper travel companion and Elder Smart will have to make the trips into Casper with Sister Smart.  He is saddest of all.

Sister Smart Roasting the Crist's

 Crist's saying goodbye at the FHE

Friday was one busy day.  We held trek leader training.  This is when wards and stakes send their trek leaders here for two days to learn the ins and outs needed for a successful trek.  We manned the welcome post Friday morning as the cars came from all over to participate in this training.  We sent them in the right direction and gave them instructions to get them started.

Checked out the Toilets. Now back to Welcome Post

One of the trek leaders was nursing a baby. Her mother came along to stay with the little baby while her daughter went on the trek.  We were asked to take this grandmother and baby up to the lunch site at handcart parking.  We had to time it just right to get her there so that none of the trekkers saw nor heard the rover.  We were glad to oblige.  When we picked the grandmother up, the baby looked a little older than we expected.  Sister Smart asked how old he was and she said, "two years old".  We were really thrown back, wondering why this 2 year old could not go 5 hours without nursing.  We just smiled and did as we were asked.
Saturday we took our prep day.  Elder Smart got a hair cut and Sister Smart bought groceries.  We enjoyed lunch at Texas Road House.  We sure enjoy our meals there. 

Elder Smart Filling Our Rover With Gas

We then set out to find Reshaw's Bridge.  This is where the pioneer groups were ferried over the North Platte River from 1853 to 1858.  Looking at the location of the part of the bridge that was still standing, it is obvious that the river is much smaller now than then.

Part of Reshaw's Bridge

Sister Smart on Reshaw's Bridge

Plaque at Reshaw's Bridge

We knew that Brigham had seen to it that a ferry was built to carry the member pioneers and others across this river.  We wanted to find where this took place.  We found that about 6 miles down the river from Reshaw's Bridge the ferry transported people across the North Platte River from 1847-1852.  This is located at a national historic site called Fort Caspar.  There is a replica of this ferry on site.

Plaque at Fort Caspar

We feel The Spirit of the Lord here all the time.  We will not know what to do when we are not living here.  We will have to find this spirit in the love of our families.  Please keep us in your prayers and come and see us!!!  We are so looking forward to spending a few days with Andrew and Jessilyn and family this next weekend.

We want to share our testimonies of the truthfulness of God's plan and the love and blessings of the atoning sacrifice that we receive from Jesus Christ

Love, 

Grandparents Smart, Elder and Sister Smart, Mom and Dad, Paul and Flora Ann or Annie 

We are Becoming Acquainted With These 4 Legged Friends
This One is Obviously Trying to Tell Us Something