Another big week has come and gone. They seem to come and go so fast. It's hard to believe that we only have just over 5 weeks until we finish and yet it will be so good to get home. However, we still manage to find some new experiences.
We'll start with chance meetings at the Visitors' Center. We're sitting on the bench in front of the Visitors' Center and talking with a couple of ladies. Both of them have husbands named Dennis. One of the ladies mentions that her husband has been to Martin's Cove several times and that he worked for the Church Education System. She mentions that her last name is Ray. Elder Smart says, "Dennis Ray?" He then asks if this Dennis Ray served a mission and if so where? She says that he served in Australia. Elder Smart asks if he has a twin and if his home town is Grace, Idaho. His wife is dumbfounded to think that Elder Smart knows so much about her husband. Her husband returns about this same time and they recognize each other as missionary companions some fifty years ago.
Today there was another meeting between Elder Smart and friends from the old Cannon 7th Ward. Elder Smart met Rhonda Redding and her grown children. Her husband, Larry had grown up in the 7th Ward and his dad was Joe Redding. Larry had helped Elder Smart with a welfare problem when Elder Smart had served as Bishop of the Cannon 3rd Ward.
Small world!
We'll also mention an exciting time in the office this week. We were sitting at our desks busily working away. Outside it was thundering and lightening. Just outside our office there is a porch with two screen doors. Elder Smart heard a commotion on the porch, looked out the window and saw a dog that grabbed the screen and pulled it off. The dog then squeezed through a raised glass panel in the door and ran to a corner of the porch. Elder Smart went out and coached the dog outside. He then went in and put a large chair in front of the screen door. That dog went around to the other porch door, pulled the screen off it, and squeezed back in, going to the same corner. We tried to find the owner thinking that they were visitors at the homestead, to no avail. We took a picture of the dog and sent it to some of the local ranchers. One of the ranchers responded and said the dog had come from a nearby ranch, nearly 10 miles away.
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| The Dog that Terrorized Us (Bandanna from Our Lost & Found) |
On Friday and Saturday we had dinners with the missionaries at Martin's Cove. Friday we provided dinner for our local neighbors and about 40 friends showed up from Alcova. We also provided some entertainment. We have people that can play the flute, violin, harmonica, accordion, and guitar. We have a cowboy poet and some pretty good singers.
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| Entertaining Missionaries |
Saturday we were fed by a family from Casper that simply love Martin's Cove and the missionaries. They put on a great feed and this is the second year they have done it.
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| Missionary Dinner by the Hardy's |
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| Traveling Dinner Equipment |
Last Sunday, August 12th, our missionary presidency was changed. Elder Thomas Paul and Jay Bowden were released as counselors. Elder Johns and Lewis were sustained as new councilors.
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| New Presidency - Elder Johns, President Pace, Elder Lewis |
We both spent a fair amount of time working on a mission yearbook. We hope to have it printed before any of our missionaries return home in early September.
Better bring this to a close for this week. Congratulations to Jace and Andrew who have birthdays this week.
We are getting excited to see everyone. We love you all and want you to know that although we miss you, we love serving and know the Gospel is true.
Grandma & Grandpa, Mom & Dad, Sister & Elder Smart, Annie & Paul
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