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ODDS AND ENDS IN CLOSING FOR THE WEEK

THIS IS OUR SCHEDULE FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK. I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN READ IT, BUT IT SHOWS WE ARE SCHEDULED TO DO FOOT BRIDGE MON, YARD CREW ON TUES, 

VISITOR'S CENTER ON WED, P-DAY ON THURSDAY, HANDCART PARKING ON FRIDAY,  AND BACK TO VISITOR'S CENTER ON SAT.  WE REALLY DO GET A VARIETY TO DO.

THIS SCHEDULE IS OF EXTRA ACTIVITIES. ON MONDAY ITS HELPING WITH SQUARE DANCING WITH THE TREKERS, ON TUES IT'S HUMANITARIAN CENTER, ON FRIDAY ITS GIVING THE HISTORY OF MARTIN'S COVE TO 4 GROUPS OF TREKERS TOTALING A LITTLE OVER 1000 PEOPLE, AND THEN ON SATURDAY WE ARE SCHEDULED TO CLEAN THE GATHERING CENTER WITH 2 OTHER COUPLES.

NEXT WEEK I HAVE A GROUP OF PICTURES SHOWING US AT VARIOUS POSTS DOING A MULTITUDE OF THINGS. LOVE YOU ALL   MOM & DAD ( ELDER & SISTER FORSBERG)

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PARTY AT THE PAVILLION WITH THE MISSIONARY BANK PLAYING, MOM ON THE LEFT SIDE.

ON THE WAY TO PRAYER MEETING HAVING JUST PARKED IN THE FAR PARKING LOT.

MOM'S NEW TOY. A BANJO FOR THE MISSIONARY BAND. SHE'S HAVING A BALL WITH IT.

A TREKER WHO THINKS PLAYING WITH RATTLERS IS OK.  WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SO FUNNY.

THIS IS THE BASE STATION WHERE ALL COMMUNICATIONS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND ASSIGNMENTS TAKE PLACE.  WE HAVE BEEN ASKED IF WE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN HELPING THERE NEXT SUMMER!  WE'LL SEE.

SISTER BOLTON WITH "WALTER" A CALF THAT SURVIVED BIRTH WHEN IT'S MOTHER DIDN'T.  WAS RAISED BY HAND FEEDING, BUT HAS SINCE BEEN MOVED TO ANOTHER CHURCH RANCH IN WYOMING.  MARTIN'S COVE IS MORE THAN A HISTORICAL SITE, IT IS ALSO A WORKING RANCH WITH ABOUT 1000 HEAD OF CATTLE. THE BOLTON'S ARE SPECIFICALLY ON A MISSION TO THE RANCH UNTIL 2010.

BIG "BERTHA" WHERE ALL BURNABLE GARBAGE MUST BE BROUGHT. EVEN FROM OUR HOMES 13 MILES AWAY.

MANY WIERD CRITERS SHOW UP!

MANY OF THESE, BUT SOME WITH FANGS AND RATTLES ON THEIR TAILS.  THREE WEEKS AGO AS WE HOSTED GROUPS FOR A WEEK AT JACKSON CAMP SITE, I KILLED A RATTLER A DAY FOR 5 DAYS. ONE ALSO GOT AWAY.

HANDCARTS FOR TREKERS, ALSO SHOWING WHAT THE TENTS WERE LIKE THAT THE HANDCART COMPANIES SLEPT IN. 20 TO A TENT, ALL FEET TO THE MIDDLE, WITH HEADS OUTWARD.

MORE ABOUT THE AREA

MARKED GRAVE. SOME HAVE NAMES, SOME DON'T.  MANY WERE BURIED HERE ON THIS  LAND, MOST IN UNMARKED GRAVES.

FAMIOUS "DEVIL'S GATE." LANDMARK USED BY ALL WHO CAME WEST.

LOOKING DOWN THE SIDE OF MARTIN'S COVE WHERE THEY CAMPED.  ON THE OTHER SIDE (PICTURE LATER) WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO BURY THE DEAD, BUT REALLY ONLY FED THE WOLVES.

TWO OF 4 STATUES DEDICATED BY PRESIDENT HINKLEY HONORING THOSE WHO HELPED THE MARTIN COMPANY ACROSS THE SWEETWATER PRIOR TO ENTERING THE COVE.

ALONG THE SWEETWATER WHERE WE GIVE TALKS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COVE TO VISITORS.  THIS IS ALSO A SPOT WHERE BAPITISMS ARE PERFORMED.  WE HAVE HAD MANY SO FAR THIS YEAR. ANYONE CAN REQUEST AND BE BAPTIZED HERE.

THE FAMED VEIL BRIDGE BUILT BY THE RIVERTON STAKE WITH VOLUNTEER WORKERS, MADE OF DONATED RAILROAD CARS. IT REPRESENTS THE PHYSICAL RESCUE THAT TOOK PLACE HERE IN 1856, AND ALSO THE 2ND RESCUE WHEN THE RIVERTON STAKE DID ALL THE TEMPLE WORK FOR THOSE THAT DIED HERE AND THEIR ANCESTORS.

HANDCARTS ARE BORN HERE. THE WHEELS COME FROM THE AMISH BACK EAST THEN THE CARTS BUILT IN A SHOP HERE. TAKES HUNDREDS OF HANDCARTS TO OUTFIT ALL THE TREKERS.  THIS PAST WEEK, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD OVER 3,000 TREKERS.

ONE SHED THAT HOUSES SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT. AMAZING WHAT'S HERE. MANY GREAT PIECES OF EQUIPMENT. WILL SHOW MORE LATER.

WOODSHOP THAT WOULD MAKE DAD ENVIOUS. ANYONE IS ALLOWED TO CAME AND MAKE THINGS, BUT USED DURING HOURS TO BUILD, REPAIR, ETC. ALL THAT GOES ON HERE.

THE VISITOR'S CENTER AREA

THE ENTRANCE TO THE VISITOR'S CENTER COMING IN FROM THE HIGHWAY. MOST OF THE BUILDING HERE ARE ORIGINAL TO THE OLD SUN RANCH.

THE ORIGINAL SUN FAMILY HOME. MADE UP OF 7 CABINS THEY BROUGHT IN AND HOOKED TOGETHER AS THEY PURCHASED OTHER RANCHES. IT SERVES AS A GREAT VISITOR'S CENTER, FEATURING THE SUN FAMILY, THE WILLEY AND MARTIN HANDCART TREKS, AND A FILM ON THE HANDCART TREKS.

BEHIND THE VISITOR'S CENTER IS THE OFFICE AND LIVING QUARTERS FOR THE DIRECTORS.

THE SWEETWATER RIVER RUNS BEHIND ALL THE BUILDINGS AND THROUGH DEVIL'S GATE AND ON THE THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER.

MORE ABOUT THE AREA

OLD ORIGINAL SUN BARN.  WHERE WE MEET OFTEN FOR TRAINING, TREKERS ARE ORIENTED, AND WHERE WE HAVE POTLUCK DINNER EVERY SUNDAY AFTER OUR MEETINGS.

ELDER STALEI FROM ST. GEORGE IN THE BLACKSMITH SHOP.  WE DO A LOT OF DEMOS FOR SCHOOL KIDS THAT COME ON TOUR.

ORIGINAL TO THE SUN RANCH, BUNKHOUSE ON THE LEFT AND WASH HOUSE ON THE RIGHT.

MUSEUM THAT HOUSES MANY PRICELESS ARTIFACTS FROM THE SUN FAMILY AND OTHERS OF THE AREA.

HUMANITARIAN BUILDING FILLED WITH SEWING MACHINES, MATERIAL, ETC. FOR WORKING IN WHEN THERE ARE FREE MOMENTS. PROJECTS GO TO SL CENTER.

Finally, finally, we're on the blog! (6-14-08)

Getting ready for this mission was truly a grueling experience in frustration & patience: the 50-page application, the medical exams, the insurance sign up & switching, getting the motorhome ready, getting cloths & other personal items ready, &, of course, working on DVP projects right up until the night before leaving. 

 

{MTC Pictures}

  

{L-Our Dorm R- Our training group}

We were actually looking forward to the MTC as a bit of an unwinding period. But, as you know, we only got 3 days of the originally scheduled 7 days. Nevertheless, we had a great experience. And we were with about 20 other couples also going to the Mormon Handcart Historic Sites. (not all made it, however, as one elder fell and broke his hip the night before our departure) The emphasis for the 3 days was of course on how to preach the Gospel along with food, food, food. Emphasis was  on the first two discussions in Preach My Gospel, "the restoration," and " the plan of salvation." We even got to do 2 trial cottage meetings with volunteers from the community posing as non-members. One was very difficult, the other a push over.  There was a bit of irony in it all, however, because as we were learning and practicing, we were also being told that at our mission we were not toproselyte in any way. It was exciting to be there and realize it was this same place 4 of you also went through the same experiences. 

    

Then we spent a final day in Salt Lake at Farm Reserve Inc. They are the Church arm that manages all working farms owned by the Church. What does that have to do with Martin's Cove? Well this is actually a working ranch, running about 1000 head of cattle. The visitor's centers, museums, fort, etc. are all historic sites on this ranch that used to be the Sun Ranch. We have even had opportunities to go out with the ranch hands to do branding of the young calfs. (we didn't volunteer, however, but did other activities more in line with our abilities and age!) Training at Farm Reserve Inc. dealt mostly with safety and land preservation issues we would be faced with.

Friday April 25th was our official departure date. We were asked to be at Martin's Cove on the 26th for our first official meeting. On our way out of town we stopped in Bountiful and attended Bishop Dean Cannon's funeral. We met lots of old neighbors and friends: Sister Cannon, Sarah, Barbara (Richard had passed away a few years ago), Monsons, Browns, Longhursts, Ogilvies, Millers, Kakuchies, and President Eyring, who spoke at the service.(even got to shake hands with him) Then it was off to Wyoming. The further east we went the worse the weather got, until at Rawlins it was bitter cold, raining, and blowing like crazy. We arrived at our new home late that night, after 11pm, found our trailer spot with our name on it, parked, and proceeded to start all motorhome heaters plus a space heater we had brought with us, and then make up our "gigantic" bed. Next day in freezing weather we connected to the water, sewer, & propane lines. We were warned to drip water continually in the sink so the water lines would not freeze.

  

Some of the pictures here show what it's like here at Ranch 66, Missionary Village. There are about 30 trailers, 5th wheels, motorhomes, and some in permanent mobile homes. Our's, of course, is the smallest of all. Notice the bus on our one side. It's 40 feet long. The Hills live there, they are great. From Washington state. On the other side is the Peays from Orem, in a trailer that's about 30 feet long. But we are comfortable, just tight. We get to rub each other every time we pass, a great benefit! 

Notice the open praire all around us. It's where the deer and antelope always play. And they come right between our rigs frequently. It is birth season, and we are seeing a lot of mom's with babies. Notice the one baby we got a shot of hiding in the brush. It's mom ran off when she saw us to try to detract us. So I went up and took a close up of it. They are really cute. For the first month it was a bleak picture, drab brown with no leaves on anything. In the last couple of weeks everything has just exploded, green grass, leaves, etc. We must travel daily 13 miles, the first mile on a dirt road, to the site center for prayer meeting and daily assignments. 

{L-The wash house R-The shack where we make calls from}

There is a wash house about 8x8 with washers and dryers, that we can sign up for, and a little porch on one of the permanent mobile homes which has a phone we can use when available. Another small building is the pavilion, where gatherings can take place. A birthday party was held the other night with the missionary bank playing (including Mom who is now the proud owner of a mandalin) and where some couples danced. But only for a short time until all their energy ran out. The wind blows constantly shakes and rocks the motorhome. At first, mom was certain it was going to tip us over. Now we wonder what's going on if it isn't blowing. And when it rains, it really patters on the roof. At first we were really bothered, but since have learned to just ignore it. This will end this input, the inernet connection doesn't always hold for very long. We will try to have a weekly posting from here out. The next one will show some of the maintenance we have been doing for nearly a month, and then more of the area including the visitor's center, ranch buildings, sweetwater river, fort, and what the area we work in looks like along with some of our experiences. 

Love from us at Martin's Cove