Sister Call and I are new to this Blogging business and don't always include what brought us here. So I laid awake last night thinking of all the things we left out. Especially, the spiritual moments and tender mercies that have happened everyday. And we have had these everyday since we have arrived.
This property we are residing on is dedicated to the Lord in remembrance of those who came before us. There is a spirit here that is hard to explain. We are preparing for the youth to come here and in a small part, experience how difficult it is to pull handcarts over open prairie up and down hills. These routes we are reviewing and getting to know are not easy routes to trek. There are many hills and ditches and rocks to cross over; sage brush to pull through, badger holes to avoid, some so big that they swallow up baby lambs, (one of which Elder Higginson had to rescue). Some hills are so steep that they have to tie ropes on the back of the carts with 4 people on each side to slowly lower the carts down these sharp grades. So this is not a flat walk in the park, but difficult, and the weather does not always cooperate. We trek in snow, rain, high winds and heat. One of the seasoned Elders said that the weather for each of these treks, is just what the Lord intended for the needs of these youth. We cover such a large area, that one trek may have rain and another will not see a drop on the same day.
Our other posts have shown you how much fun, and hard work we may be having or doing, but the spirit of these past saints seems to be present in everything we do. In our Prayer Meetings we have each morning we have a story about one or two of the members of the handcart companies followed by a scripture discussion. Many tears are shed when we hear these stories.
Names of members like, Peter Howard McBride (6 years old) and what he remembered as a survivor. His view of things were different than that of the adults. (Story from the book,"I walked to Zion") Here are some of his own words. "The next day we had nothing to eat but some bark from trees. Later we had a terrible cold spell; the wind drifted so much I knew I would die. The wind blew the tent down. They all crawled out but me. The snow fell on it. I went to sleep and slept warm all night. In the morning I heard someone say, 'How many are dead in this tent?' My sister said, 'Well, my little brother must be frozen to death in that tent.' So they jerked the tent loose, sent it scurrying over the snow. My hair was frozen to the tent. I picked myself up and came out quite alive, to their surprise.'
Sarah Frank and George Hadley (17 Miracles love story) the movie didn't tell you why he came on this handcart company. He was a master wheel maker, so he stayed behind making wheels for all the carts of the other companies.
Elisabeth Bradshaw with 5 children, Sara Ann (daughter) made 32 trips across a river carrying people. She remembers her dress had frozen icicles that clinked and made a tingling sound as she walked.
Robert Till became Robert the dipper, because he baptized so many people in England.
Albert Jones, Samuel Jones, Mary Ann Greening, they all have stories. We learn more about them every day.
Their spirit is here. When it's cold or windy or raining and we have to do something out side it seems not so terrible anymore. We get to go back inside and get warm. We have food and shelter. Our spirits are lifted.
The biggest and most common thing among these handcart saints is that they believed in Jesus Christ, that His church was restored, that he had called Joseph Smith as His Prophet. They all had a desire to come to Zion to listen to a Prophets voice. How could I not have their faith and strength? We have the Prophet so close to us. We watch conference from our homes. We have it so much better than these saints who struggled so much on the plains. I know that Jesus Christ lives. He has called a modern prophet in Thomas S. Monson. He has guided us to be here on this mission. Our hearts are turning toward our Fathers and those who came before us. The spirit is strong here. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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