Amazing Week!

Sun setting while we ate our apple

Such a Fun week! This week was full of a great variety of things.

Monday through Wednesday morning was regular missionary work. Monday was lunch at the Senior Center and then off for 3 visits in a row. There is a road that’s a bit of the way outside of town where 3 families in our ward live. So we visited all three on the same day. We tried to time things where we would have time to go into town and get a quick bite, but that didn’t really happen. We shared an apple and then had frozen pizza when we got home at 9 pm. The blessing with that was watching the sunset while we ate the apple! A good day though. We like to take cookies on our first visit. This really breaks the ice with kids; especially teenage boys. Our first family lives at the top of a very steep hill. I think we wrote about that back when it was icy. Mud proved to be just as challenging, although we did make it in one try - but very, very slowly. We told that family that it always seems like such an accomplishment to make it to their house.

Elders Glover and Weaver at the Pithans

Walt still has the skill and the muscle!

Tuesday was a really fun day. We went out to the Pithans to help chop wood. The Elders have been dying to get out there; especially since Elder Vann bought a maul. Brother Pithan was excited to see us there. In Newcastle, the weather was pretty nice - 40ish degrees. The Pithans live on a ranch in SD and boy was it windy. We ended up putting on our winter coats, gloves and hoods; except for Elder Glover who is the “wood chopper”. We always keep extra coats in the car; which proved a blessing for one of the Elders, since he brought no coat at all. Walt ended up with the parka. He’s so thoughtful. Walt did some pretty nice splitting with the maul at the end. Brother Pithan has a wood splitter. We finished nearly the whole pile. My job was picking up the split wood and chucking into a pile. I got a lot of steps in that day! The visit ended with a good pool game amongst the men.

We had an awesome visit with the Smith family. The Elders couldn’t be at that teaching appointment so we taught. We focused on the life and purpose of Jesus Christ. I had made a memory card game from Pass A Long cards. There was no table nearby so I said - “Let’s sit on the floor.” It was good. I explained what each picture was as it was turned over and then asked them to tell me about the picture when they got a match. Then I had printed out scripture references for each card, so we could look up a few. This was their first experience looking up scriptures. They caught on pretty quickly. I asked them to look up at least 3 references during the week. The son wanted to look up all of them. We showed the video “Because of Him” and then bore our testimony of the Savior and what He means to us and how we feel. All of the family was present and participated. We’ll see them again next week. (The dad and two kids came to church again today!)

Wednesday morning we had a first time visit with a Sister and then back home to pack for the week-end. It was a busy one, but so wonderful!

We drove to Sheridan on Wednesday for our Thursday Zone Conference. Sheridan is 3 hours away and Zone Conference starts at 8:30. a.m. Leaving our house at 5:30 am wouldn’t be our favorite. The Relief Society president in one of the Sheridan wards was able to find a member who would take us over night. What blessings we receive. We really had a sweet deal. One of the Stake Presidency Counselors invited us to stay. They have an amazing house and also an in-law suite with a king bed. It was like a little resort stay. They are a really great family. We even picked up some candy for their children. They said we could stay any time.

Hunting collection

Big Horn Mountains

On the way to Sheridan, we ventured off to the base of the Big Horn mountains. The town of Bullalo is right there. It’s a really cute little town. The Big Horns are so amazing. I love the mountains in Pennsylania and Virginia, but these are so different. Larger and rockier. We only got to ride a small distance around the base, but it was beautiful. The day was warm and sunny and wonderful. Walt did find a trail and I was worried I wouldn’t see him for hours. Those of you who know him, know exactly what I mean.

The creek off the trail Walt found in the Big Horns

Zone Conference was great. It’s always inspiring and motivating. Sis Larson gave a really good object lesson after lunch. It was all about chocolate cake. She told us how much she loves chocolate cake, even without icing. She asked if we wanted some, the proceeded to throw handfuls of cake AT us. Surprising. There’s more to the lesson but I’ll stop there for now. The chocolate cake is like the gospel. We love it, it makes us happy and we want to share it with others and how happy it makes us feel But throwing it at them won’t help. They can’t enjoy it that way. I thought it was a very impressionable lesson. We share a little at a time and let others take the time to taste it for themselves and enjoy it.

Zone Conference. President and Sister Larson are in the middle

We drove to Billings MT after the conference - another amazing spring day! It was only a 2 hour drive. We have made arrangements to be able to stay with one of the 4 Senior Missionary couples that live in Billings, each month when we serve at the temple They all live in the same apartment complex. They all have 2 bedroom apartments and are good about sharing. This time we stayed with Elder and Sister Baker. They are Self-Reliance missionaries and are from Charlotte NC. He is from Kentucky and I love his accent. They were so kind to us. They cooked us breakfast both mornings, sent us with snacks, and left Hershey kisses on our pillow. We were so spoiled this week-end.

We have been communicating with Elder and Sister Childs who are serving a MLS mission like we are, since we first got our mission call. They have been our go-to couple for answers to our many questions. We finally got to meet them in person. We had dinner with them Thursday night at Cracker Barrel. We haven’t been to one of those in ages. Later, we had a great visit with the Bakers that evening. It’s so interesting to hear about the kind of mission each couple has. Even when the mission type ifsthe same, it can be a totally different experience. We really enjoy hearing about others’ adventures.

The Willadsons and us at the temple

Friday was probably the best day of the whole week. We had already had a wonderful time the past few days, but Friday was the cherry on top. We had our temple day with the Willadsons. We met them at the temple at 9:40 to start baptisms. This was their first time to do baptisms at the temple. We did them for his two brothers that have passed away, Twila’s grandmother and her father. I had finally gotten enough information to be able to do the work for my great great grandmother and grandfather that were from Hungary. I had been holding on to their cards, waiting for a good time. This day would be special so we did those names as well. We did all the work for the two brothers and her grandmother through to the sealings. It was such a special moment when we sealed the two brothers, Jim and his parents together as a family. We were so grateful and humbled to be part of that experience. We really enjoyed the bond between the Willadsons that day.

They were so kind to us. They took us out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner (one of our favorite restaurants) and they bought me a temple clothing case. Twila had one that I really liked and she told Jim, and they bought me one at the Distribution Center in gratitude for helping them that day. That was so incredible thoughtful and kind of them. It was rewarding just in the experience itself.

We really love the temple. There is no place we feel more peace than the House of The Lord. The veil between God and us seems very thin there. We have spent a lot of hours in the temple, especially the one in Philadelphia, since we had the opportunity to serve as Ordinance workers there. I think I have said this before, but there was no place more special and comforting when Michelle passed away. We both needed that Heavenly connection the temple brings. It’s in the temple that families are sealed together for eternity. There is no greater feeling than that. So it was just so special to be there with the Willadson’s and be part of their experience there.

Billings Montana Temple

Saturday was our first time to serve as Ordinance workers in the Billings MT temple. We loved it. The Willadsons came again to finish up the work for her dad and grandparent. I was able to be with Twila again to help her out. She kept telling me thank you for helping her, but I felt so blessed for that privilege. When we were in the sealing room, it was said, that there is nothing better than doing something for someone that they cannot do for themselves. I loved being able to help Twila, and was so grateful for that opportunity. I am the one who was blessed.

After our shift, we headed to Costco, a gas station and off to Newcastle. In the time we had been gone (wed-sat), just about all the snow had melted with the warm and sunny days. The problem then becomes flooding. We saw lots of that on the way home. Once we got to Gillette, it was back to the mud! I had so enjoyed wearing real shoes for 4 days. Back to mud boots. Our Bishop really had a time with the water. His damn to his reservoir broke and flooded his land all around his house. We’ve been keeping him and his family in our prayers. They didn’t lose any cows, but it’s a big mess. We got to see it for ourselves tonight when we went out there for dinner. We were supposed to be teaching one of his friends, but he got tied up in his own ranch work. It’s the life of a rancher. What we saw was after the water had gone down about a 6-8 feet. Can’t image what it looked like then. Rancher life isn’t for sissies, that is for sure. Walt keeps thinking he would love to be a rancher - I’m not sure I’m tough enough for that.

Walt testing the water before driving through, since it was flowing water.

This is the breach in the damn to the Bishop's reservoir. Pretty big!

The ranch house is behind the big white building. This is the only road there

We really love all the adventures we have on our mission. We love even more the spiritual experiences we are blessed with. As promised in the blessing I received when set apart as a missionary, I have quickly realized why we were sent to Newcastle Wyoming. We love the people here and the opportunities we have to serve them and help them come to closer to Jesus Christ. The joy is very hard to express in words. Each week brings new opportunities and blessings and we love that we can share them with all of you. We appreciate all the prayers and love on our behalf. We miss our family greatly but know that they, too, are blessed by our service. We hope our family sees the blessings in their lives.