Parade, Shed, Wheels and Trek

The fourth of July in Wyoming is a blast, literally!  Fireworks here are legal, but first let me tell you about the parade.  Deseret Land and Livestock had a float in the Woodruff parade, and we missionaries pulled a handcart behind them with a few kids in it who threw candy.  Bob, Debra, and Debra's brother Steven Higginson (also a missionary here) played Come Come Ye Saints on our harmonicas as we marched along.  It was your typical small town parade with lots of horses, Rodeo Queens, a few floats, some old cars, fire engines, and old tractors.  After we ate in the park we listened to some really good cowboy music and cowboy poetry.  That night we went into Evanston to watch the fireworks that were exploding all around us and all over town.  They started before it was dark and continued long after we were back at the Ranch and in bed.

Bob and Debra before the fourth of July parade started

Steven and Bob ready to play their harmonicas.  Debra played but was taking the picture.  Woodruff Utah

two of the numerous rodeo queens

float with 3 calves, two dogs, and lots of sagebrush.

Our trek this week was with the Sandy Cottonwood Creek Stake with 200 youth and adults on trail 23.  We were with Debra's brother and sister-in-law Elder and Sister Higginson.  It was great to work with them and with this stake.  It was a 3 day trek instead of the usual 4 day trek, so on Wednesday when the rest of the treks began, we work around the Trek Trailer "Village".  Bob put up 15 sheets of 4x8 pieces of plywood, alone in the wind, to protect the new storage shed that was built last year.  Debra oiled and sealed 22 wheels with the help of another Sister missionary.  It took us most of the day and was hard labor.  We were ready to get back to trekking!

just a portion of Bob's "decorative" work

The wheels that Debra helped to paint

The shed, about 100 feet long and 25 feet deep

Thursday about 10 AM our trekkers arrived in cars.  This was our first trek we have had with them coming in cars instead of buses, so we got educated in parking vehicles on bumpy pastureland.  This was the first time this stake had come to DL&L and they were very impressed and will definitely be back in 4 years.  They were an amazing group with no complaints, no major health issues (which we are always grateful for), and really good food.  The people were the best and it seems that each trek just gets better and better!  The thought hit me hard with this group that trekking really is a leveling ground where we all look the same in our dirty pioneer clothing.  It  doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, a genius or not, a Doctor, Lawyer, Homemaker, Custodian,.............we are all just pulling and pushing to get up or down the next hill, and all working together and with the Lord's help, we can achieve anything. This women's pull was a bit easier, but they had only 3-4 girls on the carts, so it was good for them.

Carts lined up before the women's pull

Women's pull meeting before they began the pull

Sandy Cottonwood Creek Stake heading up one of the many hills on trail 23

We sang our "missionary anthem", as the missionaries have come to call it, in two different wards today. It is Sally Deford's  "To Those Who Came Before Me".  We sang at 9:00 and again at 1:00.  We are always so tired on Sunday, but attending church gives us a boost and gets us through the next week.  Debra directs the choir and it is amazing to see these Elders and Sisters, some who swore they could not sing, actually enjoying singing.  She saw this over and over again in Nauvoo so she was not surprised, but many of the missionaries are.  It has been a great week!