Sunday, May 24, 2015


May 11, 2015

It rained yesterday into the night.  There was thunder and lightning and beautiful rain.  The tulips lifted their heads, happy for the drink.  In Utah a rain is a blessing we wait for sometimes for a long time.  When it comes it renews the earth.  Rain comes more often here, hence the green everywhere.  There comes also heavy humidity, and we don't have a fan.  We got very warm.


On our way to the visitor center this morning I noticed how beautiful the trees on the lane were. The leaves came out so fast almost like overnight.

We have enjoyed the last week.  There have been many visitors come.  some on business trips and traveling without their families and some seeing the sign on the freeway and stopping to see the monument and some who have made plans to come specifically to see and feel this site.  Yesterday I spoke to a man traveling from Tucson, Arizona; he was so thrilled to be able to take pictures and send home to his family.

Another couple just wanted to walk around.  They weren't interested in any teaching of Joseph Smith; another couple were from north of here, in a town called Barre, where the granite came from for the building of the Monument.  They have lived here all their lives and had never been to this site. They said that some neighbors told them how beautiful it is, and they decided to come. 

They didn't want to know about Joseph Smith.  Many are afraid that we might try to baptize them, but I asked them if they would like me to tell them the story of how the Monument got here; they were more than happy to hear that.  They were impressed.

Roger has been taking each of the tours (if there is time) to see the ruins of the Solomon Mack homes and the Daniel Mack home just down over the hill from the Monument.  He takes them in a golf cart, and it turns this whole experience into a fun place to have visited.  The foundations of these two homes are nestled in the forest and have a peace and serenity about them.  You can walk to the foundations too, and that is fun.

The spring has brought beautiful flowers that were planted in the fall.  There are wild flowers in the forest blooming every year for many years.  This is truly a beautiful earth.


Mother's Day was yesterday.  It was a day with many visitors here. They brought their mothers to feel the goodness on this site.  We had a nice dinner with the Senior Missionaries; we all contributed. It is nice to have good friends that make holidays feel not so lonely.

Most of the kids called or sent a text to me.  I loved hearing from them.  Max sent a beautiful flower arrangement.  Mary's family and Denis's family got to talk to Emily and Branden from their respective missions.  It was good for them too.  Mary sent us a video of Emily (on Skype) talking to us specifically.  It was a sweet blessing.  Also, as of yesterday, we have been here six months.  It is hard to believe.  We miss home, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.





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