Welcome Back To Wyoming

As we were driving back to The Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission in March we came to the Sweetwater River Valley and it felt like we were home again.

We are serving at Martin's Cove, which is about one hour east of where we served last year, but it is still along the historic Mormon, California, Oregon and Pony Express Trails which follow the Sweetwater River for about 100 miles.

Foot bridge over Sweetwater River

Sweetwater River and the Homestead

The Martin Handcart Pioneer Company came through this area in November 1856 and were stranded here by a snowstorm.  They were rescued and took refuge from the snow and bitter cold winds in a cove nearby.

Martin's Cove

 In addition to sharing the story of the handcart pioneers with visitors, we also give tours of historic ranch buildings that date to the 1870s when Sun Ranch was first established here by Tom Sun.  There is a ranch house (now a visitors center), barn, blacksmith, school house/museum, bunk house, and wash house. We also give tours of the replica of Ft. Seminoe and the archaeological site which dates to 1852.

Original Sun Ranch Barn

Blacksmith building

Repairing picnic tables

It has been a challenge to learn all the historical information as well as stories from the handcart pioneer journals but we are slowly making progress.  During the month of May we will have have over 2000 fourth graders coming for field trips as part of learning Wyoming History.  Then, starting in June, the Treks start with 20,000 youth coming this summer!  And because we have fewer missionaries this summer we expect to be very busy.

Learning the trails

In the meantime we have been doing projects to get ready for summer... painting, fixing sprinklers, weeding, hauling and spreading sand, and cleaning out buildings.

We also have been learning the trails and practicing square dancing. And we've been doing lots of hiking. So as you can tell, we are not bored.

Devil's Gate

Jay at the top of Devil's Gate

View from Devil's Gate

                  Today we both gave talks in church. I've included mine below...tell me what you think!

Spiritual Dehydration

Martins Cove April 23, 2017

Last year while serving at Sixth Crossing I became concerned about the number of trekkers having problems with dehydration. We saw youth and adults with headaches, nausea, weakness and irritability. We noticed as they started looking down and were not paying attention to what was going on around them. Their focus turned inward and they stopped interacting with others. Some had blurred vision. Others became disoriented and confused to the point they didn't know their own name. Some were dehydrated so severely that they fainted and were unresponsive. Thankfully, although some had to go to the hospital for treatment, no one died.

We were frustrated because we felt their dehydration could have been prevented. When their trek was still in the planning stages they had received information about how to avoid dehydration by drinking fluids before, during and after the trek. It was stressed at trek leader training. And when they arrived we again emphasized the importance of drinking and made sure their water containers were filled. The trek hosts made sure they took frequent water breaks and continually reminded them to drink, drink, drink! But some discounted or ignored our counsel and became very ill.

As I was pondering this problem at the end of the season, a thought came to me that we are all at risk of a similar, more dangerous illness...that of spiritual dehydration. In the New Testament when Christ was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, He referred to Himself and His teachings as Living Water. Lehi had a dream that is recorded in the Book of Mormon in which he sees a fountain of Living Water which represents the love of God. And in D&C 63:23 we are told that His commandments shall be a well of Living Water.

We know that physically we cannot live without water. It is equally true that we will die spiritually without the Living Water that Christ offers to us as we strive to learn of Him, live His commandments, feel His love and share it with others.

We have been counseled over and over and over again about the importance of having daily

earnest prayer, the need for daily meaningful scripture study, and the necessity of daily soul searching repentance. We are counseled to love and serve others and keep the commandments. If we go several days without drinking water we will become physically ill, similarly if we miss drinking Living water on a daily basis we will become spiritually ill.

It is interesting to me that the physical symptoms of dehydration are strikingly similar to symptoms spiritual dehydration. For example, similar to having a headache, if we are spiritually dehydrated we feel painful mental stress and our worries seem overwhelming. Like having nausea, we may have no stomach for fulfilling callings or responsibilities when we are spiritually dehydrated. We feel weak spiritually and are unable to progress. We are self-centered and have no interest in the needs of others. We feel irritable and are easily offended and angered. Our vision is blurred in that we cannot see the truth. We become disoriented and think that wrong is right. We are also confused about who we are and whose we are. We become faint hearted and don't stand up for what is right. We may be unresponsive to the Spirit and we will die a spiritual death unless someone reaches out to us with life saving assistance.

I wonder if the Lord and our Leaders get frustrated with us (as we sometimes were with the trekkers) when we do not heed their counsel to 'drink, drink, drink' of Living Water. It is my prayer that each time we take a drink of water (especially during the Sacrament) that it will be a reminder to evaluate ourselves for symptoms of spiritual dehydration, and that every day we will remember to drink deeply of His Living Water.

Elder and Sister Bowden