Pioneer Day!

We were really busy this week and had these experiences:

- We are so grateful that we are stationed near a temple!  We were able to travel to Sacramento this week to attend the temple and always come away refreshed and encouraged.

- At one home we hadn't visited before, a huge Pit Bull named Blue came out and snarled at us as we approached the front gate.  The dog's human emerged and hollered "MISSIONARY!  MISSIONARY!" and the dog stop snarling.  Minutes later, the huge dog climbed on the couch next to Elder Stewart-Longhurst, licked his face, and laid his head in his lap.  Great dog command!  They both love missionaries.  :)

- The younger missionaries had a baptism on Saturday that we got to attend and be a part of.  We love seeing the work go forth and see people get closer to Christ!

- We had one of the leaders in our congregation tell us how he joined the church in his youth due to him becoming involved in an LDS Boy Scout Troop.  His Scoutmaster was the one that baptized him.  He soon lost contact with the church and his Scoutmaster.  Not too long ago, he came back into activity in the church and his family was converted.  While attending the temple for the first time, he saw his former Scoutmaster there, who he hadn't seen in decades.  Great story (and much more to it, especially when told by this fine brother).  We love how the Lord has used Scouting to bring people closer to Christ in many different ways.

- For our P-day (day off) we drove to Rodeo Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge to walk and meditate on the beach and rejuvenate.

Tuesday was Pioneer Day.  We celebrated by serving at the ward's Pioneer Day Ice Cream Social.  Below is a journal entry from Sister Stewart-Longhurst's journal about that event:

"Having a ward social event at least once per month we can invite people to attend seems like a good idea.  Since the 4^th of July Pancake Breakfast at the church earlier this month was so popular we realized that serving free food will bring people out in large numbers.  When the question of a Pioneer Day (July 24—Commemorating the Mormon Pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake valley in 1847) party came up, we first knew that there needed to be free food involved.  And since its HOT here every day and everyone is struggling to stay cool, why not serve ICE CREAM inside the cool Air-Conditioned church?

Guess what? It worked!  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in that church building!  :)

Many more came out than what we had expected.  Picture the Elder's President quickly setting up an extra table.  Then a second one.  And then a third one.  All while the Bishop's wife quickly drove off to the store to get more ice cream!

While Bishop and his wife served ice cream everyone enjoyed some social time.  Then just as the ice cream ran out, we switched off the lights and played the pioneer movie “Ephriam’s Rescue” which tells the story of the Martin Handcart Company which in 1856 got caught in early storms on the Wyoming prairie and would likely have all died of starvation and exposure if not for the rescue parties sent out from Salt Lake. 

From start to finish that movie with its fine examples of ministering to those in need brought a powerful dose of the holy spirit. For the missionaries in the room, we were reminded of the Sunday night movies in the Missionary Training Center.

As the credits ended and the lights slowly came, everyone was trying to dry their eyes and gain their composure.  Bishop took a moment to remind us all that there are people all around us here in Clearlake who need to be rescued.  They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and their spiritual needs are every bit as real as the hunger and cold felt by these poor pioneers. They are in spiritual peril and may not even realize the dangers they face, as these pioneers didn’t when they headed west so late in that summer of 1856.

And, BAM, just like that, he perfectly stated why we are here serving as missionaries—to help others draw closer to the love and warmth of Jesus Christ and His gospel with its power to literally save them."

Taking a look at the Golden Gate Bridge

Visiting Rodeo Beach