The desert blooming between Conference Center and home
Reminded me of  New Mexico

Today at church we sang “Come Follow me” as the closing hymn.  President Klopfer, who was conducting, told the congregation that this hymn was President Packer’s favorite hymn.  The words are as follows: 
"Come, follow me," the Savior said.
Then let us in this footsteps tread,                  
For thus alone can we be one
With God's own loved, begotten Son.

"Come, follow me," a simple phrase,
Yet truth's sublime, efullgent rays
Are in these simple words combined
To urge, inspire the human mind.

Is it enough alone to know
That we must follow him below,
While trav'ling thru this vale of tears?
No, this extends to holier spheres.

Not only shall we emulate
His course while in this earthly state,
But when we're freed from present cares,
If with our Lord we would be heirs.

We must the onward path pursue
As wider fields expand to view,
And follow him unceasingly,
Whate'er our lot or sphere may be.

For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs,
And glory great and bliss are ours,
If we, throughout eternity,
Obey his words, "Come, follow me."

Text: John Nicholson, 1839-1909

I pray that I will forever be found “Following Him.”  I know I haven’t written in two weeks again.  I suppose that may be my habit from now on.  I really have been so busy with work and enjoying so many things going on here.

It was so nice yesterday to go to Brigham City (about an hour’s drive North of Salt Lake City).  We left here about 10 AM and didn’t get home until 10 PM.  Steve and Stacy Hansen, from Kansas City, were visiting Steve’s sister, Lori Gomez, and Lori’s family.  They had come for the high school graduation of Steve’s son.  I was invited to visit weeks ago by Lori.  They were wonderful hosts and we (Sister Mc Knight and I) had a very nice time.  Steve is my youngest son, Wade’s, best friend.  Long ago Don and I accepted Steve and Stacy as our family.  They just closed on the selling of their home and they are staying at my house until they close on their new house in Independence.  Their move into my house was very timely as Missouri has been getting a lot of rain and ground seepage has flooded the basement several times.  Seems they had to work two shop vacs overtime to suction the water up.  Wade is now digging a hole to install a sup pump system Don bought years ago but never got around to put in.

It is so sad that Francis Monson died almost two weeks ago.  Poor President Monson.  They were married for 64 happy years. I know the loneliness  he now feels.  On the morning of the funeral our zone was given  tickets for the funeral.  I was given one of them.  I attended with two other sisters.  As most of you know, it was a beautiful funeral with the Monson’s daughter, Ann Dibb, giving the eulogy.  Four of the granddaughters did a special musical number that I found very touching.  One sang and the other three played the piano, violin and harp.  They are very talented young ladies.  President Monson looked so tired and sad.  I felt so bad for him.

On this mission I don’t work in the family history library but all the senior missionaries are encouraged to work on their own personal history.  We are given three half days and one full day off a month and are expected to be involved with history research or going to the temple.  This week I resolved to work on my “Buckley” line.  This is my paternal grandmother’s line.  On Friday I typed in the husband and wife’s names with a + sign linking them and hit google.  I was amazed that a document was suggested and when I clicked on it I found a 8 page document with so much information.  I actually found 5 more female ancestors maiden names.  On one I went back two generations.  I was and am astonished.  I have a lot of work now to enter all this data in Family Tree.  This information takes me to middle 1700s and the names are all British Isles sounding names but so far all born in New York or New England.

This is the Place Monument

Sister McKnight went to "This is the Place Monument" on Memorial Day and had a KFC picnic.  You know that KFC is my ultimate comfort food.  There is a pioneer town there with many of the buildings relocated there from original locations around the state of Utah.  It is a neat place for families and they even have a petting farm animals area and a pony ride for the little ones.

These girls walked around
and sang pioneer songs

Pioneer Church
exact replica

Steve and Stacy took us to Promontory Summit where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific rails were joined with the Golden Spike.  It was very interesting.  It was a major event for the country and the church.  They railroad changed how the granite was hauled for the Salt Lake Temple.  It had taken 4 days and strong oxen to haul the granite to the temple site and soon they were able to haul the granite on railroad cars in a few hours.  Without the railroad it would have taken many more years than 40 to complete the temple.  

This video shows an exact replica of "Old 119" steam locomotive chugging along the track as they are putting it in a garage for the night.  This is a replica of the locomotive that came from the East I think.  They have a replica of the other locomotive, too and they do a reenactment several times a day.  We did not make it in time for the reenactment but timed it perfectly for the ending of the day.

We will be getting a new Mission Presidency in July.  I will be very sorry to see the Petersons, Eckels and Sessions leave.  They are very kind, sweet people.  On Wednesday we are having a special devotional and we will get to meet the new Mission President.  Things have really accelerated at work and we have been so busy.  All the zones feel the same urgency to get the work done.  I hope all of you are working on your own family history and enlisting all your family members.  Until next time I pray for you all and myself that the Lord watches over and keeps all of us safely in His capable hands.  Love, Sister Barbara Winkie