Week 58 - Hegsted's Mission

 3-September-2023-Sunday

What a fun day.  Uneventful drive to Rutland, but I got to play the organ, bare my testimony, and teach Gospel Doctrine.  I felt like I belonged.  I felt the Lord blessed me as I bore my testimony and I felt a wonderful Spirit enter the room.  I hope other did as well.  We had wonderful testimonies.

The branch has had two convert baptisms in the last month.  Both are men about 70 years old and both have been passing the Sacrament for the last three weeks.  What a wonderful sight to see these faithful and humble men pass the Sacrament.  Unfortunately today, one of the gentlemen was attempting to get behind the organ to pass me the water, when he tripped over a cord.  I was off the Organ immediately and took the water tray from him, which he was careful not to drop and get him standing again.  I hope he will not be afraid to pass the Sacrament again.  [He did pass the next week.  Also the branch had baptisms, this Sunday and the next Sunday.  They are on fire.]

I played adequately.  I thought my lesson was good.  I did not have a firm outline I needed to follow and thus was able to take the thoughts from the class and expound on them and then invite more comments.  I had good participation and I learned from the others even beyond what I had prepared to give.  Not sure what one could ask for more.

Home for a nap.  I am tired and my leg is aching.  Tomorrow is a holiday so no doctor, but hopefully I can set up something for Tuesday.  I will soak my toe tonight several times and hope it starts to soften up enough that the hydrogen peroxide can start cleaning out around the infected area.  My toe does not hurt but my ankle and leg feel swollen, so I am concerned.

We had a few guests.  One couple Dede took through were a sweet couple from Twin Falls.  I had a nonmember, who seemed to be overwhelmed with the spirit of the site.  He did not want to leave and was still there walking around when we left.  Dede had another group of mixed member and non while I spent about 2 hours with the most wonderful Jewish couple from Boston.  She has a degree in Religion and he a BA in history with a senior thesis on Ann Hutchinson and the Puritans.  They wanted to know about Joseph Smith and they got a huge load.  After 30 minutes of talking about Joseph, we sat down for nearly 90 minutes so I could answer their questions.  They had great questions.  I love Jewish people who understand their religion so we can talk about prophets, about covenants, about persecution.  It was fun to try to verbalize answers and questions without using the New Testament.  They would have gotten the references, but....  It was also interesting to tell them about Christ's second coming and the glorified Messiah.  They know he is considered the Messiah and I added He was Jehovah of the Torah.  I then explained upon His return, he would split the Mount of Olives and the Jewish people would escape their tormenters and come to Christ and recognize the wounds in His hands and feet.  This was very interesting to them.  It was interesting to explain.  They wanted to understand the BoM through the lens of the Old Testament and a covenant people.  To understand why the church places such emphasis on the Old Testament and the covenant people.  What a fun time and since they kept asking questions, I knew I was not boring them totally.  Yeah me.  They left with a BoM, the BoM app and the Gospel Library App as she wants to read the Books of Moses and Abraham.  They read scriptures together out loud and so said they would share the BoM.

4-September-2023-Monday

At 9 am we were at Camp Joseph with a small gathering from the Rutland Branch.  By 9:30 we had at least 35 people.  The Arbon's never thought we would have so many.  By lunch we had about 50 people.  We got a lot of work done in our three hours.  Arbons told me the other wards have maxed out at 6 people for their service projects.  He then stated a truism: "It all starts with good leadership" and President Shelton is the best.  We had a good lunch before heading home to shower and nap before our shift.  When I first arrived, I told Elder Arbon, we need to have President Stone look at the golf cart.  He, President Stone did not show up until lunch due to health issues with his wife, but he came to me and asked about something he could do and so I asked him to look at the golf cart.  When he later came up to the site to give his granddaughter a tour of the site, I asked about the cart and he told me two things.  1). Sister Arbon almost teared up with gratitude.  It is hard not to have the cart.  2). Most importantly after describing what he had fixed he said:  "I just love to trouble shoot.  I know the Holy Ghost already knows the answers and issues and He just guides me along to fix the problem."  Wow, what simple faith.  If I ever need to have a mountain moved, I know whom I am calling.  

We had a number of people from the Branch.  What a pleasure to give tours to people we know.  We had a young man with the missionaries who was baptized last Sunday in the Branch and another young man who will be baptized in three weeks.  What a wonderful Branch.  They are so inviting and the Elders are working hard.  We took through several other members of the Branch to our great satisfaction,  We had two couples come in.  One lives outside of Tremonton, but he runs cattle up Toppance and Pebble Creek, between Pocatello and Chesterfield.  They had brought nonmember friends.  Fun tour.  Our final tour was with 6 YSA (probably mid-YSA) from Boston.  One of them was Emily Loveland, whom Anna taught piano lessons so many years ago.  Her sister and Anna were so tight.  She is the daughter of Ann and Kevin Loveland, whom we also love. It felt like we spent the day with friends, and indeed we did.  What a sweet thing.  (Dede felt like she got a hug from home.)

Our neighbors, and fellow missionaries, the Knutesons invited us to dinner tonight.  We did not get home to eat until 7:15, so late for them.  I felt so bad, but we laughed and enjoyed the evening.  So grateful for their kindness.

Last night I soaked my toe and tried to lift the toe nail to get hydrogen peroxide in it.  Nothing doing!  It is not the toe nail, but the bottom of toe which is infected.  I thought the bottom had split from the swelling, but now I believe the bottom got infected and is causing the infection.  More soaking tonight and bandages with anti-bacterial cream to promote healing.  It did feel better today, but not pain free.  Hopefully with care, things will improve.

5-September-2023-Tuesday

We are now down to two more 8 hour Tuesdays.  We had 8 people, 4 couples, in by 2 pm and all wanted the full tour including the ride down to the foundations.  Thus the morning shift was fun.  We then ate lunch and did not get anyone else in.  It is okay, we are here to do what the Lord has asked us to do, but had it been a normal day, the second shift couple would not have had anyone.  

I am still feeling that I am running at about 1/3 speed.  I actually thought (hoped perhaps) that my toe looked a little better, but at 8 am when the clinic opened I was on the phone getting an appointment with the podiatrist, which will be Thursday morning at 8 am.  He does not work everyday at this clinic.  Luckily for me, the Podiatrist is a member of the church from Rupert, Idaho.  We met him last year, but have not seen him for 6 months.  Probably even more lucky, he told me that he is not that busy and he had several openings Thursday morning, so I took the earliest.  We will see what he says when he looks at it.  I would be less worried if I did not take diabetes medicine and know that foot wounds are just not good to have.  Also, not realizing the source of the issue I was treating the nail and not covering up the actual problem with a band-aid.  At least, I think the bottom of the foot is the problem.  I am still struggling to believe it is not the toe nail.  Perhaps, this is why we are told to let doctors do the diagnosis and not the patient.  Duh!  

I was able to continue putting up Christmas lights.  It was sunny and warm today and with a fever, it seemed downright hot.  I do not have a great deal of energy, but I am making slow progress on the two buildings I am to start with.  A few more hot days and then the highs will drop to the high 70's.  

Tomorrow we go to the temple again.  It will be closed for two weeks and Jon will be here on the third so we need to get back there.

6-September-2023-Wednesday. PDAY

Such great news.  Last night, the Buswells were interviewed via Zoom by Elder Bednar and he will officially become the Site President with keys instead of the acting interim president.  I am so glad for them.  I think it was hard, to have the responsibility without the authority and title.

Left early to attend the temple in Boston.  Without rain, the traffic was fast.  At 72 mph I was being passed by everyone even in 55 mph zones.  On the way down, I received a call from the Sharon Health Clinic requesting I get an X-Ray today as they will have no one in the clinic tomorrow to do it.  Thus we left directly after our sessions to arrive home in time to get the X-Ray.  I do not even like to consider the thought of why he wants an X-Ray.  I hope it is a a merely a precaution that is not needed.  How fun to have something to worry about when one has no data.  The Xray looks at the bone and we discuss bone infection daily when we talk about JS jr's leg operation.

We had 25 women in the session and 7 men.  A sister from Maine was there to receive her own endowment and had a great support group come with her.  That was lovely.  I managed to stay awake right until the end.  Getting closer.  I will blame it on my toe causing exhaustion.  At least I feel very weak and hope that goes away as the doctor quickly remedies my problem.

We also did the sealing session.  The sister who received her own endowment and her friends came in.  I was able to act as proxy for her father and she acted for her mother as we sealed her parents.  I watched her eyes during the entire sealing.  It was as if she was in a vision.  She wanted to be sealed to her parents and it took them about 40 minutes to get the paper work straight, but then I acted for her father again as she was sealed to her parents and then she acted for her grandmother and I the grandfather as her father was sealed to his parents.  The Spirit of love in the room was amazing.  One of the benefits of being in Boston and doing so many sealing sessions is the number of sealings we have witnessed or participated in where people actually knew the people being sealed.  I have rarely had the experience for myself and rarely witnessed it in Idaho temples.

I came home and got the X-ray.  The technician was kind.  Dede and I then went to Lebanon to eat.  The temperature outside made it really too hot to eat, but the food was good.  I think today might be one of the hottest days of the year for us.  Tomorrow likewise and then we get rain again and cooler, but muggier days.  We shopped in Lebanon and now I am soaking my toe as I type.  

7-September-2023-Thursday

At 7:45 I was at the Sharon Health Clinic doing paper work and preparing for my appointment.  Due to prayer and careful attention to the toe, including soakings (which I was told to quit) and bandaging it with Neosporin, it has improved greatly.  Dede had me stop the Hydrogen Peroxide which was damaging skin and making it look worse.  God has blessed me.  The Doctor however was still concerned and warned me to watch my sugars or it would never heal.  It is interesting to me that two weeks ago, I stopped eating my abundance of chocolate.  I think there is a tender mercy here from a Loving God.  I am to watch it carefully.  Keep it dry.  Change the bandage.  If there is any change or red streaks to get to the emergency room in Randolph where he can see me.  Otherwise check in with him in two weeks.  This is the first time I have used Medicare.  This is a "wonderful" first.

Came home and worked on my document.  I also got some exercise on the bike.  I am still weak, but after two 5 minute rides, the third ride seemed easier.  Hopefully I am also just overcoming laziness.  Meanwhile, the lovely and talented Dede, made Halloween pillow cases for Sara's kids and shipped them off.  I am always amazed with her.

We had only three people this afternoon.  The first couple were here for 2 hours.  They wanted to hear everything.  They have been married about a year.  I believe he joined the church for her.  Thus has nothing against the church, but it does not seem to move him much.  He does however like history and details.  I wish them the best.  The final visitor from SLC was in Burlington for meetings and drove 90 minutes to get here at 5:40. We gave him a good tour and he was appreciative.  Again I am grateful for a good wife who could quickly see his need and desire for the visit.  

Even with a lack of visitors, I did not get any lights hung.  Hopefully tomorrow.  We are supposed to be getting rain 8 of the next 10 days (did not happen), but hopefully will have breaks in the rain to work.  Also we are supposed to plant mums on Monday, which is supposed to to deliver 1.85 inches of rain from 7 am to 4 pm.  Might be a better day to pull up flowers and plant on Tuesday.

8-September-2023-Friday

The morning shift saw us have 6 people come in.  The first two were a mother and daughter from Idaho.  The daughter had brought her mom as part of a job assignment to sell ads for a magazine covering grazing.  There was a convention here and people from all over the USA came, including two couples that stopped at the site Monday.  They were funny, they wanted to see so much in VT, so wanted a shorter tour, but mom kept insisting we give them all the details.  I think they were with us 55 minutes with the foundations tours and mom was nearly in tears.  The daughter lives in Twin Falls and in Anna's ward.  The girl's sister and Anna sang in church last Sunday.  The church is a small world.  I added a picture of the mom, daughter and Dede for fun.  It is so fun when we make connections.

We had another fun couple from Colorado who spent 90 minutes with us.  A third couple from Brazil was so worried they would miss their Ben and Jerry's tour, they could only spend 10 minutes with us.  Both however edified Dede and I and we are so glad they came.

We covered the "flaming bush" near the visitors center with red Christmas lights before leaving.  It was nice to change light colors and do something different.  Hard to tell about our coverage with leaves on the bush, so we will need to come back in the evening and look.  

I continue to worry that leaf season will be poor.  So many maple trees are losing leaves, just turning brown and falling off.  Seems too early.  Some have suggested the very wet year is responsible for the lack of colors.  All I know is people will be sad in October if the leaves are not brilliant colors. 

Tonight we have a farewell dinner for the Wilcox's.  They do not leave until the 26th or so, but have so many things planned that we need to have their dinner early.  They are finishing up a 23 month stint and do not want to head home without seeing it all and so they have taken time lately to go and visit.  When we came, everyone was here for 23 months.  Now it is just Buswells and us and the next two couples coming and the last couple that just came will only serve a year.  The next site leaders will train a great deal more than our original site leaders, but more people will have an opportunity to serve at this wonderful place.

9-September-2023-Saturday

Where did the week go?  We left by 8:10 to drive to the Bennington Battle Monument which is in Vermont, but memorializes a battle that occurred in NY colony.  The revolutionaries were storing military goods and supplies in Bennington and the British came to take them.  A NH army fought the first battle.  The Green Mountain Boys showed up to defeat a second British army.  The colonists surprised the British (mostly Hessian and German troops) outside of town (in NY) and defeated them soundly.  This was a major turning point in the war.  The British General was forced to surrender to the colonists in Saratoga NY as a result and France felt it was time for them to join the colonies against their ancient foes.  It is amazing that this all occurred around Vermont, whose status as a colony or an independent country would not be resolved for a number of years.  It was a two hour drive to get there.  We had time to go up the elevator (stairs were blocked) look around and then walk around the monument and get pictures before leaving.  The views from 200 feet up were great.  We got back in time to eat lunch take a 12 minute Power Nap and get to the site.  It was a rushed trip, but we saw beautiful things in Bennington and then on the way home, going through back roads recently repaired from flood damage.  The Vermonters have worked very hard to fix the flood damage.  Here are some pictures.

Good day at the site.  Not many people but some very kind people, both members and non members who were full of questions and just wanted to learn history.  I love these type of tours.  Watched a few minutes of BYU football with President Buswell in the President's home while taste-testing Sister Buswell's brownies.  It was hard duty, but I sacrificed.  I also hung a few Christmas lights.  

We ended the day at a S. Royalton Ward dinner.  It was well attended.  Somewhat hard because we were invited to come, but we know few people because we attend the Rutland Branch where we know everyone.  They insist they want us to come, but it is hard and only one person came over to talk to us.  We could and probably should try harder to meet people there, but it is hard without a ward list to remember them the next time we come in 3 or 4 months.