One Amazing Week Down

Last Saturday was our first day serving a Cove Fort.  We were serving with 7 other couples giving tours through the fort.  We wait in a room along with the other couples until it it our turn to go out and greet visitors.  We spend a few moments getting aquainted and then take them to a site for a 14 min. film about the Fort.  Then we take them down to the Fort.  The history and the spirit felt in the Fort are so amazing each time we do a tour.  Dan and I went together on the first tour and escorted a couple from Australia who were here with their daughter and her 4 children.  They were a delight.   I was a bit nervous with anticipation about my first tour but Heavenly Father heard my prayers and sent us this wonderful couple who put us right at ease.  Each day this week has brought a wonderful experience. We've met members and non members from Salt Lake, Provo, Salem,OR ( Dan had a couple from Salem that know Jason, Dana, and Sonja and were with another couple from Salem that just ended their 10 years of singing with the Tabernacle Choir). Shortly after Dan's tour, I had the Wertz family from Salem, OR composed of Dad and Mom with married son and wife, engaged daughter with fiance.  Both the son and daughter had just graduated from BYU. Dan gave a tour with a sweet family orginally from Rumania now living in Bolder, Co.
Guests come from all over the world and have facinating stories. 
We are loving this mission and look forward to every new day and what it brings to us.  We know Heavenly Father prepares his children to hear the gospel and sends them our way.  We are so greatful for the opportunity to share and feel His guiding spirit.
I have included a little taste of the outside of the Fort.  I hope to get some of the inside pictures to share soon.  There is much to see and much to tell.  Looking forward to our family and friends coming to Cove Fort to see and hear the wonderous stories for yourselves!

This is the front of the fort.  Built of lava rock and limestone morter collected w/4 mi. radius.  The East opening that you see is 14x14 ft. with 8' thick doors.   They first filled the doors with sand for extra protection but because it became to heavy they emptied the sand and replaced it with cotton.

 This view is of the north side of the Fort.  We have service missionaries that care for the grounds as well as plant  huge gardens on the North and South end of the Fort.  We will get to reap the results of these beautiful gardens.  Yumm!

 This is the Blacksmiths shop behind the Fort where Ira Hinckley (Pres. Godon B. HInckley's grandfather was a very skilled blacksmith who made horseshoes, wagon wheels, and oxen shoes and repaired wagons of those thousands of travelers, and ponie mail carriers and stage coaches that came through for relief and protection.

 Sample of oxen shoes.

 Horse shoes...many different sizes

 Tools in the Blacksmith shop.  There is also a huge leather billows that was the original billows that Ira uses.

This funky looking contraption is called an ox lift.  This was used to lift the oxen up to shoe the ox.  Oxen cannot stand on three feet so they designed this lift.  Note the two thick leather strapes hanging down that would go around the oxen's bellies and the two logs with ropes that would hoist the ox up.  Pretty amazing, hugh?