more Road Trip - Natchez and Tallulah

The Natchez Trace is the original road, or "trace" between Nashville and Natchez.  It has been restored to a very good 2-lane road, with a 50mph speed limit that makes for a leisurely drive through very picturesque country - a lot of it has big trees with Spanish moss overhanging the roadway, and historical signs and sites are frequent.  Here is one that's about 30 miles N. of Natchez, during a segment that we drove.  For further information:  Read the Book of Mormon.

Here's a view of the bridge across the Mississippi between Natchez and Lousiana.  They don't call it the "Big Muddy" for no reason.  The water really is brown-colored, but it does flow a little faster than I thought it would.  At this point the water is only about 48 ft above sea level (not counting flood stage), and it's about 175 mi to the Gulf of Mexico from here.

Here are a couple of Carol Vogel's cousins in Natchez.  Esther (on the phone talking to Carol) owns The Elms, a marvelous antebellum (pre-Civil War) home that's now a Bed & Breakfast.  If we'd have known that beforehand, we would have stayed here instead of in Vicksburg.  I will have to say that Natchez has much more character and charm than Vicksburg, but we had a delightful time in both places.

One last major stop on this trip was a quick dash to Tallulah, LA from Vicksburg (24mi), to take this photo of our friend Carol (Wakeman) Vogel's childhood home, right across the street from Bushy Bayou.  The home is built, like a lot of homes well up into the 20th century on "post and pier".  Meaning the home is not built on a slab or conventional foundation, but a series of "piers", brick more recently, rock formerly, and then the "posts" or stringers are laid out on them and the house is built.  This picture doesn't show it very well, but if you look on the left side, you can actually see daylight clear underneath the home.  This wouldn't work very well up North where we are from - all the pipes would freeze for sure in the winter, but seemed to be a popular way to build here in times past.  This method is not used in current construction.  I think there would be lots of critters of all sizes and shapes living under here. 

another Road Trip!!

Senior missionaries do have a lot of "flexibility", and are exempt from most of the strict mission rules that the young elders and sisters have to obey.  They figure that if we haven't learned how to be good servants by this time, that there's no hope for any change.  Today one of the young elders asked how we could travel outside the mission boundary - I told him that we just asked the President, and he gave permission - and that he could ask for himself if he wanted to.  HAHAHA

In fact, we are encouraged to visit and learn about the local and regional history.  This is only our 2nd (and last) side trip since we have been here.  We made a 2 1/2 day trip to Vicksburg and Natchez, with a quick dash to Tallulah, LA.  There is a lot of Southern and Civil War history around these areas.  Look up:  Battle of Vicksburg, May 18 - July 4, 1863.  At this time, Vicksburg was the only major site on the Mississippi river that was not in Union hands.  New Orleans, Natchez, and other strategic places had been taken.  There are high bluffs (about 300ft high) right against the river.  Vicksburg had been reinforced by the Confederates with heavy artillery that could prevent Union ships from passing.  Any attempts to slip through were usually made at night, but it was like sailing through a shooting gallery.  U.S. Grant was commanding here and he had W.T. Sherman with him.  The Federals couldn't take the Rebs after several bloody attempts, so Grant started a siege/blockade that lasted about a month, before the rebel troops and the city were nearly starved out, then they surrendered.  Now the Confederacy was cut in two, and the entire Mississippi river was controled by the Union.  Note that the Battle of Gettysburg was going on at the same time:  July 1 - 3, 1863.  Bad, bloody days for America.  From here, Sherman started his famous (or infamous) March to the Sea, through Atlanta, where he burned or destroyed most everything he came across in an attempt to deny the Confederacy the means to continue the war.  He is still hated here, more than any Union general.

Anyway, as you can see, Sister Johnson is always interested in the local flowers and plants, and of course the Antique Shops, of which there are many.

One of hundreds of guns that the Confederates had in Vicksburg.  There is a National Military Park here, with a visitor's center and 17-mile driving tour around the entire length of the Confederate defensive line protecting Vicksburg. 

Our missionary badges attract attention.  The occupants of this car thought that missionaries have lots of money, and that we should give some to them.  Unfortunately, we get this type of request occasionally, and we feel bad that we can't solve their problems.  There are means in place from various sources to assist, but handing out money on the street isn't one of them.

Here we are enjoyin a Coke, in the Coke Museum.  Down here, all soft drinks are "Cokes".  When we first got here, this was the conversation when we went out:  Waitress:  "What would you like to drink?"  Me:  "A Coke".  Waitress:  "Ok, what flavor Coke do you want?"

This is the former All Saints Episcopal Girls School in Vicksburg, where our good friend Carol Vogel went to high school.  It was a boarding school.  They started admitting boys in 1971 (must have been their downfall, as they closed the school in 2006).  It has since been sold, and is now either a super-secret CIA training facility, or an Americorps campus (domestic Peace Corps).

The Mississippi is a "working" river, and still a major transportation route for goods moving to/from the Gulf to the interior of the country.  Many heavy barges are constantly seen going up and down.  It's also used for recreation, as evidenced by this launch area for fishing boats. 

Note the "Steamboat" in the background.  It's really a casino!  The laws say that if a casino is located on a navigable waterway, that exempts them from some state regulations, and makes licensing and operating easier.  So the clever operators build casinos shaped like old-time steamboats (for nostalgia) on the water to get around whatever laws prevent their being built on land.  There are "floating" casinos like this all up and down the major waterways.  Some are actually on boats.  The hotels associated with the casinos are all built on land, adjacent to the floating casinos, as building costs and engineering considrations are obviously more favorable.

Hot dog roast

On Monday, 21 May, we gathered up the West Point elders, and drove out of town to Larry and Petra's - some of our favorite people here.  The longer we are here, the more we love all of these great people.

Larry had a fire going (from his tree that I cut down), Petra had hotdogs & fixins', Sister Johnson brought some watermelon, brownies, marshmallows, and other goodies. 

We enjoyed a lovely Southern evening around the fire, eating and talking until it got dark.  Tonight, we did get to hear the coyotes start howling just across the road - about 300yds.  Too bad my night hunter rig is back home (good for them though).

Driving back home in the dark, we saw our first fireflies of the season.  They burn brightly, but only for about a second.  Sister Johnson is determined to catch some in a jar, so that I can take a photo.  We still need to catch a turtle (for photos only), and see a live Armadillo curl up in a ball.

I couldn't resist a photo of JJ enjoying watermelon.  He's a grandson, and is so cute.  His brother escaped before I could get him in the picture.

The woods are full of mushrooms this time of year.  These were right by the firepit.  We put the description of this one in my iPad, and it came up as "nonedible".  I'm not sure I have it conclusively identified, but to be extra safe, we decided not to eat it.

Mormon Springs

On the way home from Smithville, MS today, we made a detour to Mormon Springs.  Pictured with Sister Johnson is the niece of one of the members in the Columbus ward (see prior post)

In 1839, missionaries were sent to NE Mississippi and NW Alabama.  They had quite a bit of success.  Behind the monument is a spring that flows down from the hill.  They dammed it up and created a pool where they could baptize.  Soon, there were more than 200 converts, and a branch (small congregation) was started.  This is about 11 miles north of present-day Caledonia, MS, on Wolfe Road, very close to the AL border  (N33d 49' 35", W88d,17' 44')

In 1846, they were advised to emigrate to Utah, so most of them sold their farms, packed up and left.  They were on a NW track to the Salt Lake valley at the same time that Brigham Young and the first group of saints were headed west to the same destination from Winter Quarters, NE.  The Mississippi saints actually made it into the Salt Lake valley on July 22, 1847, two days before Brigham Young!!  They actually had crops already planted, including turnips.

My ancestry includes pioneers from this group, who were the Bankheads and the Crosbys.  So now 173 years later, I'm back in the same place those early missionaries went to, trying to do the same thing.  Only now, the members stay where they're from and build up the church where they live - no need to gather to Salt Lake (we've got too many people there already).

Leigha at Patriarch Voyle's

This afternoon we took Leigha, a new member from the Columbus ward to Smithville, MS for a Patriarchal Blessing from the Stake Patriarch.  This is a special blessing that is available to members that provides guidance and comfort.  This was a special day for Leigha, and we were pleased to be able to help her with this great experience. 

The kids are her niece and nephew (Cambria and JoJo), who she babysits a lot.  Their mom was working today, so we got to take them along with us.  Good practice for when we return to the grandkids!!  We packed along a cooler for lunch and snacks.
From our apartment in Starkville, to church in West Point, then to Columbus to pick up Leigha, on to Smithville, returning with a detour to Mormon Springs (see next post), then to Columbus and finally home to Starkville, it was 238 miles.  Due to the geography of our area, we can easily put that many miles on in a day (sometimes much more), but we average about 160 miles daily.  That's a tank (20 gallons) of diesel every 3 days at $3.90 per gallon, you figure it out.

Down the home stretch!

We've now been out on our mission for over 4 months.  Less than 2 months to go, and it's all going by very quickly.  We see that there is so much still to do, and very little time to try and accomplish it.  I know we won't be able to get everything done we wanted to, but maybe we have been of a little help here.

We have made so many good friends here, both in the Church and the community.  We've been able to do some service with our hands, tools, and chainsaw, and sometimes by just being there when needed.

One of the best experiences has been teaching missionary discussions with the elders to their investigators.  They seem to have developed confidence in us, and we are invited to teach with each of the sets of elders in our district (West Point, Starkville, Columbus) almost every week.  We are appreciative to have a "front line" proselyting and support assignment.  Maybe at some other future time we can consider humanitarian and temple missions.

It has been one of the greatest experiences of our lives so far, and we are grateful to be able to serve.  We are very grateful to our friends at home who have been so supportive to us and our family.

We miss our family, especially the grandkids, but with email, text, frequent phone calls, and Skype, it has been bearable.  We're really going to spend much time with the grandkids when we get back, just to get reacquanited.

Our final interview with the Mission President is scheduled for July 11.  On the 12th, we'll load up our little Jeep and a U-haul trailer (hopefully everything that we brought AND everything that we have purchased here will fit) and start the 1770 mile "northern" route home, and should arrive back in Farmington on July 15th.

You all know our cell numbers and email, so we'd like to hear from you.  We're usually home in the evenings after 8pm.  On Skype we are Pat-Dawn.

Another family united!

Another great day on May 18.  Sister BJ (Bobbie Jean) was baptized.

She has been attending church for 13 years with her husband, but was not a member.  She professes to be shy, and was concerned that if she was an official ward member, that she'd be called on to say prayers, or teach, or some other scary thing.  However, in the last couple of weeks she has really blossomed with confidence after accepting the elder's invitation to be baptized.

Pictured are:  Elder Johnson, Sister Johnson, Patriarch (emeritus) Joe Johnson, BJ, her husband Wayne, and elders Urry and Hatch.

Wayne has been a member for many years, but he had been hospitalized just over a month ago, and needed a little assistance in the font, so he asked their good friend Papa Joe to assist. 

It was a lovely evening, and two 8-year old girls from the Columbus ward were baptized also. 

We really love these fine folks, and have been able to teach them with the elders over the last month.

A Tornado bunker!

Everybody should have one of these in the South.  Tornados can appear with very little advance warning, and everything above ground is in danger.

This one belongs to our friends Floyd and Elaine.  Floyd built this into the floor of his carport.  Note the heavy steel door and the latches.  The shelter itself is 12ga steel plate, and is completely below ground.  It's not very big, but adequate for shelter.  Note that it is not really stocked for long-term occupancy, as tornado watches are usually no longer than a couple hours at most, and some are even shorter.  They have water, snacks, a TV and weather radio down here.  With the door closed, you're absolutely safe here.

A few years ago a tornado or other high wind took out some big trees right in his front yard, but the home was not damaged.  After a close call like that, he decided to get prepared for the next one.  Floyd is my kind of guy.

Our friends Larry and Petra

A very delightful evening in rural Mississippi with our friends Larry and Petra. 

They built a fire from the wood of one of their trees that I cut down, and we had a very mememorable Temple preparation lesson around the fire!  They have 20 acres about 8 miles from town.

They have become some of our very good friends here in the West Point branch.  They are in charge of chapel cleaning once each month, and are very diligent in that calling. 

Larry is a former Marine, and a Vietnam Vet.  Petra is from Nuremburg, Germany.

The Black Lagoon

Driving out of West Point last week, we saw a sign that said "boat ramp", so we decided to follow it.  About 4 miles out of town, down a gravel road, is Tibbee Lake. 

This is definitely not a place you'd want to swim in.  There is a film or scum on the water, it's quite stagnant, and there are several smells, mostly unpleasant, on the air.  There are supposed to be bream,crappie, catfish, and bass in here, and also alligators and alligator gar. 

You could make a really creepy movie out here.

Tick in a tender place

I was just walking through the brush for a very few minutes, and when I got home, this little critter had embedded himself in me. 

Luckily, I spotted him quickly, and Sister Johnson used hot tweezers to convince him to let go.  He still left a mark, but no infection.  Since all of my body is tender, I won't tell you where he was.

It's now warm in the South, and all the critters are out.  Bullfrogs are in mating season in the pond just outside our apartment, and you can hear birds and other things in the woods close.

Most of the critters are harmless, but I've seen cockroaches as big as my thumb.  And baby water moccasins under a log.  After a walk through the brush or woods, it's usually just a nervous response, but it sure does seem like there are crawlies all over you for several hours. 

Sister Johnson and Sister Saunders

The delightful lady pictured with Sister Johnson is Sister Geneene Saunders of the Starkville branch.  She has graciously opened her home to us weekly, so we can hold Temple preparation classes in Starkville, without having to drive the 28 miles to the West Point chapel. 

She makes treats for us an the class (1 couple) every week, even though we told her that she doesn't have to.  The husband of our teachee makes such a fuss over the treats, that I'm sure she will continue to delight us with something new each week.

The members here are very faithful and diligent.  They are in a very small minority here, but are very strong and determined.  As an example, in Starkville, a town about the size of Layton, UT, there are 131 churches of all denominations.  Our chapel is in West Point, so all the members in Starkville have a long drive every week.

We also got invited to teach a Temple class to the Starkville relief society.  There was about 12 sisters there, I was the only man.  Have hardly been around so much estrogen in my life.  Nearly the same experience as walking by the makeup counter in Nordstroms - I can feel the testosterone draining out of me as soon as I get in visual distance.  I had to hit the snack tray extra hard just to regain my strength.  Anyway, it was a great experience to meet with these sweet ladies, and talk about preparing children and youth for the blessings of the Temple.  They are young and old, and are good faithful members in this branch.  Sister Johnson is such a gem, she is loved by everyone who meets her.

Sister Saunders reminds us of Janet Cox, one of our dear friends at home.

A family united!

On May 8, a wonderful family was united in the Church, when the father Richard was baptized. 

Richard has been attending faithfully for a couple of years, and has been taking the missionary lessons recently.  We would usually teach him at the chapel during Sunday School, and the West Point elders also taught him at home.

No one was more startled than his wife Amber and I when elder Savoie invited Richard to be baptized, and he accepted.

I was invited to confirm him a member of the Church, and the next week, I was privileged to ordain him to be a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood.

This is a delightful family.  The daughters Jessie and Angelika are the only 2 primary children in the branch.

Elder Johnson 40 years ago

Deja 'vu all over again? 

At the Zone Conference in Tupelo, I saw myself on my first mission, 40 years ago.  At first I thought I was in a time warp, or Groundhog Day, but it was really just Elder Campbell.  He's a spittin' image of me in Canada 1970 - 1972. 

I told him that I was what he had to look forward to, and he's all happy that he'll be so handsome, and still have his hair.  Told him to watch his waistline though.