Fun! Fun! Fun!

The weeks are going by so fast!  We are trying to savor each moment.  We love having the young women come to our course, they bring such a beautiful spirit!  The last couple of weeks, Steve has asked them if they would sing Primary songs as they are waiting to go up the zip line.  That really brings the spirit to the course!  A few of the girls have testified how the singing calmed them down and made it easier to accomplish the challenge.

Elder Duerden having a little fun!  When a family came on the weekend, a young lady had a mustache and gave it to Steve.

These are some of the young women we had earlier on Challenge Course 1.  We had a parade on the 23rd of July and threw candy and squirted the girls with water guns.  They loved it!  In camp Hinckley they were very prepared.  They had buckets, water pitchers, and cups.  They soaked most of the missionaries!

This is the ATV of the Bridges.  Remembering the handcarts and covered wagons of the pioneers!

Hailey

Time is flying by this summer and on our mission.  We have had 7 weeks of girls camp with only 4 more to go.  We enjoy the Young Women coming each week.  They bring a beautiful spirit to the mountain and we learn from them every day.

We have had many afraid, and many that are just adventurous.  A week ago we had a beautiful little 12 year old name Hailey.  Hailey has had many challenges in her life and has the mentality of a 3 year old.  She only speaks single words, not sentences.  She wanted to do the zip line, but her mother didn't think she could climb the pole.  But miracles happen here on the mountain and there are angels all around us.  Sister Duerden was in the nest and Elder Duerden was belaying Hailey.  Somehow he was able to talk Hailey all the way up the pole and on to the wire.  Just then, there was lightning and they called us off course.  We needed to get Hailey off the wire.  I did everything I could to talk Hailey over to me, but without success.  So, I had to do a rescue.  When that happens, you don't really think about it, it's pretty much automatic and you know there is a lot of help from above.  When I reached Hailey, I went to take the belay rope to pull her over, and she said "I want you to hold me."  So I did, and away we went.  Hailey was able to go down the zip line quickly, and I belayed off the wire quickly.

Her mother was in tears.  She was so excited with the success Hailey had that day.  Each day is a blessing with Hailey as she has seizures and they never know how long she will be here on earth.  She bore her testimony that evening and all the words she spoke were from the Young Women's theme.  Heavenly Father loves every one of His children.

We thank our Heavenly Father each day for the wonderful experiences we are having on our mission.  Neither one of us had any idea what a blessing this mission would be for us!

Beauty on the mountain

Hailey

Helping Hailey across the cable

All Hailey wanted to do was zip!  Hooking her up to the zip line

A Grandchild's View of Heber Valley Camp

A teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their vacation.  One child wrote the following:

We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa.  They used to live here in a big, brick house, but Grandpa got retarded, so they moved to Heber Valley Camp.  Now they live in a place with a lot of other retarded people.  They live in a tin box with wheels and there are flowers out front.  They ride around on ATV's and wear name tags because they don't know who they are anymore.  They don't get to wear their regular clothes.  They wear green clothes that tell people where to return them if they wander away and get lost.

At their gate there is a dollhouse with a little old man and woman sitting in it.  They watch all day and all night so nobody can escape.  But sometimes Grandma and grandpa sneak out and go cruising on their 4-wheeler.

My Grandma used to bake cookies and stuff, but I guess she forgot how.  Some of the people who get out bring food back, invite everyone, and call it pot luck.

My Grandma says Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and says I should work hard so I can be retarded one day too.

When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the dollhouse.  Then I will let people out so they can visit their grandchildren.

Attending Church Outside

Every Sunday we drive down to Heber City to attend church.  Two weeks ago we began to attend here in camp in the Hinckley pavilion.  The spirit is so strong here on the mountain, and it is very strong during church in the outdoors.  Of course we see the birds outside and the potguts running around, there is nothing like it.  What a wonderful experience we have every day of the week.  Last week was really quite cold, so we all took our blankets.  Sister Crabb brings her electric blanket and plugs it into the power!

July 4th Parade

The missionaries got to decorate their ATV's and have a parade through all the camps.  I guess this is a new tradition, and it pretty much turned into a huge water fight!  I think it has grown each year as has the size of the water guns.  We were also soaked by the water truck and one camp turned on their fire hydrant as we drove by.  

Our ATV 

The Young Women Presidency got right in the middle of the water fight
Sister Hyde and Sister Greenalgh

Sister Weston as Rosie the Riveter

Elder Duerden in the middle of the water fight

On the Job

Here is a picture of me right before I climb up to the nest.  Here are a few photos taken from the nest while waiting for the next group of girls.  It's a great view of the area around.  I often see wildlife run across the zip line.

All the gear on my harness, 2 sets of rabbit ears with all the carabiners, 2 extenders, and my water bottle.  The helmet also has to go on my head.

The view down the zip line

Here is the pole we climb up.  It is free swinging as it doesn't reach the ground.

This is the area where the girls sit when they are waiting for their turn on the high course ( zip line)