Gearing up for Cove Fort Days (Mike)

The last few days we have been gearing up and putting the finishing touches on Cove Fort Days, coming up this Friday and Saturday. We expect between four and five thousand visitors those two days. Everyone I’ve talked to is planning on coming. We have a stage show going on, both days with great entertainers from all around the state starting at ten and ending at five. These entertainers and bands that I have been setting up are all donating their time, and are all excited to be part of the festivities. We will have wagon rides, stage coach rides, a pioneer village, and booths set up all around the complex demonstrating all kinds of pioneer skills and crafts. I have been on the radio doing live broadcasts with three other missionaries telling everyone about Cove Fort Days and about our missionary work at Cove Fort in general.
Yesterday, Lynda and I traveled to St. George to pick up some of the food at Costco. On the return trip, toward evening, we drove into a thunder shower, complete with nickel-sized hail stones. I had to pull over along with everyone else on I-15 and try to get under an overpass. Luckily, it didn’t do any damage to the car, but it was sure loud on the roof. It left about two inches of large hailstones on the road and my guess is that anyone in Beaver who had a garden, or grain crop, doesn’t have one now.
 Lynda has been busy getting all the food ready and gathered up, to feed the entertainers, presenters, and their families. Businesses have been very helpful and have donated almost everything we need for food and supplies.
Today, I had an interesting tour. A man from Florida, riding a Harley came to the fort. He was retired and on his way to Salt Lake to visit his daughter who works for one of the airlines. He said he went past the Cove Fort sign and something told him to turn around and go to the fort. So I met him in the parking lot and took him on a tour. Following the tour, which he really enjoyed, he mentioned that something had told him to come to the fort; he didn’t know why. As we stood in front of the Book of Mormon display I said, “This is why you came to the fort.” He filled out a referral card for a Book of Mormon, a video, and the missionaries to come and talk to him. I had a chance to explain the restoration and the Book of Mormon before he left. If that big tough biker would have felt comfortable hugging another guy, I think he would have had me in a bear hug. He rode away a happy man.