7 June 2019

Trip to Mission

     We left Friday, June 17, 2019 at about 4:00 p.m. to head to our mission.  We decided we would stay in Casper, WY the first night.  When we entered Wyoming, we lost cell service and didn't get it back until we were almost to Casper.  I had Booking.com on my phone and as soon as we got cell service we tried to get a reservation.  None to be had.  There was a bunch of graduations and the state track meet for Wyoming that weekend.  We looked high and low and finally found a smoking room at Motel 6.  It was about the worst room we ever had and it stunk, but we were so tired we finally got to sleep.  We paid a lot of money for the room also which made it even worse.  The next day we drove to Eagle Butte.  We thought that it would be a lot like Wyoming, dry and desolate.  It is fairly desolate but it is very green and lots of farms and ranches.  A nice surprise.  Driving into Eagle Butte is a little like driving into Center or Antonito.  There is a lot of trailers and most of the houses are a little trashy. Nothing new for us. 


First Day in Eagle Butte, SD

We got here just after lunch and unpacked a little.  Then we went to the Lakota Thrifty Market to get a few groceries before Sunday.  When we started into the store, Gary saw a man running crouched down through the cars.  Then he came up and asked us for money for gas and then money for a sandwich.  We were told that this would happen and that we weren't supposed to give them any money because they use the money or sell the sandwich for drugs or alcohol.  We have never been back to the market when we haven't been hit up for money. 

That night there was a pow wow.  These are huge.  It is like the rodeo circuit and the people go and dance all summer and they get paid just like the rodeo.  They have different circles of men who beat on a big drum and chant in high voices.  The costumes or regalias  are beautiful and cost a lot of money.  The moccasins have beautiful bead work that takes many hours to complete.  My favorite dances area the jingle dances (dresses have rolled up Skoal can lids that jingle when they dance) and the grass dancers.  They are the boys with a ton of feathers.  It is quite the thing and we loved it.  We were talking to a man before the pow wow  and then we had to leave and go to Stake Conference in our building.  Because of the distance it is broadcast to the outlying areas.  Our Stake Center is in Bismarck which is three and a half hours away.  After the broadcast we went back to the pow wow.  The guy we talked to must have told the announcer because they announced that the new elders from Colorado were there tonight.  Very interesting.