As I wrote in my last blog our gang of four had traveled ¾ way across the country to find ourselves in the middle of one of God’s most beautiful places, the high plains of eastern Wyoming. So far, the trip had been a blessing and maybe some what of a surprise. I had not known what to expect of two teenagers traveling with two old timers for three days, they had been good as gold. But soon their fortitude was going to be put to the test, it was time to get dirty and dig for dino ‘bones’.
So, after an amazing Sabbath where the true purpose of this scientific outpost was shown. Nearly 50 people from all over the world gathered together, some for the full month and others like us there for just a short time. But all of us were there to worship the Creator. Without much proof, most of the world now believes the evolutionary theories expounded in most universities. But this is a group of Creationist/Scientists and volunteers who believe the Word of God is true and the science of these bones we were about to exhume prove it to be so. Last Sabbath we were blessed as the project leader spoke combining Biblical truth with hard fact science our hearts were stirred.
Sunday it was time for most of the first-time visitors, including our two young ones to explore the region. Within less than a two-hour ride is both Mount Rushmore and the mountain carving that is still in progress, Chief Crazy Horse. While the kids and most of the camp were doing the tourist thing. Work needed to be done to prepare for the first official day of digging. Kits for each participant filled with small tools needed to be put together along with large tools such as wheelbarrows and shovels needed to be distributed to the different dig sites, called quarries. At the same time the scientists had to prepared gps equipment and ready the vast technical and supervisory system that it would take to keep our team working as a unit in several locations. I found it fascinating and a blessing to see how this sleeping, remote research lab came alive through good natured teamwork, by evening the sites were prepared and the quarry teams assigned. Monday we would go to work.
For sure, Monday morning the test for the young ones would begin. In a camp where a large group of people are mostly living in tents and sharing meager facilities, one shower and two toilets for each of the sexes. Where each quarry team was assigned not only 8 hours of work digging, cleaning and recording our finds, but also sharing on a rotating basis the chores to keep the camp and facilities clean and the people fed, it would be a challenge for most adults but for our young ones I was not sure how they would react. Time would tell.
The camp comes alive every working day at 6:00 am when the group assigned the cook duties for that day begin to prepare breakfast. That was our team’s task Monday. Food was ready by 7:00 and by 7:30 the other teams were doing dishes and cleaning the facility. Then came the most beautiful part of the day. At 7:45 it is time for group worship.
Monday because of all the new routines it was late, but it was still a most inspiring time. Praise songs sung; a short devotion given by the day’s worship team. Like all things done on this site: ‘to God be the glory’. In the pristine setting as the rising sun was warming our bones the worship time together was warming our souls.
RuthAnn, the kids and I were assigned to North Quarry. A place where many bones have been found over the years. It is about a mile from camp and I love the walk out to the site, so Leyton, our young grandson and I headed out before the vans were filled with those who chose to ride. He was anxious to get going and so was I.
Once on site, the process of learning digging procedures was first order. I was happily surprised that our granddaughter, Anniston, took to it immediately. Slowly scraping away layers of soil and clay listening for the sound of when the tool meets bone. Leyton was not as patient or persistent. But both found bones within a short period of time. They learned to clean, care and leave the specimen in position until it was GPS surveyed. Then record it and store it properly. It is hard work but with the first day under everyone’s belt, I could see we were going to have a good week.
I think the hardest part of our adventure for the young ones was the idea of sharing and keeping in mind others needs. Camp life exemplifies Jesus most ardent admonition, “For the first will be last and the last first…” Water is precious and with small water heaters and only one shower, brevity is the order of the day. Leyton tried his best at this but it was a hard thing to grasp.
Camp life was good for the kids because they had others their age and were able to explore and have adventures. RuthAnn and I were happy that they could associate with people their age that were solid, young Christians. Except for going on a few of these adventures without permission both kids seemed to enjoy the experience.
As the day’s past, it was evident that Anniston was a doer and volunteered for tasks, persisting in assignments. Leyton, well he seemed to lose interest as the days went by. He found some nice specimens but by Wednesday, the dig no longer held his interest. So it was that Thursday I was in his area cleaning up the mounds he had left behind and because of that discovered a 120-centimeter femur! RuthAnn, Anniston and I went to work to uncover it. Tradition is that the person who discovers the bone gets credit for it in the records. But when you look this up in the future you will see Anniston’s name. A reward for her persistence and hard work.
We got the femur excavated pretty well by the time we left on Friday. We could tell the kids were ready to head home. As for RuthAnn and myself, it was a sad day. Leaving that beautiful environment and that group of Godly folks was hard. I had learned a lot again about the science. I had also learned a lot about the young ones who had tagged along. God had been good to us.
We broke camp and we on were our way by Friday afternoon. There were more adventures ahead but nothing would compare with the eight days we spent with like fellows, in a common purpose, to proclaim our Creator God:
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12: 7-12)
I pray our grandkids will remember this time and know: ‘to God be the Glory.’
Blessings John
6/11/19
