We wanted our teenage grandchildren to feel the Spirit of the Lord in this land of the Restoration. We wanted them to see the Lord in the natural beauties of this region. We wanted them to strengthen their relationship with their Father in Heaven and their Savior, especially in the Sacred Grove. We wanted them to feel our love for them and to strengthen their relationships with each other. We wanted to do this in the Lord's way. We feel that these goals were accomplished through the blessings of the Lord!
After more than a year of planning, we finally held our 2024 Teenage Grandchildren retreat in Palmyra, New York last week. This has been on our mind ever since arriving on our mission. The idea was part of promptings that we had received even before submitting mission papers. We did all within our capacities to plan what we would like to accomplish. The last item on our list was to "Trust in the Lord". The retreat turned out much better than we could have hoped. We saw the Hand of the Lord throughout the 5 days (Friday through Tuesday), with several unexpected results. We are grateful to our Temple Presidency who allowed us a couple days off of our temple service to hold this retreat!
 |
| All 14 of us at the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center in our Palmyra 2024 Retreat shirts with the statue of our Savior behind us |
Seeing the Hand of the Lord in our lives:
One of the things we had not been able to define was how to finish each night in a devotional or family prayer setting. We wanted a spiritual finish to the day but were unsure how to do it. After everyone arrived on Friday, July 12, Debbie remembered a practice that our daughter Beckie has with her kids, to have each tell their high and low and a few other questions, including how they saw the hand of the Lord that day. As Debbie mentioned this, an idea was born and we began that very night.
At the end of each night we went around the circle of grandchildren and adults and shared our high and low of the day and where each felt the hand of the Lord in their life that day. All participated without reservation or exception and we learned a lot about our retreat and about our grandchildren. The following is a summary of many of the responses that we received about the Hand of the Lord.
- Seeing the hand of the Lord in the beauties of the earth, specifically while going to Watkins Glen and to the Wind Caves at Niagara Falls. Several of our grandchildren felt that this was one of their witnesses of the Almighty God.
- Receiving personal strength in activities that were difficult for some of the grandchildren. This included physical strength when they were weak or sick. Others included emotional strength to overcome fears and anxieties. This included going to our little Penn Yan branch and meeting new people, which is not easy for many. We found many miracles in the members and teachers of our youth in our branch meetings. They felt the Lord’s hand there.
- Understanding the Lord’s hand in the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon. Several noted how they had no idea how long and difficult of a process it was bring for the the Book of Mormon. This included receiving the golden plates, translating them in multiple locations with persecution all around and then in their publication. This was emphasized strongly in our several visits to the Peter Whitmer Farm, Grandin Press and Harmony, Pennsylvania through the video, “Days of Harmony”. This feeling increased further as we went to the Hill Cumorah and watched the video about Moroni and his completion of the plates and burying them in Hill Cumorah more than a thousand years before Joseph Smith received them. Our Grandchildren seemed to have a greater understanding and appreciation of the Book of Mormon.
- Many expressed love for their grandparents and for Uncle Dan and Aunt Amy . All of the adults expressed love for each of the grandchildren. Love abounded with minimal if any contention during the five days together.
- Almost all identified the Sacred Grove as a place where they felt the Spirit of the Lord greatly and they felt His hand. One stated that as he prayed, answers came faster than he could ask questions. Others felt clear answers to issues that they had been pondering. Another decided that it was time to get a patriarchal blessing. All commented on the incredible peace that they felt there. We were blessed for all to return for a second visit in the last day or our retreat.
- Clearly the hand of the Lord was in the weather that we experienced. We had a few rain showers, one was extreme. However, none impeded any of our planned outdoor activities, in fact the weather was beautiful for each outdoor activity. This was what Opa and Oma had fasted for the week previous. Perhaps the Lord didn’t change the weather, but he helped us to accomplish what was desired in the time frame when the weather was good. We had a few tornadoes pass through two days prior to our retreat. We had another tornado warning and large storm the night before leaving, but this was while we were playing games in the house. It also allowed McKenzie to enjoy the thunder showers from the front porch.
Opening meeting with everyone:
For months before this retreat I had wanted to have one question that they could ponder during the retreat. No answer came. Two weeks earlier we were with Elder Jorge Alvarado and I asked him what we could ask. He said simply, "Bear your testimony". The week before everyone arrived, one of the questions in Come Follow Me was to "try writing down something you might say about Jesus Christ" to others. Debbie and I both felt inspired in the words that we wrote down and decided to share them with our grandchildren. Thus was born a program for our initial handout to each of our grandchildren. We wanted to put a photo of the Savior on the front and I was still looking for "that question" for them to ask. We felt inspiration that day with the following end result that we shared with all at the beginning of our retreat:
 |
Opa and Oma's testimony about God and Jesus Christ (inside of handout)
|
 |
| Cover of handout (front and back) including a photo of the stain glass window in the Palmyra Temple, the scripture that inspired Joseph Smith and an individualized invitation for them to find their own question to ask. |
We felt that this was a much better solution than either of us could have come up with on our own. And it tied to the tee shirts for our retreat! They had been developed by one of our grandchildren, Mckenzie, with our daughter-in-law, Amy:
 |
| Front and back of Retreat tee shirt |
We met at 2:00 pm on Friday, after the grandchildren from Pennsylvania had arrived by car and the others from Utah had arrived in a "red eye" flight and had a few hours to partially recover. We met in the old Methodist Church house next to our apartment, which is also owned by our landlord. It provided a formal and fun place to meet for both the opening and ending meetings of our retreat.
 |
| Walking from our house to the old Methodist Church |
We had outlined the times and dates for visits to the different Church Sites over the next three days. Thanks to counsel from site missionaries a month or two ago, we scheduled group visits to each site to avoid conflicts with other tour groups. Our first visit was to the Grandin Press at 3:30 pm on Friday.
Participants in the Teenage Grandchildren retreat:
We invited all of our teenage (ages 13 to 18) grandchildren to participate. Ten agreed to spend these 5 days with us, 6 did not. With these 10 we initially invited our daughter Beckie to be a chaperone for those coming on the airplane and in the home that we had rented. With a few changes along the way, we ended up having Dan and Amy come instead, the parents of Ashton, one of our 13 year olds. In the end this was one of our special blessings. Not only did they do a wonderful job of chaperoning, but their ideas and contributions were incredible. The house that we rented slept 12 and we used every bed. We had 8 boys upstairs in two rooms with Dan and Amy in a separate room and the two girls on the main level in their own bedroom.
Visits to Church Historic Sites:
We had formal and informal visits. Where there were tours involved, we had a schedule to meet. Others we could visit on our own.
We started on our own to the gravesite of Alvin Smith, Joseph's older brother. It is located exactly north of our apartment. The original house of Alvin's doctor is exactly east of the Methodist Church. Alvin's doctor was not available when he got sick. His death was partially caused by an improper medication given by a substitute doctor at that time. His grave is exactly behind where the original Presbyterian Church would have been in the year 1823.
 |
| Visiting Alvin's grave with original headstone encased in a newer headstone |
From Alvin's grave we walked two blocks to the Grandin Press. Along the way we saw the park where Willard Bean had preached the gospel when the Church returned to Palmyra in the early 1900s. Then we visited the Grandin Press, where the Book of Mormon was printed and published in 1829 -1830.
 |
| Receiving the tour. At this moment in the actual room where the Book of Mormon was first sold. |
 |
| James loved the display of the many languages in which the Book of Mormon has now been published! |
 |
| Our whole crew in front of the original painting of Christ among the Nephites |
Friday night, we watched "Days of Harmony", the video that is shown at the priesthood restoration site that we were not able to visit during this retreat. It told much of the involvement of Oliver Cowdrey as he became the scribe for the Book of Mormon and 70% of the Book of Mormon was translated. It also told us about the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood that occurred near Harmony, Pennsylvania. We started this film with all awake, but many fell asleep before the end because of their jet lag and limited sleep the night before.
The next day (Saturday) we began our day at the Peter Whitmer Farm where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first organized on April 6, 1830. This is also the location where the last 30% of the Book of Mormon was translated and the site where the Three Witnesses saw Angel Moroni and the Golden Plates. The film that is shown in the visitors center is especially poignant to understand the events that took place on this farm.
 |
Receiving part of the tour outside of the Peter Whitmer Home, same two sister missionaries that
had presented to us in the Grandin Press the day before. |
 |
| All of us outside of the Peter Whitmer Home |
 |
| Inside the Peter Whitmer Home, the same spot where President Spencer W. Kimball spoke on April 6 1980 in General Conference for the 150th anniversary of the organization of the Church |
 |
| In the upstairs of the Peter Whitmer home. The translation of the Book of Mormon would have been completed in one of these rooms. |
 |
| Eating lunch at the Pavilion at the Peter Whitmer Farm |
 |
Tom in a wooded area near the Whitmer Farm, perhaps a location of the manifestation to the Three Witnesses
|
On Sunday, July 14, we toured the Smith Homes and Farm and the Sacred Grove. Once again, we had the same two Sister Missionaries, Sister Stephen from Alberta, Canada and Sister Covey from Draper, Utah. We loved this tender mercy to get to know these sisters a little better. They were great tour guides! Sister Covey is the granddaughter of Stephen Covey, professor and author from BYU. He taught me in a year long course about Executive Excellence in 1984, 40 years ago. I let her know how much her grandfather had shaped my professional career with his teachings to me.
This tour includes visiting the replicated log cabin on the same foundation as the original log cabin where the Smith Family lived in 1820. This is where Joseph Smith received his first vision. It is also the location where Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith in 1823. The tour then moves to the newer Smith home, which was mostly built by Alvin before he died. This is where the Smith family was living in 1827 when Joseph retrieved the plates. This is the original home from that time, with minor structural improvements. In each of these locations glorious and important event occurred.
 |
| In the original log cabin |
 |
In the upstairs of the Smith Cabin, the same airspace where the Angel Moroni first appeared
|
 |
| Walking between the two homes on the Smith Farm. The Palmyra Temple in the background is also built on the original 100 acre Smith Farm |
 |
| Listening to Sister Stephen and Sister Covey once again in the new Smith Home where the Golden Plates were hidden from others |
 |
| Henry lifting the wrapped Golden Plates (about 35 pounds) |
After completing the Tour we went into the Sacred Grove (see full description below). After the Sacred Grove we continued to the Hill Cumorah. There we visited the Visitors Center, changed into our Retreat Shirts and climbed the Hill Cumorah. The video in the visitors center depicted the prophet Moroni, traveling with the plates for many years, finally to deposit them in this very hill. It then showed Joseph Smith finding them as directed in this same hill. It added an additional emphasis to all that was required to bring the Book of Mormon to pass for the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 |
| Several of our grandsons enjoying the Book of Mormons Display in the Visitors Center |
 |
| Twelve of us at the top of the Hill Cumorah, missing James and Debbie in photo |
 |
| Eleven of our group at the top of the Hill Cumorah |
We finished our Sunday by eating dinner at the Martin Harris Farm. At this point we had a little rain storm while we were eating, but after our visit to the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah. We enjoyed a nice barbecue there and were able to enjoy some games after dinner.
 |
| The Pavilion at the Martin Harris Farm where we had a barbecue dinner |
 |
| Six of our grandsons eating, we had plenty of food |
 |
| The girls eating with Dan and Amy while . . . |
 |
| . . . the boys play badminton at the Martin Harris Farm |
 |
| Ashton and Jacob playing a ring toss game |
Sacred Grove:
Although we loved all of the retreat, we planned more intensively for the visit to the Sacred Grove to be meaningful for each of our grandkids. In our visits to the Sacred Grove in late May and June we experienced quite a few mosquitoes which made it difficult to sit and meditate. We tried again with mosquito repellant and found it solved the problem. We came prepared with mosquito repellant. We also had a pavilion reserved where we could meet and reconvene before sharing some of our experiences. This planning, along with good weather, gave us the opportunity for each to have a personal experience in the Sacred Grove. We allowed more than 30 minutes for each to follow a trail, find a place to be alone and ponder and pray. We had prayed with all of our hearts that this would work out and our prayers were answered, including good weather.
As I walked through the grove, during this thirty minutes, I was able to find each of them in their private locations. As I saw some praying out loud, others writing in their journals and most just meditating, my heart was full. This is what I had planned and prayed for for months. I was personally overcome with gratitude and offered more than one prayer of gratitude and pleading for the Lord to make his spirit manifest to each of them. Their experiences varied, but almost all identified this as the moment that day that they saw the hand of the Lord in their lives. Our prayers were answered!
I include photos of each of our grandchildren in the Sacred Grove. Each one gives me joy!
 |
| The pavilion where we met after our time at the Sacred Grove |
Watkins Glen:
After lunch on Saturday we went to Watkins Glen, a beautiful gorge with many waterfalls and other beauties of nature. Debbie and I had come here a few months ago and walked the entire gorge from top to bottom. We decided to start at the bottom, allow them to go up as far as they would like (no more than the 1 mile marker) and then return down. Debbie had quite a bit of apprehension about making this hike again. As I prayed that morning, I received the impression to stay with Debbie and let the others enjoy the hike on their own. This worked out wonderfully. Walking up from the bottom still had quite a few steep steps to go up, so Debbie and I did not go all the way up to the mile marker. We were able to enjoy the part that was more accessible and still meet everyone on the way down. Debbie's still climbed a lot of stairs but was able to do what she could, but no more. Several of the grandchildren identified this hike as being a place that they definitely saw the hand of the Lord. His creations are magnificent!
Niagara Falls:
Monday morning we left early (7:00 am) to visit Niagara Falls. This is almost two hours from our home. We wanted to get there soon after they opened at 9:00 am to make sure we were able to get tickets to enter the Wind Caves. We had gone by here a few months ago and found that there was no way to make reservations. It is available on a first come basis. Our plans worked out well, as we were able to enter the Wind Caves immediately. This includes an elevator down to the bottom of the Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls. From there we walked along a structure that they have to rebuild each year and we were able to be right where the falls were coming down. There were stairs to go up which caused Debbie concerns, but she was willing to give it a try and had no misgivings. In some cases the water was covering our feet. Debbie and I had never done this before so we didn't know what to expect. This was an amazing experience, way beyond our expectations.
In the past we have seen the Falls from a distance, this time it was up close and very personal. We all got wet but were able to see the Hand of the Lord very close up. Between the three Niagara Falls, there is 60,000 gallons of water falling down each second. These numbers are mind boggling, but experiencing the falls this way gives me no doubt of their veracity.
 |
| 14 tickets to enter the Wind Caves at 9:28 am |
|
| All dressed and ready to go. Some chose to use the foot covers that a fellow missionary had given us. Others liked getting their feet and legs wet. |
|
| A view from above of the structures below where we were |
 |
| Getting ready to climb the stairs and get wet |
 |
| A family photo of Dan, Amy, and Ashton |
 |
So far it looks beautiful but harmless
|
 |
| Oma and a few grandsons |
 |
| It is getting wetter. Good thing we have the foot covers |
 |
| Who is watching the grandkids? |
 |
| Time to put the hood over the head |
 |
| And a few more |
After coming out of the Wind Caves, we enjoyed seeing the same falls from above. Then we walked over to the Horseshoe Falls, the largest of all. As you can see from the photos, the clouds were starting to increase and rain was on its way. We decided that we had seen enough and headed to lunch. As we left the raindrops started falling on our windshield. We were blessed to get an early start on our visit.
 |
| Looking at the same falls from the top |
 |
| Looking at the Horseshoe Falls up close and personal |
 |
| All the men in front of the Horseshoe Falls |
 |
| Another Family Photo in front of the Horseshoe Falls |
 |
| Very personal in front of the Horseshoe Falls |
 |
| Opa with the Horseshoe Falls behind |
 |
A photo of all of us overlooking the Horseshoe Falls with Canada in the background, all accounted for.
|
 |
| Edward in the lap of a statue in Niagara Falls Park |
Penn Yan Branch:
We have loved serving in the Penn Yan Branch and wanted to share this with our grandchildren. Part of the challenge is that they have no active young women and only two active young men. However, we warned them that we were coming with our grandchildren and we did. In the first hour, we supplied priesthood help to bless and pass the sacrament. We are proud of each of our grandchildren who participated in their second hour meetings without complaint. That day we had two young women visiting from the Palmyra Ward so the young women had a class of four that was delightful for them. The brother who taught the Young Men reported that those young men really love their grandparents. Our son, Dan, was very impressed with our Elders Quorum as am I. He called it an authentic quorum. Many who shared their thoughts in Elders Quorum have had tough backgrounds but they are totally loving and accepting of others and they are faithful. We had no complaints from any of the grandchildren about attending church in a new branch. We count it as one of the activities of our retreat that exceeded our expectations.
 |
| Photo of our group outside of the Penn Yan Branch meetinghouse with our friend, William |
Visit to the Palmyra Temple:
We finished our retreat with a visit to the Palmyra New York Temple on Tuesday. We had the hour from 11:00 am until noon reserved for our family. Check out of the home was done timely in the morning, so everyone had an opportunity to make one more visit to the Sacred Grove that morning before coming to the temple. We were able to perform over 70 baptisms for our ancestors with four different baptizers and 3 different confirmers. Our grandchildren came prepared and happy to perform this great work. Debbie and I had the great privilege to share some of the special characteristics of the Palmyra Temple with each of them. It is the focus of our mission and a great joy to have our family with us at "our Temple".
 |
| In front of the Palmyra Temple with the family names of those ancestors who received the ordinances of baptism and confirmation |
 |
| Over 70 family names of those who received their ordinances |
 |
| Walking around the temple after looking at the Sacred Grove from outside of the temple |
 |
| Our family in front of the entrance to the Palmyra Temple |
 |
| With Jon at the temple. He spent time in the Sacred Grove while we were in the temple. |
Our home in Marion:
We rented a home in Marion, about 10 miles north of Palmyra. This turned out much better than expected. As mentioned earlier, the sleeping accommodations worked well. This was also our place for our night activities. There were some spiritual discussions, movies to watch, games to play, Highs and Lows, and a back yard that was just fun. The living room was a little tight, but we made it work. We had checked this house out in person on June 1 so we knew its benefits and limitations.
 |
| The four youngest boys enjoying the backyard on the first day of the retreat |
 |
| Another shot later in the retreat |
 |
| Amy leading a spiritual discussion about trials and looking to the Savior on Saturday evening |
 |
| Followed by watching the movie, "The Fighting Preacher", on Saturday night. This is the story about the first members of the Church, Willard and Rebecca Bean, who served a 25 year mission to help reestablish our Church in the Palmyra area and purchase additional sites such as the Hill Cumorah. This helped all of our grandchildren to understand the history of the Church in Palmyra and appreciate some of the additional sites that we had seen. |
 | | We tried to do a Strength of Youth activity on Sunday evening, but it turned into an excellent discussion about setting goals and especially about Patriarchal Blessings |
 |
| Doing our Highs, Lows, and the Hand of the Lord on Sunday night |
 |
| Some nights, we just wore them out |
 |
| Every time that they had a moment to spare, these four were always playing games together. I believe that this was a card game in their bedroom. |
 |
| These were some Sunday night games |
 |
| On Monday, Jacob and Ashton bought a Monopoly Game. They wanted the Niagara Falls version, but settled for a standard version. Monday night, it was the first game played. |
 |
| It was followed by a few Connect Four tournaments. |
 |
| Connect Four is a family favorite, especially with the DeVores |
 |
| James was clearly the master of Connect Four, but he did get beat by some of his younger cousins |
Meals and Food:
Feeding 14 of us was a challenge. On Friday, McKenzie organized small groups to purchase and prepare appetizers, entree, a side, and a dessert. Each was allowed $10 to spend. Off we went to our local Walmart to purchase these ingredients. While there, we gave each grandchild a $20 bill to buy their own personal snacks for the retreat. We also bought additional groceries for breakfasts, lunches and Saturday's dinner. For some of the grandkids, receiving money for their own treats was their high for the day.
Personally, I was on the group with Joshua and Thomas to prepare the Entree for 14 people for $10. Their creativity found a solution. We bought frozen ravioli and a sauce to put over it for $10 to feed 15 servings! They then cooked it for everyone else. The appetizers got creative with cucumbers, pepperonis, and pizza bites. James had bought a $5 dumpling soup mix on his trip from Pennsylvania. They added celery and carrots and made a good soup for everyone. The dessert group included Abbie who used the ingredients bought to make cookies for everyone. This was a delightful activity and our most economical meal. We also threw in a $1 French bread for garlic bread.
 |
| The creative appetizer of cucumbers and pepperonis made by Jacob and Ashton |
 |
| McKenzie making the garlic bread while Abbie was preparing the Cookie Dough |
 |
| Seven of the boys enjoying the first two courses of dinner |
We bought a six foot hoagie sandwich from Walmart which served as our lunch in sack lunches on Saturday and Sunday while we traveled. These were eaten at the Whitmer Farm and in our apartment on Sunday. Saturday we cooked pizzas in the "home" after returning. Before returning home on Saturday, we stopped at the "Chill and Grill", Palmyra's fast food restaurant. We let each of them order ice cream. They have five sizes, Mini Kids Size (2 scoops), Kids Size (3 scoops), Small (4 scoops), Medium (6 scoops) and Large (8 scoops). There was plenty of ice cream for all. Jacob chose to order the Large. The Ice Cream was the high for the day for many. It was also the low for some that ate too much. See photos below:
 |
| Henry with his small ice cream cone |
 |
| Jacob with his large cone. I missed the photo until he had gotten a cup to help hold his ice cream. The cup is representative of how high the 8 scoops went. |
 |
| Everyone enjoying ice cream |
.jpeg) |
| Jacob and Ashton in the Chill and Grill Chair |
Sunday we had a barbecue at the pavilion at the Martin Harris farm. We are thankful for the FM missionaries who live there and provided the grill and the games.
On Monday, we left Niagara Falls in time to arrive at a Golden Corral in Rochester for their lunch buffet. We wanted somewhere that everyone could get full. This worked. Everyone seemed to enjoy unlimited food with a wide variety of selection.
 |
| At the Golden Corral party room, reserved for us |
A Grandpa Rueckert tradition is "unlimited ice cream". We did this on Monday night with other leftovers from previous meals for those who were still hungry after the buffet. With all the food left, we completed most of the leftovers in our final luncheon at our apartment on Tuesday before everyone left for home. We had a little pizza, hoagie sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs and even made up a few Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches to use up the extra hamburger buns. Finally we had a second round of unlimited ice cream. Gratefully, nobody went hungry during this retreat.
 |
| Unlimited Ice Cream before going home. We were down to only eight flavors left. |
Transportation:
Six of our grandkids flew in from Utah along with Dan and Amy, as chaperones. However, Amy had never flown on a plane before and Dan had only flown once as a youth. Their maturity made up for their inexperience. We went out on Friday morning to pick up the 12 passenger van that we had reserved. We then followed them to the "Rented Home" to get them checked in by 10:00 am. Everyone went right to sleep after flying all night on a "red eye" flight and changing planes in Detroit at 3:00 am. James DeVore drove his brothers up from Pennsylvania, a four hour drive. They arrived at the home at about noon. Once everyone had a lunch break of sandwiches, they arrived at our apartment before 2:00 pm and we formally began our retreat.
Our initial plan was for Dan to drive the van to our home each day and then for him and Amy to drive in our Prius while we took the grandchildren around. Saturday morning we met at our house and we followed the plan. After the Whitmer Farm, we decided to just let Dan and Amy drive the van all the time, since the kids liked their music more than ours.
Saturday night, I decided to take the van over to get it refueled for Sunday and Monday and stop at the store for a rotisserie chicken for Debbie, who couldn't eat our pizza. McKenzie wanted to go with me. We had a wonderful one on one conversation that was delightful about many things going on in her life. This started a new idea of taking one grandchild at a time in our car with us to have one on one discussions which we followed the rest of the retreat. Every time that we stopped for bathroom breaks, stops at a store, lunch, etc. we took a different grandchild in our car. By the end, each had their turn to have a one on one update with their Opa and Oma. This was one of our upgrades to our plans that was wonderful.
On the Saturday night refueling visit, I could not find the gas tank to refuel. McKenzie also could not see it. Finally the person at the gas station came out and looked. We spent at least 10 minutes looking for the fuel tank, including reviewing the owners annual, all without success. McKenzie even got under the van to identify where the fuel tank was.
 |
| No fuel tank door on either side or the back. |
Finally, I opened the front door a third time, looking for a fuel door release lever. I finally realized that when you open the door, it allows you to open a small cover to the fuel tank. This is part of the challenge of rental cars.
 |
| See the panel below the door handle. When the door opens, you can then open that panel that reveals the fuel tank. |
As we completed our retreat, the DeVores left driving to Pennsylvania and the rest left in the rental van for the airport. All had arrived home safely before the end of the night.
 |
| The DeVores in their car |
 |
| The two vehicles leaving our parking area on their way home |
 |
| Grandkids at the airport |
Weather:
Of all that we could prepare for, the weather was one of our biggest concerns. Upper New York has some pretty wild weather patterns that change at a moments notice. On our July 7 fast day, we dedicated our fast to this retreat, specifically asking for weather that would allow our grandchildren to have the experiences that we had planned.
On Wednesday of that week, two days before the beginning of our retreat, a tornado came through our area. In fact, we were in the temple when the tornado warnings went off. It turns out that two tornadoes touched down in our general vicinity. However, the warnings were all around the temple but missed the temple. Certainly the hand of the Lord was at work.
 |
| Weather tornado warnings on that day while we were in the temple. The blue spot is the temple. |
With that accompanying storms, we got a strong downpour of rain. Then it turned dry for the next few days, which allowed us great weather for Friday and Saturday activities. On Sunday, storms were coming again. However, we were blessed to have no rain while we were in the Sacred Grove or at the Hill Cumorah. As we began our dinner in the covered pavilion, another storm came through. A bit of wind but no major problems for us.
On Monday morning, we got an unexpected good start at Niagara Falls, allowing us to be done with our visit by a little after noon. As soon as we were leaving Niagara Falls, rain started falling on our windshield. We spent the remainder of the day relaxing and playing games in "the home". Dan and Amy wanted to go back to Sacred Grove. However, as they arrived near, another major thunderstorm hit. They returned home after confronting what they called Noah's flood. When the rain stopped they returned again later and enjoyed some much appreciated time in the Sacred Grove, but with an umbrella while lighter rain fell.
 |
| McKenzie enjoying the rainstorm from the porch of our rented home |
On Tuesday, rain was forecast for noon. We were blessed to check out early enough at the home for everyone to make another visit to the Sacred Grove before going to the temple. When we got to the temple they told us that some of their systems were not functioning. The water in the font was only 78 degrees due to some lightning strikes on the fuse box the night before. The water in the baptism font was cooler but still very comfortable While eating lunch at our home, another storm hit, but no difficulty was caused for us.
In summary, the Lord did not stop the weather patterns, but he allowed us to have our planned outdoor activities with beautiful weather and kept us safe from the storms that did come through.
Lots of love for everyone and Final Goodbyes:
After the baptisms for the dead we returned to the old Methodist Church to wrap up our retreat. Our landlord was there, met our grandchildren and allowed some of them to ring the Church bell, which was a special treat.
 |
| Richard Flynn addressing our grandchildren. He is the owner of the Church and the landlord of our apartment |
 |
| Our three 13 year olds ringing the Church Bell. Each one of them is currently serving as a Deacons Quorum President in their ward. |
 |
| Abbie also had a turn to ring the bell |
We then held a final testimony meeting. Debbie started it out and then we had a prolonged silence. Finally that was broken by our grandson, Jon, who bore a wonderful testimony about seeing the hand of God in the beauties of the earth he had seen on this retreat. Others followed with their testimonies, including our three deacons quorum presidents. McKenzie, in her letter to us, said that she didn't want to write her testimony but to sing it, which she did in this meeting. Amy followed the pattern of our shirts, "Pray Like Joseph . . . " and shared an attribute for each of the ten grandchildren. This was a great finish to our retreat.
 |
| Oma, sharing her testimony of the Savior |
 |
| Jon giving momentum to the testimony meeting |
 |
| McKenzie singing her testimony |
 |
| Joshua, a quiet but powerful example to all |
 |
| Any, likening attributes to each of the grandchildren present |
We returned to our home for lunch and for everyone to change clothes before traveling. We also took time to give a few priesthood blessings to those who requested them. This idea had been suggested by Amy in the Saturday night discussion.
We were so thankful for everyone that participated, especially for the major role that Dan and Amy played. There was so much love expressed by all for each other and for Dan and Amy and their grandparents. This was basically a conflict free retreat. Our initial idea years ago in having grandchildren retreats was to help each of them to get to know each other better. On top of all the other blessings that we received, this certainly was accomplished.
Dan and Amy added so much to our retreat. Going to bed, waking up, cleaning up and being on time to everything all happened without any of our efforts. Their contributions on all of the activities were edifying for all of us. The grandkids got to know their Uncle Dan and Aunt Amy in ways they never had before. The feelings were reciprocal.
 |
| Dan and Amy, the heroes of our retreat |
At the end of the retreat, Amy gave us a folder of letters from each of them, full of love and thanks to us, the grandparents. We were a few minutes late to the temple because we were so emotionally involved reading each one of them.
 |
| Individual letters of love and thanks from each of the participants |
Grandpa has been accused of hugging grandchildren too hard. Many of them have loved it and reciprocated. I try to hug them until their back cracks. Jon is big enough that he lifts me off the ground when we meet and hug. Edward saw this and wanted to be part of it. Every day he insisted on receiving his hugs and expressed his love for us in a very special way. His expressions were most obvious but the love of all of them was certainly felt. As we completed our retreat Edward asked for a group hug which we had in the parking lot before everyone departed.
|
| Grandma and Grandpa in the middle of 10 loving grandchildren |
 |
| Another view of "the hug" |
.jpeg)
