Indiana Spirit Quest #293: Wanda's Bench Multi-Cache

FROM 2005: The Indiana Spirit Quest series of geocaches will take you to a number of historic cemeteries built by Hoosier Pioneers. In just over a year and a half, the quest has grown to over three hundred forty caches hidden in thirty-four Indiana counties, and two Ohio counties, and the hiders have grown to seventeen cacher teams, most of which are comprised of Dogs and their Humans.

(Photos by LEAD DOG)

Welcome to Asbury Cemetery AKA McIntire located in Jackson Twp., Wells County.

The Asbury Cemetery lies adjacent to Asbury Chapel from which it took its name. Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Leonard donated a part of the land for use as a burial ground in 1854. The first burial here was Mr. David Roby in 1833. There are no Roby’s on the list of settlers from 1836-1838. Also, no Roby’s are listed for Wells County in the 1830 or 1840 censuses. The cemetery is no longer associated with the church.

FROM 2005 (no longer valid): To locate the cache, sit on Wanda's bench and fix your gaze on the historic outhouse. Close your eyes. Remain calm and think good thoughts. Tap your left foot three times. Open your eyes and magically a Funny-bark Tree will appear in your peripheral vision. When you spy it, run to it and receive your reward. If this doesn't work, go back to your vehicle immediately and go directly home and speak of this to no one, ever.

CHURCH

Francis Asbury grew up in the Birmingham area, England, where Methodism flourished.

When he was sixteen began to preach, speaking up to five times per week, walking several miles to get to each appointment. In order both to preach and retain his livelihood he found it necessary to rise at 4:00 am and retire at midnight -- a practice he employed for the rest of his life.

His abilities widely known , he was assigned to assist James Glassbrook, himself a forceful Methodist minister. Glassbrook had been travelling-companion to John Wesley,

Meanwhile help was needed desperately in America. In 1771 Wesley challenged, "Who will go?" Asbury stepped forward.

Like Wesley before him, Asbury insisted that those claiming a call to preach must study five hours per day -- or return to shop and farm. When resisted by older ministers whose ardour had diminished and who preferred to minister amidst comfort, Asbury stated, "I have nothing to seek but the glory of God; nothing to fear but his displeasure.... I am determined that no man shall bias me with soft words and fair speeches." He sought no comfort for himself as he preached everywhere: a widow's rented room, a tavern, a cabin filthy as a stable, an orchard, a paper-mill, a crowd at a public hanging, a wagon carrying men to their execution. When many Methodist clergy left America during the Revolutionary War Asbury remained -- and never renounced his British citizenship!

In 1784 Wesley named him superintendent of the entire Methodist work in America.

Asbury's work took him far afield. He crossed the Allegheny mountains sixty times, often through trackless underbrush. No house provided shelter at night. His rheumatism, worsened by repeated drenchings and cold winds, left his feet grotesquely swollen; someone lifted him onto his horse, his dangling feet unable to get through the stirrups..

Under his leadership Methodism had grown from 5000 members in 1776 to 214,000 at his death. Little wonder that in 1787 a letter addressed to "The Revd. Bishop Asbury, North America" had found its way to him.

DICK

The cache container is a small plastic jar of some sort. BYOP. .The cache is not located near a grave... If you find a fallen US flag, please stick it back in the ground. As always, please be respectful, and cache in, trash out. XXXXX!

None genuine without this official SixDogTeam seal. Digital photographs taken by Lead Dog, (C) 2005 by RikSu Outfitters unless otherwise noted.

XXXXX

"Indiana Spirit Quest" is brought to you by the following fellows of GEOISQ*: SixDogTeam (Earthdog Patrick, Lead Dog, Wheel Dog) Kodiak Kid, THE SHADOW, Team Shydog, Rupert2, Torry, ~Mystery Dog~, Team Tigger International, Cache Commando, bbSurveyors, Dover Duo,Los Xile, Prairie Partners, WilliamsFamGC, Beaqn Blossum Gang and Team Itchy & Scratchy .

*Grand Exalted Order of the Indiana Spirit Quest

** THIS IS A GENUINE INDIANA SPIRIT QUEST CACHE** xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

UPDATE 4/2007: April 5 by Are_we_there_yet? We stopped by here while in the area to check on this cache, and it's a good thing that we did. It appears that they are doing some construction, perhaps putting a new road around the cemetery. Anyway, the cache was lying out in the mud, the outhouse is gone, along with the hiding spot near that funny-bark tree. The cache was still in good shape so we relocated it somewhere we knew it wouldn't be disturbed due to the construction.