Benjamin 1st ward was the ward we were with this week with Elder and Sister Peart. We were the lead missionaries this week and have been working with Ammon and Kristen Grant, from route reviews with them to many emails and texts and planning with the ward. We had 8 carts and 82 people. There theme was Valiant Footsteps. It was a fantastic group once more. Most of these youth are ranchers or farmers and they know how to work. Sister Call was driving support of there 6 vehicles and missed a turn and so she radioed back and told them they had to turn around in and through the sagebrush. They were all so nice and radioed back we all know how to back up trailers, we do this everyday.
The trail we are on is 30 miles and it is about 15-20 miles from our camp, so we have a long ways to travel to be with them every morning and night, but it is so amazing how close of a friendship you make with these youth and leaders in just a few days time. Long lasting memories, and you find so many connections of who they know that you know it is so neat. Every day there are miracles that take place on this dedicated land. This week we had one girl that had just recovered from brain surgery and had to ride a lot in the handcarts and her family pulled her. Also a boy who has problems with his feet and a year ago couldn't walk and his family pulled him a lot as he sat on top of the buckets.
A huge miracle that happened on the second day of trek we had a 10 mile walk and the ward had 8 different trail trials and so they would be delivered their trail trial and have to pull their cart over to perform their trial, like walking in cardboard shoes, burying a loved one, burying a baby that they carried with them, carrying a heavy backpack simulating someone was sick and needed carrying.
So with these trials they got further spread out along the trail. Elder and Sister Call were the lead and follower, and we opened a gate and once you open a gate you need to make sure the last person in the 4 wheeler closes it so the cows don't go to another field. We had passed these cows about 3 miles back so didn't think anything about it to be by it until the 4 wheeler came through. About 300 yards we stopped for a water break and turned around and the bulls came through and headed up the fence line. Elder Call started walking back towards them hitting the grass with his walking stick wondering how soon our mission was coming to an end for letting them out. Sister Call looked and said the cows are out. The trekkers turned around and started running back to the bulls and spreading out to surround them and jumping sage brush. One Pa, Brother Gurr got to them first in front of them and they stopped and looked at him and he knew they could charge him, but he raised his arms and shouted and they turned around and started back down the fence line. Sister Call heard slow them down, and 2 jumped the fence and the other 6 went back through the gate. Getting back I heard Brother Terry one of the Pa's say, "well it's not their first rodeo." Only farm kids from Benjamin know how to handle cattle.
The next miracle was that the two that jumped the fence loosened the poles, In the back of the 4 wheeler was a sled hammer from the trail trials that they had to beat a tire simulating digging a grave. So another tender mercy.
Talking to Brother Gurr later that night he said he knew that there were angel around him, those bulls could of charged him, he got there so fast because he was on cross country in High School. He is not even a rancher or farmer. He is very small frame and could be taken as one of the youth.
Sunday Fathers Day we sang in Sacrament meeting in Woodruff where the home ranch cowboys meet. Mike Meek the ranch manager is in the bishopric and he was conducting. Every ward we attend we learn so much or meet people who knows people we know.
Another great week. We get up at 6:00 and get back every night about 10:30 or 11:00, but it is all so rewarding to see how this dedicated land changes lives.
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