Call's Called To Serve: Tulips or Two Lips on the Prarie

Monday June 27th started with mowing lawns and sprucing up the area as Elder Durham, our area authority 70, was coming with his wife for two days. Sister Durham was just released as a councilor in the General Primary Presidency and spoke in last General Conference. They were very fun to have around. Each missionary couple had an interview with them to see how we were doing and to learn more about us. We had a big turkey dinner (like Thanksgiving) Monday night and then they did a fireside. The Evanston Stake Presidency also came. It was a very special night. He talked about charity and how we need it for ourselves and each other and everyone we serve and gave us a blessing that as we served we would receive the gift of charity in our lives. He also talked about doubt not fear not for the Lord is in charge. That proved so true for me this week as we trekked with the Fruits Heights Stake (350 people and 31 handcarts). They loaded everything in their carts, tarps, buckets, table, poles and 2x4's for building their shelters, dutch ovens, sleeping bags and everything they had. There had to be at least 400 to 500 lbs of gear in each handcart. Some were piled 7 feet high. The first day of trekking was trying to retie and hold all that stuff together over bumpy trails and badger holes. The lead cart carried the American flag.

We love to see the American Flag on the handcarts

We were on this trek with Elder and Sister Barton, and Elder and Sister Higginson. Three missionary couples this week. We were the lead couple on this and we had Gary and Lisa Larson as the trail bosses and they were so great to work with. This stake has been doing treks every 4 years since 1997 and they were very organized. All of the Stake Presidency came, and Pres Edgington has run his sheep on this ranch for many years. Pres McKay has a ranch in Huntsville and a house next to the President David O McKay's home. They both know this ranch so well.

Call's, Barton's, and Higginson's

President McKay, Elder Call, President Sargent, President Edgington

The first night in camp one of the girls asked me if we walk home at night, back to our trailers, then her Pa told her he has a heater for their tarp tents, she said really? I told her we plug it into a current bush. She asked what currents were, I explained about little red berries. She still didn't get it after I explained about electricity and current. She was so gullible.

Tarp City

We had Hawaiian haystacks and every time we have these it rains, well it did rain not much but enough to cool it off at night. There theme is OHANA, means family, Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. A Hawaiian based theme. They had linen table clothes out in the dirt, very impressive.

Linen tablecloths for the Hawaiian Haystacks Dinner

There was one game they called tulips on the prairie that was quite a sight to behold. The medical staff referred to it as face tag, Elder Barton called it a combination of Wrestling and the Dating Game. They all gathered in a circle and each boy and girl were assigned a letter or number. One would sit in the middle and they would call out a letter for a boy and one for a girl and then they would try to kiss the one on the cheek that was running before they could get to the one in the middle and kiss them on the cheek. It was crazy watching some of the tackles that took place all to try to stay out of the middle. This has been a tradition for their stake at each of their last 4 treks. No one had ever gotten hurt before but this one resulted in one broken collarbone, one concussion and one black eye (the collarbone and concussion were boys). The young women that gave the young man the concussion was given the number 54 on the back of her shirt, a football line backer number, and she wore it proudly. These kids were intense!

They had a great fireside on Friday night with Elder Gary Coleman an emeritus 70. He spoke about our pre-existence with our Heavenly Father and how we are all fore ordained to be here at this time. It was good to hear, and believe me we have strong youth both physically and spiritually.

Every trek we meet people who have connections with people we know. One nurse flew with Sister Call's brother, Gary Silver who is a Doctor and went in his private plane to pick up patients in the intermountain West area. She told a crazy story about that. The port-a-john driver does research at the U of U and did a lot of research with Dr Bromberg who was the neurologist that took care of Sister Call's first husband Paul Sabin, who died of ALS, Another medical couple comes from Anson Call's wife Margaretta Clark, who Anson rescued from the Martin Handcart company.

We were on trail 14 and it was about 25, miles long. We had a wonderful week with the Fruit Heights Stake.