Journey Home

Sunday July 31, we attended church with Alyson and David at their Waukee Ward. I love the names of the wards there, another ward that meets in their building is Raccoon River Ward. I helped Alyson sub in Primary the four year old class. It was fun to be in Primary again. One of the little girls that gave the closing prayer said, "we are thankful for the Sacramony," you have to love the little ones.

We watched the movie "17 Miracles" David and Alyson  hadn't seen it before. It was even more powerful than the first time I saw it after serving this mission and learning so much more of the struggles of the Martin Handcart company. Some of the things I loved from the movie is "It will all be worth it if my posterity will keep the faith."

"There is something about reviewing the lessons of the past to prepare us to face the challenges of the future. What a glorious legacy of faith, courage, and ingenuity those nobel early Mormon pioneers have left or us to build upon. My admiration for them deepens the longer I live."
 L. Tom Perry

"I hope you never get over being thankful to them. Let us read again and again, and read to our children and our children's children, the accounts of those who suffered so much." President Gordon B. Hinckley

"When President James E. Faust was told the story of George Padley and Sarah Franks, he wept. He called theirs one of the greatest love stories in the history of the western migration. And in 1997 he asked that they be sealed in the Temple for time all all eternity."

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

We sure enjoyed being with little Olivia and playing with her for a few days. The Tregaskis family is doing so well in there little apartment and they are being blessed while David attends Medical School.

David Tregaskis at his Medical School

The Mission of the Medical School

David and Olivia Tregaskis at Medical School

Monday August 1, it is hard to believe that it's August, this summer has gone so fast and been such a wonderful time serving this mission. We visited a Hindu Temple and learned a little about their religion,

Hindu Temple, Elder and Sister Call

Hindu Temple and David, Alyson, and Olivia Tregaskis

David, Alyson, Olivia Tregaskis at the Hindu Temple

Sister Call with the Elephant at the Hindu Temple

We drove to Gray Lake, a lake that is right in the middle of the city and had a nice walk around it and it was a relaxing day.

David, Alyson, Olivia walking around Gray Lake.

A fun walk around Gray Lake, Elder and Sister Call.

The Cute Tregaskis family enjoying a walk along Gray Lake bridge.

Alyson made a wonderful dinner of shish kabobs on their new BBQ.

Alyson is such a great cook

Tuesday August 2, We had to say goodbye to one family in Iowa and head toward another family in Oklahoma. On the way we stopped at more church history sites. We went to Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Sister and Elder Call at Adam-ondi-Ahman

Such a beautiful place and a strong spirit there

The next stop was Far West Temple site. Cornerstones for a temple were laid here in July 1838. Although the Saints were not able to complete the temple the cornerstones and property remain as a testament of their faith and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of the four corner stones for the temple at Far West, protected by glass.

The Community of Christ had a small church there and this told some of the history of Far West.

Liberty Jail was the next stop. Sister Call had been to all these places but Elder Call had not, so it was great to take him somewhere he had not been to before.  The Liberty Jail is where the Prophet Joseph Smith, along with Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, Alexander McRae, Lyman Wight, and Caleb Baldwin spent the bitter winter of 1838-1839. They were unjustly charged with treason while their families and church members were forced from Missouri. The Jail was a place of painful refining for Joseph Smith and his companions. As Joseph tried to pen words of consolation to the suffering saints, revelation and comfort were received.

Liberty Jail has a building built around it, so it is all inside. The door to enter the jail.

A cut out of the jail. The prisoners were in the basement the whole time there.

We next stopped at The Independence Visitors' Center. This site is on a portion of the original temple "Block" purchased by Bishop Edward Partridge in 1831. The visitors center has exhibits depicting experiences o Mormon settlers in Missouri from 1831 through 1839.

The visitors center was very impressive with log cabins, and interactive narratives. Our grandchildren would really love this place. Across the street is the Community of Christ Temple, we call it the cork screw temple.

The corkscrew temple of the Community of Christ Church.

Inside the visitors center in Independence Missouri

The printing press replica of where the book of commandments was printed.

Next stop was to see Sister Call's son Eric, wife Stephanie, and 3 year old Ethan, and newest grandson Matteo Paul Sabin, he was born on July 11, 2016. They live in Oklahoma City, and Eric is attending Graduate School there. Can't get enough of seeing these new little babies. Ethan was so excited to see Elder Call, we arrived just before 8:00 pm and Ethan had to get his "Green eggs and Ham" book and have Elder Call read it to him. This is the book that he would have him read every time he was delivering trailers in Colorado and would stay over night at their home.

Elder Call with newest grandson Matteo Paul Sabin

Sister Call loving the newest little grandson

Eric and Ethan Sabin, maybe wishing they were back in Wyoming by our mission.

Mommy Stephanie and her little perfect bundle of joy.

Saying good bye as we leave to go back to our mission.

Wednesday August 3, it is hot in Oklahoma, a lot hotter than in Iowa, this is the first time we really noticed the heat. We braved the heat and Eric and Stephanie took us to see some of the sites of Oklahoma city.

We first stopped at the Memorial of Murrah Federal Building that was bombed on April 19, 1995.
We saw the gates of time, The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the cit before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m. the moment we were changed forever, and the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing.

Walking by the gates of time and the reflecting pool at the memorial.

The gates of time at the memorial.

There is the reflecting pool, the gently flowing water helps soothe wounds, with calming sounds providing a peaceful setting for quiet thoughts.

The reflecting pool at the memorial.

There is a field of empty chairs. Each of the 168 chairs symbolize a life lost, with smaller chairs representing the 19 children killed. Arranged in nine rows one for each of the nine floors of the building. They lite up the base at night as beacons of hope.

The chairs at the memorial, one for each person killed in the bombing.

We then went to a the Myriad Botanical Gardens. They have a fun splash pad there. Ethan loved it. They have thunder come and then the thunder and lightening and the rain. It starts to rain and then it comes in torrents, then the rain comes up from the ground of the center of sunflowers. Such a fun water park.

Ethan loving the play ground, jumping on the musical squares.

Eric, Stephanie, Matteo at the playground.

The rain water park, what a fun way to cool off on a hot day.

The park there was really fun for the kids to play in also

Eric in front of a really neat blown glass wind catcher.

Sister Gaylene Call finally finding a "G" to get her picture taken in.

Eric and Sister Call had a great walk around the gardens in the heat, but Sister Call loves flowers

A beautiful bridge in the gardens.

So many beautiful flowers in the gardens.

We had a fun lunch and then had a tour of Eric's school at the University of Oklahoma, where he is studying landscape architecture. We saw one of his projects on the roof of the National Weather Center.            

Eric Sabin's graduate school.

Eric Sabin's gardens that was on top of the National Weather Center.

Eric's gardens on top of the National Weather Center.

The Sabin family loves Ice Cream and we went to one of their favorite places. Braum's. We sure wish one of these would be built in Spanish Fork.

Thursday August 4, what a great way to start the day then to go to the Oklahoma City Temple. This is one of the small temples, but it was wonderful and peaceful. We had a wonderful session and enjoyed a nice walk around the outside.

Sister Call at the Oklahoma City Temple.

Elder and Sister Call at the Oklahoma City Temple.

We so enjoyed Braum's the night before we had to stop for brunch once again. Then after Ethan's nap we took him to tour the State Capitol. Since the Tregaskis family lives in Iowa City, and the Sabin family lives in Oklahoma City, and since we toured Iowa's capitol building we though we better tour Oklahoma's capitol. Ethan was perfect on our self guided tour. We learned so much history and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with just us and Ethan. The capitol began construction on July 20, 1914 and was completed on June 30, 1917. The dome was missing due to budget constraints, politics and shortages of materials due to the war. The dome was erected in 2002, and on top is the guardian an Indian.

The dome in the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Ethan really enjoyed the Capitol, he was so good.   

Ethan Sabin outside the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Elder Call and Ethan on the Capitol steps.

Sister Call and Ethan in the Capitol.

Some of the things we learned about Oklahoma City, it was settled by the historic Land run of April 22, 1889. The city's population grew to more than 10,000 in a single day. More tan 102 million head of livestock have been sold at the Oklahoma National Stockyards since it opened in 1910. The tallest building is the Devon Tower, 50 stories high, and the 10th tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It is the horse show capital of the world, hosting more national and international equine championship events than any other city in the world.

Eric and Ethan Sabin at the park with the Devon Building in the background.

A fun night of game playing and baby snuggling and visiting, before we have to say goodbye to family once more.
Friday August 5, today was a day of driving and a first for Sister Call as she got to drive through Texas. Elder Call let her drive the whole way across Texas and a lot of New Mexico. Well we drove through the panhandle of Texas. Learning about the history of the pan handle of Texas there is not a lot there. Native Americans, Spanish Explores, cowboys, Texas Rangers, Buffalo Soldiers, and pioneers all gave the Panhandle a colorful history,

Sister Call so excited to be in Texas for the first time.

This was at the rest stop, they like you to know they are the lone star state.

It was nice to see some vegetation in New Mexico. We spent the night in Farmington New Mexico

Saturday August 6, back home to our house in Spanish Fork in the afternoon, yard work to do and visiting with our neighbors and picking lots of tomatoes from the garden. We are staying the night here since we have a post trek fireside on Sunday with the Maple Mountain Stake, and their stake is right next to ours. We are ready to get back to our mission and what we call home, it's been great to be gone for the last two weeks, but missing what we have been called and set apart to do, being missionaries.