A week of rescuing

Monday May 29, with it being Memorial Day this day it will be memorable because we were out rescuing sheep. The man who runs the sheep on this ranch is President Chad Edgington. He is in the Stake Presidency of the Fruit Heights Stake. We were the lead missionaries with that Stake last year. We still had his contact information, so when the sheep dogs came to our Missionary Village we called him, and he sent his herders to get them. Some of our missionaries were riding trails and found about 100 sheep that were not with the others. They also saw three lambs not with the others. Another, "What are the chances?" when we were coming home from church on I-80 Sister Call was looking out at our staging area and saw the three lambs on the hill side. This is about 600 feet away. We called him on Sunday night and he said he would be out in the morning so we could show him where the sheep were. He came about 8:30 and got his herder and we rode in the side-by-side and they went in their truck. We got up on the hill and no sheep. I took off in the side-by-side over two hills and no sheep. They looked in their binoculars and finally found them about 1 mile away. So we followed them over some pretty rough terrine and they were rounded up at that spot and left there while we went to find the three lambs.

Hugo the sheep herder came down over the top of the hill and Pres Edgington and us drove around and stopped on the road where we had seen them. We spotted one and Hugo got it and carried it down flung over his back. Another one took off past us and the two sheep dogs, Pepe and Cookie took the lamb down. They are amazing dogs and know how to take a lamb down. Elder Call called the dogs off and watched the lamb until Hugo could get there. They put the lambs in the back of the pick up truck that has a fence on it. That was two of the three sheep we thought. Then under our port-a-johns at staging we spotted three more lambs. If you go after them they bolt and they all scattered. We tried to take the side-by-side and make it so they couldn't take off, but they got around us. We were going over sage brush and trying to cut them off. Hugo found one that the dogs got and put it in the back of the truck. We were hunting another sheep and going over so much sage brush and making tight turns. Elder Call went to get his phone to take a picture and it was gone. Sister Call started walking to go back where we first saw them and we were both praying to find it. Pres Edgington was near by and Elder Call told him. He was trying to call the phone.and Sister Call was also. Hugo doesn't speak English so he didn't know we had lost the phone. About 15 minutes later Hugo found the phone on the ground. The case is black and how he found it was a true answer to prayer. We tried to find the last sheep and saw it go up over the hill. We took Pres Edgington with his lasso up the hill in the side-by-side no luck. His foreman came with his horse trailer and horse to get the 100 herded back and it was almost noon so we left them. What an adventure of finding lost sheep, leaving the 99 to go find the one. Also an adventure of finding the lost phone. The Lord does answers prayers.

Hugo looking for lost sheep with Cookie the dog

Hugo with a lamb over his shoulder

Three of the lost sheep hanging out in our staging area

Four of the lost sheep, after being found in the back of the truck..

We went with Elder Barton, to Bountiful to put flowers on the graves of Elder Calls parents. We also went and saw the graves and monument of Anson Call and his wives. While we were there we were talking to some people by there that are relatives of Anson Call. Elder Call was telling them some of the stories of the wives, Emma Summers, and Margarette Clark who he rescued and married from the Willie and Martin handcart companies, and told them of our mission. He said his sons were coming on trek this summer. We asked what Stake and it is Bountiful South. We are the missionaries on that trek, and we had our route review last Friday with their Stake. Again, "What are the chances?"

Elder Call by his parents graves in Bountiful cemetery

Anson Call's monument by his grave. Elder Call's great great grandfather

Family night was at Dennis Home in Evanston, and their whole home is filled with Indian memorabilia. They are wonderful people who shared stories of teaching on the Indian Reservations in Wyoming.

Brother Dennis showing some of the Indian artifacts.

Tuesday May 30, a morning of spraying weeds on our support roads. We have 25 gallon tanks and fill with water and weed killer, hook the connections up to the battery of the side-by-side and go spray. We spray thee kinds of weeds, thistles, hounds tongue, and hem bane, The afternoon was riding some trails and figuring out water crossings and where we will place bridges. The one trail is unusable for a few weeks and we had three side-by-sides on this one and we stopped to open a gate and Sister Pearts phone was lost.We had a group prayer that we could find it. It is a wallet phone with the mission credit cards in it.  We had five couples and we all split up going different directions retracing for the phone. We would go to an area and call it to see if we could hear it ring. About 45 minutes later we get a text that they had found it. So not only lost sheep but now two lost phones in two days. Another miracle and blessing to us on this mission. (What are the chances?)

Sister Moretti in the 4 wheeler.

Riding the trails

Sister Call on a break while riding the trails.

Lots of water on our trails.

We had a fun pot luck dinner and a bonfire tonight. For the day of announcing it these missionaries know how to really put on a hot dog pot luck. We played some fun games that we can teach our trekkers.

Some of the missionaries sitting around the camp fire, yes it did get dark, and we had a fun time.

Sister Peart decided to TP the Howard's motor home since they were gone for a few days. So the four returning sisters got the TP and did it all cute with scallops inside. We all have not TP'ed for about 40 years or more. What do you do when your Trek Director suggests this, all join in.

The Howard's motorhome after we had TP'ed it.

Tonight was the first night with the rocks and solar spot lights on our monument. Wow it is impressive.

Missionary monument donated by Lynn Summerhays. Area authority seventy. 

Wednesday May 31, work day of Elders filling in a bad trail of tire ruts with rocks and dirt, a big job and more spraying weeds for Sister Call. I went with Sister Anderson and we talked for about 3 hours of so many things. Small world we found out that she was in my Aunt and Uncle's ward in California, really good friends with my cousin Vickie. So sent her a Facebook message.

Sister Call and Sister Anderson

We surprised Elder Peart in town at Costa Vida for his birthday dinner. When it is your trek director you have to make a big deal.

We took cookies and candy to Hugo when we came back. The sheep camps were moved so we rode a lot further up some different roads and found there sheep trailers. I had Elder McDowell write in Spanish a  thank you note to him. They were not in their trailers but left it in one of them. Their horses were tied up and one had gotten the rope stuck on the cattle guard, so I guess this was a horse rescue along with sheep and phones.

Sunset over the sheep herders camp up on the ridge line.

When we got back and doing late laundry I could hear sheep again. So Elder Call texted President Edgington and he said he would send a guy out to find them the end of the week. So more sheep to rescue. The Ekins saw some lambs today about a half mile away, they had moved closer since I heard them.

Thursday June 1, this was Sister Call's week of leading the music, and it is amazing how the songs that are picked out by the chorister matches with the scripture of the day. One of those tender mercies.

Sister Call leading the music for the week in preparation meeting.

The Howard's are the ones presenting the Pioneer Story and Scripture today. When they were done Sister Howard presented to the Sister's who TP'ed their motor home rolled up TP presents with candy inside it. What a cute idea. They are really good sports.

Sister Howard presenting to Sister Call, Sister Peart, Sister Ekins, there TP presents.

Weed spraying again for Sister Call and Sister Anderson. This is really helping her learn the support roads a lot better and where the trails take off so it's been good. Some of the Elders have projects of calking all the depot windows and still working on port-a-john steps and building bridges. This week we have been working in the mornings and them riding trails in the afternoon. Next week the treks start

We didn't ride trails this afternoon but went with Elder Peart to the dairy barn and got some more beams and boards for making bridges. While we were there Sister Call walked around outside and found more boards we could use for bridges. More tender mercies we see them all the time.

Elder Call cutting boards for the bridges with Elder Peart

The Pearts, McDowells, Thelers, and Calls went to the Evanston Ward youth fundraiser dinner and auction. The Johnson's who were missionaries last year here were there. We had a wonderful visit with them. We had attended that ward last year in our rotation of wards and we visited with some old friends we had made. This ward is so supportive of their 12 youth and they made over $1000 for their activities. The auctioneer was amazing in his calling I could of listened to him for hours.We bought a blanket.

Ward fundraiser dinner, auction going on, raising money for youth activities.

Friday June 2, with our assignments for the morning we found some of the sheep along the way.

When we got back for lunch President Edgington was out by our trailer. They had two lambs in the back of the truck and one had come into our missionary village. They found another lamb under the Clark's trailer. I asked him if we got the right herders trailer for Hugo and the treats we left. We got the right one. Another sheep rescue

Sister Call with the sheepherder and run away sheep by the Clark's trailer

Today's ride was learning two emergency exits off the ranch. This is a beautiful area of the ranch where the outfitters come to go hunting. A lot of mountains area of the ranch. The new missionaries got to learn how a barrel lock works.

Elder Peart teaching how to use a barrel lock

One of the exits comes out by Lost Creek Reservoir, it is so beautiful with the red cliffs.

Lost Creek

Ducks on lost creek

Lost creek 

On the way back we came across a cattle drive. One of the cowboys came and talked to us, they had gone about 12 miles and had about 2 more miles to go. There were moving the cattle from Woodruff to another ranch outside of DL&L. One of the younger cowboys who was 10 came to talk to us also his horses name was Tucker. It was such an amazing event to watch and see how the dogs keep the cattle moving. Another tender mercy to see.

Cattle drive

One of the cowboys on the cattle drive with Sister Call

Ten year old cowboy from Randolf, Utah on Tucker the horse.

Saturday June 3, a day with Colleen and Austin Moon. They are a mother and daughter and teach school in Evanston. They have been taking the missionaries out to Fort Bridger and to see the Mormon Pioneer Trail and Brigham's Arrow and to see the muddy where the Pioneers all crossed the river and also to see Philo Dibble Rock, and Piedmont  Kilns, and the railroad tunnels and the Needles. We all went last year with them and sure do love these new friends.

Philo Dibble Rock we hiked up to

Elder and Sister Call at Fort Bridger, this fort was established in 184 by fur trappers Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez to supply emigrants along the Oregon/California/Mormon Trail. 

Austin Moon with Sister Peart

Brigham's Arrow. placed in 1847 to show those who came after them to go a different direction.

Piedmont charcoal kilms. 5  kilms were built in 1869 , each kilm held 20 cords of wood and would be burned 3 times a month to produce 1,000 bushels of charcoal. They would then ship it to by rail to Salt Lake.

Sister Clark crawling through the railroad tunnels. All new missionaries have to  do this as part of their initiation..

Sunday May 4, we had a fireside/family night with Don Paul, who is a wildlife specialist and has taken tours for the Division of Natural Resources to see the birds on this ranch for over 40 years. We learned so much about the animals and birds on this ranch. We have such  wonderful family nights.

Kayleen and Don Paul, the wildlife specialist