Family arrival and Week 3 Trekking

June 19, Monday, Sister Call's daughter Alyson, and her husband David, and there 1 year old daughter Olivia, and another daughter expected in November, are here from Iowa for almost a month. Such a fun day with them and her other daughter Sharley, and her two sons, Chase and Blake. (they live in Orem) We met up in Salt Lake at the Church History Museum. They have a fun kids area and we showed them around. The Joseph Smith movie that is just a few minutes long was amazing and so well done in a theater that wraps around you. Lunch was at City Creek at Blue Lemon, and then onto other sites on Temple Square.

David and Alyson Tregaskis

Sharley, Chase, Blake Bonnett, David and Alyson, Olivia Tregaskis, Spencer and Gaylene Call

At the Pioneer house by the Family History Library and Museum

David and Alyson and Olivia at the Salt Lake Temple

Olivia at Temple Square

Chase at the Joseph Smith Building

Chase and Blake--- Brotherly love

Mom and daughters, with the Walker Bank Tower in the background, this was where Gaylene's father installed the first TV antenna to bring TV to Utah 

At Ancestry.com in the basement of Joseph Smith Memorial  

Olivia being a cutie

Elder and Sister Call, since we are handcart missionaries we have to get a picture by this statue.

Family night was with Michael McLean. He lives in Heber and was in my sister's Carolyn's ward for a long time. He is a popular musician, song writer, author, and performer. He is most well known for "Forgotten Carols." He also produced, "Mr Kruger's Christmas." He shared a lot about his life and his struggles and successes he has had. It was such a wonderful night, and he is so talented and can play the piano and sing anything. The Evanston Stake Presidency came and shared the night with us. We have sure come to love them and the support that they give us on this mission.

Michael McClean, what talent he has to play and make up word to songs as he goes along.

The Call's and McClean's

June 20, Tuesday, we call Tuesday's, "Port-a-John, Tuesdays," we have to dust them all out and spray them down with simple green and wipe them all down. The Sister's job is this and the Elder's have their jobs of fixing handcarts that have issues from the week before and moving port-a-johns around to other staging areas and welding broken things, and fixing any trucks that need done. It is just a busy work day. When this is all done we do planing with the other missionaries that we are with for the  coming weeks trek.

We then went to ride with the Howard's the first part of trail 7 where there are cows and water crossings and finding the best way to go. Without rain the last few weeks we are really dusty and dirty riding these trails.

Wednesday June 21, Wednesday, we are with Salt Lake Jordan North Stake, nine carts, 145 people.  There are 88 youth, 22 support people, 36 Ma and Pa's and big brothers and sisters. The Stake President is President Higginson, and the trail boss, and the Harmon's are the main people in charge of the trek. There theme is "If you endure it well, all is well." There are 6 wards and 1 Spanish branch in their stake. The theme of the day is, "Put your Shoulder to the Wheel." "The best moments in our lives usually occur when a person's mind is stretched to it's limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile." Joseph B Wirthlin

We had a long first day to get into camp, and the second leg of the trip Sister Call was in the side-by-side and had 8 different youth in and out for 4 hours. She had to get real creative on games and different activities to keep them entertained. Tonight they are sleeping out among the cows.

With the wet Spring, Fox Hollow Staging area is not drying up, so this trailer is our bridge for the trekkers to walk across to get to there handcarts. We have had to come up with creative ways this summer to get around the water..

Elder and Sister Call getting ready to lead out of staging.

The Call's and the Howard's ready to trek this week

Day 1 lunch stop

Sister and Elder Howard  at lunch stop

Leaving from lunch, he is just chillin until his trek family comes along

The long trek along the fence line

Along the fence line looking down at the cows and at camp. Two more miles to walk and come down to camp. 

Water stop and making the turn to come back into camp

June 22, Thursday, the theme of the day: But with Joy, Wend your way! "Not only was that good advice to people traveling across the plains, but it is good advice to each and to all of us every day of our lives. A cheerful, happy spirit of serenity is pleasing to our heavenly father." Heber J Grant.

Today on trail 7 is the Woman's Pull. One of the ladies on the pull was only able to make it part of the way up and so Sister Call took her in the side-by-side, driving this you have to hang way back, when we got to the top her husband was still standing there with his hat over his heart waiting for her to come, even though she didn't walk he waited, it was an emotional moment for them, and later she told me that he hadn't cried for 17 years. You never know who or what or how the woman's pull will affect people. When it is done right with not too many girls on a cart and have spiritual meetings before the pull and afterwards it can be life changing for most of the youth and adults.

The seagulls know as soon at the trekkers leave camp that they get to be scavengers for any food left

Leaving camp to get to the start of the Woman's Pull

Sister Howard enjoying the talk before the Woman's Pull starts

Some of the carts going up the start of the woman's pull

The men and boys leaving before the woman's pull starts

After lunch when we got into camp some of the people found all kinds of places to take a rest.

Some fun games were played as they rotated between stations.

One of the favorites is the archy 

Relay and part of it is walking with a Book of Mormon on your head

The girls had to shave the boys and then the boys had to tie a ribbon in the girl's hair and tell something nice about her.

Elder Call calling the hoe down 

After dinner we called a hoe down and this was Sister Call's first time calling it, and it went really well. It was really fun and the kids love to dance.

Hoe Down Dance

Friday June 23, theme of the day, "Fresh Courage Take, Our God will Never Us Forsake" With faith in the Lord, you can do hard things, for with God all things are possible. Power to overcome our trials, as well as protection from the adversary, will come as we obey the commandments and follow the prophets. The Lord has promised: For I will go before your ace, I will be on you right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up;

A short trek today and they had a beautiful camp site and played soccer and had a lot of fun games with their families. One of the leaders had some golf balls and clubs and Elder Call and him had a great time hitting a few balls. Elder Howard did the pony express delivery and they had an hour solo time of reading letters from there parents and journal time, and scripture time.

Elder Howard on Sliver the horse delivering the mail, he had to put on his glasses so he could see better

Solo Time

Solo time sitting on their buckets to read letters, journals, or scriptures

Elder Call in his element with a golf club in his hands

After they hit there balls to a specific sagebrush, which is the hole, they have to go find the golf balls

There was a,  "what are the chances," at lunch today with meeting up with one boy (name) at lunch and we got talking about singing and he wanted to sing tonight at testimony meeting. So I  had him get a few people together and  they picked a great song to sing.  Then talking to Sister Harmon and the person doing the music didn't follow through on it. This is why there has not been any music this trek. Not knowing this and I got this group of youth together to do a song tonight. The Lord blesses the lives of these youth through other people, and today it was through me.

We stayed for their testimony meeting and the song was sung at the end. It was a perfect end to the wonderful testimony meeting. It was so amazing to be a part in the Lord's hand of getting this song together. There was such an amazing spirit tonight. The end of a perfect day. A big hug from Sister Harmon,

Testimony meeting

The group of youth that Sister Call got together to sing at the end of testimony meeting, they even had a ukulele

Saturday June 24,  them of the day, "Endure to the End" Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the lat day. and thus it is. Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many,; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end o thy days. Behold, we count them happy which endure.

A six mile trek out today and they had their skits at staging. The leaders sang a song to the youth. That was a nice gift to the youth.

Brother and Sister Harmon, and Sister and Elder Call, we loved getting to know them on this trek

All the leaders, and support people sang a goodbye song to them.

The journal and song book for the week. Our button bracelet, everyone received one at staging, the story is that we all worked hard to prepare and to to get all our food, tents, sleeping bag, buckets, hats, etc. and now all what we need at last is to get our button gear, and to have our knots of doubt not fear not. 

Sunday June 23, Stake Conference with the Evanston Stake and President Lester is wonderful to recognize the Trek Missionaries. He gave the best little poem that we want to use on our treks: "Oh, give me a zone where there ain't no cell phones, and the service is way out of range. Where the only tweet heard is the song of a bird, and the internet is down all day!"

We had our first post trek fireside with the Spanish Fork South Stake, We were asked to sit on the stand and they had the chapel and cultural hall filled. There theme was "Do Good" and to fill people's buckets. They gave us a bucket full of treats as a thank you. What an awesome s
Stake we were able to be with.

Elder and Sister Call and Debbie and Alan Steven