Route Review Week

Sunday dinner was a wonderful prime rib, smoked by Elder McDowell. No one can say that we don't eat well as missionaries.

Elder McDowell makes wonderful prime ribs.

Monday May 1, on our P-day we went to Park City and took Tonya Call Buhler, Spencer's daughter to lunch at Cafe Rio. She is working at Skullcandy. We of course had to send the pictures to Shawn Call in Orlando, because they miss Cafe Rio there. We also went to the museum in Coalville to get information on Echo Canyon where the pioneers came through and where Anson Call, (Spencer's great-great grandfather built the fortifications against Johnstons Army). There was a lady there that knew Spencer's uncle that lived there and also my sister Carolyn that lived there. We had a meeting with Mike Meek the ranch manager and Scott McFarland the wildlife specialist on the ranch. Had a fun walk to see all the water that had been here this spring.

Lunch at Cafe Rio, with Tonya in Park Cit

Tonya's work in Park City, at Skullcandy

Mission of the Ranch, by President Hinckley

Mike Meek, Ranch Manager

Elder Call by the waterfall by the missionary village. Lot's of water this Spring.

Sister and Elder Call, by our missionary village. Sign says to Home Ranch, but it is to our home this summer.

Coalville Museum

Tuesday May 2, an early morning to go see the Sage Grouse mating ritual in their Leks. The male sage grouse strut around and try and attract the females. It is describes as Jr High School, and very appropriate. It was a little windy and rainy so not a good of show as last year.

Sage Grouse, (out window of truck)

It was a long preparation meeting as we have to learn everything to teach our trek leaders the information to help them have a successful trek. The key people on each trek come for about a four hour rote review.

Then work projects for the day. Changing oil in the farm trucks, fixing water buffalo's and port-a-johns, fixing handcarts that need repaired and organizing all the tools and finishing sheet-rocking the upstairs furnace room. This was Gaylene's first official work day and it felt good to be back working in the trek center.

Elder Call and Elder Theler fixing handcart wheels

Elder Moretti (always lying down on the job)

Elder Howard our chief mechanic

Sister Anderson our organizing pro

Sister Ekins and Sister McDowell taking apart a handcart

May 3-4 Wed-Thurs
Unloading 3 trailers of handcarts to a staging area. Then mock route reviews with the new missionaries. We went in the side-by-sides and rode route 14 with the Wilson's a new missionary couple. This took about 3 hours.

Some of the missionaries went to the Bear River Fire Station and helped fill sand bags for a few hours. It was a great service to the community.

Sister Call filling sand bags at the fire station

Sister Theler and Sister call filling sand bags

Some of the missionaries by the piles of finished sand bags

Since it was so nice weather the next two days we are taking advantage of going on the support roads and learning the trails. Some trails are still really soft and some of the trucks are getting stuck and have to be pulled out. So we are praying for some nice warm weather to dry out our roads and trails. It has been a very wet winter.
Each time we go on one trail it takes about 3 to 4 hours

                                                         Some of the water on our roads

Beautiful Uintah Mountains

Moose Track

Coyote Track

Elder Call, Elder Peart, Elder and Sister Anderson learning how to do route reviews

F.riday May 5, We took 4 farm trucks and 20 missionaries and taught route 29 to them. Since we had done this route 2 times last year and it was only used 3 times we were the ones to teach them all about it. This route is the furthest one from the trailers so it took most of the day. We then did work projects for the rest of the day. We were fixing some handcarts at staging area where the cows are brought in from Promontory Point, Utah for the summer. Sister Call got the giggles listening to all the different kinds of mooing sounds they make. It so reminded her of growing up in Heber with the cows next to our house.

Saturday May 6, the first of our official route reviews. We are the lead couple of Spanish Fork South Stake. They are our second trek of the season and we are on trail 23. Alan & Debbie Stevens, and Todd and Jamie Skiba are the ones that are leading this trek. It is amazing once you start talking to them the connections you have with them and how excited you are to help them finalize their agenda and help them in any way you can so they will have a successful trek, and help their youth to have a spiritual experience. Once they come on trek, in just four days you have made life long friends with a lot of these people.

Route Review at camp site

Todd and Jamie Skiba, Debbie and Alan Stevens. Spanish Fork South Stake

That afternoon another missionary couple, the Clark's, needed to learn trail 14 so we took them out on that trail. When we returned 12 of us went into Evanston for dinner. A lot of this is last minute planning and is so fun.

Sister and Elder Theler and Elder and Sister Call at dinner in Evanston

Sunday May 7, A very early morning as we traveled to West Jordan, Utah for Tonya and Jason Buhler baby blessing. This is their second child and named her Liv Elsa Buhler. She is named after her great-grandmother Elsa Lindsay. Elsa is 93 and is the most wonderful, spiritual, compassionate women. We had a delightful day of visiting and helping with family. It's always nice to be with family, but knowing that we are serving this mission it's like home to get back to the ranch and the serenity and peace we feel here. We know this is where we are suppose to be, to serve the trekkers who come here this summer, and help them have spiritual experiences, that will change their lives forever as they take what they learn here as they return to the real world once more.

Liv and Tonya Buhler

Sister Call, Tonya Buhler, Elsa Lindsay, Elder Call

I you don't like the weather Just wait a minute....

A Week of Contrasts

Monday April 24, 2017. Sister Call is finishing up at BYU this week with finals, (She works in the Testing Center) so some back and forth driving. After a early morning day at work she drove back to the ranch to have our interview with Elder and Sister Durham, the Area Authority Seventy over the DL&L Trek Mission. They are such wonderful, sweet, charitable, loving people and we are honored to be under their direction.

Dinner and family night was with them and the Evanston Stake Presidency. One thing about being here is sure eat well. We had turkey breast, baked potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, salad, 

The best family night with introductions from the new missionaries, Sister Durham shared a special story of a pioneer family that was in Utah and was asked by their bishop to donate to the rescue effort. The wife said she had nothing to donate, but then realized she had shoes, and stockings she had knitted, so she donated them. When the group came into the valley she looked for who had on her stockings and shoes. One of the last people to come was her best friend from England and she had her shoes and stockings on. She was so glad that she sacrificed for her.

Elder Durham gave a beautiful Apostolic Blessing to all the missionaries. It was very spiritual, and given by a special servant of the Lord.

We had a wonderful testimony meeting and heard from The Evanston Stake President, president Lester and his wife. 

Elder Mark Durham

Elder & Sis Durham, Pres & Sis. Lester, Pres & Sis Platt, Elder & Sis Peart Trek Directors

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Sign to be mounted at Missionary Village Gate

2017 DL&L Missionaries, and the Durham's

Tuesday to Friday April 25- 28, Sister Call returned to Provo for finals in a white out snow storm going by Park City. The missionaries had assignments for the week of moving all the handcarts from about 10 miles away in the Dairy Barn where they were stored for the winter back to the trek center where all the bolts were tightened and checked out for usability.  After they were all done then loaded on the trailers and taken to the staging areas. All the water buffalo's are being worked on. All the Port-a-Johns were also brought over and checked out. The eight farm trucks were checked out to see if the oil needed changed. Our pavilion was power washed out and all picnic tables washed and bolts tightened.  The upstairs room in the trek center where the furnace is located a mechanical room was built all sheet rocked in and a vented door was hung. Shelves were built in the trek center. The tool shed was cleaned out and cleaned up. The work bench was all cleaned off and inventoried.  The water was able to be turned on in our Depot building here in the Missionary Village. This was a very productive week.  

We have a group of hard working missionaries here this year, Many hands make light work. Every year the missionaries say what is there to do for next year since we did it all. There is always many new projects to do, and also checking out all the equipment from the year before and making repairs. 

New shelves in the Trek Center

Handcarts that need repair

New furnace room in the trek center

Handcarts ready to be sent to staging areas

Port-a-Johns ready to be inspected

Thursday April 27, Elder Call had the Pioneer Story and Scripture. He shared the story of Anson Call who was one of the rescuers of the Martin Company. Anson is Elder Call's great-great-grandfather. A quote from his journal,"Oct 28, 1856 started to meet the handcart company. The weather very cold. Met a company at Bridger. Stormy. The company in a suffering situation. ... Overtook the company at Rocky Ridge 300 miles from the valley. We found them starving and freezing and dying, and the most suffering that I ever saw among human beings, in number about 1000 soles."

For the scripture he shared the scripture D&C 124 about building a house unto the Lord, the Temple. He shared about Sister Call's great-great-grandfather William John Silver who built the oxen for the Salt Lake Temple. 

We are both blessed by the sacrifices of these great men and their faith to come to Zion and follow a prophets voice. We are grateful for their sacrifices and strive to convey to the youth this summer of what they sacrificed to come to Zion. 

Friday April 28, Michael Joseph Call, Elder Call's 7th child graduated from BYU with his bachelors degree in Computer Science. We had a wonderful morning celebrating with him and his wife Elena. He moved on Saturday into a new apartment in Lehi, and has been interviewing for jobs. Hopefully he will have one soon. 

Michael receiving his diploma at BYU

Proud moment

Friday afternoon we returned to the ranch and with BYU's Winter Semester over, Sister Call gets to stay for the summer now and enjoy this full time mission now.

On the way here they had unloaded a truck of sheep and lambs. We so love the many animals on this land. The baby lambs are so adorable. 

New baby sheep that arrived at the ranch

As Friday night went on the snow came harder and faster and we had about 3-4 inches of snow in just a few hours. Once the wind stopped it was beautiful and nice. When the sun came up Saturday morning with the sparkle snow looking like diamonds. We were so warm in our trailers and wondered how the pioneers did it. We are so grateful for our many comforts. Warm trailers and plenty of food to eat. 

You never know what kind of weather you will get on the ranch Saturday April 29, We had a beautiful drive down Echo Canyon with the red rock with the snow on it. We had a special session in the Salt Lake Temple. It was nice to be there with all 22 missionaries. After our session we had lunch in the Temple Cafeteria. We saw part of the new movie Meet the Mormons in the Joseph Smith Building, and then toured the Church History Museum. They had a display of pictures called "Saints at Devil's Gate," Landscape along the Mormon Trail. 

22 missionaries at Salt Lake Temple 

On one of the saying in the museum it was by Ann Agatha Walker Pratt, she was 18, English convert, September 28, 1847.  Title "New Beginnings"

" I never shall forget the last day we traveled, and arrived in the Valley... when my eyes rested on the beautiful entrancing sight--the Valley; Oh! how my heart swelled with me, I could have laughed and cried, such a commingling of emotions I cannot describe. My soul was filled with thankfulness to God for bringing us to a place of rest and safety-- a home. No doubt our valley looks astonishingly beautiful to the strangers who come here now, but it cannot evoke the same emotions as it did to us, poor weary tired, worn out, ragged travelers. When I drove into camp, unyoked my cattle, and sat down on the wagon tongue, and began to realize that, in the morning I would not have to hitch up and toil through another day, such a feeling o rest--blessed rest--permeated my whole being that it is impossible to describe, and cannot be realized except by those who have passed through similar scenes."

Back in the saddle again at DL&L

We're Back

Tuesday April 18, 2017
Elder Spencer Call was packed up and ready to pull out of Spanish Fork, Utah. We loved our mission serving at DL&L last summer and so excited to come again. This place is on dedicated ground and excited for the trekkers to come again this summer and have a very special, spiritual, life changing experience.

Elder Call arrived about 12:00 and the directors Elder and Sister Peart were here with the Bartons. He was the third one here. After 2 1/2 hours he was set and up with the propane, electricity, sewer, heat tape, insulated hoses, porches, and steps. He then helped the Barton's with their set up.

Sister Call has to finish up finals at BYU so she will be doing some back and forth driving until finals are over.

Howards and Ekins came up later in the day. So all five returning (seasoned missionaries are here)

Wednesday April 19

Woke up to snow.

Elder Call worked on the 9 farm trucks with some dead batteries and side-by-sides. The first casualty of the season happened with two blood blisters. Smashed finger connecting batteries in one truck.

The new missionaries started to show up today. Morettis from Lyman, Wyoming, McDowell's from Mesa, Arizona, and Clark's from Midway, Utah.

Elder Call helped them with hookups of propane, and getting all the fittings working. Also delivering the steps and porches, and helping with other things that needed done. Dinner was with the Ekins tonight since he is here without his companion.

Thursday April 20th, 

The Brinkerhoffs (last two years missionaries) came early and brought their trailer that they had sold to the Thealers, from Draper, Utah. It was great to see them again. With all the snow and rain this year the trailer sunk up to the axel in the soft ground as he was trying to move into position. With two other trucks hooked up with chains they were able to pull the trailer out and get it all set up and level.

The afternoon was doing errands with Elder Howard to Morgan, UT to get new batteries for the side-by-sides and to get one farm truck safety inspected for street use. When they returned the Andersons from Heber, Utah arrived, and Wilson's from Bloomington, Idaho. So all 11 couples are here for the next 4 months.

Friday April 21st 

The first official Preperation Meeting at 8:00 am. There was lots to go over for 2 1/2 hours. The rest of the day our Trek Directors, the Pearts, took the 6 new couples around the missionary village to show them where everything is and to familiarize them with all the operations here. The 4 second year missionaries emptied the trek center of trucks, handcarts, and side-by-sides.

Sister Call left Provo at 6:00 pm and arrived about 8:00. With Elder Call waiting at the gate of course there was a train that came by and had to wait.

It was so great for Sister Call to be here and the Pearts came to visit and welcome her here. Always great to be on this dedicated land.

Saturday April 22nd

8:00 am preparation meeting and what a wonderful time to have all 22 of us there for the first time. Greeting the new missionaries, and seeing old best friends was a special treat. This was a two hour meeting, and the spirit of this place was here again.

We left at 10:15 and got in 4 different trucks and traveled one loop of the ranch support roads. This ranch is about 300,000 acres and we trek on about 20,000 acres so there is a lot to learn of this area. I remember last year being overwhelmed with all there is to learn. Some of the new missionaries feel that same way. We assured them that they will learn it all and it will be a wonderful experience for them.

After lunch we had another meeting and learned what trail we have and what missionary couples we will be serving with and what a route review is with the stakes coming this summer.

We had a very moving flag ceremony. Elder Call, Howard, and Thealer were all past military and gave a very emotional ceremony of what the flag and freedom and country means to them. We leave the flag up for the summer and have a light on it at night. There is something special about driving up the the missionary village and seeing that flag flying.

We then got to do our service of cleaning the garbage off the on and off ramp of Wahsatch exit 191 our exit to the ranch. With gloves and garbage bags and an 1 1/2 hours later we had four truck beds full of trash. It is amazing how trashy some people can be. It looks so much better now.

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Sunday April, 23rd

We saw so many antelope on the way to church today. The people of Evanston are so welcoming and loving to the missionaries. We split up between three wards and fun to see a lot of old friends from the past summer. Another wonderful lunch at the trek center. Sunday's are great to have lunch with all the missionaries and all 22 of us were there. We had ham dinner with all the fixings. Working on the blog and game night.