Last Week, Logan Temple, and Trek Training

What a crazy but fun and busy week as we wind down our last week as missionaries at Deseret Land and Livestock Trek mission.  Our bodies are tired but our spirits are very sad to see this chapter of our lives come to a close.
Tuesday was busy putting more handcarts, port a jons, water buffalos, into storage.  With all the missionaries working together a lot gets done fast.  We had to take down the bridges we built because of the wet winter and so many water crossings on the trails.
Wednesday was a great day attending the Logan temple with the missionaries and then afterward having lunch at Maddox in Brigham City.  It is a nice stake house and has excellent food.  Logan was the second temple finished after the saints came to Utah.

At the Logan Temple.  The flowers were amazing.  Debra's Mom and Dad were sealed in this temple, it was the third temple in the church in the west.
Thursday we had a first run through of our parts for trek training.  Bob is doing Port a Johns and Debra is doing music.  We started packing in earnest and continued to put away mission stuff and set up the trek center for Trek Training.  Thursday night we went out to President Lesters ranch for a very nice barbeque of ribs, dutch oven potatoes, salads, and lots of yummy desserts.

Pres and Sister, Platt, Lester and standing Smith

Yummy ribs, food and company

Bob launching over the creek on the rope swing

Bob in flight, ever a boy

Debra by the famous bowling ball launching canon.  The cows were in the pasture so we could not fire it this year 

Bob by the canon holding a bowling ball....don't shoot a cow!

 Friday was our "dress rehearsal"  our presentations were timed because we have to cover all our material in 5 minutes.  We made it just under the wire!  That evening all the 2nd year missionaries went into a little diner in Evanston called Mother Maes.  They are a very nice older couple that feed all the missionaaries for free.  That is very hard for senior missionaries so we left a good tip to help cover the cost for us and the other young missionaries.  Marvin has quite a story of healing and surgery and he gave us all a CD of the songs that have come to him in his dreams.  Dan Hoffman helped him to put the music and mixes together for him.  It is quite a nice CD and a very kind thought for us.

Second year missionaries at Mother Maes  Ekins, Barton, Peart, Howard, Call

Saturday was the day....Trek training!  This is where all the leaders for next years treks come for training and orientation.  We had about 250 people plus the missionaries that we taught and sang to and fed.  Some of them went on a mini trek just to see what it was like to pull a handcart.  Hunter East Stake where we used to live is coming next year.  We had a good visit with them and talked about people that we knew and are still there.  Lindon Utah Stake is also coming next year.  That is where Debra lived her first 5 years.  There are now 3 stakes in Lindon and many more in Pleasant Grove, Alpine, and Manilla.  All four of those cities were in one stake, Timpanogos Stake, when she was growing up.  At 1:30 we both flew into action as the Hubers were coming at 4:00 to get the trailer.  We finished packing and cleaned the trailer and moved our stuff into the addies where we are staying for the next couple of days.  It was sad to see them pull off with our home for the past two summers but at the same time it was a great blessing to be able to sell it so quickly.

Bob doing his comedy presentation on Port a Johns

Debra leading Come Come Ye  Saints at Trek Training

Trek Training August 19, 2017

Sisters, McDowell, Clark, Anderson, Ekins, Call, Barton, Moretti, and Howard working the lunch line at trek training

Debra and Bob playing harmonicas for last time at D&L.  Part of her music presentation

Elder Butch Moretti adding final weld to our new gate!

Aubrey and Travis Huber the new owners of our trailer home so dear.  A very cute and happy couple!

A very packed and loaded trek center, some of the things put away for the winter.  It was like a tightly put together puzzel!

Today, Sunday was our last time to go to church in Evanston.  We attended the Almy Ward and had a missionary homecoming talk.  Elder Martin reported on his mission to Seattle.  The people in Evanston are some of the nicest people I have ever known and it is hard to leave this beautiful, peaceful, quiet land.  I have never seen skies, and stars like they are here on the ranch.  Like Elder Howard said, "I won't be sad to leave, but I am glad I was here!"  It is true but I am kind of sad to leave this place but I will carry a bunch of amazing memories with me home and for the rest of my life!  True to our history on the ranch, the cows moved in to give us a noisy and messy send off. After we watch the Solar Eclipse Monday at noon, we will head home to Mesa by way of Snowflake where we will help David and Valerie wire the house they are building.  We will get home August 23, our 44th anniversary!

Finalizing "Flurry of Elbows"

Monday August 7, we had the great pleasure of having the Pay sisters for dinner and our fireside.  Doreen and Joann are the sisters of Margery Pay Hinckley and they have some great stories about Margery and Gord.  They are a hoot and were with us last year.  They sing a song that goes....I know just how ugly I are, my face ain't to bright shinning star, but I really don't mind it , because I'm behind it, it's you folks out front gets the jar!  They share the story of one of their ancestors who died in the Martin handcart company and how they came to have the grave marker in their possession.

Doreen and Joann Pay (sister)

Grave Marker for Edith Goble

We listed our trailer on KSL.com and had a buyer in 24 hours.  Definitely a blessing as we did not want to take it to Arizona.  A really nice couple from Salt Lake bought it and will pick it up on Aug 19.  It has been a wonderful home for us as we have served here at Deseret Land and Livestock Trek mission.

Our home for the past 2 Summers

Kitchen and Bathroom

dinette and sofa

Wednesday brother Ryan Richens, a seminary teacher from Evanston and a great church history buff, took us on an all day tour along the trail and Echo canyon.  We visited Big Mountain, Hennifer, Mormon Flats, Heart Break Hill, the Battlements, and Coleville.  It was a long and informative day.  We ran across a Diamondback rattlesnake as we climbed up to the battlements in Echo canyon.  They were built to stop Johnston army from running the saints out of Utah.  Nothing ever came of it because they discovered that the Mormons were not doing anything wrong.

Thursday Elder Raymond Cutler, our general authority over our mission, visited with us for our final interview before finishing our mission.  He gave both Bob and me beautiful blessings.  He is such an amazing, kind man.  We have enjoyed getting to know him.

Elder Raymond Cutler with 2017 DL&L Trek Missionaries

Friday we worked on our presentations for Trek Training next week and also did some packing.  Justin, Heather, Joshua, Liliana, Abigail, and Elizabeth Barton joined us for dinner at the R and R restaurant.  It is one of our favorite places to eat in Evanston.  They had been in Provo most of the day touring the MTC and Provo Temple.  They came to join us for family trek.
We met them at the gate Saturday morning and started trekking at 9:00.  It was a mini trek of about 2 miles but it was so fun to have them here with us.

At Bear River Park,  Antlers courtesy of Josh

Justins family with Elder and Sister Cutler

Family Trek with Justins family Liz, Josh, Abi, Bob Justin, Heather, Lili, Debra

Lili, Liz and Abi pulling and pushing handcart

Justin and Josh helping Elder and Sister Cutler pull their handcart

After we drove them around the ranch and gave them a taste of what we have been doing the last 2 summers.  We climbed up to the arches by the Dairy Bowl, and had a great time watching the prairie dogs, and antelopes.  We took out one of the rangers and a truck as there were 8 of us and we all could not fit in the side by side.  We took them to Squaw, and up a few womens pulls, Kristies kid killer, trail 14, trail 23.  They found it quite interesting and enjoyable.  They also had fun playing pickle ball, and trying to walk on stilts.

Justins family in the side by side ready to hit the DUSTY trail

Justins family at the arch August 12, 2017

Bartons playing pickle ball in the trek center

Antelope herd on McFarland road

They joined us for church in Randolph where we sang "To Those Who Came Before Me".  Our last time to sing as a group in Sacrament Meeting.  Kind of sad but good at the same time.  After church Geo Peart, a distant relative of our directors, fed all the missionaries brisket, salad, and home made raspberry ice cream.  We even got to hand crank it.  His place is filled with antiques.  The people here treat the missionaries so nice, and they are so helpful.
Tonight, Monday, we fed the cowboys and their families dinner.   We had a barbecue but had to move it inside the Trek Center because of wind and rain.  They had about 35 including lots of little kids and 2 brand new babies about 1 month old.

Cowboy dinner, the kids were outside playing on the port a jons...Moms said it was cleaner than the corals?

Bob and I walked up to the well this morning because we had not done that in two years.  Just checking of "things we want to do before we leave this beautiful land."

Bob up at the well looking back down to the trek center

The sage brush is taller than Debra!

Barn and corals from the well road

Our Last Trek at Deseret Land and Livestock, Cows!

We got good news on Monday that our sweet Betsy was going home!

Betsy celebrating the good news she gets to go home!

The Richens family came and did our Family Home Evening on the Second Rescue that they were involved with in the Riverton Stake.  It was very interesting how the Lord works to get His work done.
Tuesday was another "port a john" Tuesday but this time we were putting into winter storage all those that will no longer be used.  It was a longer day of work moving johns and handcarts, so at the end of the day the missionaries decided to go to Taggert's for dinner to celebrate the three missionary birthdays this month.  Bob, Elder Ekins and Sister McDowell are our August birthdays.  It is also our sweet granddaughters birthday.  Alea turned 17 on the first.  Taggert's have the best macaroons, and carrot cake and I have to admit we did indulge.  They have beautiful grounds with peacocks walking around.

Bob by one of the water buffalo  One of the groups taped a picture of a buffalo to the tank.  Cute

Wednesday we welcomed the 210 trekkers from the Kearns Central Stake to go with us and Elder and Sister Peart on trail 28 which is about 23 miles in length.  They had trekkers from 12-72 years old!

Sister Jan and Elder Dennis Peart.  They are also the directors at DL&L so fun to finally trek with them!

Kearns came in buses and chose their families in staging.  They also had lunch before leaving at 1:30. That is quite late to get out and it was pretty hot.  Each trek is so different, challenging, and inspirational.  We have learned over the past 17 treks, it is what it is, blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.  These guys moved pretty slow and were quite spread out with their 12 carts.  They had large families, but the main issue was their stake president had invited any adults who wanted to come and just walk to do so.  We had 50 walkers not assigned to families and many of them really struggled.  We made it!  It was Bob's birthday and they all sang to him.  It was sweet. The missionaries also sang to him early in the morning and Sister Call decorated our trailer.

Bob by his birthday trailer

Kearns Central Stake singing Happy Birthday to one touched missionary

Our first camp was in McFarland and it was full of cows.  Bob was known last year as the cow magnet so I guess it was appropriate for our last trek.  There were thousands of cows and they actually were running between our spread out carts.  They were lulled to sleep by the "mooing" of the cows!

A small heard of antelope with their young ones.

Thursday the 3rd, was the womens pull.  I don't love this trail because you have to trek about 3 miles to get to the pull.  It started at about 12:30 so it was quite warm but we did have a nice breeze.  We got into camp 3 at Sutton, no cows!  They had a lot of pioneer activities.  While they were playing, Sister Peart and I helped to cook the potatoes, onions, and bacon.  It was a hot job but we got to get acquainted with the kitchen help.  One of the games they were playing got a bit out of hand and knocked over one of our large containers of cooked potatoes.  OH!  We just kept cooking.  One of their kitchen help had connections and about half of their food was donated.  Some was good and some was.........not so good.

Debra the 'Hot happy' cook

good action shot of the stick pull

Bob did his last pony express and did a great job.  It was a tough crowd but he did get them laughing.

BOB with Brother Larsen the trail boss.  His last pony express with his trusty thoroughboard Sliver!

Friday  we left the key to the side by side in the support truck so I walked at the back and told the kids they had to walk because otherwise I would have to carry them.  Surprise, they all made into the port-a-john stop in Francis and I did not have to carry anyone.  It was quite windy and when we got to camp they had a fun time of putting up their tarps in the wind.  We had some good hills to pull, Francis and the power line.  The kids always love the steep down hills.  We stayed in Shearing Hollow camp where there is still a stream running through the camp from the wet winter.  The kids could not stay away and loved catching the frogs.  We had a hoe down that night and Bob and I got to dance because they had a paid caller come in.  The groups always love the dancing and it is amazing to see their energy go up as they dance.

heading down the last hill along the power line. trail 28

a nice shot of trekkers just starting down Todd's Hollow

Saturday we walked out.  Overall this was a good group, but they did have a lot of needy kids, both real and perceived. We had lots of passengers in the side by side and slow going handcarts.  Our trail bosses Brother and Sister Larsen were great to work with.

Crashed weary trekkers waiting for their buses..Anywhere you can find shade.

This trekker wore his seat cushion on him

We got things put away, the trucks and side by sides washed, the water buffalo vacuumed and cleaned and then we crashed.  I don't know if knowing this was our last trek was the cause or if we are just tuckered out, but we had a good long sleep last night.

An amazing sunrise at the start of another beautiful trekking day!

Idaho, Betsy, Bennion's Red Scarfs

Sunday July 23, Bob and I spoke in the Evanston 2nd Ward on Faith through Trials.  This was a difficult topic as we were waiting news on Betsy, our Snowflake granddaughter, who was life flighted to Phoenix Children's Hospital.  She really started her improvement on Friday after a visit from a support dog, a golden retriever.  Prayers, a dog, and modern medicine has pulled her through.  Our daughter Heidi really stepped in and took great care of both Valerie and Betsy in our absence.  She is truly an angel!

Betsy with the retriever support dog.  Notice the smile.  She is such a sweet brave girl.

Sunday after church we headed for a planned visit to my sister, Linda Perkins, in Idaho Falls and lunch with Joshua, our grandson who is working in Rigby, Idaho for the summer.  It is close to the seventh anniversary of Jon Perkins death from brain cancer, so it was an emotional time, especially with Betsy's issues. It was a very short visit, but a good one.  Josh is happy and looks good.  He took us to one of his favorite eating places in Rigby, Bambinos, It was good but not as good as just being with family.  We came back to the ranch on Monday.  I didn't take any pictures, I guess my mind was elsewhere.

We drove through, Lava Hot Springs, Soda Springs, by Bancroft, Chesterfield, and Montpelier on our way back to the ranch.  Soda Springs is where our good friends the Larsens are from.

Tuesday was a cold and rainy day.  The weather here is crazy, but we loved the rain to settle the dust.  It made cleaning the port a johns much nicer than on a hot day.  Wednesday our trekkers from the Bennion Stake came in.  We were on trail 29, which has become one of my favorite trails.  There were 118 with 9 handcarts.  It was so fun having a small group.  They were so organized but not so scheduled that we had a lot of pressure to keep on schedule.  It was a good thing, as for the first couple of days I wanted to pack up and go home to be with Valerie and Betsy.  They joined their prayers with ours and our prayers were answered.  We served with Elder David and Sister Linda Ekins from Hinckley, Utah.  Trail 29 has lots of challenging hills both up and down and they did great.  These kids came in great and left even greater!

Elder David and Sister Ekins with us on trail 29

The Bennion Stake at the top of their first real big hill coming out of Prarie Dog.  It was cloudy and a bit rainy.

One of several steep hills.

Thursday night Bob did his pony express and I called their hoe down.  This was my last hoe down and it was a good one.  The kids and support people seemed to enjoy it.  It was tough for both of us as that was Betsy's worst day and our hearts and minds were not 100% in, but thankfully the Lord stepped in and helped us both.

A stylish hairdo done only with grass and weeds!

Friday was their women's pull and this one is a great one.  Kevin McDougal, the trail boss, told the story of the Arthur family in the Ellsworth Handcart company that lost their little boy along the trail.  The company stopped for two days and went out searching for him but then had to move on.  The mom gave the dad a red scarf and told him if he found him dead to bury him in the scarf and if he found him alive to come in waving the scarf as a sign that he had been found.  The company moved on with the mother and two children pulling their handcart.  The Mas in the group then gave red scarves to the Pas and all the boys left for the girls to pull the hancarts up the hill. (about 1 mile)  As the girls came around the last curve all the men and boys were up on top waving red scarves that they gave to all the girls!  It was amazing and very effective.  He then finished the story on top of how a farmer had found the young boy and taken him in to care for him until his father found him.  It was several days as the mom watched every night for her husband to return.

The men and boys lining the trail with their red scarves

The first cart up the hill on the women's pull

Love this view at the top of the women's pull on 29.  They pull from the valley below!

One of the Pas was Reed Arnold who they kept calling the Guatemalan.  I asked him why and found out that his Father was my sister, Rosemary's, mission president in  Guatemala in 1975-76.  Reed was 4-6 years old at the time.  I called Rosemary and the two talked and cried for about 10 minutes.  It was high on a mountain top as our phone service is pretty shaky on the trail or in the missionary village, but they were able to share lots of good memories of Guatemala and time with President Arnold who has since passed on.   It is always fun to make connections on the trail and usually there is one to be made.

Going down "graveyard" hill.  One of the steepest downhills.  You can see the port a johns to the right,  their destination.

They left Saturday morning leaving a part of them in my heart forever.  They were a great group of kids and people and I am always so grateful to have the memories they leave with us.  This was also a great day in Betsy's recovery so we felt really good about life and so grateful for answered prayers.

Beautiful sunset with the "dance hall of the dead" in the background

Nothing beats these skies, I will love them forever!

Deb and Jeff Cowan, our directors from last year, came on Saturday from their home in Cedar City. What a sweet treat that was to visit with them again.  They had left their missionary badges around the ranch for us to find and it was fun to find just a piece of them in paint supplies, port a johns, buckets, tools, and anywhere else they were found.  They attended church with us today and had lunch with all the missionaries.

Deb and Jeff Cowan with the many found name tags!

Got good news today!  Betsy is being moved out of the ICU onto the regular floor!  It was so hard to stay on our mission through the ups and downs of this week, but the news is great and she will be home in a couple of days if her progress continues.  Our prayers have certainly been answered but it was not without a lot of ups and downs.

The smiles continue.  Our sweet Betsy!