As we start our 10th week of being on the second summer of our mission, we realize the time is really going fast. We will have our 3rd trek this week, with five more to go and then a week working on the gate, and two weeks after that. We are enjoying the time we have left because we know it will go fast.
The sunsets are still beautiful here on the Ranch. They always happen whenever there are a few clouds in the sky. In each direction in the sky, there is a different scene.
Elder Mark Durham, our Area Authority Seventy, has been given a new responsibility and is not over the Deseret Land & Livestock Trek Mission any longer. We will miss him. Our new Area Authority Seventy is Elder Raymond A Cutler. We had a short afternoon meeting with both of them to introduce us to Elder Cutler, and to tell him a little about ourselves. We are excited to work with him.
Our Monday family home evening was with Micheal McLean. He is a popular musician, song writer, author, and performer. One of his most well known performances is "Forgotten Christmas Carols." He also produced "Mr. Kruger's Christmas." He told us a lot about his life and the struggles and successes he has had.
It happened to be Sister Clark's birthday and they had been having problems with a plugged black water line in their RV, so Brother McLean made up a birthday song for her about her sewer problems. It was hilarious!
Our 3rd trek was with the Jordan North Stake from West Valley, UT. There were about 135 people, with 9 carts. It was on trail 7 and they came in busses. They were a great group, and very well organized. It was nice having a smaller group.
The Calls were our support missionaries. This is our second year serving with them, but the first year we were never assigned to do a trek together. So, it was fun trekking with them this week.
After the woman's pull, one of the support vehicles ended up with a flat tire. It looks like it took at least four men to change it! We were kind of glad for it, because they were ready to take off trekking again soon after the pull was over. We like to see at least an hour's rest before we start again after a women's pull. Sometimes the adrenaline its there, but the bodies sometime poop out soon if they don't rest long enough.
At camp one night, they played some fun games. There was a relay where the girls had to "shave" the boys . . .
. . . and then the boys had to tie a ribbon in the girl's hair.
Another relay had them walking three-legged, jumping in a gunny sack, carrying a pinecone in a spoon, and walking with a Book of Mormon on their head.
Archery was one of the most popular activities that afternoon.
One night the group had a hoedown, called by Elder & Sister Call.
One of the three dances that we learn to call is the Heel-Toe Polka. It is really fun and everyone changes partners often.
Another favorite dance is The Virginia Reel. A lot of kids learn it in grade school. It is always a fun one, and is also one of the three songs we missionaries learn.
Our last campground was a large one and had plenty of room for our small group. They put up their tarp city, which, after three days of practice, they did a good job of making their tarp tents!
They come up with some pretty ingenious ways of stretching out their tarps, most of the time using the handcart as the central support.
It is pretty cozy in this one, although they don't have room to stand in it. This tarp tent will be used for the whole family of 12-14 with the Ma and Pa in the middle and the boys on one side and the girls on the other.
Brother & Sister Harmon did a great job as Committee Chairmen! They are getting a well deserved short rest in the cook tent.
They had plenty of room to play soccer at this campsite. There were some pretty avid soccer players in this group, with at least one girl!
Elder Howard is delivering mail for the group on the last night. He alleges to be from the famous Pony Express riders and comes galloping in on his stick horse.
He states that he doesn't see to well and gets confused as to which group he is supposed to be delivering mail to. After he pulls out his "glasses" he sees better. Afterwards, he takes off on his beloved horse, Sliver, whose mother is Splinter and father is Two-by-Four. They do come from a family of thorough boards, however!
The last day, at staging where the trekkers will board the busses for home, their leaders sing a touching farewell song to the youth. All the while, the ever present drone records it for posterity!
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