Week 1 - 4/21/16 - 5/1/16

We reported to our mission on April 21.  When we got there, were were the fourth couple to arrive.  It was like a big homecoming because we knew the other three couples, two of which were ones we had  gotten acquainted with last August when we were there for Trek Training, Elder and Sister Cowen (the Mission Directors) and Eider and Sister Peart.  The other couple was our good friends from Emmett, Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff.  As all of the others arrived during the day, most of us dropped what we were doing a all went out to welcome them.  It was so fun, and the spirit of the mission was already with all of us.

This is the  gate that no one gets through unless they have a key, or is let in by either a missionary or a Ranch person.  It has about 10 locks on it. Elder Howard has taught me how to open it, even with about 10 different locks on it!  It is the beginning of a 3.2 mile dirt road.  It was very dusty the day we arrived, even though there was still some snow along sides of the road.

Here is our Missionary Village.  On the left is our Trek Center.  It is a large two-story building where we have prayer meeting every morning, do training, and work on handcarts.  It even has a sewing room!  Then down the hill from it is where we park our trailers (with full hook-ups, including propane) and a couple of buildings behind them.  On the right is Kristie's Pavilion, the Addies (two small motel-like rooms for visitors) and the Depot where we meet on Monday evenings and special events.  It is also where the Mission office is.  In both the Trek Center and the Depot are laundry rooms that we use.  It is a great facility for the missionaries. 

After we had gotten all settled, Sister Cowen came to visit and Elder Howard (we all call our spouses Elder and Sister on our mission) told her hat we had already broken a mission rule--we had brought a dog with us!  She didn't know quite what to say, but then he told her that it was just a stuffed dog (although he looks quite real at first.)  She laughed and said she was going to tell Elder  Cowen he had to take care of this.  We watched out the window as she told him that "Howards brought a dog and you are going to have to go talk to them."  His mouth literally fell open!  About 15 minutes later he came to our trailer and we invited him in.  He sat down on the couch and looked very nervous.  There was another Elder visiting with us and I asked them all to please be quite so they wouldn't wake up the dog!  Elder Howard showed Elder Cowen our dog and he just gave a big sigh of relief.  He then proceeded to yell at us (in fun, I think) and told us we were in soooo much trouble and that he was going to assign us the worst jobs in the Mission!

You can see, Elder Cowen a very nice man, but I am afraid our reputation of being trouble makers is going to stick!

I tried to bake "truce" cookies in our gas oven for the first time!  The pan was a little too big to fit in the oven so I just tipped it a little to make it fit.  Not a good idea!  I scooped it all off, put it in the convection oven and they turned out yummy, although Elder Cowen said it was too late for a truce!

Later, our dog disappeared and this stuffed kitty appeared in it's place.  So, I sent out an "Amber Alert" to all of the missionaries and said that our dog had been scared away by a ferocious cat and possibly dog-napped and could probably be found near the Cowen's trailer! This story will be continued.

We all settled into our new homes (except us, because we brought our home with us) and got to know each other the next couple of days.  The couples in the Deseret Land and Livestock Trek Mission are:
Elder & Sister Barton (1st year) from Mesa AZ
Elder & Sister Brinkerhoff (2nd year) from Emmett ID
Elder & Sister Call (1st year) from Spanish Fork UT
Elder & Sister Cowen - Directors (3rd year) from Cedar City UT
Elder & Sister Ekins (1st year) from Hinckley UT
Elder & Sister Higginson (2nd year) from St George UT
Elder & Sister Hutchings (1st year) from Draper UT
Elder & Sister Johnson (2nd year) from Evanston WY
Elder & Sister Peart (2nd year) from Heber UT
Elder & Sister Walker (1st year) from Emmett ID

We had our first prayer meeting on Friday morning and got some our assignments.

Elder Howard, Elder Brinkerhoff, and Elder Peart were assigned maintenance on the 7 pick-up trucks, 7 side-by-side four wheelers, and numerous trailers.  When they opened up the hood on the first pick-up they found this!  Pack rats had made a nest in the engine.  It was literally filled with rocks and all kinds of nesting material!

This is the cozy little nest they spent the winter in.  It took Elder Howard and Elder Brinkerhoff the rest of the day to clean it our, splice all of the wires together that were chewed apart, and get it running.  They amazed everyone that they got it running!  Thank goodness the other trucks were not as bad.

One of my first assignments was to help clean the Depot.  We cleaned the kitchen, the living room, and washed all of the curtains there and in the Addies.  It took a good part of the two days to get everything done.

Sister Brinkerhoff  and other Sisters helped .  She helped iron lots of curtains.


 We still get some walks in, when the weather is okay and we have (or make) time.  It is a beautiful place to walk and there are lots of wildlife--antelope, deer, gophers, and birds.

We have seen all kinds of weather--snow, sleet, hail, wind, and beautiful sunshine.  It has been in the 40's to 50's in the daytime and in the low 30's at night.  Not too good of an idea to leave my shoes out at night because you never know what to expect the weather to do.

 Our tomato plants not seen the sun for a week, but they are still beginning to ripen.  We ate our first tomato and it was delicious!

Another assignment I got was to make our meal bags to take on Trek with us.  I put a little handcart on ours to show how they could be personalized.  It was a fun project for me.  I am going to make enough to next year's new missionaries.

 Elder Howard got the assignment to check the well twice a week.  I guess they lost all of the water in it once last year (a computer glitch)  so Elder Cowen wants the well checked so it doesn't happen again.  He let me go with him once and he is a crazy driver in the 4-by-4!  He made me drive it a little bit on the way home when he had to open and shut a gate.  I think it will be fun driving them.

This is our well.  It is kept under lock and key so it doesn't get polluted.  We use a lot of water for the Missionary Village and the water buffaloes for the Treks in June, July, and August.

This is the view from the top of the hill where the well is to Missionary Village.  It is about a quarter of a mile away.

 I spent the last two days this week working over the handcarts.  We have about 150 and have to tighten every bolt on each one, make sure there are no broken boards and the wheel hubs are okay.  We tight any loose screws.  I am working with Sister Briscoe (I mean, Sister Walker.  She and Elder Walker have only been married for 6 months.  I have known her as Sister Briscoe for 53 years!) and Sister Call.

Elder Brinkerhoff and Elder Howard are finished with the trucks and 4-by-4's and are working on the trailers that carry the handcarts, port-a-johns, and water buffaloes

This is a very busy mission during the six weeks before we get to start trekking with the youth groups.  But, we have had time to go to the Ogden Temple this week.  What a great experience going with eight other missionary couples we are growing to love.  We have prayer meeting every morning, with announcements, pioneer stories, and scripture study discussions.  We laugh a lot and learn a lot.  We feel the spirit of our Heavenly Father constantly.  We sometimes think we are having too much fun to be on a mission and we know this is a very special place to be.  We are so thankful to be here and pray every day that the Lord's blessings will be with our family and loved ones while we are here.