Back in Utah again!!!

We arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah 3:30 am on Saturday, April 11, on our way to serve another 6-month service mission at Heber Valley Camp. In SLC, we visited Pat's sister Linda and her husband Karl before driving to Kaysville to stay two nights. It was fun spending Easter Sunday with my niece Lisa, her husband Dylan, and their four children. We attended Church with them and then enjoyed a wonderful Easter dinner. Monday morning it was back on the road to Roy for a visit with the Penman family (formerly of Chico). That afternoon, it was a short trip up to Brigham City to see Ron and Louise Cefalo and some of their family. They served the previous 2 years at Heber Valley camp. The weather was a warm 73 degrees with clear skies as we left the Cefalo's home and headed for Heber City where we arrived at 7 pm at Bell and Ed Jones' home. We were greeted with many hugs from Erik, Jakob, Katie, and Anika Jones.

By 9 pm Monday night the rain began and continued through the night and most of Tuesday. It was really chilly with the cold wind and rain when we went with the Jones family to attend the girls' 6 pm soccer game.

Wednesday morning the sky was clear when we drove up the mountain to take snow photos of camp and visit with some of the "chosen frozen" missionaries there. By noon it was snowing and continued as we left the mountain. Even as we drove towards Provo, the hillsides were covered in snow. We stayed overnight in Spanish Fork with relatives and woke up to more snow. The sun came out Thursday, so most of the new snow melted that day.

Returning to Heber City on Thursday, we stopped at Costco, in Orem, and Pat saw a big line of Marie Osmond's fans waiting to get photos and hugs from Marie as she signed her new book there. Pat took 15 photos which she posted on her Facebook site.

Friday, April 17 was clear and windy. We stopped to visit old missionary friends and meet new ones where they gathered with their RV's at the rodeo-grounds "Cowboy Town" parking lot in Heber City. Then we drove up to camp in the afternoon for our interview with the camp directors.

While there, we learned that we will receive our assignments next Friday. (We were co-hosts in Camp Sariah last year.) Monday night we'll go back to camp for a potato-bar dinner hosted by the 5 "Frozen Chosen" couples. We'll begin training at the church at the base of the mountain on Tuesday morning. Then next week, on the 27th and 29th of April, missionaries will be taking their RV's to camp. We are all scheduled to attend a temple session in SLC on Tuesday, the 28th, followed by lunch together in the Joseph Smith building.

The sun was out for a warmer day on Saturday. In the morning, Pat went with Belle and the girls for another soccer game. Jim went to help Erik, along with about a dozen others, with an Eagle Project at a care home for the elderly. When the project was finished, it was back to "Cowboy Town" to see friends (the Evans) who had arrived from Nevada. Later that evening, we went with Elder and Sister Evans, and Spencer Madsen (who came up from Arizona), to have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays in Park City.

Sunday, from 9 am till noon, we attended church with the Jones family in Heber City. Then we drove to Orem's Suncrest 9th Ward, where we joined the Evans, to hear L. Tom Perry speak in their sacrament meeting at 1 pm. This is the home ward of Elder and Sister Gordon. On future Sundays, all the missionaries will be attending church together at the Coppertop building at 1365 E. Center Street in Heber City. That is until about the first Sunday in June (weather permitting), then we will all attend church in camp in one of the large pavilions. Beginning the 26th of April, potlucks are scheduled in camp following church services. Also after church, we will have district meetings, in groups of 7 or 8 couples, where we study Preach My Gospel together. Last year, there were 103 Senior Missionaries that served in camp along with volunteers that came from all over to help with various projects. We are looking forward to a great summer! What an awesome place to serve a mission at 8,000+ feet elevation -- surrounded by the beauty of the camp's 8,600 acres. Visitors are invited to our first Open House, to check out the camp, on May 16 from 1 until 5 pm. Also, a lot of information can be found at the Heber Valley Camp website.