It's P-Day

This week was the beginning of the camping season for Young Women. They arrive on Monday morning and leave on Friday morning. The weekends are for families or other groups. We anticipate at least 2000 campers per week. Challenge Course 5, which is what we operate, was really busy for two days and then it turned cold and rainy. The girls who were assigned to our course were disappointed that the course was closed due to the weather. Instead, we went to individual pavilions with a bag of group games to play for about an hour and a half.

Our Friday Preparation Day starts as early as 5 p.m. on Thursday if we don't have any assignments. We are supposed to be back by 10 p.m. on Friday. It is too far and takes too much gas to go home all the time. Last night we left the mountain and went into town to get something to eat. Then we took a drive to Strawberry Reservoir. Within 20 miles of Heber City there are three reservoirs...Strawberry, Jordanelle and Deer Creek. One of these days we would like to go fishing! Friday morning we drove to Orem to see Robin and her family. We went to see the home they are buying in American Fork...very nice, very spacious, new, and a great area! We went to Cabela's to get some things we needed.

This is the Mt. Timpanogas Temple in American Fork.

This picture of the temple spire is taken from Robin's yard!

This is the Temple Meadows HOA Park behind their home.

Double click on picture to see the temple spire from their front yard.

The new Burkhardt residence...Robin says to excuse the yard. It will look better next year. Their address is 1253 East Meadow Woods, American Fork, Utah 84003

Things are starting to green up on the mountain. You have to take this road to our cabin.

Yesterday we saw probably 30-40 deer. Moose frequently cross through the Challenge Course. It is too bad that I never have a camera in hand. The picture of this deer was taken out our bedroom window.

Unfortunately, the bears are back in camp. A group of campers left a cooler in this pavilion overnight and a bear totally ripped it apart. This is the bear trap they put out in an effort to capture it.

This is what it looks like as you enter the Heber Valley Camp. The banners represent the Young Women values. White=Faith, Blue=Divine Nature, Red=Individual Worth, Green=Knowledge, Orange=Choice and Accountability, Yellow=Good Works, Purple=Integrity. The last banner has the Young Woman Torch Logo on it. You ought to hear the noise of the flags in the wind. The flapping is so loud we hear it in our cabin. The Welcome Center is the little building in the lower left side. If you look carefully, you can see the roof of the Administration Building. Behind the aspen trees to the right of the Administration Building is where we live.

Family News

Kim and Bryan Johnson
Riley, 12
Ashley, 10
Jayse, 7
Brynlee, 4

I am happy to report that the Johnson family now has a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan! They can all fit in one vehicle and with reliable transportation they will be able to leave the confines of the valley. Yahoo! Bryan is early to bed and early to rise. He is employed at Weathershield. Everyone is out of school for this year including Kim, who is a Teacher's Aide at Thomas Edison Charter School. Riley grew three and an eighth inches in height last year. So far this year he has added another inch and a quarter bringing him to five feet, four and three quarters inches tall! After a week out of school, Ashley misses her school friends already. Jayse got an award for being the most fun to be with. Brynlee did great in her dance classes and has the pictures to prove it.

Jill and Brandon Schvaneveldt
Courtney, 12
Hailey, 11
Natalie, 9
Kaden, 6

Jill has been busy assisting the girls in their end-of-school-year projects. They have all done very well and have been earning awards. They have been involved in several school programs. Jill works hard to keep their home clean for prospective buyers. Brandon spends his days at his dental practice in Logan...Ridge View Smile Care, and most nights at our home in Nibley. He goes home on weekends. Being bored without his family, Brandon works on Pinewood Derby cars. Courtney is scheduled to attend Heber Valley Camp with her Stake Young Women in July! Hailey wrote a winning essay for the D.A.R.E. Program. Natalie is turning into a very nice young lady. Kaden gives his sisters a "run for their money."

Robin and Andrew Burkhardt
Ashlyn, 4
Katelyn, 2

The Burkhardt family just moved from Bremerton, Washington to the home of a friend in Orem, Utah (temporarily). This is the first time in their six years of marriage that they have lived close to family. Yeah! Their offer on a home near the Mt. Timpanogas Temple in American Fork was accepted and they will close on it June 28th. Andrew got out of the Navy and has a job in Provo with Intermountain Health Care. (facilities management) Ashlyn reads and spells and is very good at memorization. She called up one day and sang "Called to Serve" on our answering machine. Katelyn is a twinkly blue-eyed blond with cute dimples. Her smile makes her look mischievous.

Candace and Jory VanWagenen
Mason, 9
Tanner, 7
Landon, 5

The most exciting thing that is happening for the VanWagenens is that a baby GIRL will be joining their family in September! They are busy making preparations for baby sisters' arrival. Candace is working for Marriott and Jory is in loss prevention/security at Albertsons. They are busy juggling jobs and kids. The boys are in year round school and won't be out until July 1st. Mason and another kid are the biggest and smartest in 3rd Grade. Tanner is the next grandchild to be baptized! Landon will soon begin Kindergarten.

Jodi and Ty Hawkins
Owen, 2
Miles, soon 10 months
Baby Girl, arriving in July

The Hawkins Family likes Oklahoma. Ty is a counselor in their ward bishopric. Summertime keeps him super busy in the extermination business. Jodi will have her hands very full with 3 kids under 3. Owen is a smartie and great big brother. Miles is growing and learning new skills every day. We wish we could make our fourth trip to see the Hawkins family when baby girl is born in about 5 weeks. We hope their ward family helps them out. This baby will even out our grandchildren...8 granddaughters and 8 grandsons. (until Candace has her little girl)

Camp Names

The camps at Heber Valley Camp are named after prominent and remarkable women in the scriptures or in Church History. Currently there are seven camps. Do you know the basic story of each of the following sisters?

Lucy Mack Smith

Lucy Mack Smith was the mother of eleven children, including the Prophet Joseph Smith. She was a woman of unwavering faith in God and was dedicated to her children and the restored Gospel. She carefully described handling the Urim and Thummin and the ancient breastplate, and bore a firm testimony of the Book of Mormon. Her husband died in 1840; she lost two infant sons, three of her adult sons to sickness (Alvin, Samuel, Don Carlos), and Joseph and Hyrum to martyrdom. She remained faithful to God, the restoration of the Gospel, and her family until her death in 1856 at nearly 81 years of age.

Esther

Esther's story is recorded in the Old Testament book that bears her name. She was orphaned in her youth and adopted by a Jew named Mordecai. When she pleased King Ahasuerus, she was made his queen. Meanwhile, a leader in the king's court named Haman plotted to destroy the Jews. After Mordecai's challenge to her, "who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?", Esther risked her life in exposing the plot to the king and in the process saved the whole Jewish nation.

Abish

Abish was a Lamanite servant in King Lamoni's court who had been "converted unto the Lord for many years" after her father had a "remarkable vision." When Ammon, Lamoni, the queen, and the other servants were all fallen to the earth, she recognized the power of God and became an instrument in His hands. Wanting others to witness this power, she ran from house to house and gathered the people to the house of the king. She eventually raised the queen from her unconscious state, helping initiate the work of the Lord among the Lamanites. (see Alma 19: 16-17, 28-36)

Bertha Stone Reeder

Bertha Stone Reeder was the general president of the Young Women's MIA from 1948 to 1961. During her administration, the coordination, translation, and communication with the youth presidencies worldwide were a great challenge and new programs were created. General board members were sent more frequently on weekend convention tours to present programs in activities, dance, drama, music, athletics, and camping. Stake Youth Conferences were started, and the Era of Youth was launched as an insert in the monthly Church magazine Improvement Era.

Sariah

Sariah was the wife of Lehi, and the mother of Laman, Lemuel, Sam, Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph. She supported her husband and family in their prophetic journey from Jerusalem, journeying for eight years in the wilderness, then traveling across the sea in a ship constructed by her sons to the Promised Land. She was a faithful daughter of God, supporting the Lord's direction through her husband, the prophet, encouraging her family to be valiant in their hardships as they traveled, and leaving a legacy of grace and beauty for her family to follow.

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Marjorie Pay Hinckley was the beloved wife of Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th President of the Church. Her happiest role was that of a supportive wife and mother. She helped serve shoulder to shoulder with her husband as he frequently remodeled their home as well as laboring to build up the church worldwide. She traveled extensively with him and spread her cheerful influence freely. She was comfortable with royalty and dignitaries, but equally at ease with ordinary people. Known for her optimism and humor, she often said, "The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through."

Eliza R. Snow

Eliza R. Snow was the first Relief Society Secretary to be called in 1842 when it was organized by Joseph Smith. Later when the saints moved to Utah, she was the second General Relief Society President. Throughout her life she often expressed her feelings in poetry and writing. Her songs are among some of the favorite LDS hymns today. Joseph Smith said of her, "She walked not in the borrowed light of others, but faced the morning unafraid and invincible." (I am proud to say that Eliza R. Snow personally composed a hymn of consolation for my Great-great grandfather James Hancey)

Camp Rebekah is under construction this year. The camp to be built after Rebekah is Camp Minerva Teichert. Who is that? I don't know. Camp Elizabeth is another future expansion project. We don't use the full names of the camps. For instance, we say Snow and Reeder instead of Eliza R. Snow and Bertha Stone Reeder. Well, this ends your lesson for today!

A Few Pictures

For many reasons, the biggest of which is that I am technologically handicapped, I could not get my pictures from my camera to my post. I called tech support (Jodi). She guided me through adding the pictures but not in a conventional way. It took about 10 clicks to find each image. The pictures and image numbers did not show up on the same page. It took forever just to figure things out and get them uploaded so I did not worry about the order in which they appear. Sorry about the scrambled pictures.

Icicles on cabin roof 5/23

Is spring ever going to come? 5/23

Kathy getting ready to rappel 5/15

The "great and spacious" building overlooking our lake

Legacy Lake guard tower 5/21

Shoot, it is starting to snow again! 5/22

Big fat flakes 5/22

12-18" later 5/23

The waterfront--paddleboats and canoes 5/21

Volleyball nets, canoes and greening aspen at Legacy Lake 5/21

Legacy Lake on May 21st

Missionaries resting and visiting after assignment at lake 5/21

Peaceful and calm, but not for long

High-flying flags flapping in the breeze


Reed rappeling down pole

Challenge Course #5 opened on Thursday, May 29th. Working the course totally wore us out. Reed asked me, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" While riding my 4-wheeler to pick up a rope at Camp Eliza R. Snow, a moose crossed the road in front of me. Then I rode to Camp Bertha Stone Reeder and two deer leaped in front of me. I saw elk tracks in the snow on our course and several deer ran through during the day.

More Camp Info

This will have to be a pictureless post again. For some reason I cannot obtain the pictures from my camera card on our laptop. I will try to use a computer at the administration building or wait until I go home to post pictures.

Some days we are physically tired and worn out, and literally battered and bruised. We are really out of shape. Because we need to practice our belaying skills, we keep taking turns being the climber and the belayer. I simply don't have the strength or range of motion in the right shoulder since my shoulder surgery. I feel like a boy scout with all the knots I have had to learn. Friday, May 16th, Reed and I checked the Challenge Course to which we have been assigned. It is about 2.1 miles from our cabin. We will ride our 4-wheelers to work every day. The speed limit on the paved roads is only 20 mph and on the graveled or dirt roads we are only supposed to go 5 mph. Most of the course was still quite snow-covered. After a hot weekend we were surprised on Monday the 19th that most of the course was clear. The next day we checked out a John Deere Gator with a little hand-dump bed, shovels and rakes, and shoveled in wood chips which we spread along paths in our challenge course. We hauled four loads. We also spent two hours in training. The harnesses are not very flattering and the helmets can ruin a hairdo in seconds.

We left after church on May 18th and drove to Jill's home in Herriman. The occasion was a celebration of Natalie's 9th birthday (18th), Robin's 32nd birthday (18th) and Jory's 33rd birthday (22nd). It was good to see Jill's, Robin's and Candace's families. If it works out with everyone's schedules, we will have our June family birthday party here on the mountain on Saturday, June 21st. The honorees will be Kaden, Brynlee, Reed and Kimberly. We have reserved cabins and an enclosed pavilion for sleeping overnight and plan to go ziplining and maybe out on the lake.

Heber Valley Camp is much like a self-sustaining city. It has many departments...Administration, Public Safety, Guest Services, Construction, Maintenance, etc. It has a sewer plant/water treatment facility. It has a rock mine/gravel pit. With the rock crusher they are able to put down road base where needed. With dead and downed trees, the walking paths all around camp are log-lined. There is a ready supply of firewood. Nothing is wasted. Trees/logs are run through the chipper and chips are stockpiled for use all throughout camp. The camp has a huge fleet of heavy eqipment and trucks down to hand tools, garden hoses, chainsaws and wheelbarrows. Anyone can train to certify and operate the equipment. I didn't sign up for any of it. One sister missionary who is here a second year said that she trained on the big dump truck last year. She said it was hard to back it up but she felt so powerful when she operated the dump.

We were finally assigned a p-day. We will have Fridays off. With the price of gas and the drive of a little over two hours each way to get home and back, we might just stay put. We did go home for the 23rd. We went to see Mother. During the week she may have suffered a mini-stroke. We found her sitting on the loveseat in the day room as usual. She was fairly conversant with us. She asked us some questions and she made comments. We did not detect any drooping on her face. Mother was not the best we had seen her in times past, but certainly not the worst either. We were able to drop by to see Kim, Bryan, Riley, Ashley, Jayse and Brynlee. Friday was the last day of school for Kim, Ashley and Jayse. Riley has another week.

The camps were used for two weekends for Wood Badge Scout Training. The weekend before last there were over 600 carloads for Father and Son campouts. They all had to be out by Saturday at noon. The Heber Valley Camp Open House was from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17th. It was estimated that about 2044 people came to tour the camp. We are gearing up for the beginning of the Young Women camping season which will be from June 2nd through August 17th. The Young Women come in on Monday morning and leave on Friday morning. Families, Church groups, Scouts and others use the camp on weekends.

With spring arriving on the mountain we haven't seen as many elk lately. Deer are still very plentiful. The other day I was cleaning up junk behind our cabin when a deer jumped up and went bounding away from me. When Reed went to his 6 a.m. Monday meeting he said there was a deer right in front of the cabin. I don't like to drive up the road into camp after dusk because there are deer all over the roads. Supposedly someone from the security department saw a cougar and someone else thought they saw bear tracks. Badgers are a problem.

The ice on Legacy Lake has melted and it looks pretty. Sometimes I wish I had been assigned to the lake. There are paddleboats and canoes for use on the lake. Swimming is not allowed. During the week we received between 12 and 18 inches of snow. Most of it is gone now. Things are greening up and wildflowers are appearing. We have suffered through an invasion of red ants in our cabin. They were everywhere...on the toilet paper rolls, in our bed, on our towels, on the walls and ceilings, in the shower and the floor looked like it was moving. We went into town and bought some granules and spray and for a few days we have been ant-free. We'll have to see what happens when it warms back up.

Each couple has been issued a radio. That is our only means of communicating with the other missionaries in all the areas of camp. Radio transmissions often begin before 7 a.m. and sometimes don't quiet down until after 9:30 p.m. We receive all sorts of announcements about the weather and assignments. The other day the manager came on the radio and said help was needed in shoveling snow to all the cabins as the camp was scheduled to be full that evening. He said there was not much else to do so we should "hunker down and study the gospel."

We belong to a dessert club. Each couple who wished to participate was put with two other couples. Each of the three couples take turns having an evening of socializing and desserts. Last night was our first get-together in the motorhome of one of the missionary couples. After three months, they rearrange the groups so we get to know others. There are always humanitarian projects going on as well as service projects within the camp. Next Saturday night there is going to be a social showcasing the photography of one of the Elders. He will put on a slideshow. He has published several photography books.

We had to speak in Sacrament meeting today. I am glad to have that behind us! We had double duty as it was our turn to facilitate our district meeting tonight. We have been meeting at a church house in Heber City so far. Weather permitting, we plan on holding our meetings in the open air under the Hinckley Pavilion next Sunday. The 3-hour block will begin at 10 a.m. Our Sunday Potluck will be at 2:15 p.m. followed by district meetings at 3:30. (Preach My Gospel)

Holidays are not observed here at the camp. Even though tomorrow is Memorial Day, it will be business as usual. With Reed being an assistant to the Operations Manager, he begins his week at a 6 a.m. Monday morning meeting. He has another meeting at 7 a.m. and then we have our Challenge Course Group Meeting at 9 a.m. After that it is off to assignments.

Young Women Theme

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father,

who loves us, and we love Him.

We will "stand as witnesses of God at all

times and in all things, and in all places"

(Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the

Young Women values, which are:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works and

Integrity

We believe as we come to accept and act

upon these values, we will be prepared to

strengthen home and family,

make and keep sacred covenants,

receive the ordinances of the temple, and

enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

Heber Valley Camp Song

I FEEL MY SAVIOR'S LOVE

Verse 1

I feel my Savior's love in all the world around me.

His spirit warms my soul through everything I see.

Chorus

He knows I will follow Him, give all my life to Him.

I feel my Savior's love, the love He freely gives me.

Verse 2

I feel my Savior's love; its gentleness enfolds me,

And when I kneel to pray, my heart is filled with peace.

Chorus

He knows I will follow Him, give all my life to Him.

I feel my Savior's love, the love He freely gives me.

Verse 3

I feel my Savior's love, and know that He will bless me.

I offer Him my heart; my shepherd He will be.

Chorus

He knows I will follow Him, give all my life to Him.

I feel my Savior's love, the love He freely gives me.

Verse 4

I'll share my Savior's love by serving others freely.

In serving I am blessed, in giving I receive.

Chorus

He knows I will follow Him, give all my life to Him.

I feel my Savior's love, the love He freely gives me.

A Quick Trip to Washington

On Thursday afternoon, May 8th, I flew from Salt Lake City to Seattle. The purpose of the trip was to assist Robin in driving from Bremerton, Washington to Orem, Utah with Ashlyn and Katelyn. Andrew will follow in a week. I am glad they are moving so much closer! It was a long ride and we didn't get much sleep. We had our trials along the way but we arrived safely at our Utah destination on Saturday afternoon. Reed came to pick me up Saturday evening.

At 5:45 on Sunday evening we meet for a pot luck dinner in one of the pavilions. You can't believe the feast we have! When a group of campers leaves and has lots of food left over, they often leave it for the missionaries. We are told to bring baggies to put it in. I feel like I am at a food bank waiting in line for my rations. It sure beats making the trip to the grocery store. After the dinner we have our district meetings.

We have our Level 2 Challenge Course Training in Provo from Tuesday through Friday, May 13th through May 16th. We decided to stay at Robin's house in Orem instead of driving back and forth from Heber Valley Camp to Provo each day. Besides that, we got 4" of snow on the mountain last night. There is nice spring weather here with leaves coming out and trees blossoming.

Ashlyn, Katelyn and Grandpa Reed

Ashlyn enjoying the swing in the front yard.

Ashlyn on the porch of the home in Orem where they are staying until they find a home to purchase. This house is about a hundred years old. It has been fixed up inside and is quite spacious.

Challenge Course Training

Monday through Thursday, May 4th-8th, we drove to Provo each day to train on a challenge course. The snow is melting on the mountain but not sufficiently to train on our own courses. The commute took one hour each way. Some activities weren't much more than "birthday party" type games, some were mentally challenging and others were quite physically challenging. We had to learn to trust others, cooperate, develop teamwork, take risks and figure out how to accomplish goals. We learned how to tie different knots, how to "harness up" and belay. It was fun. Among the high course challenges were: walking on cables 35 feet above the ground, going on a giant swing, climbing a pole straight up then riding a zipline down, climbing a wall, etc. On Thursday we took the Level 1 Certification Test. Here are a few pictures...Reed is in all but the last one.

This is an original log cabin that was moved from Lehi to the property the challenge course occupies. One of the trainers lives there with his wife and two young children. If you can believe this, the family surname is West. The little boy's first name is Easton.

Camp News

Reed has been called to serve as Assistant to the Operations Manager of Heber Valley Camp. It is hard for Reed to help with and alleviate the huge workload of the Operations Manager when we are new and don't know much about all the aspects of camp. Reed and I received our work assignment for the summer. We will be the host couple for operating Challenge Course #5. Because it is completely covered with snow, we will be driving to a Challenge Course Training Center in Provo on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week to learn 'the ropes.' (literally)

Most of the trailers have moved up to camp but many are still experiencing frozen pipes and all manner of problems. It snowed again overnight and today. Doesn't Mother Nature realize it is the 1st of May, not April Fool's Day? Last year it was 87 degrees on this day in Salt Lake and today it was 45 degrees. It is the coldest May Day since 1954. Our thermometer is reading 34 degrees and dropping at the present time. B-r-r-r-r-r!

We went home and picked up a bunch of things we forgot and purchased some other things to make life more comfortable. Because of our location we are fortunate to get pretty good cellphone coverage and can get wireless internet. We can get TV reception...not the best, but we can catch the news and weather. I read 'The Herald Journal' online to keep up with what is going on at home, who dies, etc. I miss my tri-view mirror in the bathroom, my icemaker with crushed ice and water in the refrigerator door, a dishwasher, my comfortable intelligel over tempurpedic king-sized bed and my printer/copier. But don't get me wrong, we have it pretty nice here, in fact better than most.

We are having our 3-hour Sunday Meeting Block at a church house in Heber City. It seems really weird to have no babies, children or young adults. We are all in the age category of 55-75 years old. It is so quiet except for occasional snoring. We attend from 1-4 p.m. for now. When it warms up we will have Church Services on the mountain in an open pavilion from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will have a potluck supper at 5:45 and then we will meet with our study groups at 7 p.m. The manual for study group will be "Preach My Gospel."

The Elders and Sisters here have a wide span of talent, education, experience and expertise. Ecclesiastically, there are former Bishops, Stake Presidents and Mission Presidents with most having served missions, or on the High Council. Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary Presidents abound. There are those who have many degrees, have run large corporations, those who have been heavy equipment operators, teachers, administrators, secretaries or building contractors. The problem they have here with the wide expanse of knowledge and experience is having too many Chiefs and not enough Indians. Evidently too many persons want to take charge. Sometimes people butt heads. Our leadership keeps reminding us that we need to step back and let someone else take the lead. We need to work as teams and we don't always get to do things our own way.

As a reminder, the Spring Open House is Saturday, May 17th from 1-4 p.m. If you would like to visit the camp, check out the driving directions at http://www.hebervalleycamp.org/.