Elder Call Loves the "Typical" Pocatello Family; Remains Well Fed

Well, Elder Call is really getting immersed with the people of Pocatello. And he's learning more and more about the "typical" Pocatello family. I remember having similar experiences in Hong Kong nearly 30 years ago. Seemed like every family in Hong Kong

• Had a relative in America
• Had a parent or grandparent who survived the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
• The dad worked either in "the factory" "making things" or "at the ocean" "fishing"
• Everybody, including children, was "working hard"
• Wanted to learn English
• Didn't "believe in church"
• Worshipped traditional Chinese gods
• Couldn't understand you, no matter how good your Cantonese was

Here's the latest from Elder Call:

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10 June 2009


Dear Family:

Thanks for your letters. It sounds like everyone is having a ton of fun this summer. I'm glad you had such a good time in Utah, Mom. It is good to see family every once in a while.

On Monday night Elder Poppleton and I were coming up with traits of the standard Pocatello family. These are just a few things that we have noticed. Every family pretty much fits a few of these descriptions:

• Born or raised in or near Pocatello
• Parents or older children went to Idaho State University
• They hunt or fish and some animal head in their home
• They know Calls or Poppletons
• Usually related to the Calls
• Usually went to school with the Poppletons
• Someone in the family works or has worked at one of the following:
• Drives a truck or school bus
• Simplot or FMC
• Heinz
• Railroad
• They have a son or nephew on a mission
• The teenagers are going to ISU
  

Oh—and every time they have a teenage-to-twenty-something daughter, she is mysteriously absent from dinner (We’re missionaries—can’t they trust us?)

Most families usually fit several of these. Se,e we came up with that Monday after dinner because the family has a nephew in the ward who just left on a mission. Their teenage sons are going to go to ISU. Their 21-year-old daughter showed up right at the end. And the father drives a truck.

Then our dinner appointment on Tuesday night had a daughter who is about 19 or 20 who was going to come home for dinner (it sounded like she was going to ISU) but decided she couldn’t make it. Oh—and the mother of this family is Ruth call’s great-granddaughter. Ruth Call is an Indian girl who Anson Call adopted. So that makes this sister and me fourth cousins once removed. She and her husband went to school together (they grew up in Pocatello) and knew a guy named Gary Poppleton! We firmly believe our “Standard Pocatello Family” to be pretty true!

Well, things are going well here. I’m still in the Pocatello West Stake. We’re usually teaching about 10 lessons a week. Some weeks less, others more. Our nights get filled up pretty quick and are busy. We just wish more people would keep their appointments.

Tell me what is going on and what everyone is up to.

Love you all,
Elder Call

P.S. We just realized that we have six sirloins and six rib eyes and 15 hamburgers in our freezer! The Saurey’s give us way too much!