We just finished our pioneer trek with the youth of our stake. We were a ma and pa for 9 kids, 2 "aunts" and an "uncle". It was one of the hardest, yet most incredible experiences ever. We were blessed with so many little miracles, and it was so fun to start off the trip pointing them out to our youth, and by the end of the experience have them point the miracles out to us. It was amazing to see testimonies grow, and self esteem grow as they overcame incredible challenges.
This was a picture of our "family" after the women's pull at the top of the hill. The women's pull was the absolute hardest thing physically ever, but also the most rewarding and spiritually uplifting. We were seperated at the bottom of the mountain from the men, who portrayed the men going off to war, or dying off along the trail. We did a "hurrah to Isreal" shout to the men, who were taken on a hike through rattlesnake country. The women were given the handcarts, and told we had to pull them up a ridge, then up a super steep, rocky hill. We had such an incredible experience, as these girls discovered that they had a strength that came from within when they thought they had nothing left to give physically. The best part, was that when we got near the top, the men and young men from our families were there, cheering us on. They said that was the hardest thing ever, to stand and watch, knowing they were so close, but couldn't do anything to help us. We had to get the handcart past a stake in the ground up on the top, then the young men and men grabbed that carts from us and the girls dropped to the side. They pulled it the rest of the way up the hill. As you can see in the picture below, the ground was so rocky! Also, the angle I was at does NO justice to how steep the trail really was.
This is a picture of our family getting the handcart down one of the many hills we did on the second day.
We did 2 river crossings. This one, they had to get momentum because it was a flat start, then muddy on both sides, then straight up a steep hill. We had such an awesome group of kids in our family, who started off as strangers and ended up really becoming a family...incredible experience!
We came home today, showered, napped and are so sore...but would do it again in a heartbeat tomorrow!
7 comments:
It sounds like an amazing experience! I thought about you every day as I drove by the church and saw your car parked there. I can't wait to hear more about it!
Oh I love Pioneer Trek! I have gone 3 times, once as a kid and twice as a Ma. One of the times I was a Ma, Dave was my "child", I was 19 he was 16! What an incredible experience, I am jealous!
Dad and I did Trek 5 years ago in California. We were the cooks for the group. I remember seeing the women come up the hill struggling with those full wooden carts. When they reached the top where all of us were...the guys were waiting with tears in their eyes. It is definitely a humbling experience and brings us closer to our ancestors and what they went through. We still have trials in this generation and the basic needs are still the same. I'm proud of you grasshopper! I really am sweetie!! (Makes you appreciate what we have, doesn't it!) Love, Mom B.
Kim and Dan, you are awesome! I'm glad to hear what a neat experience it was. Thanks for representing our ward so well!
Hey girl! I'm so impressed! I bet that shower felt great when you got home. I also bet you burned about a million calories each day. What a workout!
Wow. Just Wow. Sometimes I think we miss out on so much now-a-days because things are so easy. It's such a great thing that opportunities like this can still be had- and marvelously uplifting as well. Glad you guys had a great experience!
On a side note, you always amaze me by throwing funny little comments in to your dialogue, like what you said about the roads being paved. I love sarcasm!!
Three years ago I participated in a one day trek. It was so exhausting, but to realize even, in the smallest sense, what the pioneers went thru was totally worth it. We have an amazing legacy of faith.
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