Trek was 3 weeks ago…hard to believe. I've struggled to sit down and write about it because for me it was so BIG. Nine months of preparation and very hard work. Three days of life changing moments and faces and experiences. It was remarkable. It was hard. It was such a blessing for Derek and I to be a part of. So, I hesitate to know how to record it. It is a daunting task. So I start here…with bullet points. And this is just of the three days, not of any of the months and months that lead up to it, which could be a post by itself. Meetings and coordinating and committees (wonderful committees!) and decisions and re-decisions!
Here are the highlights for me:
THURSDAY
– We greeted the mas and pas at 6:30 am in a dark parking lot. We sent one of each couple with their car to the "finish line" where a school bus waited to bring them back. 35 families (sets of "parents") + 3 floating uncles
– The youth began arriving at 7:30 am and their enthusiasm and energy was contagious. The line was long and took a little longer than we had hoped. But it allowed us time to fight some "fires".
– The families played get-to-know-you games and made a family flag. Then departed by companies to Nauvoo – without their belongings and handcarts.
– Their first destination was NAUVOO (led by Keith and Keli Moon) – There were different stations and lots of fun where we spent 2 hours. It was a great atmosphere reminding us of a provident Mormon city of the 1840s – the temple built just for us, minnow races, Reid Moon's books (a Book of Mormon owned by Joseph Smith and a bible that pre-dates the King James version), the General Store, etc.
– The trail to and from Nauvoo was a beautiful 7 – mile roundtrip journey
– Upon arrival back to our starting point (Lantana Lodge) the families ate lunch (tortillas, cheese and apples) and loaded their handcarts.
– I loved watching the youth dig deep and pull through the mud (I watched one girl fall face first as they were running with their handcart – poor thing)
– We stopped for dinner 4 miles later and everyone hoped we were done for the day, but we had another 4 miles to go as a night hike….this was difficult and everyone was exhausted. The handcarts were extremely heavy, carrying everyone's belongings, sleeping bags, tents and cooking supplies.
– Our food committee was amazing! They had bags of food to give each handcart family as they rolled in to mealtime – they then would take and prepare it as a family in their dutch ovens (cutting and cooking by themselves). The organization of our food committee and their cheerful dispositions really helped.
– MOTIVATION MILE (led by Eric and Debbie Vogelsberg) – there were vignettes in the trees with light and music depicting historical scenes of inspiration and motivation…the First Vision of Joseph Smith, Moroni (of the Book of Mormon) burying the plates, a couple who had just gotten married standing outside the Nauvoo temple, a family reading the scriptures together, the Savior in Gethsemane (seen from the back). It was very moving and symbolic. The point was to demonstrate why the pioneers did what they did – for the chance to worship freely and because of their testimonies.
– That night was a tough one. We were behind schedule so the handcarts didn't roll through until 12:30 – 1 am. Many were at their end. Derek and I helped with tents and tried to buoy people up – reassuring them that the next days would not be 15-mile days as that one had been (that seemed to help). It was said though, later, that despite the difficulties and hardships of that night, many had had choice experiences and were taught things about themselves and about the gospel.
– That night I slept in my clothes. I took a call from a parent at 2:30 am. We were given a hot potato upon arrival that night for warmth and nourishment. I cuddled up to it all night. Despite that though I shivered violently and only got about an hour of sleep. I was anxious to get going the next morning though.
FRIDAY
– We pushed back the schedule to allow some time for people to sleep that morning (7:30 am instead of 6:30 am!)
– The young men were asked to sign up for the Mormon Battalion – they were instructed to get their families to a certain point and then gather with the other men for a service project
– I had a good time walking and visiting with different families – getting to know the Mas and Pas and youth better. It was a beautiful part of the trail. At one point I halted my group in order to get some lead time for the carts in front so we wouldn't be stopping so often. I loved watching them journal, talk, have devotionals, sing, play games, etc.
– I loved cheering them on as they pushed the carts through a big gulley and up a steep hill – what a task!
– There was SO much mud on this day – people would pull their feet up and lose a shoe because of how deep and thick the mud was. I've never seen mud like that – ever!
– We also crossed a "stream" for our river crossing (led by Matt Hicken). We weren't able to cross the real river because of depth and time concerns. But this sufficed, for sure. Despite not getting much sleep because his son Christian got sick at trek and had to be sent at home at midnight suffering with dehydration (I felt terrible!), Matt was there bright and early with a smile on that morning (which knowing him as well as we do, we know that's a sacrifice!). As you can see, we didn't hesitate asking our friends to help!
– Speaking of friends, our neighbor Scott Brooke was our facilites guy – running everywhere to emty and set-up camping toilets, deliver water, drive the sick and injured to safety, etc. What a guy!
– After the water crossing, the men and women were separated. The men off to work on re-surfacing the trail, the women to push and pull the handcarts back to dinner. This was one of my favorite parts of the trek. Getting in with the girls and helping them push up a steep embankment took my breath away (literally) – but working together made it so fun. And then I helped one of the families with the heaviest handcarts (size and wood) – it was me, another Ma, a strong teenage girl and two little bitty girls pushing this handcart. It was HARD. I was at the back with the younger girls and my thighs and forearms burned. So often I would want to stop but digging in deep and taking one step after another we got there. Such a feeling of success! And such a feeling of awe and respect for those who did that day in and day out. I loved visiting with those YW too.
– After dinner that night we crossed under the bridge to a big field and were treated to a "Campfire Evening" (a program written by Betsy Winters). It was a program called "The Price We Paid" – taken from journal entries from the original pioneers and featuring beautiful music. It was given by the some of the youth with a few adults – they had rehearsed for weeks. It was a highlight – beautifully done and very moving. Everyone loved it (and they were grateful to be able to sit!).
– That night we knew that storms were approaching. Several times we, with the stake leaders, gathered in prayer for safety and for the elements to be tempered in hopes of completing our plans for Saturday.
– We were treated to hot chocolate that night and got to bed by 11/11:30.
– I slept much better in warm pajamas, a warmer sleeping bag, and a blanket (from Bev Roberts). I awoke though to heavy wind and heavy rain around 3 am and said a little prayer for all of our youth in tents around me.
SATURDAY
– We woke to plunging temperatures and steady rain. It was SO hard to get out of my tent. :)
– The decision was made to continue on, which we announced to the Mas and Pas before daylight.
– They worked to try to get their youth warm (although dry was impossible). Many of the youth had not brought coats (despite instruction to do so) and had shoes covered in mud that were unwearable. It broke my heart to see people borrowing clothes left and right and lending shoes. Their were many tears that morning and long faces. But many remained good-natured and optimistic. We wanted a pioneer experience – and I feel like THIS morning, more than any other, provided that in a way that was profound.
– Plans for the day included someone "dying" in each family and being taken to "Rocky Ridge" (a historically difficult experience for the Mormon pioneers). Those who had died would then come back to help the families (as angels) to assist their families on that difficult ascent. A testimony meeting (a favorite among the teens) was to be held at the top of the Ridge. A Salt Lake City Arrival (base camp) barbecue was planned.
AND – unbeknownst to ANYONE but a select few an Apostle from our Church was in the area and was prepared to greet each participant as they finished. This is not something that happens everyday! With 15 Apostles and Prophets of a 13-million member worldwide Church, the opportunity for one to greet a group of this size is unthinkable…and yet, he was willing (being companions with our own Elder Roberts – former Stake President and husband of our trek Nurse). And we were heartbroken to think that it might not happen because of weather.
– Temperatures continued to drop! Fires were set up in pits for the youth to huddle around. Families cooked their oatmeal in the rain. Everyone's belongings were wet – almost all of the girls' tents (including mine!) had leaked because of where we were camped. Men acting as security had tried to dig trenches in the middle of the night.
– Upon realizing that Elder Dallin H. Oaks was able to meet at a chapel, the Stake Presidency (the ecclestical leaders of our area) made the decision that we had done enough. The announcement was made to send everyone home and to have them shower and dress and come back to our local chapel for a testimony meeting at 3:30 that afternoon. None of them knew yet about the Apostle's visit.
– Getting all the youth packed up and into cars to be taken home took several hours (we were an hour from home). Cleaning up took a little longer than that. I was frozen – even with all of my pioneer layers! Snow flakes started to fall as we were preparing to leave. But the rain subsided allowing us to get everyone home safely.
– We grabbed some Sonic for lunch on the way home! And hurried over to the church after a warm shower to set up and prepare for the meeting.
– The youth and Mas and Pas sat as families at the meeting. Jaws dropped when our visitor was announced. We all stood up to greet his arrival. We sang "Faith in Every Footstep". Elder Roberts spoke as well as Elder Oaks. And he desired to shake everyone's hands – row by row. Derek and I got to shake twice – once upon his arrival and once in the line. He is shorter than we both imagined him to be. He is a jovial and happy man and it was such a blessing to watch each of the youth as they approached him to shake his hand.
– After he left, we had a 2 hour testimony meeting with many of the youth standing to share experiences, bear testimony and proclaim belief. So many of the things that Derek and I had prayed over, sweat blood and tears over, worried about, or worked hard on were things that the youth had experience with. And sometimes things they spoke of were despite our efforts – which was also touching.
The emails, the letters, the notes of the last 3 weeks have been positive and complimentary. Would there be things we would change? Yes. But this was the trek that God wanted us to have. We turned to him frequently for direction and guidance. Would we have liked to have finished? Yes. But I believe that there were lessons and experiences that many needed that were only found in a warm chapel. As we left that night after the meeting, it was snowing – 6 inches by morning. How grateful we were to not be camping that night!
This experience has changed me. Has made me better. I will be forever humbled by it and grateful for the opportunity that we had as a couple to lead it. I am also so thankful for the opportunity to rub shoulders and work with so many amazing people – the Stake leaders, our committees, the youth. I loved working with youth. I am also incredibly humbled by what I've learned about our pioneer ancestors – their sacrifices, their stories, their determination. Spending these 9 months learning and studying about them has led me to greater faith and a gratitude for what I have.
(Derek was always at the head of the pack leading the way and giving direction. I was always at the back making sure everyone was accounted for and on the trail. So we didn't really see each other that often! But we communicated via walkie-talkie a lot. Several of the youth mentioned to me the help that he gave along the trail – always extending a hand to lift them up. This picture has him at a lunch/rest stop and me after just finishing the women's pull – thus, the unkept look!).
There you have it – TREK 2010.
And one more for good measure – before driving out of the parking lot, I wanted a picture of me in every layer of clothing I could fit on my body to stay warm. The fingerless pink gloves got a few laughs. The coat is from Goodwill and I LOVED it! The bonnet was on over my ear warmers. I had silk long johns on. A borrowed turleneck and scarf. Plastic work boots from Walmart (that were great in the mud). And my skirt and apron were both soaking wet.
And believe it or not, I was a little sad to take it all off because that meant it was over.
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