Pioneer treks are exactly what they sound like...for several days, people go out in the wilderness pushing handcarts so that we can get a taste of what it was like for the early members of the church who had to do so. It's a youth activity for kids between 12 and 18 and they divide everyone up into "families" to push handcarts and do activities. Jon and I got to be the Ma and Pa of one of these groups!
The first day, Thursday, we had to wake-up super early so that we could meet at the church at 5am and then carpool up into the mountains. Being that Jon finished his finals the day before and we were up until nearly midnight, we were pretty tired:
But we made it there and two hours later were at the trail head, ready to start on our journey.
At the trail head we finally met our family. The kids in our group were absolutely fantastic!
Sonja was the first one to show up. From Hawaii, she is in town visiting her grandparents and got to come along and join in our fun. I was so grateful to have her in our group. Sonja was always willing to help when asked, reach out to those alone, and never once complained. Her testimony of the gospel is evident in the way she lives her life.
After Sonja, others came along. Among them was Ciarra. Ciarra was very quiet, but very kind. She was my constant companion throughout the trek and often kept me company when I was alone. I was grateful to have her in our family because of her quiet strength and friendship.
Then, there was Bethany and Jack. I put these two together in the same sentence because they are siblings and were nearly inseparable. The love and concern that they showed each other was mind blowing. Whenever one of them felt unwell, the other could not rest until they felt better. I was grateful to have them on the trek for their example of love.
We had two Joshs in our group, so I referred affectionately to them as "Josh the Elder" and "Josh the Younger." Josh the Elder was the eldest member of our group. Having just graduated high school, he is working of submitting his mission papers. Josh's testimony of the gospel shown bright in every word and deed. I could tell that he really pondered things and took them to heart. I was grateful for the leadership he provided our group. (He was even willing to be the only one in our group to make a cornhusk doll, and he's a boy!)
Josh the Younger provided our group with optimism and energy. He was always one to help keep the conversation going when we were walking and he participated in games whenever given the opportunity. He even gave up one morning to help in the kitchen! I was grateful to have him there for the willingness and joy that he provided.
Last, but not least, there was Saul. Saul was the power horse in our family. I doubt we would have made it up some of the hills we did without the strength he provided.He also showed his spiritual strength when he participated and gave answers during family devotionals. He also never once complained, even though he was treking with an injured hand. I was grateful to have him there for the physical and spiritual strength he provided.
Thursday was hiked 7 miles and then camped for the evening. When we camped, we first played some games and then took naps:
We happened to camp right next to another group who was also treking, so after the naps and dinner, we joined them that evening for a dance. We did organized square dancing, and holy cow--it was so fun! The biggest surprise to me is how much JON enjoyed it! He was grinning super DUPER huge and started talking all about how we need to go camping with six other couples and square dance at night. I loved seeing how happy it made him and everyone else and gained an understanding for why the pioneers danced so much.
The next day we spent the morning doing some pioneer activities and games. This was a nice chance to relax and have fun after one hard day of work before a new one.
We learned how to clean and spin wool:
Played some games:
Carved some soap:
And (Jon's favorite) made corn husk dolls:
After the games we ate lunch and went on our way! The second day's trekking was definitely the hardest. Though it was shorter than the first day (only about 5 miles) the entire thing was uphill--pretty major uphill. But we did it and made it to the next campsite where we ate (again--yea!), danced, and did devotional.
The next morning brought us to our final day. After eating and doing a family devotional, the whole group got together for a testimony meeting. It was a good opportunity to reflect on the experiences we'd had and what they mean in the big scheme of things. After lunch, we hiked our way down and out of the mountain another 5 miles and then we were done! Jon and I said goodbye to our family, grabbed a HUGE otter pop, and then got in the car and drove home.
Treks are one of my most favorite church activities! There are so many reasons why, but here are some of the reasons why I loved this trek in particular:
1. I loved that the Lord was able to count on us to come at the very last minute, even though it took some sacrifice.
2. I loved feeling like I had purpose. Summer break has been awesome because it's allowed me to do so many things like trek, but that sense of meaning that I get when I'm living my life for others has been mainly absent. I loved having an opportunity to serve these kids and to share in some pretty neat experiences with them.
3. Most that anything, I loved watching Jon be Jon. What I mean by that is that I loved observing Jon serve those around him and do what needs to be done in small and simple ways. Jon's not one to be loud and in front of the crowd (that's me!), but that doesn't mean he doesn't reach people. In fact, it's because of this that he often reaches those quite people on the sidelines that otherwise don't get reached. He did this while on trek. One morning, I shared my favorite pioneer story with the kids: the story of 3 eighteen-year-old boys who carried nearly every member of the handcart company through blocks of ice across the Sweetwater River, much to their own personal expense. As I told this story, I reflected on Jon and what I know about his character, and realized that I married a man who would do the same.
How grateful I am to the pioneers--for their example of faith and strength--and for the opportunity I had to experience the smallest taste of what it was like for them.
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