Trek Experience

Well I am finally writing down my experiences about trek. I will say it was an amazing wonderful experience. If you ever get the chance to go do it. You will be changed for the better because of it.

It was hot, dusty, long, wearing, wonderful, amazing. sweet and very, very spiritual. You learn something out there that you can't learn by staying at home. You see how the pioneers truly suffered you dig in the trenches for just a few days.


Well Let me just give you a few of the highlights. First off I will say the Wyoming weather in not kind and we went through it in hot weather not cold. I can not truly imagine what it must have felt like doing all they did as they were freezing.

Highlights:


Elizabeth Horracks Jackson: Learning and connecting with her was probably the sweetest part the the trek for me. I did not know anything about her when we got there. We all had to choose a pioneer to be before we went on the trek and I had chosen someone else, when we arrived at Martin's cove they took us into a log room and gave us an orientation. As we walked in there was a picture on the wall of a mother sitting by a fire with one child in her lap and one child on each side of her. they were huddled together trying to keep warm. This picture really really touched me as I would have been in a similar circumstance as her in taking my four small children across the plains trying to keep them warm. I just kept looking up at her picture wondering her story. As they played the movie they talked about her a little and I got a glimpse into her story. I wanted to know more. The movie was very touching and I was already on the verge of tears after just a few hours of being there. You really are on sacred ground when you are there and you can feel it. There was a message that the Elder missionary wanted us to get from the movie, he told us before we watched it "pay attention to how the pioneers were before they were rescued and after" he asked us to just notice the difference. There was definantly a feeling of relief, comfort and peace after they were rescued and after the Movie the Elder was choked up as he said it to us but what he said hit me so hard and has stayed with me he said, until you have truly experienced the effects of the Atonement you can never truly know how the pioneers felt when they were rescued. I just thought that was an amazing comparrison to draw. The pioneers rescue was amazing they were more than overjoyed and elated finally some of their burden of the elements and the snow and hunger etc. had been lifted much like we can feel when we are truly rescued with the healing power of the Atonement.



We walked about 6-7 miles that day and made it to our camp ground. The elements were not kind to us as we tried to set up camp the rain came down and the winds blew hard. We struggled getting our tents up but did eventually get them up. We were Ma and Pa of a family of 8 youth but adopted a few as the trek went on. I must say our family was amazing it was very neat being around these wonderful youth. One of the sweeter moments of the trek happened for me while we were setting up camp. I saw a tan Dodge pick up pull up and hoped it was my parents as I could see the person in the window I knew it was for sure them. I went running so fast to greet them I felt like Anne on Anne of Avonlea as Anne came home from teaching and was finally home the embrace between Marrilla and Anne is one of my favorites on that movie and I have felt a few times that way when I have been away from my mom for a long period of time. Oh I was so excited to see my parents. They spent the evening with us and square danced with us and I was so proud to see their badges on there shirts that represent them as servents of Jesus Christ. They are wonderful people. I told my mom about the painting I saw at the visitor's center of that women with her small children and my mom told me who it was. She had a story about her in one of her books and ripped it out for me. She told me her story and I just felt a connection to her. She was coming across the plains with her husband and 3 small children in the Martin Handcart Company her husband was struggling as he was over exerting himself giving up his food for his family and working so hard pushing the hand cart and doing a lot of the physical labor in setting up the camp etc. amongst all the cold weather. He had become pretty sick and so she was worried about him. One night as they lay in the big 20 man tent her fears became a reality as she listened to his breating he had stopped. She could not get anyone to help her with his body so she had to lay beside him all night knowing he was gone. She was left with three small children, she started to get a bit bitter thinking she could not go on anymore. Then one night her hasband came to her in a dream and told her she she could do it and to be strong and make it to Zion and that he would be with her. After that she knew she could do it and she did. She and all 3 of her children made it to Zion. The picture is of a night in Martin's cove. That night it had been so cold that they could not set up the tents so they just had to lay under them. She feared for her children that they would freeze so she sat by the fire all night with them all huddleded around her to keep them from freezing. I just loved her stroy and really connected with her. If we have another girl come to our family I think we will name her after this Elizabeth. I felt that as I walked through Martin's Cove where she suffered so much. Her story makes me stronger and I truly felt her presence there.

Sorry to get off on that tangent but that was one of my favorite experiences of the whole trek was connecting with her.


The next day (Thursday): We treked back to first the Sweet water crossing where the pioneers crossed there is a bridge there and it is sacred ground you walk across it in silence. This is the spot or around where the rescue boys carried so many of the Matin company across the freezing river, Sacred ground.


Dan Jones Cove: This cove is just before Martin's Cove there is a story behind it but I will spare you the story but it was there before we went into Martin's cove that Pres. Wate (a member of our stake pres.) Did a fireside for us and it truly set the tone for heading into Martin's cove. He talked about making the gospel our passion we don't just go to church and go through the motions we truly make the gospel our passion. I love how he put that. He told a story of the strength of our fathers it spoke of the feelings of the pioneer fathers, again Elizabeth Horracks Jackson's story was a small excert in it. The spirit was felt there so strongly as he shared the stories about the strenghth of our fathers tying it to many pioneers and their struggles as many of the men died along the trail saving their families. Before he had given his talk some of the youth sang a song that was so beautiful. By the time all was done I was stuggling to hold back the tears. As we walked into Martins cove I cried pretty much the whole way, wow was the spirit was strong there and the pioneers are still there to tell us their stories, the common theme I think they would tell us is amongst all the hardships they endured it was worth it, amongst all the hardships we endure today it is worth it. I have no doubt that the sturggle the pioneers went through was needed for them and their conviction to the gospel and for us to see they were so willing to do this for the gospel cause. It truly is enpowering as they stuggled the way they did and they did not loose faith.


Sweet Water Crossing: After Martins cove we headed to the sweet water crossing and reinacted that. We had a gal from our ward on the other bank playing come come ye saits on her violin it was beautiful this is where I think a lot of the youth felt the spirit.


The Women's Pull: Then we continued on the trail and a Elder missionary came and called out all the men to go to the Mormon Batillion as the men left that was a very empty feeling. The sister missionary gave us a little devotional on honoring the Priesthood she also told us that we are stronger than we think we are, the pioneer women had to find strength within them selves when their husbands died or had to leave for missions or the batillion and they found strength, they had to. When things get hard we are stronger than we think we are we can do it. We sang "As sisters in Zion" which just happened to be penned by some single women who came over in one of the Handcart companies. The bretheren did not want to let them come but they insisted and they "pulled" together and found strength and one of them wrote that song because of their experience. It used to read "as sisters in Zion we'll all pull together" My sister later told me that story and I thought that was so neat. The spirit was felt there as we sang that song together and then we jumped behind our hand cart and began to pull as sisters the men were up ahead lining a hill with their hats off they were asked be silent and not to help the women. We did struggle up the hill but made it and it was a very neat experience, our girls were strong so I wish it had been a little harder for them but none the less the feeling of the priesthood being gone was felt. I think this was Joe's favorite part it was very spiritual for him. So difficult to stand and watch the sisters struggle. At the top of the hill one of the Boys read a scripture in the bible that talks about a women's virtue being more precious than rubies. Then Joe brought me a little sack with rubies in it. Some of the young men passed out a bag of rubies to all the young women. it was a very special experience. We moved on and went back to camp and had a fireside by Ephriam Hanks ( an Elder missionary acted as though he were Ephriam Hanks) and told his story it was very neat he is one of the Men who brought relief to the pioneers. He has a very cool story. We had a testimony meeting after and it was great as well.


The trek back: We cleaned up camp and headed back to the busses 6-7 miles, the day before we had gone about 12 miles. We were tired and exausted and sunburned, but our hearts were full. My parents met up with us along the trail back and walked with us some of the way back that was special for me. We stopped near the sweet water crossing and gave all our youth letters their parents had written them from home. Ithink that meant a lot to them. We made it back ate lunch and headed home. Changed for the good, carrying experiences in our hearts we will never forget. REMEMBER is the theme there and I will truly REMEMBER.

Sorry I have no pictures we didn't take our camera, they had a photographer that went with us so we are waiting for the CD from them so when I get that I will post a few pictures.