Welcome to Zion!

I hadn't been asked to drive kids home from the trek since I had been asked to drive up, but I wanted to do it, so I volunteered and thankfully, they still needed drivers so I got to fill one of those spots. :)

You never know when they'll actually arrive at the stopping point, it all depends on how well they do on the trail that day.  But they were expected between 1 - 2pm, probably closer to 2, so I got there around 12:30.  I wanted to be sure to see them arrive so I could cheer them on and take pictures. 

At 1:10, we found out that they weren't even close.  It would be another 3 hours.  Time to get comfy and wait!  Note to self: next time you go pick up kids from Trek, take a book, a chair, and food.  ;)  Thankfully, the weather was beautiful and the surroundings were pleasant and the company was great!

Around 4, when we expected them, we heard back that it would be another hour.  From then on, anytime we heard anything it was always the same, "About one more hour," no matter how much time had gone by since the last time they said the same thing. lol

Finally, just before 6pm, they rolled in!!! 

You can see Cadi next to her Trek siblings in the big picture, pushing that handcart those last, final steps. They were SO glad to finally be there!!!  On the lower left, we got a picture of Cadi with her Trek Ma and Pa, a couple from Hood River in The Dalles stake.  They were so nice and Acadia loved them!  I was so grateful and got to give them a hug to thank them for taking care of my girl.  The lower right is Cadi in front of the handcart that she helped push for almost 30 miles over the last 3 days.

The kids were treated to a well deserved meal!  It was supposed to be lunch, but those tired, sore, dirty, and hungry kids were getting it as dinner instead.  Many pioneers had to learn to live on just one or two meals a day and that day, these kids did, too.  But the delicious chicken, corn, potato salads, fresh fruit, and of course pie were worth the wait and there were only smiles as the kids found a place to sit (mostly on the ground, but by then they were used to that and didn't even bat an eye at it, lol) and relaxed, visited, played, and ate with people that 3 days prior they didn't even know but now considered family.  I was able to meet one of Cadi's Trek sisters from The Dalles as they ate their meal together, sharing riddles and remembering funny stories from their journey.

Once they were fed, we loaded them and their gear up and took them home.  Before we got into the car, I gathered what youth from our ward that I could find (two cars had already left so it is not a complete photo) to get a picture:

Behind the kids is Justin Green, one of the young men who grew up in our ward, served a mission, and is now attending college at BYU but came back to spend the summer home.  He and his friends were vital in helping Trek run smoothly.  They arrived one day early to camp over with all the gear, assembled the handcarts, drove the outhouses to each stopping point, assisted in setting up/cleaning up for all gatherings/activities that took place along the trail, and helped to take down the handcarts and clean up at the end of the Celebration at the Valley.  Even though he has grown up, we still claim him and were glad he agreed to get his picture taken with the kids.  He's a good role model for them.

Several of the kids mentioned how weird it felt to be in a car again.  I offered to let them walk the 100 miles back home if they wanted, but for some reason they decided to relearn how comfortable it feels to sit in a car with shocks, cushy seats, a/c and heating, a radio, etc. lol  Since more than half of my car contained girls, I heard a lot of fun stories and participated in sharing riddles, apparently a very popular Pioneer pasttime as they all had learned several and found it a lot of fun to share.

I am so proud of Acadia for going on this Trek.  I'm so proud of her for keeping a good attitude.  All of the leaders who worked with her told me how great and positive she was.  They said she was helpful and a good friend to others.  She was brave and participated fully.  I know it was hard but I also know it was worth it.  I'm so glad that at the end, she is able to say the same thing.  :)

Faith in Every Footstep

Every year, our stake has a big activity for the youth.  This year, it is a re-enactment of the Pioneer Handcart Trek.  A 3-day journey on Mount Hood, walking approximately 30 miles while pushing huge handcarts that would carry their gear.  And doing it all in period clothing.  That means the girls are all in full length skirts and button up shirts, they are also wearing bonnets and aprons.  They do all get to wear modern, well-worn footwear.  :)  They would be divided into families consisting of a Ma and Pa and about 10 - 11 kids.  There would be about 5 families to a company and a total of 5 companies in the whole group.  About 300 youth from 2 different stakes are participating.

They have been preparing for months and turned in their gear on Tuesday.  They were limited to one 5 gallon bucket filled with limited necessary supplies (an extra pair of shoes, toothbrush/paste, hairbrush, sunscreen, chapstick, bandaids, moleskin, gloves, poncho, hoodie, socks, underwear, a small flashlight, and a Book of Mormon) and one pillowcase filled with sleeping bag, tarp, blanket, and sweats to sleep in.  They will sleep on the ground with only a tarp to cover them in their sleeping bag, even if it rains.  They will prepare their meals as a family using a cooking gear their Ma and Pa brought.  Along the way they will have tough hills to climb and streams to cross, all while pushing their handcarts.  Also along the way they will have devotionals, fireside chats, and music.  It will be a very challenging, but also a very rewarding experience.

Yesterday morning I dropped Acadia off at the church and then I drove 2 sets of Ma's and Pa's up to the starting point.  We know that Acadia is the only youth in our ward in her company, so there is no chance of having someone one else in our ward in her family.  Except that both of the sets of Ma's and Pa's from our ward are in her company and that gives her a 40% chance of having one of them as her Ma and Pa.  The families within the same company primarily stay together.  They have to have room between them on the trail, but when they stop to eat and sleep, the are together, and my friends, the Ma's and Pa's from our ward, all promised to watch after her for me.  :)

Right before I left to take the Ma's and Pa's, we did find out that a friend of ours from another ward in our stake will be in Cadi's company, too, so there is a chance that she will be in her family.  That would be really nice, especially if Cadi doesn't get a Ma and Pa from our ward.  But no matter who she is with, I know she will build strong and loving relationships.  They will be forced to work together and rely on one another.  I know it will be a great experience for her and all the other youth.

Pictured:  Cadi with her gear before turning it in on Tuesday.  Then pictures from when we dropped her off at the building yesterday morning.  Finally, a picture of the Ma's and Pa's from my ward when I dropped them off at the starting point. 

I've volunteered to pick kids up on Saturday, so I'll be able to meet them at the end of their trail and "welcome them to the valley"!  I am looking forward to it!!!

Pioneers

Today is Pioneer Day.  Members of our church celebrate today and remember the pioneers who left their homes and journeyed across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley.  They left because they were being persecuted; their homes and crops were attacked and burned by mobs, the men were beaten and sometimes killed, even the women and children were attacked.  In order to find a place where they could live and worship in peace, they left their home and country and found a new home in unclaimed territory.  The journey was perilous and many did not make it.  But after traveling (mostly on foot) for 1300 miles, the Saints finally reached the Salt Lake Valley. 

As we remember the early pioneers, we also celebrate modern day pioneers.  I see Ryan as a modern day pioneer; he and his brother are the first in his family to join the church.  I see my brothers and sister as modern day pioneers; they are the first in our family to serve a mission for the church.  Check out this video:



There is one hymn that every church member associates with pioneers, and in fact, the pioneers themselves sung it along the trail.  I found this beautiful video using an original arrangement of the hymn on YouTube, the words to the hymn follow:



Come, Come, Ye Saints

1. Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
’Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!

 

2. Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
’Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we’ll have this tale to tell—
All is well! All is well!

 

3. We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We’ll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we’ll tell—
All is well! All is well!

 

4. And should we die before our journey’s through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell—
All is well! All is well!

 Happy Pioneer Day!

Winter Quarters

Today the youth in our stake are participating in activities that will help to prepare them for a handcart trek they will be going on this summer.

For those who are not familiar with the history of the Mormon Pioneers, well, there's just so much history it's hard to recap.  Basically, the early members of the LDS church were persecuted horrendously.  They were driven from state to state, they were mobbed, their homes and crops were burned, they were violently abused, there was even an extermination order signed by the governor of Missouri at one point making it legal to kill Mormons. 

Nice, right?  So much for freedom of religion. 

So, the members were left with no choice.  After receiving no help or protection from the country that was supposed to have freedom of religion, they began to head west, into Indian Territory.  Interesting enough, the Indians, who had seen some of this persecution were often very friendly and helpful. 

Well, if you can imagine for a moment, having very little earthly possessions because a mob had destroyed them and then having to take your family (whether they were healthy or not) across the plains - hundreds of miles - with no cars, trains, airplanes or any other convenient luxury to assist you... it was quite a trek!  The lucky ones had a covered wagon and some horses or oxen to pull it.  As more and more people tried to leave, the provisions became less and less.  Out of desperation, the groups started using handcarts which they would push/pull themselves.  So now, you're taking your family to walk across hundreds of miles with only what you can fit in a handcart, which you will be pulling and pushing together.  Sound fun yet?
But wait, it gets better!

There were a number of handcart companies who fortunately made it to the Great Salt Lake Valley safely.  However, there were a few companies who ran into blizzards with no shelter and what little food they did have quickly ran out.  But let's imagine that you are among the lucky ones - you were able to get a handcart for your family early and weren't stuck in the early winter blizzards that stopped some of the others.  Still, can you imagine, having walked close to 1000 miles, your shoes have worn through and you are now barefoot.  You still have hundreds of miles left to go and you have reached snow covered mountains.  You now must walk (pushing and pulling your handcart) barefoot through the snow, up steep climbs, through freezing cold streams, etc.

The good news: You make it!  It takes you months, but you make it!  You might have lost a few toes, but you are safe and most (if not all) of your family makes it too!  Now all you have to do is build a house and plant some crops.  No rest for the weary!

So, that sounds unbelievable... yet it happend to thousands of early pioneers.  Many made it, some did not.  Some where buried along the way, others weren't even able to be buried because the ground was too frozen.  Then there were the unfortunate companies who became stranded in the early winter blizzards.  Many of them died.  Fortunately, those who had already arrived in the valley were willing to leave the comfort of their new home to go back in search of the stranded.  Some of those rescuers lost their lives as they saved the lives of others. 

This is a part of our history.  And to help the youth learn more about it and even experience some of the lesser challenges of it, they will be pushing and pulling handcarts this summer for 3 days.  I think that they will be traveling about 20 miles, but don't quote me on that.  They will be wearing "pioneer clothing" (though they are to all wear comfortable, 21st century shoes) and they will be sleeping on the ground (they will have sleeping bags).

Today, they are making bonnets for the girls to wear, leather covers for their journals which they will keep while on their trek, they even started making one of the handcarts that they will be using.  There were displays for them to get a visual of what things were like for some of the pioneers too.  And then, there was the trail of snow that they could walk on barefoot (or with burlap wrapped around their feet if they chose) to get a taste of how it felt.  Here are some pics:





This is an example of the bunks on the ships that some took from England to Boston.  There would be a whole family per bunk - basically a whole family per shelf!  Then you rotated with other families too - so you'd get out of bed then another family would climb in.  There would be up to 6 people sleeping in one of these little shelves! 





6 oz of flour, just to give you an idea of how little food they sometimes had to eat.  That would be all an adult would eat per day when the food began to be rationed.



I am so grateful for the sacrifice of the early pioneers.  Some people ask, "Why did they do it?  Why were they willing to sacrifice so much?"  They did it because they trusted God.  They did it because they wanted to live in a place where they could practice their religion in peace.  They did it because they had heard the call to gather in the West and they wanted to obey.

There is often so much focus on the sacrifices and trials they faced - for they were great!  But if you read the journal entries, there were happy times too.  There would be singing and dancing at night, the childen played games, the members of the groups helped one another, there were even babies born!  It was hard, but they made the best of it and did it joyfully! 

I admire the pioneers; I don't know if I could be as strong as they were.  I am grateful to them for the legacy they have left us. :)

If you would like more information about the Mormon Pioneers, check out what Wikipedia has to say, plus Wikipedia has more about the Mormon Handcart Pioneers, and this about the Mormon Trail.  And then there is this cool page, provided by the church, that shares info about the pioneers including many journal entries.