Shawn and I were asked to be a Ma and Pa this year for our LDS Youth Conference. We were responsible for seven teenagers for almost four full days--talk about a workout. No, I'm not referring to the teenagers I mean the trek. For those of you not familier with trek it's an opportunity to recreate the hardship LDS pioneer ancestory endured to make it 1400+ miles by handcart to SLC Utah. Similar to the experience someone would have had on the Oregon trail, LDS pioneers faced incredible injuries, starvation, and even death to prove their faith, determination, and desire to make it to Utah for religious freedom. Youth recreating this trek endeavor to "walk a mile in another mans shoes" in order to gain a greater testimony and understanding of the sacrafice and faith freely given by early Latter Day Saints. What a marvelous blessing and opportunity it was to make this great journey. Here are a few of my favorites from trek.....
This picture was taken our first night out at Bing Canyon. We had to attach a rope to the handcart to haul it up a huge hill. It made for a great picture at sunset!
We had the opportunity to have a Native American family from our stake come out and meet us on the trail. They handed out yummy beef jerky and did some traditional dancing for us later in the week--it was beautiful!
At one point on the trail Shawn had three praying mantis along for the ride.
The boy on the left is showing us his flour cake dough. We had an evening of flour rations. We all thought the flour was going to be our dinner for the night but we were later surprised when we recieved some yummy Praire Chicken Stew!
Here's our uber cute + awesome trek family. We love you guys!
I really know how to rock that bonnett don't I? Maybe you shouldn't answer that, lol.
The girls group hug after our super challenging womens pull. While the men were off with the "Mormon Batallion" the women had to pull the handcarts up 3 huge hills! Wowza's it was difficult! Although physically exhausting this was one of the more spiritual moments for me on the trek. I couldn't help but think about the courageous pioneer women who journeyed across the plains with the burden of nuturing, and were heavy with physical responsibility as well. It was one of those "the Lord will always make up the difference moments" for me and my girls.
Check out my nasty bug bites! That huge one on my leg still itches. I wish the bites remants from those terrible critters would go away, but I'll glady keep the tan! Now I just have to work on evening things out, lol.
