"It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans so well nurtured has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for each of us, for each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family, and many of us pioneer daily in seeking to do God's will and lift and serve those around us." -Gordon B. Hinckley
This past week Dan & I went with the youth of our stake on a pioneer trek. We were "parents" of a group of 8 teenagers. We hiked 15 miles in two days through the desert of Eastern Oregon. We pulled a handcart full of all our material possessions and dressed as if we were the Mormon pioneer. We were a sight to behold!
The fun started on Thursday morning, 6 am. All 150 youth and 50 adults loaded up in buses and cars and drove 4 hours to a church-owned farm in Eastern Oregon. We were then divided into pre-planned "families" with an adult couple and 8-10 youth in each. We all were given a name tag with our own name on one side and our "pioneer name" on the other. Our pioneer names were the names of real people from the Willie & Martin handcart companies, who made the 1300 mile trek from Iowa City to Salt Lake City in 1856. We loaded up our belongings into the handcarts and started on our way.
Our Family
We hiked 6 miles the first day. It was definitely not an easy hike. Those kids had to really work hard. They blazed their own trail most of the way through sage brush and these nasty little sticker weeds. There were many hills and no shade whatsoever. Thankfully it was only about 85 degrees. Another youth group that came a couple weeks earlier were battling 100 degree weather.
We arrived at our campsite at about 6:30pm, set up camp, and ate the best dutch oven meal (all meals were provided by the cooking staff).
The medical team and Priesthood was busy that night. Many kids suffered from dehydration regardless of the many reminders to drink lots of water. I think there were 7 different I.V.'s used. It's a good thing they were prepared for the worst.
The next morning we got up and went at it again. The second day was full of lots of walking and several stops along the way for what they called "vignettes" or mini plays used to help illustrate some of the experiences the pioneers had along their trek. These included the Mormon Battalion (when the men were asked to serve in the US army), the women's pull while the men were away at war, burying our babies (dolls of course), pioneer stories, Indian encounters, and specific trials our families faced along the trail. Near the end, we all stopped and the pony express delivered each of the youth a letter written by their parents.
At around 4:30pm we arrived in "Zion", which for us was a beautiful grassy area lined with trees. We pulled into the camp grounds and everyone sprawled out on the grass to recover. It's amazing how grateful you can be for something as simple as soft grass.
A little fun and games
The rest of the evening was full of good food, games, and dancing. The kids looked like they were having a great time. All the adults just sat back and enjoyed the scene. That is, of course, when they weren't on the bull ride!
Dan grabbing the bull by it's horns!!
All along the way there were MANY opportunities to talk about the pioneers experiences and draw analogies to the trials the youth face today. Each evening and morning we had a family devotional and prayer as well as many mini devotionals as we walked. I couldn't believe how many lessons were to be had throughout the trek. The kids were amazing. They were so receptive and even drew many analogies on their own. They definitely felt the spirit of the pioneers and the importance of their sacrifice.
The next morning (Saturday) we ate, then packed up, and moved out. We got home at around 6:30pm. Dan & I fell asleep at about 8:30pm and didn't wake up until about 10 then next morning. Enough said.
Gotta love sleeping on a hard ground in bags!!
It was incredible to be a part of something so amazing. The church never does anything half hearted. Thousands of volunteer hours worth of planning, preparation, and implementation went into this youth conference. On Sunday night the stake held a testimony meeting for all the youth involved and their parents. One of the leaders stood up and asked all of the adults involved in any way to stand up. There were probably close to 200 adults standing. The leader then told the youth "Don't ever think you aren't loved because each of these adults volunteered countless hours to make this experience possible. They did it for you, because they love you."
The youth then had the opportunity to get up and bare testimony of the lessons they learned and how this experience strengthened their testimony of Jesus Christ. The spirit was so strong.
I'm so grateful to be able to work with the youth in this church. They are strong, valient, and capable kids. I pray they can resist all the evil that Satan is bombarding them with daily. It's a full on battle. I am confident that as they are provided with opportunities to feel the spirit and feel the love of their Heavenly Father, they will commit themselves to following the Lords path and they will win that battle.
"The Latter-day Saints need to remember that those who live now are being called upon to work out our salvation in a special time of intense and immense challenges. The last portion of the dispensation of the fullness of times is during which great tribulation and temptation will occur. The elect will almost be deceived and unrighteous people will be living much as they were in the days of Noah. Therefore, though we have rightly applauded our ancestors for their spiritual achievement and we don't and must not discount them now, those of us who prevail today will have done no small thing. The special spirits who have been reserved to live in this the dispensation of the fullness of times will one day be praised for their stamina by those who pulled handcarts." - Elder Neal A. Maxwell
This picture is taken from the great room looking into the kitchen. The table is on loan from Dan's parents since we don't have one yet. Well, we have a table but when we moved from Salt Lake the chairs wouldn't fit in the trailer, so we left them. We were actually glad to have an excuse to get rid of them!
The master bathroom. Nice tile job Dan!!
And the tiled tub you saw Dan working on in a previous picture. Who knew that mess could turn into this!
