Trek

Noah waiting for us to all load up and leave.

This was at one of our breaks. I love how the light is coming through the trees.

This was at our highest point. I think David said we were up over 3000 feet. We are looking back down at base camp.

Coming down the mountain the last day was pretty amazing. I did not realize how steep it was going up until we had to pull back so much coming down so the cart did not run away.

Here we are all back safe and sound reunited with the little girls. Chloe was the happiest I think because we are going home!

How to post about the trek - hmmmm.... I took only about 250 pictures and way to many to post here. I could go day by day but really there was so many things and I don't want to wait each day to post it. So I guess I will summarize as best I can the most exciting and fun thing I have gotten to do with the youth to date. I have gone to many, many girls camps and other youth things but this really takes the cake. Partly because I got to share it with David. Partly because as a Ma I got to experience the same hardship and trials right along with the kids. It is way different than just observing or teaching. I had a prayer in my heart the whole time that I would get to know our Heavenly Father in a way that our pioneer ancestors had. I think I got that privilege. It was not easy pushing and pulling the handcart. We were on some pretty steep mountain terrain at times. The kids were to have a hand on the cart at all times and Ma and Pa's could walk beside or help when needed. I was compelled many times to get on and push. Sometimes, because there was no room for me to push, I was pushing on the back of one of my girls. The thought came to me that it was like the angels that helped the pioneers up some of their steeper mountains. One girl even said that - "I feel the angel on my back". The women's pull was amazing! I thought at the time the most difficult thing to do on the trek. When the young men came down from the top of the mountain to help it was wonderful! The part we had to pull up was probably the steepest of the whole trek. I was so worried that someone would get hurt. A couple of kids got scraped up and twisted an ankle but nothing serious. But in reality, the hardest part for me was the day we walked 14 miles. We had come to a river crossing that was supposed to be very easy. As it turned out the water at the point of crossing was to high for the carts to get through. There was some talk of turning around and going back a couple more miles to a place to cross across the highway. The youth were pretty good about the waiting but there were many who were tired and just wanted to get some food and lay down. I was thinking it but never said anything. As I was standing there to waiting to find out what we were going to do the thought crossed my mind that as well planned out as this event was there were things that happened that were not planned. The priesthood had to come up with another plan and that is how it is in real life. We do not always get things the way we want it and we have to improvise or do it a little differently. The different way is sometimes the lesson we are supposed to learn. As part of the new plan for this unexpected turn of events it was then decided that the priest age boys could cut a path down to the river at a point a little farther up and we would be able to cross but be in the water a little longer than I think they had planned. A call went out for the youth to help and running past every few seconds were boys excited to go cut down some brush. Then we made our way down. It was so real as to what the pioneers would have had to do. It was amazing to watch the priesthood working together to get us safely across. I don't think the leaders could have planned something this amazing. I know the Lord was watching out for us as we did this. I watched it happen many times as things had to be changed to make it safer for us. I was beat that day when we came into camp. I felt as if every bone in my body was going to break from exhaustion. Then we were told we could only have 4 oz. of flour and some water and we were to make a pancake for our dinner. Now I knew that later on we would get some real dinner. But at that moment I could feel for those who only had that much food for the whole day. It was something I will never forget. The next day we did another river crossing and this one was a little harder because of the current. In order to get everyone across safely the priesthood stood at places in the water to help guide and catch anything (or anyone) that might fall in the river. There were about 5 priests that went back and forth and helped carts across. The crossing itself was not as bad as I thought but when we had crossed I had David take the cart on and I stayed by the bank of the river just watching those boys go back and forth helping pull the carts. I was reminded of the what happened at the Sweetwater crossing so many years ago. I was so touched! We have amazing youth in our stake! I watched as the smallest to the biggest one of them all pulled together to help and get through this experience. I am thankful that Heavenly Father allows us these experiences so that we can grow and learn. This was not the hardest thing I have ever faced in my life but for some of the youth it was. I hope they learned that they can get through the hard trials and come out on top.