Trek

This week I had the privilege of going on Trek with the youth of my ward. For those not familiar with LDS history, in the mid 1800s the early pioneers of the church were asked by the prophet to come west to the Rocky Mountains to escape religious persecutions. In 1856 late in the season two pioneer groups came through with the handcart companies. There were about 1500 people, mostly immigrants from Denmark and England. Due to the cost of travel by wagon most came by handcart and walked the 1300 miles. The Martin and Willie companies came really late in the season and about 10 percent on their company died from starvation or freezing. There were many miracles and abundance of faith with these early pioneers. It was a beautiful experience to be where the actual saints crossed the plains. The cove sheltered over 700 people for 5 days in which 56 people died from lack of food and it was 11 below 0 so many froze to death. They gave their lives and it was because of them that we enjoy our personal religious freedom.

The kids we went with were just wonderful and we shared great memories. There were lots of reenactments and pondering and reflecting. We talked about the boys that came from SLC to Sweetwater that carried the girls and men and the sick and weak across the river. The river had ice chunks floating down and those boys carried as many as they could across. When we got to the river Aaron carried me across. It was really sweet. At the height of their starvation they were rationed to a half of cup of flour per person per day. A lot of the men couldn't handle their loved ones starving so secretly they would give them their rations too. I thought about my children and thinking of them starving or freezing to death and what I would do to save them. One morning we woke up and told the kids that we were going to start and we would have breakfast on the trail. We gave them a half of cup of flour and told them this was their breakfast. They were shocked that we would do that. We shared some food miracles with them (a man bringing dried buffalo meat, a pie just showing up, some women praying to take away their appetite and blessing the snow, children eating nothing but ox hide and sucking on the hoof of an ox, babies nursing until only nothing but blood would come) It was a humbling experience to think about what they went through and the trials they faced. It is wonderful to have all the food we need and warm shelter. I read so many stories of these wonderful pioneers and have a greater appreciation of their faith and wisdom.

I will post pictures as soon as I get them. I just wanted to record my thoughts while it was fresh in my mind. I really APPRECIATE my sister Amanda for the opportunity to go. She watched my kids while Aaron and I went. Aaron was the doctor there for our group. What a wonderful thing to have family so close!