Bring them in. Trek 2014

Mueller Park Stake Pioneer Trek was amazing.   Our theme was Bring 'em In......and we DID! 

We went up to Martin's Cove on a 6 hour bus ride ( thank goodness for airconditioned chartered buses and not school buses this time).  We had 300 people with us--230 youth.  Martin's Cove is a sacred area.  You can feel the spirit of the Pioneer's who crossed through there and all of the sacrifice and tribulation that made up  the amazing hand cart companies.
Wayne and I were on the Stake committee in charge of Activities, Music and Program.  It was kind of a daunting task with many meetings and a practice Trek in May involved.
I am so glad we are on this end of it now looking back.    Some of my favorite things include Wayne's talk about Rescueing the One.  He told some mission stories and shared his testimony.  Wayne told about getting to his mission in Argentina with no one meeting him at the Bus station and he having no way to get ahold of anyone.  With his limited Spanish, he just sat and waited to be rescued.   We also heard from David Barlow on rescuing and reaching out to the one.  He is part of the Udnerground Railroad organization that rescues kidnnapped children all over the world who are being sold into sex slavery.   It's quite extraordinary.   I had 4 men and 4 boys sing Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd accompanied by the violin that was just gorgeous.   The funny part about this whole evening was .....me.  We were behind schedule because the Stake President treated all 300  of us to ice cream cones at the Little America stop in Wyoming..... soft serve, one at a time ice creams which made our 15 minute sto more like an hour and a half stop....needless to say everything just got pushed back...so our evening fireside didn't get underway until 8:45.  Well it was almost dark.  I kept telling Wayne to start the program, and he kept telling me he would once Pres. Jackson got up here.  Pres. Jackson was tending to a Craig Brown who got hurt catching at the Trust Fall ladders..... anyway....it was getting so dark, my musical group wasn't going to be able to see their music.  I implored Wayne again to begin the program...he said no and told me to sit down, which I did and pouted.   THEN I removed my dark sun glasses and saw that it wasn't that dark at all.... crazy.  I know there is a lesson in here somewhere.

 We trekked through Martin's cove which included a river crossing with our handcarts.  This was very poignant for me.  The water felt good to all of us because of our 100 degree, relentless sun days...but the pioneers came at 11 degrees with hardly any shoes left on any feet and little to keep them warm.  This river was where grown men just sat on the banks and cried.   I cried for them.

Trust Fall into waiting arms fromt the top of a 6 foot ladder.  Not my best idea, but it was fun

A-frame play.... the families loved figuring this one out.  We also had sling shots, stick pull, tug of war, all on a box, blind tag and board walk.

My hero.....getting ready for his talk and settling down his sunglass wearing wife.

Trek is always a big testimony builder for me.  The women's pull was very spritual.  The hill wasn't necessarily that steep or difficult, but we set the girls up that this was a way to honor the women pioneer who pressed on when their husbands died.   We did it in silence. The boys spread out along the trail silent as well with hats over their hearts.  There was a woman in our stake who got hurt on the 3 mile trek, the first day, so we had a rickshaw type of handcart to pull her in.  Her husband was a hero and pulled her all over.  When it came to the women's pull, he was just going to pull her up with the men to wait, but we, the Stake support women, thought we would like to  pull her up the hill.  It was very humbling for her and for all of us.  Many tears were shed and I kept reflecting on the lesson's learned from this as well.......

Trek was great.  It's always a powerful, crazy time..... a lot like herding cats....but with spirit and testimony involved.  We were hot and miserable and loved every minute of it!