Trek

Greg and I are a "Ma and Pa" for trek this year and we are so excited. We had our training last weekend at Deseret Land and Livestock in Wyoming. We essentially were the kids and went through what the kids would experience when they go in August. I was surprised when Greg and I were split up into different groups for the weekend. I was looking forward to being with him and having him around, I think of it now as if my blankey was taken away. This is how the kids will feel when they can't be with their friends. I really enjoyed my group and had a wonderful experience even without my blankey :) The hiking wasn't bad. I feel like I put a lot of effort into pushing the handcart and I was fine. I do believe the 80 lb girls and video gamers will have a rude awakening. I thought about the pioneers and the struggles they went through and felt a strong connection and love for them, especially on the "women's pull". Of course, I was bawling as soon as I saw the "General" further up on the trail. My heart was full when our leader sad, "General are you asking us to fight for a country who has not stood up for our rights, who have persecuted and driven us from state to state and harmed our people?" General responds, "Yes". We as the pioneers decide we will send our husbands, sons and fathers to war for our country and they leave us to pull the handcarts on our own. And we pulled them to the top of that hill with tears as the men sang "Come Come Ye Saints". This is a special song to me ever since serving on Temple Square and growing to love the pioneer's sacrifice and telling people about it everyday. The next day on the trail Helaman visited us and told us, in a powerful way his story of the Stripling warriors. It makes it so real to have someone act it out in front of you and you can imagine the feelings and what really happened back then. I had so many ideas of what I want to do with our "kids" I hope we can make Trek a pivotal experience that strengthens their testimonies. Greg told me as I reached the top of the hill on the woman's pull that I would have been a great pioneer woman. I think I am pretty tough physically, however, burying a child or watching a husband walk off to war leaving me behind with 3 kids, I wouldn't be so tough.