Months ago Jeremy and I were asked by the Stake Presidency to be a ma and pa for trek this summer. I was so excited. I went to trek twice as a youth and loved the experience. Jeremy never had the opportunity to go and couldn't wait to experience pulling a handcart. In the months leading up to the trek we've had to prepare by gathering our pioneer clothes, pioneer stories, and basic camping supplies. We had a youth activity night where we learned some square dancing at the church so that way we'd be ready to go when we were at Sixth Crossing.
Off we go!
We didn't find out who were our trek families until we arrived at the church. When I saw the names on our family roll I was so excited. First of all, I knew five of the nine already which was rather surprising. But the new kids seemed like they were ready to throw themselves into the experience and have a great time which was a great sign. We rode the buses up to Independence Rock with our families. Jeremy and I spent that time getting to know our new kids, Haak, Coral, Cole, Elli, Tori, Lilly, Nathan, Eric, and Halle. We had enough time to get through some basic introductory stuff and knew that we'd have the next few days to get to know them so much better.
We ate lunch at Independence Rock. We walked around the rock and had a few stations where we stopped to hear pioneer stories, some of them personal ancestor stories from our leaders. We got to play a few pioneer games like red rover and duck, duck, goose. And then we had time to scamper on the rock. I think this was possibly the kids' favorite part of the stop.
We finally made it to our campground and set up camp. Some of our kids have been camping before and were pros at setting up the tents. For others this was brand new and we had to talk them through it. Throughout the weekend we had time to kill at camp with our families. Coral introduced us to Medusa, two truths and a lie, poison dart frog, mafia, and other silly games we could play together. Sometimes the kids spent that time sharing stories and goofing around. Sometimes the kids spent that time together braiding each other's hair, even the boys. And sometimes they wandered off with their friends, bringing more of them back to our campsite, like Danny Gee who became our adopted son. 
The day we were all looking forward to was trekking day. The missionaries who are stationed up at Sixth Crossing were in charge of the handcarts, schedule, and trek route, so we were at their command. We loaded up our handcarts with our buckets, cooler, and water anxious to start our trek. We had only made it less than a mile before we stopped for a bathroom and water break. I told me kids to get a drink and learned that both Haak and Cole had forgotten their water bottles back at camp. Well, it was going to be a long day and they needed water so we had to improvise. Haak had brought a Monster drink, so after he finished that we saved the can and kept refilling it with water. We had some ziploc bags in the family bucket so we filled one of those up with water for Cole and he sipped out of that during the day. It was a little crazy but it worked. Our family was in the very back of the line so we had a lot of room to ourselves. The kids took turns pulling and pushing. A couple of times they decided to get tricky with their transitions and played Chinese fire drill with the lead position. Honestly, the mom in me was really hoping no one would trip or be run over by our handcart. Our kids were all very strong and we never had a problem moving our cart. 
We were also set up really well for the women's pull. I had five strong daughters, plus myself, to pull our cart up the hill.
Cambrie's family was in a little rougher shape with only three small daughters. She took up a position right up front and Jeremy said that as she passed she was making sure she was doing her best to help her family get to the top of that hill.
All of the men had walked up the hill before us and lined the trail on either side. As we came close they all took their hats off and put them over their hearts. I wasn't sure what the kids would think of that moment, but I was so impressed by the spirit and respect that was there at that moment.
It was a very windy day on the trail. Our hats were having a hard time staying put and our skirts were whipping around our legs. The one benefit to the wind is that it kept it cool, and it kept the bugs away. A few times I worried that the storm clouds in the distance might make their way to us, but they stayed away and we enjoyed near perfect hiking weather. I thought six miles would go by quickly, but not at the pace the missionaries were setting. We stopped every thirty minutes or so for a bathroom and water break that lasted nearly twenty minutes. It made for a very long trekking day but also allowed for plenty of time for us to mix and mingle. These were some of the times that I was able to check in with Cambrie and see how she was doing. She felt like she found some good friends in her sisters and was really enjoying herself which made me really happy.
When we first learned that we would only be trekking six miles I was a little disappointed. I remembered trekking ten miles for two or three days in a row. It was hard, it was tough, and I really thought it was awesome. However as we made it close to five miles that day I realized that this really wasn't bad. I had a couple of kids who were starting to complain about their ankles hurting, feet getting sore, or starting not to feel well. Thankfully we only had one mile left at that point and I knew we would be just fine making it that far. I also knew that instead of being frustrated and angry because they were tired, sore, and hurting, that the kids would leave trek feeling like the whole things was a positive experience. These kids didn't need to be pushed to their physical limits to feel the spirit. They needed a place where they felt like they belonged, where they felt they were valued. This trek did that.
With every step we heard our kids talking and laughing together. Jeremy and I talked and laughed with them. We tried so hard to make them feel loved, because you know what? They were. During our preparation activities we were told to pray to love our kids. I was a little worried that I would have a hard time connecting with our kids but that wasn't a problem at all. I felt immediate love towards them even before we made it to Independence Rock on that first day. By the time we were back at camp after pulling our handcarts I felt like I loved and cared for these kids as much as I did my own back at home.
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Most of my family had been looking forward to the river crossing all day. It was at the end of the pull which made it nice to cool off and so we didn't have to trek far in wet shoes. The water was up to our knees so it gave us just enough of a challenge without having to worry about our things floating away down river. While the girls took their places on the handcart, Cole and Haak decided that they wanted to practice carrying each other across the river. Man I love those boys.
After we unloaded the handcarts we didn't give the kids much time to settle down before heading out to the field so we could do some square dancing. I had to drag my boys down to the field to get them started, but once they were there you could tell they were having a great time. Poor Polly! The sound system wasn't very loud and her voice was going fast. Luckily enough kids had practiced the dances back at the church that they remembered them well enough that night. I absolutely love square dancing and was happy to see the kids having fun, even if they were being total goof balls or not really getting the steps. 
The last night there we had a fireside where all of the kids had the chance to bear their testimonies. I didn't think the kids would stand up in front of the whole stake but I was wrong. I think every one of my kids stood up and shared what they were feeling. I wanted to hear every word but the mosquitos buzzing around were out of control. I don't think I've ever been in a cloud of mosquitos that was so thick and relentless. Everyone spent the fireside brushing away the mosquitos from their neighbors' backs. The sunset and the stars were also breath taking during our meetings. It's been a long time since I've see the sky quite like that. 
After our testimony meeting President Moon was explaining some ground rules for lights out. When he asked if there was an adult who was planning on staying awake Jeremy raised his hand. Suddenly we were the responsible party for every kid who wanted to stay up past bedtime! We gathered all of the firewood we could and set up a bonfire for the night owls. Jeremy and I stayed up until nearly 2:00am with those kids who just didn't want to go to bed. Apparently now we have a reputation among the youth to maintain!
I was so sad to pack up the next morning. I didn't want to leave my kids. I didn't want to go back to reality. I loved the chance we had to spiritually connect with the youth and to have a deeper appreciation for the pioneers. It was an amazing experience and I really hope that Jeremy and I have the chance to go again.
