T-rekkin'

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I believe that there is a God in Heaven. I believe that God is the creator of our spirits, that we lived with Him before we were born on this earth, and that He has provided a way for us to live with Him again after we die.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He is the Savior of the world, and that only through faith in Him and acceptance of His atonement can men be forgiven of their sins, and blessed with Eternal happiness.

I believe that God has called and chosen righteous men to serve as prophets and apostles on the earth today. I believe that Jesus Christ has visited the earth and personally restored the priesthood authority to build and direct His church on the earth in these latter-days.

I believe that through the restored priesthood authority, each of God's children has the opportunity to make covenants with Him, to take upon them the name of Christ, and to become His disciples. I believe that this same priesthood authority allows families to be sealed to one another for eternity; that husbands, wives, and children can and should be together forever, and not merely during this brief earthly existence.

I believe that the Holy Bible was written by men of God, that it testifies of Christ, and contains the true word of God. I also believe that the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price contain the revealed doctrine of the resurrected Christ, and that the stories and testimonies written in them are true.

I am blessed with a wonderful heritage of pioneer ancestors, who dedicated their lives to building the restored church of Jesus Christ. Because of their belief in a modern prophet, they were persecuted and driven from their homes, forced to cross the plains to the Salt Lake valley, where they hoped to live and worship in peace.



This past week, I had a unique opportunity to celebrate those pioneers by participating in a short reenactment of their trek across the plains. I traveled with three bus loads of pioneer-dressed youth, ages 14-18, to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where we donned aprons & bonnets, hats & suspenders, left behind cell phones and all other modern conveniences to push handcarts in the heat across rocky terrain for four wonderful days of adventure!



I was paired up with the young men's president from the Eldon, Missouri Branch, and we became "Ma" and "Pa" to seven teenage youth that became our pioneer "family" for the trek. We called ourselves the "T-rekkers". We rode four hours on a bus from Lebanon, Missouri, to a cattle ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The youth in our family were new to us, and to each other. We took time to get acquainted on the bus ride, and we determined quickly who should be the "big brother" and "big sister" on the trek.


We arrived at our destination, and received the announcement that "mobs" were coming, and we needed to gather our supplies as quickly as possible and be on our way. We scrambled to gather our "family" together and load our supplies on the handcarts. We were given two flour bag "babies" to carry along as well. We heard gun shots in the distance and rushed to get on our way. Even knowing that it was all pretend, I felt my heart pound as we rushed to safety. The children in our family were amazing. Big brother and sister immediately stepped up to take charge of their "siblings", carry more than their load, and get the handcart loaded and moving. I felt so blessed to be given such a stellar group of youth to be with on this trek!

Not far into our journey, we received the announcement that all of the men and boys would need to leave for "war". We women watched as our "husbands", "fathers" and "brothers" marched off over the hill.



The next part of the trail was so steep and rocky, we couldn't pull the handcarts with just one "ma" and her "daughters", so we had to work with other families to get each cart up the hill, and then go back down to get the next cart, etc. The work was long and hard, but we eventually made it.



In time, the men returned from "war", and we continued on our journey.

We saw "angels" dressed in white standing on hills along the way. They were sent to give us courage, and point us in the right direction. My real sister, Bev, was one of these angels, and I took the opportunity to speak to her when I saw her on the trail. She couldn't talk back, but she had tears in her eyes and her face seemed to glow when she saw me. She gave me such a tight, warm hug, and I felt so blessed to have her as a sister! How hard would it be to truly lose a sister?


We pushed the handcarts for about four hours in the heat an then stopped to camp. We cooked tin foil dinners and made the most incredible dutch oven brownies! I don't know if I've ever tasted anything quite so good! That night, I slept with two of my "daughters" outside under the clear night sky. It was hard to tell where the fireflies stopped and the stars began. It was a beautiful night!



The next morning, we had oatmeal for breakfast. "Big brother" was making the fire when the "angels" came to take him away. I knew it was going to happen, and I knew it wasn't real, but I still felt sorrow for his loss. It was much more emotional than I thought it would be to lose my "son". I thought of the real pioneers who lost children along the way, and yet had so little time to mourn. The company would move on quickly, and camp needed to be broken down, the wagons loaded, and the journey commenced.

We walked for hours in the heat. We stopped for lunch in a grove of trees. Someone found a stick and started challenging others to stick pulls. I tried pulling once, but ended up ripping the back of my blouse and had to change into my only other dress.



Late in the afternoon, we reached a steep hill and had to help one another get the wagons down. At the bottom, we found that we had reached a dead end. The trail boss informed us that we had taken a wrong turn. At this point, several of the "babies" died, and one of the men shared with us his own experience of losing a real baby, and how it had strengthened his faith and hope in the resurrection. This was a very low point for me in the journey. I felt physically and emotionally drained, and just wanted to sit down and cry. I knew that the trek would be difficult, but I didn't realize how emotionally taxing it would be. I didn't want to go on.

We turned the carts around and pushed them back up the steep hill we had just worked to descend.



"Angels" were surrounding us, as their numbers had increased over the course of the day. I recognized two new angels, one of them being my own real nephew, and I allowed the tears to flow.



Eventually, we reached camp and set up our tents. There was a shallow stream nearby, and we took the opportunity to cool off and wash our hair. We ate chili for dinner and played games with one of the other families. What a great reward for a long and challenging day!





I shared a tent with my dear friend, Nancy, that night. It got rainy and really, crazy windy! We thought we might blow away! We were later informed that the storm was much worse, but had split and gone around us that night. We were very blessed.



Friday morning was beautiful. The day started out cloudy and cool with an occasional sprinkle. We pushed the handcarts for an hour or so and then stopped to play pioneer games in a big grassy field. We walked some more, and then it got hot. "Big brother" came back as an "angel" to help us along the way. At lunch time, we were told that all we had to eat was flour and water. Someone had some salt that we added, and we mixed it all up and baked it in the dutch oven. The result was surprisingly tasty and satisfying!

We walked some more. It was so hot, and we were so exhausted. As soon as we thought we couldn't go any farther, we made it to "Zion"! The "angels" were waiting there to greet us with popsicles and a feast of Kentucky Fried Chicken. We played games and danced to fiddle music and celebrated the end of a long, difficult journey.



Before bed, "Pa" and I met with our "family" and we each shared our favorite part of the trek. I felt that I had the greatest pioneer family ever and was so proud of the kids for accomplishing what they did!

Some lessons I learned while on this trek:

1. Aprons and bonnets are more than just a fashion statement. They are a essential tools of daily pioneer life!

2. Stake your tent down!

3. Modern plumbing and flushing toilets are the greatest things known to man!

4. Pioneer children really did sing as they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked...

5. Camping with youth is much easier than camping with babies. They set up the tents, started the fires, and cooked all of the meals. I barely had to lift a finger. I'm totally waiting another ten years before taking my own kids camping again.

6. Pioneers went through incredible loss and hardships because of their great faith and testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They knew they might lose everything, even their own lives, but they were willing to give it all for the chance to live in peace. I don't believe they did it for themselves alone, but most definitely for their posterity. They gave everything and suffered everything for me--so that I could raise my children in the gospel and be prosperous and happy. They were real people who gave everything for those who would come later.

7. God will have a humble people. I felt very humble on this trek. The scriptures tell us to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. I felt broken while on this trek. I also felt close to the spirit, and I knew that the brokenness and humility allowed me to have a soft heart, and to feel the presence of my Father in Heaven.

8. Angels are real. Seeing the "angels" along the trail, especially ones that I knew and loved personally made me realize how those who have gone before are all around, and they are aware of our hardships and want us to succeed and grow as they are overcome. The very pioneers who sacrificed everything are still nearby, helping and watching over us. They are real people who love me.

9. I can do hard things. Life is a test. There are challenges that must be overcome and it's okay, because I am a child of God with divine potential. I am stronger than I think I am.

10. The youth of this church are amazing. I love them so much and am so very proud of them and want them to realize their potential and accomplish all that Heavenly Father has in store for them. I know that my ancestors feel the same way about me, and I hope that I can make them proud.

















Being with these youth on this trek brought me joy in a way that few experiences can. My bucket is full. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to have this adventure! T-rekkers, I love you! Thank you for giving me the experience of a lifetime!!!