Pioneer Trek

We were asked to be a ma and pa for the pioneer trek this year. Of course we said yes.
Side note: For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about here is a quick run down. Each year our church has a youth conference for youth ages 14-18. Once every 4 years they have a pioneer trek. Three days of wearing clothes from those days, pulling a hand cart with your belongings and being in charge of 10 youth (5 boys and 5 girls)
It really is so much fun and I was counting down the days. The day arrives and we had activities at the church before we left to Big Bear. We drive up there, unload, get our sack lunch and we are on our way. I just have to say right now what an amazing group of kids we had. Never once did they complain about hunger, tiredness, being dirty, they don't like so and so, and so on. They all pushed (in fact neither Craig nor I had to touch the cart unless we were at a tuff spot). I have never seen a better example of teamwork.
Our first day started off up hill. I kid you not our kids ran up the hill with the cart. This was no little hill. It went on forever. We had to convince them to wait on the other members of our company since we had the radio if there was an injury.
Here are some highlights:
Rocky Ridge: I taped this and they worked so hard together, but I think they got the idea of just exactly how hard it was for the saints. This was a very spiritual moment. Each set of families went up and then came back down very solemn. No one was hoopin' and holerin'. Very solemn.
: After a long rest and lunch we were off again. All the men were then taken off to fight. Which left us women to do the pushing and pulling. I wish had a picture of the hill we had to climb. The rumor is they accidentally kept the men to long which led to the women going farther than had expected. We climbed this hill (me and 3 of my "daughters") with everything we had. At one point I thought there is no way we are going to make this. I stopped and listened to the words of my girls and they will probably never realize that they were my inspiration. They encouraged each other to go on, not stop and to not give up. As we were almost to the top the men came running down and my girls said, "Don't touch the cart! We want to finish this ourselves!" WOW!!! If we could just encourage each other each day and have the determination to get through life's hard struggles we together can make it.
Each night there was dinner, a fireside and then family home evening with our families. I truly grew to love these kids. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to go on this trek and have a greater appreciation for the saints that had to travel across the wilderness in the dead of winter. These people had to amputate their own toes and fingers along with their children's. These men and women had to bury their little ones in the snow and continue to move on. Some women were left to take care of their families alone because their husbands were to weak to carry on. But, they did not stop. The pressed onward because they knew the truthfulness of the gospel and knew that what they were doing was the right thing. I am forever grateful for their sacrifices and that I could have a small taste of what they went through. I am so grateful to be a member of this church and to know that I am a daughter of God.