Trek

Trek has come and gone. It was an awesome experience. Ethan had a great family and every time I saw him he was smiling and having fun!

We trekked for four days. The weather was perfect, in the 80's during the day and in the 40's at night. It was actually pretty chilly but much better than steamy and hot!

It was so beautiful up in the mountains! I loved the rocky, craggy mountains, tall trees, bits of green and determined wild flowers.

Mary and I on day one. She is a good YW president and a good friend.

Ethan's family minus Daniel who came later.

The kids were awesome. They pulled without complaint, worked hard and played hard!

Some of the fun things we had for them to do included a hoe down, black powder shooting, tomahawk throwing, log cutting competition, battle dores, doll making, scone making, black smithing, and free time!

They also had lessons, family time, devotionals, chores, singing, scripture reading and lots and lots of walking. 

Our dance was soooo dusty I could barely breathe! The kids were kicking up a storm!

We had a few people who got sick and a few hiccups here and there but overall things went well. 

It was interesting to me to compare this trek and our Maryland trek two years ago. 

One highlight for me of this trip was walking around the camp at night and seeing the families gathered around their lantern lights reading and praying or laughing and talking. 

Another was seeing the fun they had with simple activities and competitions when there were no electronics to pull them away. 

A third was watching how hard the men worked. We had several men who just served tirelessly and cheerfully. It was so sweet and helpful.

My friend Ramona's son bore a sweet testimony and I was happy to get to share that with her when I saw her. 

One of my favorite stories was told to Rob and I as we were walking across the meadow with a ma and pa after testimony meeting. He told us one of their sons, who is struggling at home and with his testimony and who didn't even bring his own scriptures went out to solo time somewhat reluctantly. He took his dad's scriptures and went ahead and knelt in prayer then opened them up. Pretty soon he found himself reading the things his father has highlighted and wondering why he choose certain passages. As he read he got more and more excited and was reading the notes his father had written in the margins and was really pondering the scriptures and thoughts he had. He read something his dad had written in the margin by a particularly powerful verse and couldn't help but write back his own thoughts beside his fathers. He then asked his pa, "do you think my dad will be mad?" Tearfully this good pa put his arm around his trek son and said "I know he won't, in fact that's going to be his favorite page I can guarantee it!" How amazing.

One boy in Ethan's family, named Daniel is very sick. He was born with lots of problems including a bad heart. He's little  even though he's 18, and has blue lips and hands. He was on a heart transplant list but the doctors took him off. Daniel doesn't want to miss out on anything. After a lot of prayer and conversation with people above my pay grade it was decided that Daniel and his mom would come with us.  He couldn't walk the trail but waited patiently in camp ahead each day. This kid was so cheerful and full of faith. His family was awesome to him and included him in all they could. They carried him when necessary and included him and joked around with him and treated him like one of the guys. He slept with them and when he got his IV transfusions they brought their lunches over and sat with him and joked around.  They loved Daniel and he loved them. During testimony meeting one awesome priest told of being asked to look after him and to make sure he had a good trek. He said he agreed right away but that really it was Daniel that looked after and inspired all of them. He and Ethan became good friends.

One day Rob and I and a small group were in camp ahead of the company. We were setting up the kitchen and making dinner for the masses when they came in. We also were hauling port a potties and getting other things ready. Daniel was there with us and he and I spent the afternoon talking. He said he had a bucket list of things he wants to do before he dies, he wants to take a bath in soda he said he doesn't know why but that sounds like so much fun. He wants to go to the temple and serve a mission, he would like to grow some, and he wants to plan a big party for all of his friends on the day he dies so that they won't be sad. He wants them to remember him and to know that they will be together again, he wants them to know he's not afraid but has a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. He is not sad or worried about it but wants to go when Heavenly Father wants him back. 

This is an amazing kid!

Trek is hard and hot and things go wrong but it's amazing and cool and life changing. 

Standing around this morning with the support staff and ma's and pa's with Pres Crawley was a highlight for me because he asked them to share how trek had changed them; these great, faithful, strong husbands and wives bore tearful testimonies of knowing better the Saviors love, wanting to improve their own families, and loving these children that they were assigned in a Christlike way that was powerful and surprising to them. Learning to love like Christ did is our greatest task and our greatest joy. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the chance it gives us to grow! 

It was an awesome and exhausting week!!

Ethan 5 minutes after we had loaded up and were driving down the hill!