Trek 2016

The album I including for this post has 145 pictures in it. This is only a fraction of the total pictures taken over the three days by several photographers. However, I really have no way of organizing them well for you. So please realize I captured these because I could identify at least one of my kids in each of these shots. There are a few with only Anna's friend, Tori, in them but often times she feels like one of my own so you get to share in the joy.

So what is Trek? Short history lesson: After Joseph Smith was martyred June 27, 1844, the Mormon people living in Nauvoo, IL thought that the mob activity that had driven them from Missouri to Illinois would die down with the death of the prophet. That was true for a short time but by the fall of 1845 the members were being driven from their beautiful town they had built. By early 1846 the Saints were forced to flee west to spare their lives. Many members of the church traveled to Council Bluffs, IA and then on to Salt Lake City, UT after wintering across the river in Winter Quarters, Nebraska. The saints settled in the Salt Lake valley after Brigham Young declared this was the place for them. (July 24, 1847 - Now known as Pioneer Day in Utah)

From 1847 to 1869 many Mormon converts from the eastern US and other western European countries made the exodus to Salt Lake City to come live among others of their faith. Most of the time, the people came by wagon train, but at times some of the poorest of the migrants used handcarts to make the journey. They pushed or pulled handcarts from Winter Quarters, NE to Salt Lake City, UT, a distance of about 1000 miles. It took several months and a tremendous amount of faith, work, and sacrifice to make the journey. All of it was done to help build up Zion, a place where God's people could worship according to the dictates of their own conscience and free of harassment.

To encourage the youth of our church to develop an appreciation for the sacrifice that was made by these pioneers to help establish the church as we know it today, many stakes will host a Trek experience every four years that lasts a few days. (It takes a lot of time and work by the adult leaders to make this happen so they only do it every four years to keep that to a minimum and allow all youth one opportunity in their time of young men's and young women's (ages 12-18)to go.) Our Spokane Stake planned one the summer of 2011 but we left in January. Our Reno Stake did one the summer of 2010 so when we got there in January, it had already passed. Our Friendswood Stake did it in 2012 but we didn't arrive until 2013 so this was the first time any of my kids have gone. It is for youth ages 14-18 (or 13 if you will be a freshman in the fall, so Jaron was included.).

They spend the three days living the life of handcart pioneers. They walk trails pushing and pulling handcarts loaded with just the bare necessities to live and experience "camp life" of pioneers. They are asked to dress in period clothing and have lessons/vignettes along the way to describe the lives these pioneers led. There is a significant event during this trail experience called the women's pull. The Mormon Battalion was pressed into service of the country that had just driven them out, to defend the US territory from Mexico during the Mexican-American war. The men went to San Diego, CA but the women were left to get their families safely to UT on their own. The women's pull is symbolic of those women, and others who lost their spouses along the trail, and the work they did without the men. There are pictures of the girls pulling by themselves as the boys watch on, cheering them along the way.

But don't be fooled, these kids played and rested too. They worked hard but knew how to rest and recharge also. They were kept safe by leaders and all returned home happy to have participated and calling the experience, "Great! Fun! Awesome!" so I'm calling it a success. Enjoy the album!

Trek 2016

Anna and Tori

Nathan

Jaron