Our Pioneer Trek
Day Four
Saturday morning we fasted, cleaned up camp, got our carts ready to go and then had an intensely spiritual testimony meeting. Youth conference testimony meetings are usually good anyway, but this was among the best--out in the woods, dressed as pioneers and just having experienced to a small degree what the pioneers had gone through. I'm afraid I just don't have the words to describe how I felt then, especially during the closing hymn. We began singing "The Spirit of God" and without any prompting from the leaders, people started standing up. We stayed standing to finish the song, but I'm afraid it wasn't as loud as usual--most of us were too choked up to get much sound out.
| After the testimony meeting, we started our return to the 'valley' where we would complete the trek. Of course, it started to rain hard again, but did anybody care?? No!! We all thought it was totally fitting. In fact, after a while we all took off our ponchos so we could come back feeling as close to pioneers as possible--even if it meant being soaked to the skin. |  |
| The welcome into the valley was even more exuberant than when we brought the Red Company off the mountain. Hundreds of family members and friends lined the roads as we came in. What a great feeling it was to arrive and know that we had conquered our fears and discouragement and done what we had set out to do!! I'll never forget that feeling as long as I live. |  |
| Well, we left that trek in total awe of what the pioneers went through. And we left knowing that the Lord had a hand in what we experienced. One of the leaders said--only half joking--that when the organizers set the dates for the trek, the Lord set the date for the storm. Hey, I believe it!! And you know the most amazing part? Not one person was seriously injured during the entire trek. | |
| I thank God for wonderful, faithful people, who were and are willing to serve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And, I'm so glad that we were able to pay tribute to the pioneers of years ago by experiencing a trek with many Gospel pioneers of today. | |
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Last Updated 6 January 2005