Trek number 8/ 2nd day

July 30, 2015

This is the second day of our 8th trek!  Elder Petersen has not been feeling well and I have been riding in the Ranger today following the Jensen's!   Elder Petersen took support around. I wasn't sure of the trail, but was following the Jensen's. They weren't sure of the trail either and got off! We finally found our way back to the right trail after much discussion.  I wonder how the pioneers found their way. Watching these treks, they get pretty strung out and I can see how they can get lost. What a miracle it was that they found their way and then to think of those rescuers going out looking for the Willie and Martin Handcart treks and found them! I see the Lord's hand in so many ways out here and cry daily from thinking of those brave souls and left their comfortable homes and travels over 1000 miles to get to Salt Lake City. That is what I am going to miss the most. Feeling the spirit so much. I love my Heavenly Father and all he provides for his children.I also learned today how much I depend on my husband. I missed him and I knew if he were with me, we would not be lost. I am truly blessed to have him as my missionary companion and my eternal companion. He is such a special man and I love him.
 Next week is our last trek. Can't even believe how fast it has gone.

 This was a devotional after the woman's pull. The young man in the front is playing a 100 year old violin. What a beautiful song they played.

 The girls having an inspirational talk just before the woman's pull
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        Notice the girls to the right. They just finished a prayer before they pulled that handcart up the hill.
                                 The boys are way ahead waiting. This brought tears to my eyes.

                     This is a picture of the boys heading out in this family; The girls are walking behind.

                                                                      Heading out!

Trek number 8!! First Day

July 29, 2015
This group is from Roy, Utah. There is almost 250 of them here. These are pictures from staging and there is only one more trek left. The summer has just flown by. The whole Stake presidency is here with them and alot of the bishops. Pretty exciting. We are serving with Brother and Sister Jensen this week and they are in charge, so we just sort of lay back and let them take it. Here are some pictures from today.

                                                Just leaving staging. On their way!

 This is the trail boss Brother Dabb and one of the Stake Presidency trying to figure out how to get all the Porta Potties out as they didn't bring enough vehicles. We worked it out and all is fine.

There they go!  Elder Petersen and I led support and Elder and Sister Jensen rode the Ranger and walked along side the trekkers.

The reason why we are here!

July 28, 2015

I need to record the reason why we are on this mission and what we have learned . There are only two treks left and it is important that I get this down. I will be so happy to be home and around my beautiful family, but I will also miss being here and feeling the spirit of this place.

 Brother and Sister Cowan are our trek directors and they were also our Temple Supervisors. WE knew they had left on a mission and when Elder Petersen saw Elder Cowan again in the temple about 6 months after they left, he asked him why he was back. Elder Cowan told him about this mission and asked him if he wanted to go. He found me later that day and came bounding up the stairs by the Celestial Room in the St George Temple and told me about it and said. I think we are supposed to go on this mission! His eyes were just lit up with the Spirit. But my answer was - what?  A trek mission??? No way.
   Earlier that year, my son Tyler and his wife Toni were the ward Trek Directors and wanted us to go with their ward to Martin's Cove. I told them "no way was I ever going on a trek!"  Toni said to me that she didn't know why we were supposed to go, but she knew that we were.  I also felt something inside that we would be going, but I thought maybe we would be going to Martin's Cove and work at the visitors Center. I had never heard of Deseret Land and Livestock at this point.

Back to the story-  I still had 3 years left before I would retire from working and I just didn't want to go yet. I felt so confused and really kind of sad thinking about it and wondering how how how??
I found a quiet place in the Temple and a Doctrine and Covenants was sitting on the table beside me. I just opened it up hoping I would find an answer. I turned to D + C 117. It is a revelation to William Marks, Newel K. Whitney and Oliver Grander. The Lord wanted them to go on missions and serve him and they were unwilling to go. This is what struck me like a bolt of lightening.
D+C 117: 2-6
Let them awake, and arise, and  come forth and not tarry for I the Lord, command it. Therefore, if they tarry it  shall not be well with them. Let them repent of all their sins, and of all their covetous desires before me, saith the Lord, for what is property unto me? saith the Lord.....
For have I not the fowls of heaven, and also the fish of the sea and the beasts of the mountains. Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth?

This was the message I was looking for. I knew in my heart so strongly that I need not worry about retiring early, that the Lord needed us on this mission and we needed the mission. the line that struck me the most was. Therefore if they tarry it shall not be well with them. I wondered why it would not be well with me if I didn't go on this mission.  I remember a sister in our ward saying- You do not choose your mission, your mission chooses you. The Lord had let me know so quietly that I would be going on a trek mission, but I thought it was going to be Martin's cove, but I now knew it would be at Deseret Land and Livestock in Wyoming. wow, he talked to me and I knew it. And he talked to me in a very forceful way!  it went straight to my heart and I jumped up, found my husband and the Cowans and told them we were going if they would have us. We were interviewed by Elder Summerhays a few months later and then called on this  mission.

What have I learned?  I have learned about these beautiful pioneers and about courage and strength to go forward. I have learned to let the Spirit teach me and to listen. I have felt the spirits and strength of these pioneers on this dedicated land. I thought treks are for the youth, but I found out they are for me! I would not have learned this if I had stayed home. I have seen lives change here, but my life has changed for the better. I have a deeper testimony of this church, I know that it's true and I feel so thankful and humbled that the Lord took the time to tell me that I must go or it would not be well with me. I love this mission and will be sad to go home. How do I keep this with me?? what can I do now to continue to feel this spirit? that is the next quest that I will be on.
I would like to thank my children for helping us go. For the help and support they have always given us, but especially now. I love them with all my heart and am so thankful to be their mother.
the next thing I would like to put in here is the dedicatory prayer from Elder Summerhays, but right now I need to go to prayer meeting and get ready for the next trek.
more coming.........

Pictures of Sarah and family and Tinille and her girls.

                    Tinille is in Leavenworth, Washington. We raised our kids there and this is our old home.

This is Tinille and her daughters, Makenzie and Delaney in front of our old house in Leavenworth. Beautiful place to raise a family.

             This is Devin and Sarah and their Children at Lake Powell. A Yearly event with Devin's family.

Great to see our two youngest sons and their families!

7/26/2015

Met Tyler and Robert and families at the Kamas Cemetery . Was able to see Sarah Amelia Pack's grave and also William Alma Williams headstone. It was fun to see all those grandkids and then we drove up the canyon for a picnic lunch. Tyler and Toni had been to a family reunion and asked us to meet them and Robert and Melanie in Kamas. It was so great to see those cute little faces.

 Teniah and Kiki at the grave site of Sarah Amelia Pack. Our youngest daughter Sarah is named after her.

                                                    Tyler, Toni and Family.  Great to see them!

                                                             Robert, Melanie and family

Last Day of Trek Seven!!!

Saturday July 25, 2015

Finished up with this group about 3 oclock today. When we get back, we wash all the vehicles and do the wash. And then get ready for Sunday. It's been a great group and they reserved for this same time of year in 2019.

                                                                 unloading the handcarts.

                          One last devotional before heading out for the last 5 miles

                                                            Well done!!!

Day Three of Trek Seven- July 24th, 2015

July 24, 2015
What an honor to be out on the trek on July 24th! I have developed such a love for those early Members of the church and all they went through to get to the Salt Lake  Valley. What pushed them to the very limit of their being to keep going? Was it only that they wanted to get to a place where they would not be persecuted? Was it only because they were asked to come to Zion. No, they had undying testimonies of Christ and were willing to pay the ultimate price to know him.
This is what I have learned here on this mission. What am I willing to sacrifice to know Christ? What am I willing to give up for that testimony? This mission has been hard for both Elder Petersen and I. It is physically, mentally and spiritually challenging,
But I have learned to know Christ. I have gained a very strong testimony of what drove those early pioneers to endure what they did. I am going to be sad to leave because of the spirit I have felt every day on this beautiful land that has been dedicated for this purpose. It has been an honor to be here and now when I read D + C 117, I know now why the Lord wanted us to be here. It was to find him and know him and the love he has for all his children. He is our Redeemer and wants us to return to him. I pray that I can be found worthy of that great blessing.

 These are the cutest little boys. They are eleven and love being on Trek. Their names are Zach and Isaac.
After I took their picture I told them they were going to be on my blog and they were just beaming and said. "we are going to be on her blog" I loved watching them play and run around. It really made me homesick for my grandchildren. They are sad it is almost over.

 This is the woman's pull. I like the way this Stake did it. The girls pulled it up to a point and then the boys took over so they could know what the girls have been going through. It worked out great.

The boys pulling it up the last big hill. You can see the girl at the left on the ground. She just collapsed as she got that far. It is a hard pull for girls. But it is the highlight of the trek for these kids. They come to appreciate each other alot more and how strong the youth of this generation must be. I had a hard time with the woman's pull at first and couldn't figure out why they do it. But I understand now why they have treks and why they have the woman's pull. These are the youth of the last dispensation and the Lord needs them strong. That is why Gordon B Hinckley wanted this ranch and just told them to buy it.