Trek Prep Devotional - Lisa Johnson

In this amazing time in the church where His work is being hastened and record amounts of saints, young and old, are accepting the call to serve the Lord full time it has become clearer to me that missionary work is eternally connected with pioneers.

Samuel Smith was the first missionary of the church. He set out, on foot not knowing what an impact on the church his journey would have. His first day had not been a success. After walking 25 miles and not selling even one Book of Mormon, he was hungry, tired and discouraged. That night Samuel slept on the damp ground, under an apple tree. The local innkeeper wouldn't allow him to stay in his inn… calling him a “Liar” after Samuel testified of the Book of Mormon and it being translated from Gold Plates.

I have pondered this first night… how discouraged Samuel was. How I might have wanted to turn around and go home if I were him. Then I think about what happened the next day and remember that it is often through the trials of our faith that we gain a testimony of something or gain the blessing of MORE FAITH.  Samuel shared a copy of the Book of Mormon with John Greene that next day. Mr. Green was Brigham Young’s brother in law. Through many amazing circumstances that followed the entire Young family was baptized! (you can read more about this account in this wonderful article… https://www.lds.org/new-era/2004/09/the-first-latter-day-missionary?lang=eng)

Moving past the trials of his first day and night, Samuel kept his extraordinary faith. Each person that was taught and baptized as a result of his labors became pioneers, breaking the trail for their own families’ path in the Gospel, on earth and for ancestors who had gone before them. 

Each missionary that serves now is seeking, teaching and inviting others to come unto Christ and be baptized. Those who accept become modern day pioneers. They have many trials, sometimes persecution and life altering changes ahead.  Breaking a trail is never easy. Whether it’s being the first pioneer handcart on the trail west… or being the first member of your family to accept the Gospel, each effort is a trial of faith.

As we prepare for this Trek adventure I often contemplate that there will be trials of faith along the Trek Trail. I draw strength from those who have gone before me, breaking the trail… and from the ability, though Christ, to break our own.

Lisa Johnson

Trek Prep Devotional - Doug & Becky Ross

ALL HANDS ON DECK:

We love this message from Elder Rasband in the April 2006 General Conference:

“Many of [the youth] are remarkable in their spiritual maturity and in their faith. But even the best of them are sorely tested. And the testing will become more severe.

"This warning that “the testing will become more severe” gets my attention. Our rising generation is worthy of our best efforts to support and strengthen them in their journey to adulthood.

"In these perilous times, as our youth are faced with this increased adversity, we can learn from others. In the armed forces, particularly in all the navies throughout the world, every seaman understands one phrase that is a clarion call for immediate help, no matter what he is doing or where he is on the ship. The call is “All hands on deck.” Many a battle at sea has been won or lost by the response to this call.

"We—as members of the Church... all need to respond to the call for “all hands on deck” as it pertains to our youth and young single adults. We must all look for opportunities to bless the youth whether or not we are currently closely associated with them. We must continue to teach and fortify fathers and mothers in their divinely declared roles with their children in the home. We must ask ourselves constantly if that extra sporting event, that extra activity or errand outside of the home is more important than families being together at home.

"Now is the time... when in every action we take, in every place we go, with every Latter-day Saint young person we meet, we need to have an increased awareness of the need for strengthening, nurturing, and being an influence for good in their lives."

What a great message, as we all commit to give the youth our best efforts. See you all soon!

Doug & Becky Ross

Trek Prep Devotional - Francys & Robert Tobler

Here's part of our Pioneer Heritage (Trek Devotional) to share with you all.  Thanks for all of the Trek Devotionals forwarded so far.  Can't wait for July!

John Stettler Stucki

Born: 1850 Died: 1933

Children's Story: At the age of nine, John traveled west with a handcart company in 1860. He endured hunger and fatigue and experienced a special kind of love from his father.

Biography: © 1994 Deseret Book Company. All rights reserved.

Born: December 13, 1850, Heirstetten, Bern, Switzerland
Parents: Samuel and Magdalena Stettler Stucki
1860: Oscar O. Stoddard Handcart Company

Age at time of journey: 9

My dear mother had a little baby to nurse, and only having half enough to eat and to pull on the handcart all day long, day after day, she soon got so weak and worn out that she could not help Father anymore. Nor was she able to keep up with the Company. Sometimes when we camped, she was so far behind the Company we could not see anything of her for quite a while, so that I was afraid she might not be able to get to the camp.

I have never forgotten how when I, a nine-year-old boy, would be so tired that I would wish I could sit down for just a few minutes. How much good it would do to me. But instead of that, my dear, nearly worn-out father would ask me if I could not push a little more on the handcart.

When one of the teamsters, seeing two buffaloes near the oxen, shot one of them, the meat was divided among the whole handcart company. My parents also got a small piece, which my father put in the back end of the handcart. That was in the fore part of the week. Father said we would save it for our dinner next Sunday. I was so very hungry all the time, and the meat smelled so good to me while pushing at the handcart, and having a little pocketknife, I could not resist but had to cut off a piece or two each half day. Although I was afraid of getting a severe whipping after cutting a little the first few times, I could not resist taking a little each half day. I would chew it so long it got tasteless.

When father went to get the meat on Sunday noon, he asked me if I had been cutting off some of it. I said, "Yes, I was so hungry that I could not let it alone." Then, instead of giving me the severe scolding or whipping, he did not say a word but started to wipe the tears from his eyes.

The Stucki family settled with other Swiss Saints in Santa Clara, Utah, in 1861. As a young boy, John helped build the St. George Temple. He married Barbara Baumann, Karolina Heimberg, and Louise Reichenbach. John was the father of twenty-four children, eight of whom were adopted. He was called on a mission to Switzerland, where he served as conference president. After returning home, he taught religion classes. John died March 26, 1933, in Santa Clara, Washington County, Utah.

Source: Family History Journal of John S. Stucki, 7, 18-21, 40-46. Salt Lake City: Pyramid Press, 1932. A typescript of the original journal is in the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

 

 

Kindly, Francys and Robert Tobler

Trek Med Tip #2 - Self Care

Youth Self Care

It is likely that some of the youth in your “family” will be self-administering medications. The conditions that will likely be treated by the youth will include: asthma, allergies, and diabetes. The following reviews of some of the conditions and medications you might see being used, and will try to help you know when and how to intervene, if needed

Asthma:

These youth will have inhalers, perhaps two, and should be allowed to use them, as they see fit. At this age, they will know how to use them. There are a few signs that would indicate a need to notify the medics. Call us if you see:

• Frequent use [normally should only be using an inhaler up to 4 times/day]
• Labored breathing [fast shallow breathing, unable to speak in full sentences, sucking in of the skin above the collarbone, or having to brace their chest by leaning their arms on their legs], sweating [more than expected for temp], and confusion

Let them use their inhaler, move to, or make shade, hydrate, loosen clothing, fan to cool, and call medics

Allergies:

Many of the youth may have allergy pills [Zyrtec/Claritin]. Some of the youth will have an “epi-pen”, this is for treatment of severe allergic reactions. If they tell you that they need to use the epi-pen, facilitate their use of the medication. If they start to use it, and become unconscious, give them the medication. The following video discusses the signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, and use of the epi-pen:

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgvnt8YA7r8 ] {<3 min of pertinent info]

Diabetes:

There will be a few insulin dependent diabetics. These youth may be in families with a medically trained Ma/Pa, but if not, they will be checking their blood sugar and administering insulin. They may need a small cooler for their insulin, and they will need access to snacks. Signs of a low insulin reaction include:

• Confusion
• Sweaty
• Tremulous
• Loss of coordination

They also may have an injector kit, if they feel that they need it, facilitate their use of the medication, move them to the shade, hydrate, fan-cool, give a carbohydrate snack if still conscious, and call for medics.

If a Ma/Pa takes any pain meds or psych meds, please keep them on your person, or in a locked container!!!

-- Jim Perez

Trek Registration

Registration is closed for this event. If you need to register and missed the deadline please contact your Stake Young Mens' or Woung Womens' President.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8Hx1UIAc_KLeGtGUmpwaHFaMGc/edit?usp=sharing
We are still lacking Trek registrations for some of our adult participants. The medical staff has requested registrations from all adults who participate in any way (Stake YM/YW leaders, medical staff, Ma's and Pa's, Company Commanders). If you have not yet completed a form, please do so as soon as possible. The list below shows all adults for whom we have Trek registration forms (short of the approximately 96 forms we should have).

To complete a form:

1. Save the attached form to your computer desktop.

2. Open the form. The password is Trek0713.

3. Complete all form fields using a pdf reader (the free Adobe Reader, available at http://get.adobe.com/reader/, is a good choice)

4. Participating individuals sign the form by typing in their name and the date. 

5. If the participant is under 18, the parent/guardian must also type in his/her name and the date.

6. Attach the completed form and, if you have one, an electronic photo of the registering participant to an e-mail and send it to pioneertrek2013@gmail.com

Youth that want to go and have not registered may still do so but please do it very soon. We need to know how many people to plan for.

Trek Prep Devotional - Kristina Sutherland

I tried to think of something fantastic to say- but there's nothing coming. 

I want to keep it simple: I think it's important to remember that we're doing this for the children (young men and women), and that as husband and wife couples we owe them organization, preparedness, safety awareness, and most especially the Spirit. We will easily benefit because we wish to serve them, and in turn God. That alone brings God to be bound to bless us. I don't think most of us are too focused on personal blessings- but we can share lessons learned with our children when we get together in July. 

Telling them stories, and sharing experiences in simple basic fashions allow them to think, process, and work out principles and ideas in their own minds. 

I thank God for this opportunity- and feel that based on all of our devotional sharing we can bring a great love and vigor to Trek 2013. 

My husband and I do have pioneer stories I could share- but right now I cannot think straight because I've been teaching young children all day. My students have complicated to severe disabilities and constrains  so life is hard for them, and as a result I am tired because I'm trying to do what I can. Sweet is the work (isn't that the saying?)  :) 

I know this- God has given us this wonderful opportunity to be a part of his restored church, and for that we can sing and shout and thank our Lord in Heaven. Much like the pioneers we are thinking so much of at this time- we can gather each night, after a long day of trekking, and dance, sing, and praise God. 

Brothers and Sisters- I have been feeling that way lately. While I might not look like much, I have become what I am because of God. His grace is enough for me- and so I can sing and shout and praise His name. 

I am a modern pioneer. I have had to "burry my loved ones in the ice" and leave them behind. My husband and I have fought to be a part of this gospel. My husband especially sacrificed all to be with God- his family, all of his belongings, money, and health. He has received such rejection that he had no place to lay his head. I can honestly state that my husband has put his life up for the taking many times for God's gospel-and he would do it again...all for God. Whether it was in Colorado, Peru, or Bellingham. Like other pioneers who ran from town to town, and city to city, my husband has been persecuted, beaten, spat upon, and threatened with his life. It's frightening to be aware of the intense hatred and evil that fills some souls on this earth. 

Ultimately- We are all pioneers on our Trek back to God. It doesn't matter what our Trek looks like- we just need to keep the destination in mind and in our sights. 

I was lucky to be born into a family where my mother and father also fought like my husband -to be members of the church. They had to run, turn, or escape from the Evils of this earth. I thank God they are alive- and lived to have me and bring me into the world the way they did. We fought as a family to be members of God's true gospel- and I have relished every bit- I can honestly say after everything. Like the pioneers, we have been too aware of the Evils that can roam this earth. I know we are not alone in those experiences. 

I think God wants us to think about our Trek and realize that after everything- evil, lovely, heavenly, and treacherous-  we can and must rise above, pick up our cart, and keep walking. I thank God for the ways He has kept my feet going when I could no longer desire to walk. 

I think the reason why Trek is so powerful is that it physically puts us back into a time and place- and we can remember, think, and ponder about what it teaches us- how it can change us through God's grace. 

I feel a deep and peaceful love for all of you, and I anticipate a life-changing experience with the kiddos this July. 

Take care, and may God bless you continually with joy and peace. 

Best Regards, 

Kristina Sutherland 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1997/04/pioneers-all?lang=eng

Trek Prep Devotional - Richard & Leslie Pollock

One of my favorite pioneer stories.  The Lord really does answer our prayers...............and you never really know what to expect, but it will always be exactly what you need!  You will have to copy and paste the link.

http://www.thepuravida.com/magazine/PuraVida_Vol8_no1.pdf

Richard and Leslie Pollock

Trek Prep Devotional - James & Emily Campbell

As I sit here in the aftermath of the bridge on I-5 collapsing, I stop and think about the challenges that come into our lives. I ask myself, what can be learned from the trials we must pass through? How can we help those in need?

I was reading a talk by David A. Bednar given during the October 2009 General Conference titled "More Diligent and Concerned at Home" where he said "...what we know is not always reflected in what we do." 

My family grew up in southern Idaho in the aftermath of the Teton Dam breaking and flooding the towns of Rexburg, Idaho Falls, and other communities along the Snake River. The biggest message they shared with me was that they learned the true value of service.

Sometimes I catch myself thinking about me and my problems when I know the solution and peace will be found looking outside myself and helping others. I know this, but it seems that it is just as Elder Bednar said, what I know is not always reflected in what I do. 
 
This opportunity to go to trek gives us another way to change our habits to be more in line with what Christ expects of us. We will be given opportunities to look beyond our needs and help others. As we take advantage of these opportunities, we will be blessed, and we will be the means of bringing additional blessings to others.
 
James and Emily Campbell

Trek Prep Devotional - Bishop Keyes

“Unto the Rising Generation” by Elder Neil A. Maxwell- Ensign Apr. 1985

We have long heard, and believed, that the Lord has reserved special spirits to come forth in the last days of the last dispensation. The Church’s rising generation of young men and women are a part of that vanguard. Reserved by the Lord for this time, they must now be preserved by parents and prepared for their special moment in human history! They have been held back to come forth at this time, but now they need to be pushed forward to meet their rendezvous.

Youth are not unlike prospective converts. There are those critical moments when their souls begin to tilt—toward the Lord or away from Him. These moments of decision cannot always be created, but when they occur, they must not be wasted. More often than not, these moments will occur in quiet and reverent conversation with parents, grandparents, a bishop, an adult leader, or a righteous peer.

Real shepherds will sense that a moment of significance is at hand because real shepherds care for, feed, and watch over the flock constantly:

“And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 23:4.)

In fact, did not Jesus counsel Peter to feed His “lambs” as well as his “sheep”? (John 21:15–16.)

There is no human condition in which the unconditional love of a true shepherd is wasted.

Besides, life is not lineal, it is experiential. Clocks and calendars are merely a convenience. We must do more both to create and use such soul-shaping experiences in the lives of our youth.

Thus, as you deploy your precious manpower and woman power, please remember this special generation of destiny! We plead that in the allocation of your precious time and talent, you be generous with the rising generation. We plead for youth and leaders who are portable preachments and walking sermons!

Trek Prep Devotional - Heidi & Jeremy Buker

As Jeremy and I  pondered what kind of devotional to write, I kept thinking about my many pioneer ancestors.  I called my maternal grandfather and asked him to tell me about family that crossed the plains.  He told me about his great grandfather (my great great great grandfather) Benjamin Bennett.

His family is from Conis Key Wales.  His wife's father John Jones had had a vision of men that came from a foreign country.  They would preach on the streets and when John and his family heard them, he would know it was the true gospel of Jesus Christ being taught.  He told is daughter Catherine and her husband Benjamin about his dream/vision.

One day, Benjamin was walking home and saw two men preaching in the street.  They talked about something called the Book of Mormon.  Benjamin came home and told his father in law.  John and Benjamin went back to hear the men teach.  John knew these were the men he had seen in his vision.

The men were Brigham Young and Heber C Kimball.  My great grandfather, his wife and her father were all baptized.  As soon as they could scrape up enough money, Benjamin and Catherine and their youngest daughter Elizabeth, got on a ship in Liverpool and moved to New York. By this time, John had passed away and the main body of the saints had already left for Utah.

They followed along the pioneer trail.  My great great great grandmother, Catherine, died along the way in Wyoming.  She was buried there.  Benjamin and his daughter Elizabeth continued on and settled down in Utah with the main body of the saints.

I love this story.  So many people were being prepared by the spirit to receive the restoration of the gospel at that time.  My own ancestor John Jones was among one of those who was in tune enough to be open to the promptings of the spirit and happy to accept the truth.  I'm always impressed by those who were willing to give up all to do God's will.  We have this opportunity as a Ma and Pa couple to share spiritual experiences and hopefully inspire our "children".  It is my hope that this TREK will be remembered as a milestone in the lives of not only the youth, but to everyone involved.
 
-Heidi and Jeremy Buker 

Trek Prep Devotional - Murray & Sandra Taylor

Here are some quotes from Elder Neil L. Anderson's October's conference talk that help me as I face trials.

By definition, trials will be trying. There may be anguish, confusion, sleepless nights, and pillows wet with tears. But our trials need not be spiritually fatal. They need not take us from our covenants or from the household of God.

"Remember, … it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."Helaman 5:12

How do you remain "steadfast and immovable" during a trial of faith? You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.

When faced with a trial of faith—whatever you do, you don’t step away from the Church! Distancing yourself from the kingdom of God during a trial of faith is like leaving the safety of a secure storm cellar just as the tornado comes into view.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained what he learned from a personal trial: "Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve. … I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day." D. Todd Christofferson, "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" (Church Educational System fireside, Jan. 9, 2011),lds.org/broadcasts.

Trek Medical Tip #1 - Lightning

Trek Medics may have more of these from time to time, we'll keep to a one page maximum.

Trek Medics are getting excited!  I spoke with one worried mom a few days ago, she told me how much she is trusting all of us to take care of her baby!

Happy Mother's Day

Lightning Safety

Trek trail leadership will be making the decision on how the entire column responds to a lightning threat, making the decision to “shelter in place” or evacuate to a shelter. The following information is provided in case evacuation is not possible or feasible, and we are overtaken by a lightning storm. {factoid: thunder travels @ one mile/5 seconds} Lightning can strike many kilometers from the parent thunderstorm, well outside the rain area and even beyond the visible thundercloud.

If you cannot flee to a safer location, take action to minimize the threat of being struck. Proceed from higher to lower elevations. Avoid wide-open areas. Avoid tall, isolated objects like trees, poles, and light posts. Do not consider unprotected open structures such as picnic pavilions. Avoid contact with metal fences, or other long metal structures. And the cardinal rule remains: Do not take shelter under trees to keep dry during thunderstorms. Separate people from the handcarts by at least 50 yards.

If circumstances have found you outside of a shelter, far removed from a safer place when lightning is occurring, there are still measures to be taken. If lightning is about to strike, it will sometimes provide a very few seconds of warning. Sometimes your hair may stand on end, your skin will tingle, light metal objects will vibrate or you will hear a crackling or "kee-kee" sound. If this happens and you're in a group, spread out so there are several body lengths between each person. Once you've spread out, use the lightning crouch. Put your feet together, squat down, tuck your head, and cover your ears. When the immediate threat of lightning has passed, continue heading to the safest place possible.

If the worst happens, there are key Lightning First Aid guidelines. First, call for the Trek Medic SUV immediately. Since all deaths from lightning strikes result from cardiac arrest and/or stopped breathing, begin treatment as soon as possible. CPR or mouth-to-mouth-resuscitation is the recommended first aid, respectively. It is an enduring myth that strike victims retain electrical charge. They do not. There is no hazard posed to a care giver. If the storm's lightning is ongoing and represents a continuing risk to responders, consider moving the victim to a safer location.

Medical authorities recommend that if numerous persons are involved in a lightning incident, treat the apparently dead first -- as many can be revived. Trek medics will have a defibrillator and can begin treatment long before EMS arrives.

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/ams_lightning_rec.htm

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.htm

-- Jim Perez

Trek Prep Devotional - Phil & Noelle Bastian

In preparation for this devotional we read an article quoting Neal Maxwell as he addressed those in attendance at the funeral for a young father.

He said, "There are in the gospel warm and cuddly doctrines, and then there are some that are just outright wintry doctrines. One of them, frankly, is that we cannot approach [real] consecration without passing through appropriate clinical experiences, [because we don't achieve consecration] in the abstract. Sometimes [therefore,] the best people have the worst experiences, because they are the most ready to learn."

He has also said, "If we are serious about our discipleship, Jesus will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are most difficult for us to do."

Just a few months later, the dark shadows of leukemia entered Neal Maxwell's life and he was asked to live the doctrine he had taught for years. 

True discipleship will have all of us walking the trek of life.  As we walk this path, we strengthen our faith and develop true and earned empathy and  charity.  It is in the challenges that we become more like Christ at an accelerated rate.  

At times we may think we can conquer these trials on our own but in the end it is only through Christ that we can surmount some of these most difficult tasks. As it teaches in the scriptures, He will never ask of us anything that is greater than we can bear. And through moving through these trials, He will do what He needs to do to move us to the next "platform" of progression. The gospel allows us to put these life events into better perspective.  It gives us strength and hope.  As we lead these youth on trek, it may be an appropriate time to introduce the "wintery doctrines of the kingdom" to bolster their courage and teach them in a very applicable way how to truly rely on the Lord.  

Phil and Noelle Bastian

Trek Prep Devotional - Murray & Sandra Taylor

As my wife and I have been thinking about trek and the handcart companies we are amazed at their faith. They knew it would be an extremely hard journey, some would lose their lives, but they did it anyway because they knew it was what God wanted of them. Can we do any less than they as we confront the difficulties in our lives. We know that in this day in which we live keeping the commandments with a pure heart is extremely difficult but it is what God requires of us. We need to have the faith of the pioneers in our lives.

 

 

Sandra and Murray Taylor

Fanny Fry (Simons) Rowley Handcart Company

Born: 1842 Died: 1916

Children's Story: Fanny was sixteen when she left England without her mother in 1859. While pushing her handcart west she had a mishap which had surprising results for the rest of the company.

Biography: © 1994 Deseret Book Company. All rights reserved.

Born: September 6, 1842, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Parents: John James and Ann Toomer Fry

1859: George Rowley Company

Age at time of journey: 16

Fanny left England with her brother, John, and her sister, Sarah. Their father had disappeared at sea and was presumed dead, and their mother remained in England another five years before joining them in Utah. Fanny describes her feelings as her mother helped her pack for the journey:

I could not describe my feelings while these preparations were going on. It seemed that I was in a complete daze or dream from which I expected to awaken and find it all a delusion. My feelings at this time can better be imagined than described. Mother had her photograph picture taken and gave one to each of us, and it was a prize to me, for it was five long years before I saw her again. The three young people safely crossed the ocean on the ship the William Tapscott. 

Fanny describes one incident:

We had one slight storm lasting only six hours, just strong enough to rock the boat nicely. I remember Jimmie Bond, for he was such a jolly fellow. His wife was lying sick in her berth; he was kneeling at an unlashed trunk when the ship began to rock. It pushed him under the berth and back again in quick succession, and he was singing all the while, "Here we go, there we go again," the trunk following him each time. It was quite laughable to those looking on, but not, I suppose, for Jimmie.

Fanny's brother, John, remained in New York for a short time to work, and Fanny and her sister traveled to Florence, Nebraska. Fanny joined a handcart company while her sister, Sarah, traveled with another company. Well, we started from Florence, Nebraska, on the seventh of June. That memorable day I shall never forget in this life. We traveled three miles the first day. Brother Coltrin pulled the cart in my place, and I walked beside him. He felt so sorry for us because he knew what was before us and we knew nothing of it, he having just made the journey.

There were fifty-eight handcarts, with an average of three to a cart. Our rations when we started was a pint of flour a day, and we had some bacon and soap. These items soon gave out. We had to take a cold water wash for the want of a vessel to warm the water in. And not having soap, we were worse than ever. At the Elk Horn River, my feet were so swollen I could not wear my shoes. Then when the swelling went out, my feet were so sore from the alkali that I never had on a pair of shoes after that for the entire journey.

After a while we recovered our usual spirits and enjoyed ourselves evenings around camp visiting each other, with singing and other amusements. There was one song we would sing which would make the shivers creep over me:

Do they miss me at home? Do they miss me?

It would be an assurance most dear

To know at this moment some loved one

Were saying, "I wish he was here,"

To know that the group near the fireside

Were thinking of me as I roam.

Oh, it would be joy beyond measure

To know that they missed me at home.

I recollect one day the captain put me to a cart with six people's luggage on and only three to pull it-a woman, a lad of sixteen, and I, seventeen-and there was nine days' bread. All grown people were allowed twenty pounds of luggage apiece and their cooking utensils besides. That made quite a load for us. I know it was the hardest day's work I ever remember doing in all my life before or since. We had to pull up quite a long hill, and part of it was steep. In climbing we got behind one of the teams for the oxen to help us, for it was all we could do to keep it moving. Captain Rowley came up and called us lazy, and that I did not consider we were at all.

While pulling this heavy load, I looked and acted strange. The first thing my friend Emmie knew I had fallen under the cart, and before they could stop it, the cart had passed over me, and I lay at the back of it on the ground.

When my companions got to me, I seemed perfectly dead. Emmie could not find any pulse at all, and there was not a soul around. They were, she thought, all ahead, so she stood thinking what to do when Captain Rowley came up to us. "What have you got there, Emmie?" he said. "Oh my, Fanny is dead," she said. It frightened him, so he got off his horse and examined me closely but could not find any life at all. He asked Emmie to stay with me and he would go and stop the company and send a cart back for me, which he did.

When I came to myself, my grave was dug two feet deep, and I was in a tent. The sisters had sewed me up to the waist in my blanket, ready for burial. I opened my eyes and looked at them.

I was weak for some time after. I did not fully recover during the rest of the journey. Through it all I found I had a great many friends in the company.

Soon, the handcart company began running out of food. They made some soup that made everyone ill, and the entire company was in a very desperate condition. They decided to stop and camp until they could obtain more food.

On the morning of the fourth day after camping, one of the brethren related a dream he had that night. He told us that the Church teams would come that day, and just before we could see them we would hear a gun fired and they would come in sight. I think it was in the afternoon that we heard a gun shot, and in a minute the teams came in sight, six in number.

Oh, I will never forget that time, especially the next few minutes; they seem so plain to me even now. I think that some of the faces of the men are stamped on my memory forever. The teams came trotting down the hill. The wagon master decided he would have some fun with us, so he told the boys to shout "Hurrah for Pikes Peak" and then drive on past us. They did so. Oh, how our hearts failed us! We had all got out to the road to meet them and had made an opening in the circle of carts for them to drive in. Men and women threw themselves on the ground, begging for a crust for their last meal. It was a sight that none who witnessed it will ever forget. The wagon master, poor fellow, was melted to tears.

"Boys! he said, "I can't stand this; drive in." They drove in, and then we began to scramble into the wagons. "Stand back, brethren and sisters, until we can get the horses away, and then we will give you all you can eat." The teamster told us when that was gone to come and get more and to eat plenty-that if they had not brought enough they could send to Salt Lake City and get more. We were to have all we could eat, and we did from that time to the end of the journey.

The day we were going over Big Mountain, I was learning to ride horseback, and a nice picture I looked, I can assure you: an old sunbonnet on my head all torn, an old jacket, and my petticoat tattered, and my feet dressed in rags. That was my costume. I was riding in advance of the entire company. I saw a wagon coming towards me; I rode on, and the wagon was passing all right. When about past, I saw some well-dressed ladies sitting in the wagon, and one of them cried, "There goes my sister." The next thing I knew I was in the wagon in my darling sister's arms. Oh the rapture of that moment! It was blessed to me, I will say. Sarah had arrived in Salt Lake City sometime since and got rested, and now Brother and Sister Eddington were coming with her to meet me and the handcart company. They had heard that the company would camp in the canyon that night, and they had come prepared to stay all night with us and fetch some of us. They brought with them a quarter of young beef, half a lamb, pies and cakes that I was to divide among my friends.

Fanny Fry arrived in Salt Lake City, on September 6, 1859. She married John Zundel, and they became the parents of one daughter. After John's death, she married Gustavus Simons, and they had three children. Fanny earned extra income for the family by nursing the sick and weaving carpets. Fanny died December 22, 1916. She is buried in Payson, Utah County, Utah.

Trek Prep Devotional - Andy & Jami Neeld

“You don’t have to push a handcart, leave your family dear, or walk a thousand miles or more to be a pioneer.  You do have to have great courage, faith to conquer fear and work with might for a cause that’s right to be a pioneer” (children’s song book pg 218)

In our family we don’t have any plains-crossing pioneers, but we do have modern pioneers.  Michelle Parker in 1976 broke her family’s heart by leaving the Catholic Church.  Irv Neeld started his family on a new path in 1967.  They had to face ridicule and other family turning their backs on them.  They had to form new habits and leave old traditions behind.  We have had the opportunity to work with individuals who are now making that struggle to be pioneers in their own familiy, working to establish Zion in their hearts and homes. 

John Chapter 14:2-3 reads:

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Just as the pioneers journeyed to the west, we are all journeying home to our Father’s mansions that he has prepared for us.

To help us along the way, in the same chapter (verse 27):

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Savior will strengthen us to face our challenges on our journey, just as he strengthened those that came before us.

May we all find the peace of the Savior in our journey back to our Father’s presence. 

Happy Trails,

Andy and Jami Neeld

Trek Prep Devotional - Jacob & Maren Price

Since General Conference we have been thinking lots on the doctrine of peace. Everyday we look at the news headlines and discuss the horrors and calamities surrounding us and everyday we are saddened. Fortunately, we have the Good News and the doctrine of the Atonement and our Heavenly Father's love that brings us peace. As we think about the pioneers leaving their homelands and families behind, we think of the peace and comfort they found  in the gospel as they did what they knew was right. Many of them suffered death, heartache, pain and the loss of precious loved ones but they pressed forward with hope and steadfastness in Christ. 

As we have recently experienced some of these heartaches within our own family, we find that same peace that comes from Jesus Christ and his Atonement. We testify that true and everlasting peace comes from the things of God and not the things of temporal nature. We testify of the Son of Man's Atonement and of its power to heal and bring consolation and peace in times of difficulty and in times of ease; a peace that cannot be found from any other source. We hope to emulate this doctrine within our trek families- especially as these youth 'trek' through such a bitter world seemingly alone. 

Jacob and Maren Price

Trek Prep Devotional - Troy & Jema McOmber

“I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion”  Jeremiah 3:14

As we read and consider the great sacrifices and accomplishments of the Mormon pioneers, my mind often turns in reflection on some of the wonderful examples of modern-day pioneers that offer similar sacrifices in their lives to be faithful members of the church.  We have heard and read stories of members in faraway places that brave the persecution of oppressive regimes to practice the gospel, and we all know of the great sacrifices made by some members of our own wards who struggle with making ends meet while striving to serve diligently in the gospel, sometimes as the only active members of their, oft-times, antagonistic families.

There will likely be members in our own ‘Trek’ families that are some of these modern-day pioneers.

While many of us may not be required to forsake our homes and pack our provisions in handcarts in preparation of a long arduous journey, it is our duty, in the spirit of charity, to heed Brigham Young’s call to ‘rescue’ those that are struggling along the path, caught in the storms of life.

“The experiences of those pioneers that crossed the plains … of North America remind us that the most critical journey of us all is to come unto Christ”  (Swinton).  Let’s help the members of our Trek families to understand that a most important part of our journey is to help others along theirs.

Troy and Jema McOmber

Trek Prep Devotional - Renee Crandall

When I read this account of Millen Atwood from the Willie Handcart Company I think of our trek theme, "But with joy wend your way":

      "I never enjoyed myself better than in crossing the plains in a hand cart company.  The Spirit of the Lord did accompany us and the brethren and sisters enlivened the journey by singing the songs of Zion.  They would travel 16, 18, 20, 24 miles a day and come into camp rejoicing, build their fires, get their suppers, rest, and rise fresh and invigorated in the morning.  I have seen some so tired in England, after traveling only 5 or 6 miles to a conference, that they would have to go to bed and be nursed for a week.  We stimulated the hand cart companies with the words of Brother Brigham, which went through me like lightning.  He said, "If they would rise up in the name of the Lord, nothing doubting, no power should stop them in their progress to reach this place."  It was in his words that they trusted to perform the journey, and they were determined to see his words fulfilled.

     "I have walked day by day by the side of the hand carts as they were rolling, and when the people would get weary I have seen them by dozens on their knees by the road side crying to the Lord for strength, and there are scores now in this city who walked from Iowa City to Fort Bridger, and some who were weak and feeble at the start grew stronger every day.  So long as you kept the bundle on the hand cart and stimulated them to lay hold of it, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and it seemed as though angels nerved them with strength; we could out travel the cattle and might have camped 15 miles ahead of them every night if we had had the provisions with us.  I told Brother Brigham that I believed we could beat ox, horse, or mule teams.  The gentiles prophesied as we came along that we should never see the Valleys of the Mountains, and laughed us to scorn, and ridiculed the idea of men and women's traversing 1200 miles with hand carts, and they marveled to see the Saints travel on so cheerfully.  I said the them, "I defy you and your rulers, with all your gold, to gather up a set of men, women and children that will travel with hand carts.  You have not the influence to do that, but when Brother Brigham speaks the word, see how they go".

When I think of how positive these pioneers were traveling 1200 miles, then I can easily be positive and cheerful for under 20 miles!  I also learned from reading this excerpt that I need to completely depend on the Lord during the trek experience and always.   

-- Renee Crandall

This thought was taken from the book "Tell My Story, Too"  by Jolene S. Allphin