Youth Conference - Pioneer Trek

Our handcart
Trent and I (Ma and Pa)
1st photo as a new family
Blazing the trail
Silver, Rob, Trent and Sam

My 'daughters' Silver, me, Norma, Ariel, Bri, Samatha, and Angela

Sam and Trent

Norma, Ariel, Bri, and Samatha

Trent and I were asked to go to this years Youth Conference for our church. The theme for the conference was "Faith in Every Footstep". The conference was a mini reenactment of the pioneer handcart trek. We were put in 'families' and Trent and I were the "Ma and Pa" for a group of 5 girls and 4 boys. Each family was assigned a handcart and with that handcart, we hiked a total of about 20 miles over three days going up and down on trails in a oval around the ranch and the neighboring properties. The ranch is about 1 1/2 hours North from us by Cherry Valley, CA. The ranch, Riley's Farm, is owned by a church member who hosts various other groups to come to his 760 acre ranch and he has the handcarts already set up for us to use.


We dressed in pioneer attire for the 3 days, which helped all the youth to open up more and not judge others by what they wore, since we all looked pretty rediculous. There were no cell phones or Ipods, so they had to really 'be there' and didn't really have anything else to do but to get the most of the experience. We were only allowed to each bring 17lb of our personal belongings with us just as the handcart pioneers did. The big difference is that we only needed stuff for 3 days and they needed that 17lbs of stuff for several months!


THURSDAY

Our first day of the trek was Thursday, June 26th. We left the church with 6 boys from our ward in our car. We got up to the ranch at around 10:30AM and waited for the rest of the groups to get up there. We were given the names of our 'children' for our family and then we loaded up our handcart. We were also given a 'flour sack' which we were supposed to use as our 'baby', which we wrapped in duct tape and drew a face on the sack and pinned some cloth on him for clothes and named him Eli. The youth were to always be holding 'Eli' and watching over him as if he were a real baby.



After lunch, we headed out on the trail at about 1:30pm. That first day we hiked about 9 miles on relatively gentle sloping trails. Nothing too hard. We stopped often and had moments to share stories of pioneers and the trials they suffered while making the 1,300 mile journey by foot from Iowa City, Iowa to the Salt Lake Valley. We called our family the Openshaw family, after my ancestors who were part of the Martin handcart company which had left very late in 1856 and did not beat the harsh winter wather in Wyoming. The Martin company of pioneers suffered many deaths because of exposure to the cold and exhaustion from the lack of food and supplies. The Martin and Willie handcart companies suffered the most loss out of the ten handcart companies which crossed the plains to go to Salt Lake.


Although the handcart companies could travel faster and cover more ground in a day than the oxen pulled wagons, the physical strain was greater. The main reason handcarts were used at this time in the church history was due to the poverty at the time of the church members in general and the lack of funds available in the Perpetual Emigration Fund that was set up to assist the saints who wanted to travel to Utah to be with the other members of the church.


After we arrived to our first camp, we staked out our sleeping spots by throwing down tarps. We camped on a large grassy field with the handcarts down the middle, dividing the men from the women. We had a very satisfying meal (after hiking seven miles) of chili and cornbread. We couldn't tell if the chili was really that good or if we were just really hungry.


We had a couple of men come and do impersonations Thursday and Friday nights. On Thursday we had a man talk who represented Oliver Cowdery and did an excellent job. Later than night, we had 'Porter Rockwell' share his life story and relationship with the prophet Joseph Smith. Then, Friday, we heard from 'Joseph Smith' by a man who had a very similar profile to that of the prophet Joseph Smith. Friday night also happened to be the 164th anniversary of the prophet's martyrdom. All three were very well done and the men then shared their personal testimonies of the gospel and we all felt the spirit testify of the truthfulness of their words.


FRIDAY

Friday was a more relaxed day where we went about 2.5 miles in the morning and then spent a few hours learning about the different skills that the pioneers needed to have in order to be self sufficient along their journey. Trent and I were assigned to teach about Log Sawing and all the youth came by and were able to try sawing a log in half two at a time. The youth were also able to experience horseback riding, hatchet throwing, how to use a musket and rifle, wood carving and other dialy task or skills the pioneers needed to survive.

Jake DeBruyn and Todd Chapman

At the tomahawk throw

Brian and Trent at the Log cutting

We had a late lunch and then got our family together in a quiet and private spot and had to inform our group that our 'baby brother', Eli, had died. We had a mock burial ceremony. We talked about how hard it would be to lose a loved one because of our desire to follow the prophet and gatehr with other church members in the Salt Lake Valley. Trent spoke about the Atonement and how through Christ's sacrafice we will ALL be resurrected and how we can ALL be united together as eternal families through God's plan of happiness. Trent said he was able to better comprehend the sacrifice the pioneers made as he thought back on the first time he saw Reeghan and became a father. He shared how he would have felt if we were burying one of our own children. We sung the hymn "Come, Come Ye Saints" and couldn't finish it because we were all too emotional as we really thought about the words to the Hymn. The intense sacrafice and suffering of the pioneers became more real to us as we were out there away from all the distractions of the World and were able to push and pull the handcarts in the heat and experience some of the physical strain they went through. We related to the kids that the pioneers were able to endure all these trials and death of loved ones because they had great faith in Jesus Christ and in the things which they were doing. We told them to think about their own lives and trials and realize that they too can rely on God and His Son Jesus Christ for strength to carry on in spite of all that may happen. This was one of the more spiritual moments of the trek and we hope the youth in our group were strengthened in their resolve to be faithful to the commandments of God in spite of whatever may happen in their lives. We really enjoyed the youth in our 'family' and were so glad they all worked together so well and never complained argued or fought. It was as if they were really brothers and sisters all willing to help each other
We headed on the trail again and went a guarter of a mile before we had a big hurdle in the trail. There with a small stream that we needed to cross. The wall from our side was very steep and we could not just push our carts down one side and up the other. We had to empty each cart (there were 13 carts and 13 families in our group) one at a time and lower the cart down the edge and then pull and push it up to the other side of the ravine. After that the boys/men created a chain and passed along all of the belongings and placed them back into the handcart. We were the second cart in line, but our boys helped with the first cart and then also staid around to help the next 5 carts before we moved on. The final mile and a half for the day was up an incline that was a little harder than the previous day, but was nothing compared to what we would experience on Saturday.


That afternoon we had 'pioneer games' but Trent and I sat down and put my legs up on his and rested since my feet and legs were tired from all the walking. I was the only '7 and a half months pregnant' woman there, so Trent used that as an excuse for a lot of things... seconds on the food... cutting in line for food... anything really, since no one wanted to make it any harder on the 'pregnant woman' : )


That evening after dinner and the Joseph Smith fireside, they had a dance for the youth. It was interesting to say the least, since it was all fiddle music and all dances the youth had never done before. I think most of the kids liked it and had fun. We old folks were to tired, so we sat on some chairs and watched them dance around the dirt field.


SATURDAY

This day was by far the toughest day! They saved the best experiences for the last day to really make an impression on all of us. We started the day by relaxing by the camp and then all the sudden the call came for all the men to enlist! They did a mock enlistment to the Mormon Batallion and went through the drill of accepting the call and then off they walked leaving us women behind! What an emotional moment for us. I thought I was the only one crying but I looked around and the girls just looked at one another and realized that this was it. We were to do it alone!

But before we headed off the women got together to do some activities around camp that they would have done back then. We had a letter writing section, doll making, crocheting, soap and candle making sections. We did that for about an hour and then we we called to get our handcarts together. I wanted to get my girls together to say a prayer for all of us! I felt like we really needed to pull together to get through it. I couldn't help at all so they really had to rely on eachother.

We reached the point of the 'Women's Pull' which was a straight uphill run about 60 yards or so. Once we got around the bend we heard the boys all clapping for us and so we walked around the corner and saw them all lined up the hill waiting for us. What an amazing site that was. So we got started we had to pull all 13 carts up. I placed myself at the bottom and kind of took charge to make sure the girls weren't going 2 times in a row. I saw some women come down the hill from their turn just sobbing. They didn't realize just how hard it would really be, reality had set it for them. They did an amazing job and I think that the boys really did a great job cheering them on. Some of the men were crying as well because they wanted so much to help but couldn't.

Just when we thought that was the toughest we had no idea what was just around the corner. We did another uphill climb for about 1/2 mile that weaved back and forth. It was tough but we had the help of the men this time. I cried so many times while walking just to see the youth run back and forth to each of the handcarts asking if they could help out. They would pull one up and then come running down to help with the last ones.

We finally reached the top and just had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and appreciation for our pioneers. I am sure when they entered into the Salt Lake Valley they must have just fallen to their feet and just thanked the Lord that they made it alive!

We met all together with our families for one last time to do a last devotional with them and Trent and I were able to bear testimony of our experience that we shared with them. These youth in our group were shy and quiet but I know that they felt the spirit from time to time and recoginzed that they can't do anything on their own without the help of the Lord.

We had a testimony meeting at the end and I wish it could have lasted 2 hours but we had to head back to our comfortable homes and take hot long showers! The meeting was short about 45 minutes but it was powerful and I really enjoyed my time being their with such an amazing group of youth in this part of the Lord's vineyard here in San Marcos, California!

Quill Pen handwriten letters (Jen Ashcraft and Erin Uda)
The last leg (They boys were worn out) Reached Zion with our family!