The End of Our Journey

Day 4: Our Last Day

Ready to trek our final miles! The last day we trekked about 2.5 miles and in order to save us from the heat, and to keep things less hectic at the bus loading site, the equipment crew had us load all our gear (except our water) into the trucks before we set out to "lighten our loads" for the end of our journey. I never knew how happy that empty cart would make our kids! 

Day 4 was another memorable one as its main focus was on preparing our kids for and sending them out on solo time. This was probably the biggest focus of all our ma and pa training and a very important part of trek for the youth (and I discovered for me as well :) We held a morning devotional which we had more time for that day and it was one Joseph and I had been thinking about a lot. We shared a favorite handcart story (of the Kirkwood brothers), which had me in tears early on, shared testimony of the Savior, and encouraged our family to seek out the Lord as Enos of old in hungering after the things of Spirit (Enos 1:4). And then we grabbed our journals and buckets and wandered off into the expansive meadow, each finding our own space and settling in for a full hour of praying, pondering and writing. It was one of the best hours of my life, especially the first half of which I spent on my knees. And it was such a beautiful sight as I finished my prayer, cleared the tears from my eyes and beheld the meadow around me full of hundreds of us communicating with our Heavenly Father and recording our testimonies in our journals. Truly glorious to behold. I hope our trek photographer got a picture of that because I would love to have it.

Then we hit the trail for the last time and were keeping an awesome pace—I could tell these kids were ready to finish what they started and to finally make it home. Our cute Susan, who always led out in front with the boys, made it a mile or so before her huge, open blisters were just killing too much and she had to get off her feet. We had her climb in the cart and our family happily carried her the rest of the way in. 

 the last long stretch with the end in sight

 
As we waited for the buses we had some open mic time. You better believe Girdy was right up there singing "I Broke my Arm" for the whole stake (and her cute siblings were right there to support her in all her endearing randomness!)

Then finally, after a long, sweaty AC-less bus ride, we made it home. We walked a block or 2 up to our stake center and found our families lining the streets waiting to welcome us home. Mine was the most welcome sight ever!! It was amazing to be back with them and to be home (to shower, feel clean and enjoy our refreshingly cool house and perfectly scrumptious bed that night!)

I'm so grateful for trek and for all in the stake who worked hard to get us there and then serve us so well during the whole thing. I'm also grateful for my inspiring and strong trek family, for my sweet mom and mother-in-law who took great care of my babies, for my incredible husband who was the best pa and most perfect, solid, enthusiastic companion out there the entire time, and for the way trek bolstered my testimony and reminded me of the ways I can improve and love more, serve more, definitely pray and study more, and find ways to connect to my Savior on a more personal and regular basis. It was an experience I would do again in heartbeat and wish everyone could go on trek, especially as a ma or pa and find that strength that comes from spending time with the amazing youth in that setting. A favorite life experience for sure.  

Our trek theme was "In His Strength" referencing Alma 26:12:

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.