TREK 2012

After 3 long years, the wait was over.  We were able to go on Trek again and this time we took Seth with us.  We packed up our camping gear, put on our pioneer clothes, and wrapped up our rice baby for a 3 day trek with the youth from the Chico & Gridley stakes.  Andrea even convinced her cousin Drake to join us!

On day 1, all the youth & leaders meet at the stake center for a welcome and a little dancing fun. 

Each trek family is assigned a Ma & Pa and 6-8 children.  You eat, work, and trek together in memory of a family who made the real pioneer journey many years ago.  Here is a small synopsis of our trek family.

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Joseph & Elizabeth Sermon Family

Joseph Sermon was born in 1819 in Hampshire, England. He married Elizabeth Whitear on Nov. 10, 1844. The Sermon family traveled west with their four small children, John (8), Robert (6), Henry (5), and Marian Eliza (3). They joined the Edward Martin Handcart Company and began their journey from Iowa City, Iowa on July 28, 1856. Since their company started late, they were caught in early snowstorms. Many from the company died of exposure and starvation before Brigham Young sent rescuers from the Salt Lake to bring them food and provisions. Excerpts from Elizabeth Sermon’s Journals explain the joys and hardships of their journey westward.

“I always thought I could get through to Salt Lake City and I tried to encourage my husband, but he was starving. He had always lived good at home. There was a shout in the camp. Brother Joseph A. Young had come on packed mules with Brother Little. Brought flour, meat, and onions. I got 1 pound of flour and some meat and 2 onions. I chopped the fat off the meat real fine and made some dumplings. We made a good meal and blessed Brother Little and Joseph from the bottom of our hearts.”

"Your father after having some food and clothes, seemed to revive. He called you to him and told you to be good children and to do all you could for me, and then he said to me, 'God bless you, Eli’. Father was buried in the morning with 2 more in the grave. I stood like a statue, bewildered, not a tear: the cold chills, even now as I write, creep over my body”

At last, the old handcart was laid by without regret; we got to the wagons. Brother Patton took us in his wagon, blessed me for my integrity, and blessed us with tea and bread and so with what food was so kindly sent out to us from the people in Salt Lake, our lives were spared."

After many hardships, Elizabeth arrived in Salt Lake City with her four children on Nov. 30, 1856.

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There were a lot of hard dusty roads to cross, but we had some great new sons & daughters to help us along the way.  One will always stand out in my mind.  A son, despite his physical disability, pressed forward with our family striving to complete the task at hand.  Although his pace was slow and he often fell behind, he pushed on. I will always remember walking by his side, when the handcarts had moved on ahead.  His spirit remained strong as we slowly continued on the path by ourselves, enjoying the outdoors and sharing bits and pieces of our lives with each other.  Toward the end of the journey, his legs would give no more and the pain was too much for him to bear.  Aaron and I were able to get special permission to find a spot for him on our handcart and we carried him with us to the end of the trail.  The smile on his face spoke directly to my heart.  It amazed me that this young boy, only 15 years old, could have so much determination and love for life.  His body was not as strong as he wanted, but his strong, positive spirit made up for what his body lacked.  Thank you, Chandler, for showing me how to push forward and continue on--even when I'm too tired, my legs feel like giving up, and the road seems too dusty to keep walking.

Here are some pictures of Andrea and her trek family. 

On Day 2, we had an afternoon of pioneer fun--knife throwing, bull riding, archery, etc.

Well, our rice baby survived another trek journey (3 & counting) and after we completed the 3 days, we were able to get a photo shoot with the famous Brigham Young (aka Bishop Danz).

We made it!