17 Miracles of Trek

Matthew went with the youth 14 and older to the trek this year.  Afterwards a Ma and Pa spoke at church.  They did their talk as the 17 miracles of the trek for them.  Due to time they didn't get to say all 17, but between what the other speakers said and what Matthew talked about with the trek I thought I would blog about the trek in the same way sharing the experiences that were shared with us or that we experienced in that same way.  A few things for background.  They hiked 17 miles over the 4 days.  In those four days they also had a day where they had a taffy pull, tamahawk thow, stick pull and many other games.  They had a sabbath day with a testimony meeting, and finished hiking the last day. 

Miracle 1.  We were able with out spending hardly any money at all get Matthew fully outfitted in time period clothing.  I even made his Sunday tie.  Very proud of myself.

Miracle 2.  Again this one is to do with me.  I have never made carmels before.  The very first batch I made turned out.  (The second batch didn't)  But I was able to get just enough out of the first batch so I could throw away the second batch.

Miracle 3.  Lack of physical injuries.  This is Ma and Pa Boyd's.  But Pa Boyd needs to have his knee replaced yet with all the hiking had no pain.  Ma Boyd has something wrong with her feet yet had no pain while hiking on the trek.

Miracle 4.  The organization on the trek.  To get 20 handcarts and all the stuff that needs to go in them, 240 youth, 60 adults, a covered wagon puled with a team of horses and 5 other horses all arranged is a miracle in and of itself.

Miracle 5.  The family selection process.  To hear about how they select families, they put all the names of the kids on a table and then pray and start putting families together.  To have 14 strangers in a family who end up really as close as a family by the end is a miracle.

 

Miracle 6.  Pa Boyd really struggles with names.  Yet he got to know the 12 kids so well that it wasn't an issue.  They were really so close they didn't want to leave each other.

Miracle 7.  None of the kids in the Boyd family ever asked or complained at being without electronics of any kind.  None of them complained about being away or apart from their friends.  12 teenagers between 14-18 and not one cared to be without electronics really is a miracle.

Miracle 8.  Service.  They learned to love as a family by serving each other.  Always careful to ask what they could do to help each other.

Miracle 9.  Hunger.  The first night after hiking from 5-10pm 14 people (8 of which were boys) had 1 jar of peanut butter, one jar of jam and two loaves of bread for dinner.  The boys made sure the women ate first and got all the food they needed before they finished things off.  The next morning they got 1serving of cherrios for breakfast and headed off to hike again.  Yet again they were more concerned about the hunger of the women instead of their own.

Miracle 10.  In one family there was a super shy girl.  Who wouldn't even make eye contact with them when they met her.  By day 3 she was repsonding to everyone.  When they did a serious family picture, she couldn't do it she was so full of smiles.

Miracle 11.  One family had a very strong young man who pulled much the first day.  Then he was injured.  They had to tie him to the cart to get him to even be able to keep up.  They gave him a blessing that night and during the night the injury was healed and he could pull the heavy handcart the next morning and the rest of the trek without issue.

Miracle 12.  Humility.  Though some groups were a little broken down at they beginning not wanting to be there, by the end they had come together and wanted to be there.  They learned to humble themselves.
Miracle 13.  Obedience.  They learned and saw that obedience though not always easy was there to bring them happiness and could be grateful for doing it.
Miracle 14.  Sacrifice.  This is one that was learned multiple times.  One Ma in our ward went 6 1/2 month pregnant.  She was not allowed to pull the handcart and help her family in that way.  They were all great about supporting her.  She knows her family and their child was blessed for her going on the trek pregnant.  Their family learned in a different way what it was like for the pioneers truly with having someone who was expecting on the trek.
Miracle 15.  Faith in Heavenly Father.  Another Ma injured herself right before the trek.  Everyone thought she would need to back out.  She refused.  She said Heavenly Father would make her able to go and he did.  By the end of the trek the injury was completely healed even though she started out the trek with pain from the bad sprain.  It should have gotten worse but not better.
Miracle 16.  Rocky Ridge.  They had to descend it in the dark at 11pm after a long day.  One Ma has a weird issue with her eyes where things become distorted sometimes.  That night was particularly bad.  Yet as she descended in the dark over uneven rough terrain she kept her footing the whole time and never lost her footing.
Miracle 17.  The women's pull.  This we heard about from everyone.  It was the one thing that touched more people than any other.  All the men were called away to war.  The women then had to push and pull the handcart up a huge hill without their help.  The men talked about how hard it was to watch them and not go help.  To feel like they left their women stranded like that.  The women talked about how they lined the row and sang and encouraged each group up the hill.  And then those who had made it to the top would run down and help those still going even though they were tired and had just done it themselves.  The love that was shown and felt through that pull was immense.

So those are our 17 miracles of the trek from the Gateway Garden Ward.  I'm sure there are more.  Those are just the ones they talked about at church.  For us, we feel so blessed for Matthew and all the incredible things he learned and got to experience through the trek.  And it even made me want to be a ma and pa in four years when they do the trek again.  I'm so grateful for the love that was shown to put this together.  It was truly as blessing in not just his life, but in all of our lives.