Make Way

Noah thinks I have told this story WAYYYY too many times, but I can't help it. On the first day of trek we hiked late into the night and about 11 pm I reached into my pocket and realized I didn't have my cell phone with me any more. I had turned it off to save the battery, too. I retraced my steps to the last place we sat down, but had no luck finding it. I tried not to worry too much over the next day or so, thinking that someone must have come upon it on the trail and it would be returned to me. My sweet trek family prayed that someone would find it, and then a scene gradually came into my mind and I thought I knew where it was. On Friday morning I approached the camp staff to ask if the phone had been turned in. They had not seen it but when I told Cerise I thought I could find it she offered to drive me back along the trail. As we drove along I was so turned around! Everything looks different in the daylight, especially when you are going backwards along the trail. I started to doubt we would find the phone and said a silent prayer, "Heavenly Father, I will be fine if I can't find it. I can get a new phone. But, please, my little family has prayed that the phone will be found." A few minutes later we drove up over a rise in the trail and I said, "This is it!" Cerise slowed down and we both peered out of the windows, intent on spotting the little phone. At one point she stopped and suggested I get out and walk. I did, took 5 steps, and there was my phone on the ground, covered in dust! I screamed, "I found it!" and then we were both screaming and dancing and hugging. It was so exciting to go back to camp and show my kids that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.

So anyway, someone happened to take this photo of me as I was telling the story to the other "Ma's" in my company.

Later that morning everyone gathered for a service project. A young man in our stake taught us to make "plarn" (recycled plastic grocery bags, cut into strips and then joined together into lengths of plarn) as part of his Eagle project. We then learned to double-crochet the plarn into 4' by 6' mats, which will be used as sleeping pads for the homeless in our area. It was fun and I was so proud of everyone in my family as they tried their hand at crocheting. Granny Bell would be so proud.

The YM and YW were split into groups for afternoon classes. The boys received "mission calls" and went on their way, while the girls went to classes that included "what's in your wagon" and making scones with honey butter. Yummmm.

The late afternoon and evening were so special. Solo time (including opening a letter from home delivered by the Pony Express) was so meaningful for many of the kids, the Stake Presidency fireside was beautiful, and the family testimony meetings filled with the spirit. We then spent our last evening together mingling and eating cookies and hot chocolate (hot chocolate!).

The next day began extra-early (thanks to Bro. Coon and his gunshots) and the morning was marked by eager preparations for the final trek to the buses, as well as last-minute photos with friends and family.

12th Warders Madison, Spencer, Esperanza, Ben, Christian, and Dennis

Noah with his amazing Ma and Pa

Noah and the Bowler Family

Spencer and the Bradshaw Family

The King Family: Treymaine, Kaitlyn, Tessa, Tate, Blu, Afonso, Camille, Kellen, and Jourdin

The family cheer for the King family was a call-and-response style, using the phrase "Make Way for the Kings!" We loved to yell it out and even won one of the prizes for best cheer. Over time it was shortened to "Make Way!" On the last day of trek Jeremy and I shared with the kids the importance of remembering the experiences we had on trek and putting that remembering into action by making lasting changes in specific ways. We recommended remembering the phrase "make way" and applying that to making room for the Savior (the King of Kings) to influence their lives.

One of the moments I will remember most is in the picture below. Our trek had a service camp, which was a "family" of kids who had special needs and couldn't otherwise participate in trek. On the last day they decided they wanted to pull a handcart the final 1.7 miles. Soon, they pulled over to the side. One of our kids, Kellen, saw this and stayed with them. It was actually a set-up where other kids (including Spencer, who helped another family) would volunteer to go back to help once they had pulled their own handcart to the end, but Kellen wouldn't leave them. As I stood at the "finish line" I saw the service camp handcart coming down the road and couldn't stop the tears as they approached. There was Kellen, in the ropes with Dulce, encouraging her as they walked at her pace. Everyone cheered as they crossed. That is what trek was all about. "I Will Go, I Will Do."

I Will Remember