Bradfords: The Teenager and the Trek

It's dusty, it's hot, it's physically exhausting...it's emotional...it's Trek.

I was thrilled when I heard Bryten would get to go on the Trek. They didn't have it when I was growing up, heck they didn't have EFY till my late teens. I enjoyed Girls camp and Youth Conferences more than just about anything growing up and I think I would have liked Trek...well maybe some of it.

The dates had been mis-communicated so I was not prepared when I found out that she was leaving in 7 days and I didn't have any pioneer clothing for her. Luckily, I have great friends and family! Our friends (more like family) Donna and Shawna had just sent Natalie off on Trek and had sewn a really cute red and white checked apron and bonnett for her. They were nice enough to sew one for Bryten and overnight it to us! Super duper cute! We fount a white skirt and navy blue button down shirt at Ross so this became outfit number one. I think she looks adorable. You can tell she thinks I'm a dork for wanting the picture!

Grandma Lu and Aunt Mildie (and cousin Stacey too) chipped in and made her a cute white apron for her second outfit and we found a cute blue flower print dress at the Goodwill. (This apron did not come back white!!!) She won the bonnett at a trek activity by answering a pioneer question correctly! It matched the blue really well.

The kids left early Tuesday morning (June 7th) at 6am. I had to fly to Georgia for work the day before so I wasn't here to see her off. Scot said it was kind of emotional for him as he and Araya drove off and headed up to Globe. He couldn't help but worry about her and kicked himself for not giving her a Father's blessing before she left. The kids each had a 5 gallon bucket to carry all their belongings and necessities in. They had their extra set of clothing, mess kit, water bottle, pajamas, socks, toiletries and a few other items in there. They arrived up at trek and they built their handcarts and were assigned into families. Bryten was lucky enough to have the Sorensens as her Ma/Pa. They are in our stake and Bryten fell in love with them. Ironically they are the brother and sister in law to my friends Angie and Justin Speer. Pretty cool!

They pretty much walked and pulled the handcarts for 2 days, rested the 3rd and continued on the 4th. They did something called the Womens Pull where the men and boys had to stand to the side and watch the women pull the handcarts by themselves. They weren't allowed to talk or help them in any way. The women and girls had to go up a steep dirt hill with many large boulders. This was to represent the time that the men were away fighting in the Mormon Batallion and the women were left to pull the carts and fend for themselves. All the young men who talked in church last Sunday as well as the leaders said that this by far was the one thing that really strengthened their testimonies. Some of the young men were in tears as they watched their "Ma" and "sisters" struggle up that hill. They wanted to step up and help but were not able to. They were in awe at how strong the women were and how some of the women that made it up to the top of the hill left their handcarts and went and helped the others. Some of the young men commented that there seemed to be angels helping these young women. It was very emotional listening to these experiences but none hit me as hard as the actual pictures I saw later that night that they had put on a dvd to one of the hymns.

Bryten called home on Thursday night and was having a hard time. She had hurt her knee right before the women's pull and had received a priesthood blessing so that she could participate. She was able to make it up the hill with her Ma and Sisters and complete the pull. She said that as soon as she reached the top the pain in her knee returned and she fell to the ground.

I am thankful she was able to go on the trek, but even prouder that she wanted to go and that she gained a sense of what our ancestors went through to get from Illinois to Utah. So many lost their lives during that long trek in the 1850s. Mothers buried their babies and children alongside the trail. Many women became widows, and husbands lost their entire families. Some children were left alongside the trail just wrapped in a blanket because the ground was too frozen to dig a grave. I can't imagine the trials that they went through, but the stories are almost haunting. I am thankful for what they sacrificed and even more thankful that Bryten was able to experience just a little of the hardship...I don't know that any of us will every fully grasp the reality of it.

It was so good to have her home! She came off the bus and ran ...screaming..."Mommy"...jumped in my arms and we hugged...and I cried. (that's nothing new). Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) there is no picture of that encounter, but I did get the hug between her and Scot...again I cried.