Trek

WARNING:  Long post with lots of photos!

Our stake does Trek every 4 years.  4 years ago Paul and I were able to go as ma and pa.  This time around we were "walkers" - on the support staff.  Due to Paul's calling in the Stake YM he had a specific assignment for Trek - he was in charge of transportation and communication. He definitely got off easy with his duties.

I got to come along for the ride - and also helped on pretty much every committee: fun day, spiritual day and even with the food committee for one lunch.  Paul wondered what we would do as "walkers" and thought we might be bored. We were certainly never bored - we worked hard but had fun too.  The best part was spending 4 days together, most time we've had together in over in a year!

Taylor, Lisa and Paul before trek

Our ward meeting at the church to carpool up to trek

The Martins - we had many good friends on trek with us and
met many new friends too

me and Jenny - it was fun to work with her on the fun day committee

Desiree, Ryan and Jenny

Paul and Taylor on a water break

Taylor with his pa and ma - John and Desiree Roberts

 I had hoped and prayed for Taylor to have a good experience on trek.  A lot of that depended on what family he was in and who his ma and pa were.  I couldn't believe it when I looked at his assignment paper and it said "John and Desiree Roberts"  We love them and have been good friends for years.  Taylor loved his family and had an awesome trek!

Taylor with his big sister, Sierra

me with Jan Moncur - the hardest working woman I know
She's the Stake YW president and put in a million hours
preparing for this trek.

Paul and I on the trek during the first day
The first day was about a 9 mile walk

It was a very dusty trail that first day

My good friend, Cynthia, was a ma
It was great to see her on the trail

Taylor with his ma and brother Chris

Cynthia and Wayne Swan - ma and pa 

Good friends - Becca Fryer and Karen Larson
Karen was assigned to be in charge of the food committee
and worked tirelessly before and during trek
The food was awesome!

Laura Sillitoe taking a break during fun day

Taylor trying to rope a steer during fun day

Taylor with his "real" mom

 We tried not to interfere too much with Taylor's trek experience and let him have his space.  It was great when he would come and find us and let us know how he was doing.  Trek started out a little rough for him because he left his whole bag of sleeping gear in his bedroom and we didn't realize it until we were up at trek.  Luckily I had an extra tarp and blanket packed and others donated blankets to him.  Just before bed that first night we found an extra sleeping bag belonging to a sister in the stake that was coming the next day.  We texted her and she said he could use it and then she brought his stuff the next day. Yeah!

It was so awesome to spend so much time with my honey :)

Great ladies to spend time with - Jenny and Jill

Jenny is wearing the trek apron I wore when I first went on trek at 14.
Brooke also wore it so its been on many treks.

Taylor ready to pull on the last day

He's a pretty happy trekker

Most of the walkers - it takes a big support staff to make trek hapen

Pres Arnell, Pres and Sister Stringham with the 2 missionary couples assigned to our trek

Stake Young Men's Presidency
Brad Clark, Paul Adams, Dave Miner, Mark Bennett

Stake YM Pres with their wives

The 4 Musketeers from our ward
Wallace Nunes, Jeff Pack, Bishop Parkin, Laura Sillitoe

Super great ladies
Jill Shumway, Kerrie Miner, Nicole Clark

The Purple Company - Taylor's company

The food crew - they worked so hard the WHOLE trek

Taking out the garbage

 Paul helped out with driving a truck and trailer for the last day and a half.  I would have been fine to walk and liked the time to spend in good conversation with the good people in our stake but I also wanted to be with Paul so I rode with him in the truck.  We took out bags and bags of garbage to this dumpster.  We also got to help serve lunch to the trekkers one of the days. That was a fun opportunity to see a lot of the youth and leaders in our stake.

coming home
The first walkers arriving back home

Tawni Lawrence, Jan Moncure, Laura Sillitoe, Wallace Nunes, Bishop Parkin, Irina Martin

Stake Young Womens Presidency
Jenny Martin, Karen Larson, Jan Moncur, Nicole Clark

welcome sign for the trekkers
"all is well"

Paul and I at the end of the trail

 One of Paul's assignments was the end of trek celebration - that was easy: all the walkers cheered on the families as they came in and then we handed out popsicles

Still a happy trekker

back home

at the end of trek

I LOVE trek!  It was a perfect trek this time I thought - not too easy, not too hard but pretty hard. There were so many spiritual experiences and I felt it a privilege to be there!