Ft. Lauderdale Stake Pioneer Trek 2010

Check out the posts below to get a glimpse into our Trek experience. 3 days walking, pulling handcarts and sleeping out under the stars. We had to cook all our own food in iron dutch ovens and use the wide open as our bathroom…

This is my favorite picture of our Trek Family.

This was typical. Me and the kids hanging out, playing games, talking and dan working haha. ;) No really Dan was a wonderful Trek father and all our kids loved and respected him. He was a true mountain man, complete with hat, scruff and B.O. haha!

We had one afternoon of down time. It was so fun to have this time to get to know my kids.

Gathering for the Trek West

  The Kirkman Family

These are our Trek children, ages 14-18. We had 2 14 year old girls, two 16 year old girls, one 14 yr old boy, one 17 yr old boy and two 18 yr old boys…

I am stylin’ huh? Who said all pioneers matched? haha

Spiritual time: we had the kids read stories about their pioneer ancestors and record their feelings in their Trek journals.

Lots of buckets everywhere- all our our stuff had to fit into one bucket each. yikes!

We had the best kids ever! They were all spiritual and got so much out of this Trek experience. I feel so blessed to have been their Ma and treasure my relationships with them and the experiences we had together.

Pioneers Sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked and walked…

I have never walked so long in my entire life! Once home I took several showers to get the caked layers of dirt off but it was worth it for the experiences we had.

“We became acquainted with our God in our extremities….”

I absolutely love this picture. Look at our reflections in the water. This photo brings back all the feelings and spirit of the Pioneer Trek for me- deep, powerful feelings that only the Spirit of God can give.

Do you see that bonneted young pioneer woman (pink bonnet, purple apron) pointing towards the river? Yea guess who? Yours Truly…

 Here’s our Chillin’- 4 girls and 4 boys. Left to Right: Chloe Rampton, Sierra Wangeman, Taylor Brown, Allie Pratt, Devon Bartholomew, John Galleo, Ben and Sammy (my momma’s boys) 

Here’s Dan and I talking to a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper- giving our ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa’ perspective. A full page article on the Modern Mormon Trek was published in the Orlando and Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel Newspapers.

Here is our miracle tree- see story on Trek Journal on earlier post.

Pioneer Children sang as they walked and walked…

There’s me and my fam. haha I don’t even recognize me!

My sons- what hunks huh? ;)

Re-enactment of the Sweet Water Crossing. Our Trek Sons carried several young women across a canal and back to re-enact the courageous and powerfully inspirational story of the Sweet Water Crossing.

It was during a freezing winter as the last of the Mormon Hand Cart Pioneers were crossing this river. They were so frozen, physically spent and demoralized they could not cross. In their pioneer journals, they say they saw grown men crumpled to the floor crying as they saw this river and the ice chunks floating in it.

In the most loving act of service I can think of besides the Atonement of our Savior, 3 young men about the age of 18, carried over 200 people each across the partly frozen river. These three rescuers all died at an early age from this exposure to the elements.

When the prophet at the time, Brigham Young, heard of their loving sacrifice, he wept too and said that this  act alone would grant them eternal life with Heavenly Father. I agree. As I watched my Trek Sons carry those young girls across, my heart filled with sorrow, gratitude and awe at the love that must have motivated those boys… 

The WOMEN’s PULL

During the Hand Cart Pioneers Trek west to Utah, the U.S. government came and required all their able men to fight in the Mexican-American war. Their battalion became known as the Mormon Battalion.

While their husbands, sons and fathers went to fight for a nation, who at the time had deserted them and denied them their basic rights, these pioneer women continued their journey on alone to the Rocky Mountains.

I was so proud of my daughters. It was a moving experience for me. (Ma’s were not allowed to help push.)

Nights Under the Stars

 

We spent two nights sleeping literally under the stars. It was the first time I had ever done that in my life. It was beautiful and I will never forget it.

Our Trek family of 8 slept on a tarp in our sleeping bags in the wide open. God was protecting us for sure because at night nothing crawled on me but during the day, I got scorpions, termites, giant centipedes, snakes, you name it!

Ok Kiddies time for din-din! MMMmmmm my favorite! Chicken broth! Yum!

Wakey-wakey! How would you feel the morning after sleeping out in the open, walking 13 miles the day before? Did I mention what I had for dinner last night?

Let the Pioneer Games Begin!

Haha! Hi Chip munk cheeks...

Candle making just like the pioneers!

Hand Wrestling- Sierra Wangeman was really good, got to the semi-finals round for the two stakes :D

Chris Rincon, one of our Stake Presidency's daughters laid the smack down and became the Hand Wrestling Champ for the women! whew!

As you can see below I was quite impressed with her thwomping skills...

Our Son Johnny was bested by the Male Hand Wrestling champ (Trekky, another boy from our stake) but what a way to go! haha You can just hear the thud as he lands can't you?

Women's Stick Pull- here's one of our Trek Daughters, Taylor Brown and Andrea Rincon. They were at it for almost 10 minutes...

Our Son Sammy (in hat) put up a good fight...

And I did too I swear! haha I never let go of the stick during the pull, she pulled me right on top of her haha

Dan and I were meant for agile, swift sports, not sports built for bulk and brute strength... ;)

Kennedy Space Center

We had a two week vacation this summer and on our way up to visit Marty and Merle Share in Waynesville, North Carolina, we stopped at the Kennedy Space Center.

It was amazing. Only $40 and we had a day at the Space Center complete with a full day of amusement park style attractions and rides along with great historical and scientific tours and artifacts. It was wonderful for us to see real rockets and shuttles, to experience a shuttle launch and feel the inspiration and honor of space travel.

My absolute favorite part was learning about all the science they have been doing on the international space station. They can grow plants in space now, experiment on drugs and diseases that couldn't be tested on earth because of gravity and other restrictions. They have found cures to various cancers and developed many new technologies from advances in space travel: from ear drums to roadway traction at airports, much of our nations best technological advances have come from the Nasa Shuttle Program.

It was awe inspiring and I encourage any who can to be there for the last two shuttle launches- one this year and one at the beginning of next year. These are the last two, because President Obama is shutting down the Space Shuttle Program. I hope our next President brings it back and the Nasa scientists can continue their great work.

Our Stake Youth Pioneer Trek

well Trek was definitely an experience. haha wow we were exhausted in every sense of the word. And I had dirt on my dirt that was on another layer of dirt... I hope I can get those pioneer clothes clean...Unfortunately, to be realistic we were not allowed to be bring anything battery powered including cameras or watches.

But besides the exertion and the dirt it was a great experience and we will remember it forever.

Pioneer Trek is a 3 day reenactment of the Latter-day Saint Pioneers' Trek across the nation to pursue religious freedom. They walked, pulling hand carts on average 20 miles a day. Two of these companies, Martin and Willie, had some devastating delays and ending up in the snow and ice of Wyoming during Winter. Although many died, most lived and they have passed on their faith and love of God to us, their decedents. We praise and love them for their examples and willingness to sacrifice for the religious freedoms we now enjoy today.

Stories from my Trek:

We had 8 kids, 4 girls and 4 boys ages 14-18. And they were wonderful. We walked 13 miles the first day pulling hand carts with nothing to eat. The second day about 1/2 that and the third day half again. They gave the kids food on the second and third days.

The walking combined with looking after 8 kids, cooking with dutch ovens over wood fires out in the open w/o a tent covering was what exhausted me.

Plus it was 'that time of the month' if you all know what I mean and geez that didn't help having to use the bathroom outside in the open.

This was my first trek but I am so glad I went. I learned so much and grew in character. I used to admire the pioneers for what they did. But now I think I understand them better than ever before.

I felt a small taste of what they went through. And I know that it was their faith and love of God and nothing else that kept them going. I know now what it feels like to trek 13 miles in one day in the blistering sun through deep sand and mud. I know how it feels to want to cry from exhaustion. And I also know how it feels to pray to God for strength and feel the power of the Spirit give you the energy, strength and will you need to keep going. It was the Spirit of God that kept many of the pioneers alive and moving when there was nothing else.

I watched strong teenage boys struggle in tears, girls collapse or throw up on the side of the road. I shouldered two of my 'daughters' holding them by the waist and pulling them along for almost 3 miles when they were too dizzy and exhausted to keep walking by themselves.

One of our 'daughters' threw up and had heat exhaustion on the first day. We pulled over to the side, as the handcarts passed, and I asked my other 'children' what they wanted to do? We could leave her with the EMT truck or carry her on the handcart. To my surprise and joy they lifted her onto the cart and we moved on. It seemed to me the next 3 miles was the deepest sand yet and I watched them struggle even harder with her on the handcart without complaining. (Unfortunately Ma's and Pa's were not allowed to help pull or push.)

At one point on our Trek, all the boys and men left to join the Mormon Battalion (historically at one point in their journey, the U.S. government who had denounced the Mormons, asked these very same people to come serve in the American-Mexican War; the prophet Brigham Young prophesied that not one Latter-day Saint man who served in the war would die in battle; his prophecy was realized).

After my husband and 4 sons left, I had my just my four girls left to pull a cart outfitted for 10 people, two of which were only fourteen and small. Our Trek leaders chose the hardest part of the course, through the deepest sand. At one point, I was again shouldering one of my girls while I urged the other three on. By themselves, those 3 smallest of my girls ages, two 14 and one 16, were pulling our handcart through ankle deep sand faster than the Mormon Battalion, across the way, was walking. The women's pull lasted over 200 yards.

The most touching experience for Dan was the moving of a tree. The leaders had cut a giant tree down and it was blocking the road on purpose- a make-shift obstacle to get us to unload our wagons, pick up the cart up and over the log and reload them again. All the boys and men were called to the front and all 60 or so of them pushed on the tree and it didn't budge. Then they discussed options of what they could do. The Trek leaders whispered to the adult men to not help push if they tried again, that way the children would be forced to unload and reload their carts and their make-shift obstacle plan would work...

One of the teen boys offered the option to pray for God's help to move the log so they could continue on with their journey. He prayed a simple prayer. And Dan said he thought to himself, 'this will be a great learning experience for the kids to have to unload and reload their wagons.' So he did what the Trek leaders had asked, and along with the other adult male leaders pulled/or hindered the pushing instead of helping. But even with all the adult men hindering the teens efforts, on the count of 3 the tree flew in one great lunge off the road and out of the way. It was moved by just the few teenage boys that were left and hadn't already gone back to their carts. There was no way they moved it alone. There were 60 before, then 1/2 that left and 1/2 of those left were adult men hindering the process.

God moved that tree and taught everyone, including the adult leaders that simple prayers are heard and miracles do not cease.

It was beautiful to watch these teens come to know God in their extremities and I know that they and I will never be the same again.