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2017 Trek - Day 3 - June 8


Theme: Grace
Good morning! Today we will focus on grace. How we need God’s grace to return to him, but also how the powerful, enabling power of Christ’s grace can help us on our sometimes difficult journey through life. Today will be the hardest physically and the longest trail at 10 miles. We will need God’s grace as we face such a physical challenge.
Our families will start out going downhill and come across a modern obstacle to overcome. A highway. After only a mile our company will have to stop and be transported to the next part of the trail. It is only about a mile away, but our trekkers will have to ride in cars, and their handcarts will take a quick trip via trailers. Though logistically awkward, this is a physical example of how sometimes just when we get going, we have to stop, re-adjust, take different paths, or find new methods, or learn new things in our lives, and sometimes it is not a smooth journey.
Once back on the trail, the families will go for about a mile and pause to learn about the Yoke Experience. This is an explanation of how a yoke works, and how when we are matched well in a yoke, the ability to pull forward is multiplied. Similarly, by yoking ourselves to Christ, we could have no better match. If we walk our own personal journey with Christ yoked to our side, we will move forward easier and be further along our journey. 
 
The trail today is quite hilly, and at lunch our families will be ready to rest and learn about Dan Jones, a rescuer who ended up spending a terrible winter guarding the belongings of a wagon company.
After 5 miles our families will learn about stories of rescue, and in particular, understand that while we often hear and are impressed by extraordinary stories of heroic rescue, most rescues and real life answers to prayer are accomplished by many working together, or people doing small and simple things that lift the lives of those in need.  
7 miles into this journey will be one of the most challenging experiences of trek, and one that can be a powerful experience for our youth. Many women pulled handcarts on their own, whether because they were single, widows, or their spouse was sick, gone on missions, or in the Mormon Battalion. Many women on the journey were helped by the men, but often other women banded together to make it over the difficult trail. We call our men out and they walk alone up the trail to wait and pray for their sisters, daughters, wives and all the women as they perform the Women’s Pull.
The girls and Mas will pause to talk about the power of women, the abilities they have, and how the enabling power of grace can help them do things they never thought they could. They will support one another and be strengthened by angels unseen. Many will be given the gift of strength to be able to run back to help those behind, or help push those who struggle in front of them. It is a powerful experience for both the young men and women to examine what a difference each of us has to offer in families, in our wards, and stake, with friends and in school.
As the families reunite and head toward camp, they will face exhaustion and difficult roads. The challenge in this moment will be to journey on, to weary not, and endure as they make it into camp and have to set up at a primitive location. The campsite is mostly sagebrush, some grasses, and cactus mixed in. It will be much like what the pioneers may have faced, no groomed campsites, little resources, but hopefully humble hearts, and powerful experiences to help them unite as families and as a group. 
 
Things you can do today:
  • Pray for those on Trek. Today they will need physical strength, they will need spiritual awareness and a spirit of unity and support. Pray for angels to attend us as we walk our own ‘Rocky Ridge’.
  • How many times have you been lifted by someone that did something kind? Have you used your experiences to lift and encourage others? Have you worked as a group to accomplish something you alone could not have done-and though it was work, you realized that because there were many hands lifting the burden was manageable? Write your thoughts and testimony down about an experience and share it with a family member by writing them a letter, writing it in your journal, or sharing it with your children.
  • Think about women you know who have done hard things and how it inspired you. Write those thoughts and share with someone or in your journal.
  • Watch the Women’s Pull Video from 2013 and reflect on the feelings or thoughts you may have while watching. Write these thoughts or share them with others.

  • Reflect on the small things someone may have done to help you on your journey. If that person is alive, write a thank you note, thanking them for the act of service that helped you.
  • Listen or watch “His Grace is Sufficient” by Brad Wilcox. The youth will listen to this on the bus on the way up on Tuesday; think about how grace works in your life. Write or share your understanding of grace after listening. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brad-wilcox_his-grace-is-sufficient/
  • Watch “Ephraim’s Rescue” a movie about Ephraim Hanks a man who was prepared and was able to help others through his experience. https://deseretbook.com/p/ephraims-rescue-excel-entertainment-89426?variant_id=7081-dvd

  • Parents of Trekkers, be prepared to ask about the experiences they had today, especially the Women’s Pull. Perhaps write about strong women in your life or history and share those thoughts with them.




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