New Page - Fireside Hand Out

We had a great trek kick-off on Sunday, January 23rd. It was well attended and the Spirit was strong.

After the fireside, trek participants were given a three page hand-out with trek information. I have also made this hand-out available on this blog. Just look for the tab above the slide show with the appropriate title.

Thank you to all who  made our fireside a success. I am so excited for trek!

Hiking Boots & Shoes

I recently bought a pair of hiking boots at Big 5 Sports. They have some great sales on some good boots and shoes. It's a smart idea to buy them now because they're less expensive, since it's off-season for hiking. I paid $16 for my boots, which normally sell for $39.

We Have Ma's and Pa's!

Bishop Daniels has called seven couples (and they've accepted) to serve as Ma's and Pa's for our upcoming trek. They are as follows:

Brother and Sister Zitzman
Brother and Sister Pearson
Brother and Sister Kelly
Brother and Sister Burningham
Brother and Sister Sullivan
Brother and Sister Sorenson (Eric)
Brother and Sister Nelson (Sister Nelson is also helping with Family/Pioneer Ancestor Research)

Also on our trek committee are:

Bishop Daniels - Priesthood leader
Brother Taylor - Trail Boss
Sister Ashman - Food
Sister Daniels - Music
Sister H. Moore - Pioneer Stories
Brother & Sister Dupaix - Committee Chairs (Sister Dupaix is also the clothing specialist)
M. Taylor and B. Judd - youth representatives

I think that's it for now. More will come so stay tuned!

You Want Me to What??

I love to camp--in my trailer, with all the comforts of home. In it I have heat, running water, air conditioning, a soft bed, a stove, fridge, shower, table, etc. It's not really camping, but I love it.

So, why would someone like me be excited about four days of camping in the relatively primitive conditions during trek? It is a good question.

I am excited about trek because, even though I've never gone on one, I have talked to people who have. When these people talk about their trek experiences, they get this look in their eye that returned missionaries get when asked about their missions. Mostly what they say is, "It's an amazing, life-changing experience, well-worth any sacrifice to go." They don't usually go into many details, because spiritual experiences are often hard to put into words, but the feeling is definitely there.

I was privileged to go to Martin's Cove a few months ago for some trek training. That mini-trek experience was awesome. Sure, my air mattress wouldn't inflate and the wind threatened to blow the tent down, but that's not what I focus on. The feeling at Martin's Cove is kind of like the feeling of being in the temple. The veil feels thin and the place, although it looks like nothing special, feels like sacred ground. If you are sensitive to it, you can feel the spirits of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Gospel and for their posterity. I'm not talking about ghostly appearances. It's just impressions, feelings. You'll feel it too when you go and you'll know what I'm talking about. Ask anyone who has been there. They'll tell you the same thing.

What will make trek 100% better than trek training is I'll get to go with the youth--the same youth who have been saved through the whole history of the earth to come now because they have a work to do; a latter-day mission to perform. I believe that will make the experience of trek a life-changing experience and I am very much looking forward to it. So should you, even if it means giving up a few comforts for a few days.

Welcome to the Eaglecrest 1st Ward Pioneer Trek 2011 Blog!

Welcome to the blog! I am creating this blog as a means to keep everyone informed on trek information and also have a place to post pictures after the trek and so forth.

If you have any questions or want to have specific things posted on the blog, leave me a comment!

Trek is going to be amazing!