Ever onward. We were getting close to Zion. (Base camp)
It was our last day traveling. As soon as the sky cleared up, it was also the hottest day.We were pulling our carts through a grove of short shrubby trees.They provided no shade. My back burned. The company was silent. when we stopped for drinks, Ma poured ice water down our backs. That felt good. I met with some friends and talked with them, and made new friends. Soon we were trudging along again. It was long after noon. I had taken the front with some of my trek siblings and we were going an easy pace. The angels appeared then, and Captain came to take the front. As soon as he did, he took the cart two times as fast as we had it, and we were close to being in the front again. All the angels helped their families. But soon, they were gone. They never stayed long, but they made up their short time.
And then, I spotted Zion. Hope. Home. End.
It was a funny thing, but, I never got any blisters until right then. I suddenly felt them on my heel, and where the burrs that I had left in my socks were. But we went faster---Even though Zion was really just a speck the size of my thumbnail. We got closer and closer. And then, breathless, someone in the company began to sing. It was the hymn Praise to the Man.
There weren't many people singing, most of us were silent, and just as breathless. But we were all singing in our hearts.
There were the gates.
And with them in sight, I realized, it was over. Over! Once again, and for the last time, we would be packed up on buses, and we would leave the legacy of my ancestors, leave the daily symbols of their sacrifice, their determination and faith, leave all these links with the past, to return back in time to the our modern world.
Gone would be the days of pushing and pulling and laughing and singing.
Gone would be the nights that we would hear the musician play his church tunes, play pioneer games and talk by the campfire. I wouldn't be seeing live pioneers walking in dresses and 1800's wear.
There was a last trouble spot, two huge slabs of rock that seemed like a dias just before the gate.
About two boys and two Pa's were helping each cart safely down. I was in front. We were about to enter through the gates. I joined in the breathless singing, even with no breath to use. And then-- we were through.
We parked our cart.
We unloaded it, and plopped against trees, anywhere there was shade. I found Joseph, and sat by him. Each sucking on a Popsicle, I'm sure we were thinking the same thing:
Afterwards we had a water fight along with half the company. Joseph saw the trail boss, who was now turning back in to our work boss, with a bucket of water talking to some water-fight wall flowers.
"Get to close to the fire, and you're gonna get burned." he said.
"But I don't want to," the wall flower said.
Boss shook his head. He held his bucket ready.
Joseph had an idea.
He ran up to Boss with his own bucket of water, "Get to close to the fire, and you're gonna get burned!"
He splashed Boss in the face, and left him sputtering out water. But soon Boss got back at Joseph, he grabbed him and dunked him in a cooler full of water.
We all had fun. It was the funnest part for me. The games were fun, the tug of war too, but this homecoming, endure-to-the end celebration was the most fun.
Except for my shoes.
Slish- slosh, slish- slosh, slish- slosh.
They were full of water, and sounded stickier then Joseph's flour crackers. It was no fun to walk around in wet shoes. Still, I did not regret it. Dinner was too close.
Dad tells me at home:
"Tali, are you sure you're going to eat all that? I think your eyes are too big for your stomach." He is usually right.
This time he was wrong. I piled up on mashed potatoes and KFC chicken, salad,biscuits, hot dog, chocolate milk, chips, cookies, and cake. My eyes were perfect sized then. I ate it all. After a lunch of flour and water pancakes, it was wonderful. But I didn't see the angels. Where were they?
The time came. We were seated by our trek families and enjoying our dinner while the stake president shared his thoughts. He began talking about death, and then, he said, "But they knew that they would see their loved ones again, and that in time there would be a resurrection,"
The angels came out of a building behind him. I set my food down and jumped up. There was Captain.
He searched the the mostly seated crowd for us, and then he saw us. First he was walking, and then he was running. We all ran to him, and met him half way. We group hugged, and he told us how proud of us he was, and how hard it was to watch us struggle while he stood in the field.
That, and the water fight were my favorite parts of the trek. On our last family home evening, there at base camp/Zion, Ma and Pa gave us each a special card. This is what mine said.
Tali,
Wow! what a sweet heart you are. You are so talented and have such a sweetness about you that shines like you won't believe! Thank you for the willingness to share and bring such heartfelt messages to our family. Tali, its a great blessing to have a Mormon Heritage, and because of this it means so much to participate in this trek. (Your stories were great) We so much appreciate the great help-- you never stopped, even when you were tired! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You even rescued your Big Sis. during a storm. We're truly blessed to have the family that we did.
Thanks for sharing your testimony that radiates from you.
Love Ma and Pa Bogdants.
(Our trek family name)
That note meant a lot to me. What ever you are doing, out there in the modern world today, I love you Ma and Pa! Thanks for making us a pioneer family, even for a week. I will always remember!
The next morning, we packed, said our goodbyes, got onto buses, and left. I knew that some of my trek siblings I would not be seeing again. :( .Some were going to college at BYU. And one would soon be on his mission. But we had good memories to keep, and shared a truly amazing experience.
It was our last day traveling. As soon as the sky cleared up, it was also the hottest day.We were pulling our carts through a grove of short shrubby trees.They provided no shade. My back burned. The company was silent. when we stopped for drinks, Ma poured ice water down our backs. That felt good. I met with some friends and talked with them, and made new friends. Soon we were trudging along again. It was long after noon. I had taken the front with some of my trek siblings and we were going an easy pace. The angels appeared then, and Captain came to take the front. As soon as he did, he took the cart two times as fast as we had it, and we were close to being in the front again. All the angels helped their families. But soon, they were gone. They never stayed long, but they made up their short time.And then, I spotted Zion. Hope. Home. End.
It was a funny thing, but, I never got any blisters until right then. I suddenly felt them on my heel, and where the burrs that I had left in my socks were. But we went faster---Even though Zion was really just a speck the size of my thumbnail. We got closer and closer. And then, breathless, someone in the company began to sing. It was the hymn Praise to the Man.
There weren't many people singing, most of us were silent, and just as breathless. But we were all singing in our hearts.
There were the gates.
And with them in sight, I realized, it was over. Over! Once again, and for the last time, we would be packed up on buses, and we would leave the legacy of my ancestors, leave the daily symbols of their sacrifice, their determination and faith, leave all these links with the past, to return back in time to the our modern world.
Gone would be the days of pushing and pulling and laughing and singing.
Gone would be the nights that we would hear the musician play his church tunes, play pioneer games and talk by the campfire. I wouldn't be seeing live pioneers walking in dresses and 1800's wear.
There was a last trouble spot, two huge slabs of rock that seemed like a dias just before the gate.
About two boys and two Pa's were helping each cart safely down. I was in front. We were about to enter through the gates. I joined in the breathless singing, even with no breath to use. And then-- we were through.
We parked our cart.
We unloaded it, and plopped against trees, anywhere there was shade. I found Joseph, and sat by him. Each sucking on a Popsicle, I'm sure we were thinking the same thing:
"That was the best Popsicle I've ever had."
Afterwards we had a water fight along with half the company. Joseph saw the trail boss, who was now turning back in to our work boss, with a bucket of water talking to some water-fight wall flowers.
"Get to close to the fire, and you're gonna get burned." he said.
"But I don't want to," the wall flower said.
Boss shook his head. He held his bucket ready.
Joseph had an idea.
He ran up to Boss with his own bucket of water, "Get to close to the fire, and you're gonna get burned!"
He splashed Boss in the face, and left him sputtering out water. But soon Boss got back at Joseph, he grabbed him and dunked him in a cooler full of water.
We all had fun. It was the funnest part for me. The games were fun, the tug of war too, but this homecoming, endure-to-the end celebration was the most fun.Except for my shoes.
Slish- slosh, slish- slosh, slish- slosh.
They were full of water, and sounded stickier then Joseph's flour crackers. It was no fun to walk around in wet shoes. Still, I did not regret it. Dinner was too close.
Dad tells me at home:
"Tali, are you sure you're going to eat all that? I think your eyes are too big for your stomach." He is usually right.
This time he was wrong. I piled up on mashed potatoes and KFC chicken, salad,biscuits, hot dog, chocolate milk, chips, cookies, and cake. My eyes were perfect sized then. I ate it all. After a lunch of flour and water pancakes, it was wonderful. But I didn't see the angels. Where were they?
The time came. We were seated by our trek families and enjoying our dinner while the stake president shared his thoughts. He began talking about death, and then, he said, "But they knew that they would see their loved ones again, and that in time there would be a resurrection,"
The angels came out of a building behind him. I set my food down and jumped up. There was Captain.
He searched the the mostly seated crowd for us, and then he saw us. First he was walking, and then he was running. We all ran to him, and met him half way. We group hugged, and he told us how proud of us he was, and how hard it was to watch us struggle while he stood in the field.
That, and the water fight were my favorite parts of the trek. On our last family home evening, there at base camp/Zion, Ma and Pa gave us each a special card. This is what mine said.
Tali,
Wow! what a sweet heart you are. You are so talented and have such a sweetness about you that shines like you won't believe! Thank you for the willingness to share and bring such heartfelt messages to our family. Tali, its a great blessing to have a Mormon Heritage, and because of this it means so much to participate in this trek. (Your stories were great) We so much appreciate the great help-- you never stopped, even when you were tired! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You even rescued your Big Sis. during a storm. We're truly blessed to have the family that we did.
Thanks for sharing your testimony that radiates from you.
Love Ma and Pa Bogdants.
(Our trek family name)
That note meant a lot to me. What ever you are doing, out there in the modern world today, I love you Ma and Pa! Thanks for making us a pioneer family, even for a week. I will always remember!
The next morning, we packed, said our goodbyes, got onto buses, and left. I knew that some of my trek siblings I would not be seeing again. :( .Some were going to college at BYU. And one would soon be on his mission. But we had good memories to keep, and shared a truly amazing experience.
Thanks for sharing! It was fun reading all your trek posts.
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