PIONEER TREK!

Emma went on the pioneer trek! She had the BEST time! It changed her. She came home and wanted to talk and talk and talk to us. Finally at 10pm - we were exhausted and excused ourselves to bed! She went into a family not knowing the parents and most of the siblings. She became good friends with a girl in our Stake Mckenna Jones and then she became good friends with Jason Tomlinson - she had never talked to him before which was funny because we have been in their ward for 9 years - he is 2 years older than her but they became great friends! She was also in a family with Tyler Embley from our current ward and got to know him better. She LOVED her Ma and Pa DeGooyer! They even had a family reunion afterwards with dinner and games! I loved getting texts from people in the stake telling me how great Emma was doing, not complaining, constantly working, pulling the most with Jason, etc. Uncle Norm couldn't believe a cheerleader was that capable of doing what she was doing - ha ha! Sister Hansen (the stake president's wife) called Emma and asked her to give a talk up there about a modern day pioneer. Emma and I struggled with this and then I came up with the idea of these youth being modern day pioneers because they are having to navigate their way through life with the good and the bad of all this new technology and that their parents never had to deal with... of course Emma took it and did outstanding with it and the leaders loved her talk! I got to help out with trek and be in charge of the trek fun run with Tiffany Brown, I was in charge of the trek facebook page, gathering all the trek letters for each and every youth from their parents (pain in the butt, ha ha) and then I got to go up and wash hair for the youth, including President Hansen. I washed my first beard, first black person's hair, first man's hair, it was a day of firsts. I LOVED being up there. The spirit was so strong. I didn't want to leave. It was an amazing site to see, I can't even describe it. I am eternally grateful for all those who put so much work into this for the youth. It was an experience which Emma will never forget!