Stories from our Trail — Should we die

Ted "Pa" Buckwalter
Rose Summit Ward

It is a blessing to be a mentor to the youth, and especially on Trek I noticed youth with strong testimonies, which was a blessing for me as I recently moved back to "Zion" after several years away.  There were many factors which made Trek one of the hardest things I have done in life.  I was grateful for moments when I was able to hold onto the back of the handcart and get pulled along by my family.

By the third day I had lost some exuberance and we had a poignant moment when one of our girls was completely exhausted.  This was after the women's pull and after lunch.  One of her "brothers' carried her to the medical truck and we did not see her again (fully refreshed) until 4:30.  This same brother later staggered into camp under heat exhaustion and it took several hours, a priesthood blessing, and an IV for him to be restored.


Amidst all this, with our "family" exhausted and having great concern for their fallen brother, I was trying to set up shade and get dinner going.  As I was pounding in a tent stake, I heard over the PA system these words from "Come, Come, Ye Saints":

"And should we die before our journey's through..."


This is when Trek came alive for me.  Day 3 was a serious day in many aspects.  We were able to cap off the night with many opportunities to share our feelings, and as I recovered physically and spiritually from a day of exhaustion, I appreciated President Foulger's reminder of the scriptural comparisons of the Savior to "living water."