TREK PICTURES

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"The increased food rations from the rescuers lasted for only a few days. In Martin's Cove, rations were again reduced to four ounces of flour because the rescuers' supplies were insufficient to feed 900 people. The second day in the cove, James Bleak, one of the London branch presidents, wrote in his journal:
"No travelling. Weather very severe. Sister Mary Harper died aged 64. Our ration of flour was reduced to 4 oz. and 2 oz. for the children, making 1 lb. a day for the 6 of us."
James concludes this journal entry with one of the most extraordinary sentences in all the handcart writings. His feet were frozen, his wife and four children were suffering, the weather showed no signs of moderating, and now rations were being reduced again. Yet he wrote, "Through the blessing of our Father, we felt as contented as when we had 1 lb. per head."

Attention All Stake Trekkers!

How would you feel

 if you had only a daily ration of 

4 ounces of flour to eat every day?

Experience it.

 Next week choose 

a day to eat only 1 slice of bread or 1 roll all day long.

This is some of the story of Ephraim Knowlton Hanks, in his own words, regarding the rescue of the saints:

                In the fall of 1856, I spent considerable of my time fishing in Utah Lake; and in traveling backward and

forward between that lake and Salt Lake City, I had occasion to stop once over night with Gurney Brown, in Draper,

about nineteen miles south of Salt Lake City. Being somewhat fatigued after the day’s journey, I retired to rest quite

early, and while I still lay wide awake in my bed I heard a voice calling me by name, and then saying: “The handcart

people are in trouble and you are wanted; will you go and help them?” I turned instinctively in the direction

from whence the voice came and beheld an ordinary sized man in the room. Without any hesitation I answered

“Yes, I will go if I am called.” I then turned around to go to sleep, but had laid only a few minutes when the voice

called a second time, repeating almost the same words as on the first occasion. My answer was the same as before.

This was repeated a third time.

                When I got up the next morning I said to Brother Brown, “The hand-cart people are in trouble, and I have

promised to go out and help them;” but I did not tell him of my experiences during the night.

                 now hastened to Salt Lake City, and arrived there on the Saturday, preceding the Sunday on which the call

was made for volunteers to go out and help the last hand-cart companies in. When some of the brethren responded

by explaining that they could get ready to start in a few days; I spoke out at once saying, “I am ready now!” The

next day I was wending my way eastward over the mountains with a light wagon all alone. [Probably Oct. 26-27]

                The terrific storm which caused the immigrants so much suffering and loss overtook me near the South

Pass, where I stopped about three days with Reddick N. Allred, who had come out with provisions for the

immigrants. The storm during these three days was simply awful. In all my travels in the Rocky Mountains both

before and afterwards, I have seen no worse. When at length the snow ceased falling, it lay on the ground so deep

that for many days it was impossible to move wagons through it.

                Being deeply concerned about the possible fate of the immigrants, and feeling anxious to learn of their

condition, I determined to start out on horseback to meet them; and for this purpose I secured a pack-saddle and two

animals (one to ride and one to pack), from Brother Allred, and began to make my way slowly through the snow

alone. After traveling for some time I met Joseph A. Young and one of the Garr boys, [Abel], two of the relief

company which had been sent from Salt Lake City to help the companies. [This was the first group of rescuers who

left immediately after the first call from Brigham Young on October 5. Brigham continued to make public and

private calls for rescuers to meet the late companies for the next two months.] They had met the immigrants and

were now returning with important dispatches from the camps to the headquarters of the Church, reporting the awful

condition of the companies. [Ephraim had passed the Willie Company and the rescuers already with them near Ft.

Bridger on Nov. 2. Young and Garr had found the Martin, Hodgett and Hunt Companies at the last crossing of the

N. Platte River and helped them back to Devil’s Gate before taking this “important dispatch” or report to Brigham

Young.]

                In the meantime I continued my lonely journey, and the night after meeting Elders Young and Garr, I

camped in the snow in the mountains. As I was preparing to make a bed in the snow with the few articles that my

pack animal carried for me, I thought how comfortable a buffalo robe would be on such an occasion, and also how I

could relish a little buffalo meat for supper, and before lying down for the night I was instinctively led to ask the

Lord to send me a buffalo. Now, I am a firm believer in the efficacy of prayer, for I have on many different

occasions asked the Lord for blessings, which He in His mercy has bestowed on me. But when I, after praying as I

did on that lonely night in the South Pass, looked around me and spied a buffalo bull within fifty yards of my camp,

my surprise was complete; I had certainly not expected so immediate an answer to my prayer. However, I soon

collected myself and was not at a loss to know what to do. Taking deliberate aim at the animal, my first shot

brought him down; he made a few jumps only, and then rolled down into the very hollow where I was encamped. I

was soon busily engaged skinning my game, finishing which, I spread the hide on the snow and placed my bed upon

it. I next prepared supper, eating tongue and other choice parts of the animal I had killed, to my heart’s content.

After this I enjoyed a refreshing night’s sleep, while my horses were browsing on the sage brush.

                Early the next morning I was on my way again, and soon reached what is known as the Ice Springs Bench.

There I happened upon a herd of buffalo, and killed a nice cow. I was impressed to do this, although I did not know

why until a few hours later, but the thought occurred to my mind that the hand of the Lord was in it, as it was a rare

thing to find buffalo herds around that place at this late part of the season. I skinned and dressed the cow; then cut

up part of its meat in long strips and loaded my horses with it. Thereupon I resumed my journey, and traveled on till

towards evening. I think the sun was about an hour high in the west when I spied something in the distance that

looked like a black streak in the snow. As I got near to it, I perceived it moved; then I was satisfied that this was the

long looked for hand-cart company, led by Captain Edward Martin. I reached the ill-fated train just as the

immigrants were camping for the night. The sight that met my gaze as I entered their camp can never be erased

from my memory. The starved forms and haggard countenances of the poor sufferers, as they moved about slowly,

shivering with cold, to prepare their scanty evening meal was enough to touch the stoutest heart. When they saw me

coming, they hailed me with joy inexpressible, and when they further beheld the supply of fresh meat I brought into

camp, their gratitude knew no bounds. Flocking around me, one would say, “Oh, please, give me a small piece of

meat;” another would exclaim, “My poor children are starving, do give me a little;” and children with tears in their

eyes would call out, “Give me some, give me some.” At first I tried to wait on them and handed out the meat as they

called for it; but finally I told them to help themselves. Five minutes later both my horses had been released of their

extra burden–the meat was all gone, and the next few hours found the people in camp busily engaged in cooking and

eating it, with thankful hearts.

                A prophecy had been made by one of the brethren that the company should feast on buffalo meat when their

provisions might run short; my arrival in their camp, loaded with meat, was the beginning of the fulfillment of that

prediction; but only the beginning, as I afterwards shot and killed a number of buffalo for them as we journeyed

along.

                When I saw the terrible condition of the immigrants on first entering their camp, my heart almost melted

within me. I rose up in my saddle and tried to speak cheering and comforting words to them. I told them also that

they should all have the privilege to ride into Salt Lake City, as more teams were coming. . . .

                After this the greater portion of my time was devoted to waiting on the sick. “Come to me,” “help me,”

“please administer to my sick wife,” or “my dying child,” were some of the requests that were made of me almost

hourly for some time after I had joined the immigrants, and I spent days going from tent to tent administering to the

sick. Truly the Lord was with me and others of His servants who labored faithfully together with me in that day of

trial and suffering. The result of this our labor of love certainly redounded to the honor and glory of a kind and

merciful God. In scores of instances, when we administered to the sick, and rebuked the diseases in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ, the sufferers would rally at once; they were healed almost instantly. I believe I administered to

several hundreds in a single day; and I could give names of many whose lives were saved by the power of God.

                But I will only give the details in one more instance. One evening after having gone as far as Fort Bridger I

was requested by a sister to come and administer to her son, whose name was Thomas. [See biography for Thomas

Dobson, Martin Company.] He was very sick, indeed, and his friends expected he would die that night. When I

came to the place where he lay he was moaning pitifully, and was almost too weak to turn around in his bed. I felt

the power of God resting upon me, and addressing the young man, said: “Will you believe the words I tell you?”

His response was “Yes.” I then administered to him, and he was immediately healed. He got up, dressed himself,

and danced a hornpipe on the end-board of a wagon, which I procured for that purpose. But notwithstanding these

manifestations of the Lord’s goodness, many of the immigrants whose extremities were frozen, lost their limbs,

either whole or in part. Many such I washed with water and castile soap, until the frozen parts would fall off, after

which I would sever the shreds of flesh from the remaining portions of the limbs with my scissors. Some of the

emigrants lost toes, others fingers, and again others whole hands and feet; one woman [see biography for Maren

Johansen, also known as Mary Johnson, (Parsons), Hunt Company] who now resides in Koosharem, Piute Co.,

Utah, lost both her legs below the knees, and quite a number who survived became cripples for life, but so far as I

remember there were no fresh cases of frozen limbs after my arrival in camp.

***It takes great FAITH to listen to the promptings of the Lord and even more Faith to act upon those promptings.  This story of Bro. Hanks reminded me of a scripture.  1 Nephi 4:6:  "And I was lead by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."  Are we prepared to receive promptings?  Are we willing to act upon them? Do we take the time to reflect upon the things we have been taught and are we ready to act as the Lord's hands when He needs us?  We need to be spiritually prepared to act, at any moment.  Take a few moments and ponder about your own life.  Are you where you need to be?  What do you expect to get from trek?  What can you do to help others strengthen their testimonies?  Write down some of your thoughts in your journal.

Activity #11

The Willie and Martin Handcart Companies and the Hunt and Hodge Companies experiences crossing the plains and coming to Zion were filled with miracles. These miraculous events took place in answer to prayers that had been offered up.

This week as you prepare for Trek, we ask you to take some time and watch the movie "Seventeen Miracles."It portrays some of the miracles that took place. Remember that as you watch this movie and then go to Trek that we will be standing on sacred ground. And never forget that Heavenly Father is a God of Miracles.

Elizabeth Crook Panting

Elizabeth Crook Panting sailed alone to America on the ship “Thornton” with 2 young children as her husband did not make the journey. He was against the Mormons and had threatened to kill his wife if she didn't stay away from the Mormons. He finally got so mean; she took her two children and left him. The small family joined up with the Willie Handcart Company where there may have been a couple of Elizabeth’s relatives traveling with them.  While they were traveling to Zion, Elizabeth pulled her two young children, her one year old daughter was very ill,  Elizabeth would ask her older son Christopher to check and see if Jane was dead yet.

On October 14, Elizabeth went out to gather some buffalo chips, she had almost filled her apron, when a man came up-seemly out of nowhere-she told the man that her group was starving, the man told her to follow him, and she dropped the chips out of her apron. The man led her to a cave where a lot of dried buffalo meat was hanging, there were shelves of books on one side of the cave that looked like the Book of Mormon gold plates. She said they looked as if they were sealed. The man loaded up her apron with as much meat as she could carry. She left the cave, and as she looked back the man and the cave were gone. She went back to camp and shared the meat to the ones that were in the most need, no doubt saving lives.

Elizabeth and her two young children arrived safely in the Salt Lake Valley.

Story:

Ann Rowley Feeds Her Family with Two Sea Biscuits

Ann Rowley, a widow who had eight children to feed, felt a mother's pain in their hunger. "It hurt me to see my children go hungry," she wrote. "I watched as they cut the loose rawhide from the cart wheels, roasted off the hair, and chewed the hide."43 One evening she felt the providence of God in helping feed her children:

"Night was coming and there was no food for the evening meal. I asked God's help as I always did. I got on my knees, remembering two hard sea biscuits that . . . had been left over from the sea voyage. They were not large, and were so hard they couldn't be broken. Surely, that was not enough to feed 8 people, but 5 loaves and 2 fishes were not enough to feed 5,000 people either, but through a miracle, Jesus had done it. So, with God's help, nothing is impossible. I found the biscuits and put them in a dutch oven and covered them with water and asked for God's blessing. Then I put the lid on the pan and set it on the coals. When I took off the lid a little later, I found the pan filled with food. I kneeled with my family and thanked God for his goodness. That night my family had sufficient food."

Olsen, Andrew (2010-07-22). The Price We Paid

Activity #10

When we  go on trek we will have a cooking committee to make sure that we have sufficient and great food.  This one major difference