TREK WAS AMAZING!!!!! I will post what I wrote in my journal here!!!
GO ON IN SO GREAT A CAUSE
Day 1 - June 25, 2008
My Journal: Today was..... long & tiring. I was really excited to start trekking supposedly 1 mile (according to my father) which then they said would be 3, which then was 5, which ended up being 7 freakin miles!!! It was unexpected and stupid, but that means less to go tomorrow... :) I'm not excited for the women's pull. I feel like i'm the only girl doing anything... but I really like my family! :D
group red 4! THE DIRTY DOZEN
Pa & Ma hillyard, Auntie Candace, Scott, Me, Tanner, Becca, Danny, Anna, Levi, Cami, Brandon
I've never loved porta potties more in my life! We didn't have them all day on the trail and when we were finally done it was like Christmas!!! HALLE! :D
The Ho-Down was great fun, except it was pretty embarassing to have to demonstrate in the middle of everyone with my dad. Hope no one noticed we were related. JUST KIDDING! It was great to have him there. :D
We had beans & chichen & corn & a roll for dinner & it tasted AMAZING after all that hard work today. It is so peaceful out here. I sorta want to stay forever! Just kidding... I'd miss all my stuff.
I saw some "cantalope" (antalope) today! It was pretty cool!
There are cow patties ALL OVER the place. Can't make me play frizbee with those icky things!!!
I miss my mom and dad. :)
I wonder if I smell horrible yet.
There were some cars that I saw because we could see the freeway as we were hiking. That was dumb.
I feel my saviors love, in all the world around me. His spirit warms my soul, in everything I see. He knows I will follow him, give all my life to him. I feel my saviors love, the love he freely gives me!
LOVE, MARISSA
Day 2 - June 26, 2008
My Journal: Today was supposed to be the really hard/excruciating/long/difficult day. In reality we went about 13 miles, but it didn't seem as physically hard as yesterday. MAYBE it's because yesterday we were expecting to go maybe 3 miles and we ended up going 7. Whereas today we were all expecting for the day to be long and hard and so we were mentally prepared so it wasn't quite as difficult. I dunno. Just a thought. :)
This morning we had a breakfast burrito and they gave us these salsa packets that had these odd green chunks in it... gross! I washed it down with a yummy juice box and then we were off! We had potty breaks about every hour and 1/2 and Ma and Pa were prepared with hard candy and these sugar cookies to keep us going. I never want another one of those cookies in my life. They are the ones that have like 2 inches of frosting on the top and they give you the biggest sugar rush! Mike Allred was putting them together like a sandwitch and downing them in like 10 seconds. They are so sick. I swear everytime we stopped it was like "cookie? cookie? cookie?" AHH! lol. Apparently they had like 4,000 of those cookies donated to us. ugh. So sick. If I ever look at one again I might vomit. But hey, they kept us going! I was drinking SO much water because I didn't want to get de-hydrated but it still wasn't enough. You were supposed to have to pee at every potty stop... and I skipped a few, but finally I had to go, so I told my ma that I had to go and she said "ok hon, sure" so... the line was forever long, I waited in the line for like... 20 mins, then I FINALLY was able to go to the bathroom! I then procedded to come out to get back onto the trail and head out, so I looked for my family and I couldn't find any red wagons! The only company that was left was green which was the last company to arrive! I finally figured out they had left me, so I ran about a mile to catch up with them. Then, I finally arrived out of breath and panting and turned to my Ma, and looked at everyone and said "hey! you guys left me!" and my Ma says "whoops! you should've told Candace!" ........ I was a bit angry because they didn't even notice I was missing and it really flusterated me! oh well... life goes on :)
The Women's pull was... physically easy, but spiritually trying. I took the part where I knew I could do the most work. The boys left us to go to "war" and we sang "come come ye saints" and "The spirit of god" as we loaded up. I thought it was going to be very hard and difficult but it was actually very east! As I saw the men in our family up the hill waiting for us, it was like how it's going to be in the end. We'll have trials but our family weill alwyas be there for us waiting and cheering at the end. or is it the beginning? I'm so grateful for my family here at trek AND at home! Candace and I sang the rest of the way to camp whatever popped into our heads, and I'm sure the people around us were getting sick of my singing voice. :) We had broth and a roll for dinner. Yep. That's it. Broth and a roll. It was the BEST dinner i've ever had in my life though! my heck!
LOVE, MARISSA
Day 3 - June 27, 2008
My Journal: Today the sun came up! Figuratively and literally. I woke up some time around 6 AM after a wonderful night's rest and watched the sun come up on a hill all by myself. It was kindof nice to be alone with my thoughts. It was SO beautiful and peaceful! I know that will be on of my favorite memories of trek. Today has been such a great fun day! Everyone else woke up around 7 - 7:30... so I brushed my teeth for like 1/2 an hour (it's the only part of me I can thoroughly clean) got dressed, went down to the medic tent and got my feet majorly bandaged because they have these HUGE water blisters everywhere, and then I ate a wonderful breakfast of instant oatmeal and fruit. oh, and there was the milk. It was one of the most discusting things i've ever had in my life. ICK! It was the Gossner's milk that you don't have to refridgerate and it had like this cheesy aftertaste... oh, it was horrible. Levi and I both took a big gulp, and then it almost came out our noses... so bad.
I've bonded with my family a lot. It feels good to be so close. We played many games today which we all kicked butt at! 3 legged race, , tug-of-war, stick pull, horseshoes, stick ball, bean spit, corn toss, a craft... and other stuff. My family won all the families in the red company in tug-of-war, which ment we're representing the red company in the championship tournament. I made this doll at the craft, and she is my new favorite thing! I take it everywhere, and Candace and I made a rope swing, trampoline, trapeeze, and other things! so fun! I named my doll Sophie. :)
We then had an awesome lunch of PB&J and chips just like home. Then all the girls went to a relief society meeting, and the guys went to a priesthood meeting. It was so cool. We talked about our talents. I fell so blessed. I know I was given my musical talents to help & share my light & the gospel with others not as fortunate as me. I really want to serve a mission now. I've been really inspired.
After our awesome meeting we played some more games and then it was time for the tug-of-war championship. AND GUESS WHAT!?!? WE WON THE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP OUT OF ALL THE COMPANIES!!! It was an amazing feeling to take all with my family. I loved having people... well... everyone cheer for us at the end. It made me want to try even more and win it! I can't believe I finally won something! My self-confidence has boosted a ton today. YAY! :D
Candace is amazing. I wish she was my big sister in real life. I love everyone in my family so much.
I don't want this to end!
But i'll admit... I really want a shower...
I wonder how bad I smell...
I miss my family.
I feel so close to the spirit out here. I just read a letter from my mom and dad. It was so wonderful. I bawled the whole time. My dad's letter was like 5 pages long and my mom's was 1 and 1/2. LOL!
I know what i'm doing is right.
I know I am extremely blessed.
I know that my redeemer lives!!!
This has been such an amazing expierence! I can't even write it all down!
Keep smiling! although my lips rather hurt...
I get to take a shower tomorrow!
DIRTY DOZEN DOMINATES!!!
LOVE, MARISSA
Day 4 - June 28, 2008
My Journal: Yesterday I was the last one done with my alone time. I didn't want it to end! It was good to write in my journal and pray, and just think. After that we had an awesome fireside with the whole stake. Scott in my family bore his testimony in front of everyone. It was SO spiritual! I cried the whole time! We then had a testimony meeting in our companies. It was awesome! After that was over, we sat in our camps and we just talked and told stories for a long time. Danny went to sleep first (he was on Benydryll) and everyone else followed him except candace and I went and looked at all the beautiful stars! It so mind boggling! you could see all the stars so clearly and i just wanted to freakin swim in the stars! I was a shooting star!!! it was so cool! The Pa and Ma told us about some constellations. We finally went to sleep and I woke up multiple times during the night because my feet were so freakin cold. Everyone was up at 6:00 AM so we could get home sooner and we had cereal with the sick milk for breakfast... I ate my cereal dry... :)
As we were walking running the cart up the hills (my family likes to run it) I could feel my blisters getting worse and they had to stop everyone so they could bandage up my feet. It was horrible. I feel so bad for the medic who had to touch/see/smell my feet lol.
My dollie kept falling out of my pocket! It was trag!
We had a potty stop and we played this weird/fun roller coaster game and then my family sang the song I wrote for our family in front of everyone...
(to the tune of put your sholder to the wheel)
The dirty dozen has no fears, you'd better watch your back! From cheesy milk to tall steep hills, don't ever cut us slack! Run your cart up the hill, we're so strong! That tug-of-war was our all along! We're full of dirt, go clean your shirt, let the good times roll!
It was really funny. My life is complete now. just kidding... :)
My feet were hurting so so bad and the medic wanted me to ride in the truck, but I refused! I wated to finish this thing! :)
On the last Huge hill I prayed that I could make it up (I was still pushing the cart of couse like heck)(and I hated complaining) So I just closed my eyes and gave it my all! My feet did fine, and when we GINALLY got over the top of that hill we could see the cars and there were people lined up to cheer us on the the end! Everyone was so glad to get over that hill, we all just ran down it and into the fiels! We then all hugged and cried and cheered and said our goodbyes!
We ate lunch and then went home!
I took a shower for 45 mins. It felt so wonderful!!! I can't even tell you how amazing it was to wash all my yakiness off!
Although my lips and feet are WAY blistered I'm smiling as I remember all the stupid inside jokes and songs and nick names we had in my family. I miss them.
This was one of the most amazing expever. I'll remember it for the rest of my life.
LOVE, MARISSA
"Let us never forget that we have a marvelous heritage received from great and courageous people who endured unimaginable suffering and demonstrated unbelieveable courage for the cause they loved. You and I know what we should do. God help us to do it when it needs to be done.
-President Gordan B. Hinckley
