Relative assignments from our last meeting

I just wanted to touch base on a couple of things as a reminder. I'm so scatter brained sometimes it's nice to have multiple reminders. There were a couple of items from our last meeting that we can be doing to help our youth complete their Trail of Faith as well as help in preparation for Trek. Packing lists- If you haven't already done so (and probably even if you have) can we find a way to get the packing list to the parents? There have been several questions concerning items needed and this will be helpful in fielding some of those questions. Work Outs- Remind your youth that they are holding Trek Prep workouts at the park on Partridge every Sat morning. It'd be great if we could really get our "kids" there to participate. It will of course help with their physical preparation for trek but it will be beneficial just in terms of regular exercise. Motto- Keep thinking of a ward motto. I lack in creativity so I'm counting on riding the shirt tails of the rest of you on this one. We are 18 days from our Bishop's Challenge Hike from Draper to SLC! Remind the youth that they should be walking several times a week and hopefully they are getting excited for this opportunity.

Clothing

If we can help out the clothing ladies can we Ma's get in touch with each of our youth and see exactly which youth will need clothing. Get in touch with myself and I will make sure Sis Flint gets the info.

Training schedule...

I found a walking marathon training schedule. This may help some of us that need someone to tell us what to do. It didn't copy over exactly and it's making me insane trying to fix it but you get the jist Monday and Friday - Rest Day - No workout Tuesday and Thursday - Walk at a comfortable, but determined trainining pace for the designated mileage. Wednesday - Crosstraining - Participate in an easy crosstraining activity for 30 - 45 minutes. Saturday - Distance day - Walk for the designated mileage at a comfortable pace. Beginning with week 6 alternate weeks are shorter walks done at a slightly faster pace. Try to do weeks 10 and 12 at your goal "race" pace* . Sunday - Recovery - Walk at a comfortable pace or participate in easy crosstraining for 30 minutes. Notes: Warmup and cool down time is included in the prescribed time each day. Stretching will require additional time. We also recommend that all walkers include strength training in their training routine. A few exercises two or three days a week is a good start. To compliment this schedule strength training can be done on Tuesday, and Thursday or Friday. Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 Rest Day 3 miles CT 3 miles Rest Day 4 miles EZ or CT 2 Rest Day 3 miles CT 3 miles Rest Day 5 miles EZ or CT 3 Rest Day 3 miles CT 3 miles Rest Day 6 miles EZ or CT 4 Rest Day 3 miles CT 3 miles Rest Day 7 miles EZ or CT 5 Rest Day 3 miles CT 3 miles Rest Day 8 miles EZ or CT 6 Rest Day 3 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 6 miles EZ or CT 7 Rest Day 3 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 9 miles EZ or CT 8 Rest Day 4 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 6 miles EZ or CT 9 Rest Day 4 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 11 miles EZ or CT 10 Rest Day 4 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 8 miles * EZ or CT 11 Rest Day 4 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 13 miles EZ or CT 12 Rest Day 4 miles CT 4 miles Rest Day 8 miles * EZ or CT 13 Rest Day 3 miles CT 3 miles Rest Day 6 miles EZ or CT 14 Rest Day 2 miles 2 miles Rest Day 20 minutes Half Marathon Rest Day

Beehives and Deacons

We received an email earlier this week that listed our beehive and deacon "children". Please be sure to invite them to do the trail of faith with us and get them a copy of the sheet from the stake. If you need a copy of the sheet then let me know I have plenty. I'd be interested in hearing from you all as to how your contacts have come and if you have any of the youth from your trek family that you know are working on their trail of faith and even how many miles everyone has! Keep up the good work!

Mess Kits

I pinned it to my Pinterest board but wanted to make sure all of you non-pinners have access to it to. I've included with this post a link to a tutorial on making the mess kit bag. If any of your "children" don't have a mess kit already or if you don't, this is a great way to do it.

Scripture tricks

I received a tip last night from one of the other Ma's that she uses with her real family. It can easily be adapted to fit our trek families. She wrote the scripture on a poster board and each night before family prayer they recite it. I plan on using a similar idea and emailing the youth the scripture with words missing to see if they can email me back what part of the scripture is missing. You can take the origional idea and print it up or use it in someway as a handout that the kids can keep next to their beds to recite prior to saying their nightly prayers. “I am grateful for the example of the first pioneers of the Church who were willing to give everything, even their lives, for the wonderful work they had embraced,” he said. “we have obtained a lot of courage to confront our own adversities by learning of the great sacrifices they made.”

Scripture memorization....

Has everyone memorized the scripture 2 Nephi 31:20? Me either. But here's our opportunity to redeem ourselves! Lets all get working on the verse. Here's the link to the video Father of Fathers: Pioneers Now and Then http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-07-11-faith-of-our-fathers-pioneers-then-and-now?lang=eng And the one for Look to the Future http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1997/10/look-to-the-future?lang=eng I hope you've all made contact with the youth in your families so that we can be sure they are working on their Trail of Faith. There's opportunity to have completed 150 miles by now. Good luck and much love!!

Packing your bucket

I stated in our meeting that I had found suggestions for packing your bucket to hold all that we need to take. Well, as you all know, I work nights. Therefore on my nights off I'm often up in the night. I must have been indeed "up in the night" when I made that statement because I can't for the life of me find any of those resources now. So instead you get what I HAVE found and my own 2 cents. I hope that will help. I have found the following websites or pictures of bucket packing that you might want check out just to see if it's helpful. http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2009/04/additional-emergency-supplies-for.html?m=1 http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/6d/fb/9f/6dfb9fd6fb4f19ef262504dd1ae52c53.jpg My suggestions for packing are to roll clothing changes into a tight roll and then place them in a gal zip lock bag. One you have it in your bag you can press any air out of it and it really does make it so it takes up less space. We did this recently on our trip to Florida and only used a carry on suitcase per person for a 2 week trip. The next tip would be to use travel sized toiletries. You can find nearly everything in a travel size now days. For the girls (like myself)that can't live without modern day makeup my suggestion is pill containers and free samples. You can transfer you usual things like moisturizer and base into those daily pill containers and it's the perfect amount. They also make tiny bags that are for organizing your pills (I know the dollar store has them) these are great to put powder into and then you just use a cotton ball instead of your usual application device. There won't be a need for much as we want to be embracing not only the pioneer dress but also the fact that they didn't have makeup. It's all about leaving as much of the modern day world behind as we can. The other personal hygiene item that should be part of your bucket is baby wipes. My suggestion is to take them out of their original packaging and fold them smaller to where they will fit into a snack sized zip lock bag. You can fit about 3-4 wipes per snack sized bag. That should be enough to give yourself a quick "bath" each night. Just fill 3 bags worth and then place them inside your gal sized bag of toiletries and you are all set. (Ladies, the ingredients are similar to that of the make-up removal wipes and they are much more sensitive for use washing your face)The last thing is I would be sure to tuck a black sharpie in your toiletry bag. We will be carrying out everything we carry in so you will need to repackage your used wipes and other items back into the bag. When you have used them you can then use your sharpie to mark them as "dirty" so that you don't accidently use them again. The only other tip I have right now is only a space saver not a weight saver and I'm not sure if it's permitted or not but I plan on making for my own little family the mess kits that will hang in the dishtowel bag. Those bags I will then attach to the handle of the bucket with a clip. That way everything can essentially "hang" to dry. Much love, Sis Beckstrom

Charity, 1 Chorinthians 13:4

As I prepare for trek I have been constantly reminded of the fact that I need to continue to further develop this virtue in my own life. I just ask that as I share information on here and links and documents that you keep a charitable heart and use kind words. If you choose to use any of this info please know that it has been collected through long hours of prayerful study and searching. I have been praying on behalf of my immediate family and the youth in our Trek family that I might be The Lords hand in helping to help them gain from this experience the things that The Lord has intended for them. I pray for us all that we will be blessed for our efforts and that we will be able live with grateful, charitable hearts as we journey together. Much love to you brothers and sisters, Sis Beckstrom “Too often, charity is extended to another when his actions or conduct are acceptable to us. The exhibition of charity to another must not be dependent on his performance. It should be given because of who we are—not because of how we behave.” —H. Burke Peterson, "Our Responsibility to Care for Our Own," Ensign, May 1981, 82 “Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail. … May we all rejoice in the thought that when we say edifying, encouraging things unto the least of these, our brethren and sisters and little ones, we say it unto God.” —Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Tongue of Angels," Ensign, May 2007, 18