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