Ma & Pa Preparation

Introduction

Trek provides an opportunity “to take the youth out of the world in hope of taking the world out of the youth”–Elder Jay E. Jensen.

What is trek this year?

We will be trekking at the Wyoming trek sites Sixth Crossing & Martin's Cove. These sites are 7-8 hours a way from us, but provide a great experience to be in the same places many early pioneers walked on their way to the Salt Lake valley. We will be spending 4 days/3 nights during this trek experience. One point we want to make though is that trek is more of a months long experience rather than just a few days activity in the summer. We will be having multiple activities in lead up to trek. We will preparing physically and spiritually for this experience and that preparation is a big part of having a great experience also.

The Trek Family

Each Ma and Pa will be assigned to be over a trek family. Each trek family will be made up of 6-8 youth and some other adults also. We will try to keep each trek family to no more than 12-14 people. Each person coming on trek will be assigned to a trek family, even adults that aren't Ma's and Pa's. Each trek family will use one handcart on the trail. Each individual will have a bucket to put their "stuff" in and all of these buckets from each family will go in the same hand cart. Families will be involved in a number of activities together on the trail. Each family will trek together during the hiking, have family prayers together, morning and evening devotionals, etc. It's important that you get to know each and every youth in your family and help them have a good trek experience. You will be responsible for monitoring their health and well being on the trail and letting the medical team know should any problems arise. You will be responsible for making sure your family is drinking enough water on the trail. You will also be responsible for helping provide some spiritual experiences for the youth and trying to guide them during the trek experience to have a good experience both physically and spiritually.

Please scroll through below through this webpage in order to get an idea of what the preparation will be needed for trek. In order to prepare for trek we ask that you put in the time and be engaged in the activity preparation in the lead up to trek. We ask that you prepare spiritually, mentally, and physically for trek. It would be good to read about your role as a Ma & Pa in these official church documents for trek below:

This is the official Trek calendar with all the Pre-trek activities we will be doing. Do your best to make it to as many activities as you can.

Roles of Ma’s and Pa’s

Attend all trek meetings starting in January and monthly youth trek activities. Meet with your trek family regularly at these meetings. As you meet with your TREK family before we head to Wyoming you will build unity and trust. This will also be critical in helping the youth in your family feel welcome and loved.

Enhance the spiritual experience. You should prepare yourselves spiritually and seek the Spirit. One of your most important responsibilities is helping the youth benefit spiritually from the trek. Music, stories, testimonies, expressions of love, and family discussions help create an environment in which the Spirit can teach and inspire youth.

Build unity. You should strive to help members of your group become unified and develop supportive friendships. Family should stay together and unified while on the trail. To help build unity, you should model in your relationship the skills we hope the youth will acquire. You will work together in harmony, support one another, and have fun together.

Challenge youth to participate wholeheartedly. We hope you can make every effort to help the youth in your group become engaged in the trek. Rather than doing most of the work yourselves, you should help all group members work together and make contributions. Try to encourage youth to step outside of their comfort zones, although you must not require them to do anything against their will.

Set expectations. As the trek begins, please discuss expectations with their group. For example, you could explain the importance of working together to make the trek experience beneficial for everyone. Please help the youth understand that this doesn’t happen automatically but will require the efforts of each person. Another expectation to discuss is the importance of showing courtesy and respect to each other.

Keep things positive. We hope you can set a good example of being positive. You should be loving, humble, and firm, while also having fun. If one or more youth are detracting from the experience of others, please counsel with them. Most treks have challenges, but the Ma and Pa can help the group face them positively and prayerfully.

Help the each youth in the family fulfill their duties. We ask that you support the youth in fulfilling their responsibilities. These responsibilities could include helping lead the family in games, devotionals, meal preparation, and problem solving. · Be there. You should be present for the entire trek and walk with their group the entire way. You should seek to understand the thoughts, feelings, and personalities of each group member. We hope you can talk with and listen to the youth individually and as a group.

Let the youth lead. We really want the youth to be involved as much as possible in the planning and execution of trek! Use the youth in your planning, use their ideas and help them follow up to get assignments done. Your experience at TREK will be much more powerful for them and you if you let them lead.

Be flexible. Some families are outgoing and lively, while others are quiet and reserved. Please guide your group’s development according to the personalities of those in the group, with the assistance of the Spirit.

Lead family discussions. We'd like you to encourage group members to share their thoughts and feelings about their experiences. Please encourage group discussions in formal and informal settings, such as mealtimes, campfires, and devotionals. We invite you to share your own experiences, talk about your own feelings, and testify of truth.

Maintain hydration and encourage safety. You should ensure that all group members (including yourselves) drink plenty of water. You should also encourage youth to be safe and to protect themselves from injury and illness. Observe each of your youth to ensure that they are not sick or unduly struggling. If any questions or concerns arise, contact a member of the medical team immediately.

Keep track of participants. Your duty is to keep track of the youth in your group at all times.

Find your trailblazers. We encourage you to find your own trailblazers in your family. By knowing your own trailblazers and being able to share their stories with those in your family you can be a great example and motivation for others to strive to find their own trailblazers in the family history.

Learn handcart pioneer stories. We encourage you to read about the handcart pioneers, specifically the Willey and Martin handcart companies. Learn some of the stories of these pioneers you can share with youth and be familiar with the general history of these people so you can help teach those in your family about these saints.

Trek Daily Schedule

Physical Preparation

Physical preparation will be very important in order to have a good experience at trek. You can develop the strength and stamina needed by obeying the Word of Wisdom, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. You should be prepared to walk two miles an hour and be capable of walking 6 miles a day. Don't procrastinate! Start to prepare physically as soon as you can for trek by increasing physical activity steadily over the months leading up to trek. If you are not currently active, we would recommend you start taking short walks 2-3 times a week as early as February or March. These can be short 15 - 30 minute walks. As each moth passes try to increase your walking time and distance. You may also steadily increase how many days a week you go on a walk. Try and be consistent with this and you will steadily develop more stamina and ability to handle longer walks. If you can eventually get to where you are doing 6 miles of walking every week during the few weeks leading up to trek you should be well prepared to go on the trek experience without problem.

Another important aspect of physical preparation is your feet. It's important you prepare your feet for hiking that much by having good shoes with a comfortable sole. Any hiking shoe or boot that feels comfortable to you should do nicely. It's important to make sure the shoe stays comfortable while walking for longer distances also which is one reason why practicing walking before trek is important. As you continue going on walks, your feet will get used to the long distances which will help reduce your risk of having pain in your feet while you walk on trek and reduce your risk of blisters. If you get new hiking shoes between now and then, please remember to use them multiple times before trek to wear them in. New shoes that are unfamilier to you can often contribute to having foot pain or developing blisters.

More to come!