Send us your stories!

Youth who have participated in past treks can offer encouragement here to those who are about to embark on their first trek. Send stories of your experiences to L@acentauri.com. Include a photo to go with your post. Short comments or long adventure stories are all welcome.

Holly Shields

My first trek experience helped me to fully appreciate everything that our ancestors went through as pioneers. It seems hard, but oh how it is worth it! Everything that you experience on the trek is very authentic to the real thing. I made so many of the friends that I still have today through this experience. 

Briquelle Stinson

I was so very blessed to have the opportunity to have trek as my first youth conference experience. My trek experience was something that taught me many life lessons while having fun with youth in the stake at the same time! In trek you are given a family to be a part of and you represent a company. On trek I was in the Ellsworth company which was the first company to go out and lead the way. My ma and pa were Brother and Sister Shields.

One spiritual experience that has always stuck with me since going on trek was an experience that taught me to always listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. During the trek my family had just stopped at a water station to rehydrate. After drinking we were going to continue on the path that had been previously laid out by youth leaders for the handcarts to follow. As we were about to continue moving forward on the trail, the trail came to an intersection with a road. My trek pa had the impression that instead of going the previously planned way we should take the road instead. After traveling for some time on the road, one of the girls in my company (who had declined drinking any water) passed out from dehydration. Because we were on the road we were easily able to get medical help for her that would have been harder to obtain if we had gone on the planned trail. I am grateful for a leader that day who reminded me of the importance of being in tune to promptings of the spirit and the importance of always listening to them even if we don't understand why they come.

Trek was also an experience that taught teamwork in accomplishing tasks and gave me the opportunity through talent shows, dances, eating and pushing handcarts to get to know the youth better in our stake!

Joey Morphonios

Trek is an absolutely amazing and spiritually uplifting experience. It helped me more fully understand the extreme amount of faith and love that the early pioneers had for each other and for the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While at trek, I met so many good people that helped me to develop my testimony and my relationship with Heavenly Father. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities to relax and have fun. Plus, the food is fantastic (especially after a hard day of work!). Trek is not easy by any means, but the reward is great. There are few places or times in my life that I have been able to feel the light of Christ as strongly as I did in trek.