The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
On a hot October day at a farm near Córdoba, Argentina, Yesica Benavidez and several young women pulled heavy handcarts through knee-deep water and mud.
They were participating in a handcart trek reenactment with the Buenos Aires Argentina Castelar Stake, and this activity was known as the “women’s pull.” During the three-day trek, Benavidez and her husband, David Aguero, served as “Ma” and “Pa,” or leaders, for a “family,” or group, of youth.
“It was very special to see … all the young women work together and achieve a goal,” said Benavidez. “In that moment, I was able to grow my testimony about the Savior’s love. He knows each one of us and He knows our needs.”
From 1856 to 1860, about 3,000 Latter-day Saints pulled handcarts across the American plains — trekking in heat and cold, through rivers and over mountains — to gather in the Salt Lake Valley. To help youth learn from the experiences of the handcart pioneers, many stakes plan handcart reenactments.
A longtime activity in the United States, the trek reenactment also takes place in international areas of the Church — helping youth worldwide appreciate the sacrifice of the early Saints and understand their shared pioneer legacy.
Treks and other multiday activities, such as youth conferences and camps, are an integral part of the Children and Youth program launched in January 2020.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
