Trek

Griffin had the opportunity to participate in Trek this year. They were only going about 1.5 hours away so the 12 year old youth were able to go.



This is our neighbor Andrea who is a good friend of Griffin's. I asked Griffin to put his arm around her and this was the best he could do.





All the kids were Trekking for a pioneer and had to find a story on the pioneer. Griffin choose Jonas Otterstrom. His name tag had his name and Jonas' name on it. It also had a little bio on him....

JONAS OTTERSTROM

Jonas Otterstrom was born Dec. 7, 1820 in Torehallla, Sodermanland, Sweden, the same year that 14 year old Joseph Smith, received his first vision. He was baptized on Jan. 28, 1854 and ordained a seventy in 1856. The History of the Scandinavian Mission tell how Jonas Otterstrom, who lived at the base of a high hill called Egebjorg, overlooking the city, bore testimony to his customers and others, and thus Gustav Anderson, a good and highly respected man who lived on the top of the hill, became a convert to "Mormonism".

His father died during his boyhood, and his mother remarried. He did not get along very well wth his step-father. When 12 years old he defied his step-father and struck him for hitting his mother. Fearing the consequences, he ran away to the next city where his sister was attending school. He learned the gitter trade (the process of making things from brass). He later took up blacksmithing, in which he was later engaged after going to Utah.

Jonas was a loyal and devoted member of the Church all his days. He was a man of great courage, strong-willed and had the courage of his convictions. On the voyage across the Atlantic the family lost one child and the body was lowered into the ocean. They crossed the plains in the Canute Peterson Ox-team company. Jonas Otterstrom and one other man were the only blacksmiths in the company, and they repaired the wagons for the Pioneers. The company arrived in Salt Lake City on September 20, 1856. Jonas Otterstrom and his family went to Fort Ephram, in Sanpete County in response to a call from President Brigham Young to help build up that area. Neighbors said that Jonas Otterstrom had great courage and physical strength, and boundlss energy, for he was a man of action who did not believe in wasting any time.

Unfortunately Griffin was one of the thirteen kids sent home with heat exhaustion. He was really sad, He did love the experience though. He learned how hard it must have been for the pioneers, and if they had heat exhaustion they had to keep on moving...or die. I am so glad he had that experience, and I hope he will have the opportunity to do it again when he is older.