Firle Stake youth on their Calperum Station trek

20 January 2011

 In October 2009, the youth of the Adelaide Australia Firle Stake travelled to Calperum Station, approximately 280 kilometres north east of Adelaide, to re-enact a pioneer trek.

Calperum Station is a 282,000 hectare property, previously a sheep station, but now a nature reserve. The country is dominated by Mallee bushland (low lying, sparsely vegetated Eucalyptus and Acacia trees), sand and low-lying river valleys.

On the first day the Trek party covered 17 kilometres, much of that pushing their heavy-laden Handcarts up and down 24 large sand hills. They endured eight hours of solid walking and finished at midnight for a well-earned rest. During the first afternoon a huge sandstorm occurred making it difficult to see more than 200 metres ahead. The next day the party was woken by light rain that gradually got heavier throughout the day and continued all day and into the night.

The group prepared to leave the next day still very wet when Tim (Pa) Trudgen was asked to pray on behalf of the Trek party. He did so with great sincerity, asking that the rain would halt, and while that night was very cold, much to the relief of all in the Trek, the rain did stop.

"We had our meal and a very moving testimony meeting that night, and we thankfully didn't see rain again for the rest of the Trek," said Tony Lawry. "That testimony meeting we talked about how the early pioneers become better acquainted with God through their extremities. Many of our party were exhausted, and many were sore and tired, but we were also blessed to become better acquainted with God in our extremities during the trek."

Picture courtesy of Tony Lawry and used with permission

This article is a preview of an Ensign Insert scheduled for publication in approximately three months