As a bit of background information:
BYU is a religiously affiliated college, so having an essay with religious undertones is typical, not risky.
"Trek" is a 3-day youth pioneer camp where we dress in 1860's costume and push heavy handcarts roughly 16 miles.
Youth are assigned a 'family', or 'company', and each family works together to push the handcart.
Both nights, we stop to camp in the woods. It is an extremely difficult hike.
The word limit is 200 words.
Prompt: Describe a setback you have encountered in your life. Explain how you have handled the situation and what you have learned from it.
"Push! You're only a mile away!" said a gang of tall men in cowboy hats.
"We've been 'a mile away' for six hours!" I thought, too out of breath to accuse them verbally. I trod another two feet of sand and tripped on my skirt. Suddenly, the ground introduced itself to my face; they would be well acquainted by nightfall.
Serving on the Stake Youth Committee had only prepared me mentally for Trek. Mere hours into the first day, I was exhausted, red-faced, sneezing, and dehydrated.
Thankfully, I had company. My 'family' sang Disney songs, rotated positions, and made the experience a game. Of the ten youth, four had autism, turrets, or asthma. All remained optimistic, setting a great example for me.
During lunch, I read Ether 12:37. "... thy garments shall be made clean... because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong... sitting down in the place which I have prepared..."
The scriptures came alive to me that night. God expanded my capabilities; I pushed until I was numb. When I finally sat down, the Lord sent rain to clean my clothes. Ignoring the spiders and mud, I threw myself on the Earth and embraced it.
