Doctor's Orders

Kathryn has been sick for two weeks with this strep throat, ear infections, bronchitis and sinus infection. She has missed over 8 days of school these past two weeks and the doctor felt she wasn't getting any better. So she was doubled up on antibiotics and tried to get a lot of bed rest.
This week brought Spring vacation, but it also brought our Youth Conference Trek. There has been a lot of dilemma in our household, and not the way you would think. Kathryn was wanting to go on Trek...had already purchased her pioneer clothes and supplies, and was excited to help her YW president with some of the preparations. Del and I were a little more hesitant to let her go, fearing she would relapse and miss more school, but we also wanted to support such a righteous desire. She called and spoke with another of her YW leaders and asked for counsel, hoping she would find some kind of clear answer to her questions. She was counseled to pray to the Lord with her righteous desires and then exercise faith that all would go as planned.
I didn't know the choice she had made until Thursday morning at 5:45 am when she came in to say goodbye to me. Del was taking her to the church.
I thought throughout the day how far Kathryn had come over the past 4 years, let alone the past 6 months. I would have never expected her to WANT to go and WANT to be where she felt she should be. And she was going happy and with a GREAT attitude. I couldn't have felt happier.
At 9:30 p.m., a brother in the stake, who said he was the Trek doctor, called, saying Kathryn was needing to come home. He proceeded to tell me how Kathryn had walked an 8 mile hike, was sunburned like the others, but was dehydrated and had a fever, and that when he went to listen to her lungs, he felt she was in serious danger of pneumonia, let alone the bronchitis she had. I asked to talk to Kathryn. She agreed that she didn't feel a 100%, but that if she were careful, she would be okay for the next two days. But they hadn't even started the pushing of the handcart portion and doctor felt she should come home. We debated for several minutes before our Bishop got on the phone and expressed that he felt we should listen to the doctor.
So, Kathryn was brought home. I was proud of her attempt and desire to try, but was glad she was home where we could get her well. And when this morning arrived with BELOW FREEZING temps and CHILLY wind, I was grateful that she was home and secure from further possibilities of illness.
It left me with a sobering thought of the original pioneers and their lack of options 'to come home to the safety and comfort of their homes and family'. They didn't have 'options' or possibilities of being relieved of the 'trip'. They had death; they had sunburn one day with freezing death the next; they had AND experienced it all without the luxury of 'choice to go home'. I thank them for their faith and courage.
And I thank Kathryn for her faith and courage to attempt Trek, even though it didn't end how we thought it would or could. She's asking if we think that if more faith had been used, would she have been okay if she had stayed?
I don't know how to answer her but to say that I truly believe what should have happened, happened, because the Lord was very aware of her heart's desires. I've encouraged her to have no regrets.
A special thank you to all those who planned Trek, who went on Trek, and who made Trek possible.