So I have done more camping than I have done in many years past. First of all I was able to be a part of Girls Camp for church. What a wonderful experience. I was in charge of the YCLs (Youth Camp Leaders). What a wonderful bunch of girls that put aside so much of their time to run camp. Oh what a way to build your testimony. The theme for camp was B.O.O.T. Camp Building our own Testimonies. I had the best time at camp. There were times of homesickness and sadness but the spirit at camp made up for those moments. I love my Youth Camp Leaders (YCLs) they could not have done a better job. I saw as they worked with their girls and helped them and loved them. I learned about compassion and love and selflessness and being yourself and having a great time. They made their girls shine. I had confirmation that they had been placed where they needed to be. I watched as the first year YCLs taught the cheer to their girls and it filled me with emotion. I could see the love they felt. Thursday night was life changing for me. My testimony of my Heavenly Fathers hand in my life was strengthened. During our wonderful water Olympics, which I did synchronized swimming with some other leaders (so cute!) on Thursday it started to rain. We were able to get everything ready for the rain. After dinner it got worse. I prayed that everything with the rain would work out. The fourth year YCLs had worked so hard on a great spiritual fireside that they had planned and I wanted so badly for it to work out for them. We still had fireside under the pavilion, which was a blessing to have all the girls so close. The 4th level started their presentation where they had chosen 7 women from the scriptures, history and just common women that were inspiring to them. There was Mary the mother of Jesus, pioneer women, Joan of Arc, and last the honored our Stake Young Womens President. It was wonderful to hear how she had touched all of these young women's lives. She is also very inspiring to me. But before they started the rain was very loud and they were having to yell so they decided to sing some songs. One of the YCLs said "We don't want to have to yell you spiritualness. She is so funny. So we began to sing. We sang I am a Child of God and Choose the Right and it was still raining. The Stake Presidency said to sing one more so we sang, I'm trying to be like Jesus and as we sang the rain slowly stopped. I knew Heavenly Father wanted us to hear what was going to be said. The spirit was so strong. They were able to share this great moment. After that they did role call, where each level does their cheer. There was excitement and fun. They all just got way into it and brought a great spirit of unity and love. The leaders had briefly practiced a little song and dance to Thriller. So it was our turn to perform. The mood was set by turning off all the lights and the campers turning on their flash lights. Mind you the rain had calmed and it was quiet. The music started and as soon as you heard DU-NUH DU-NUH-NUH there was a huge lightning and thunder and it began to pour as we started our dance. The girls were screaming and we could barely hear the music over the the screams. The girls were loving it or terrified I could not tell, but we all played it up and had a blast. I think Heavenly Father knew we needed something to make up for our dancing abilities. I couldn't have been better. After the fireside we split up into levels for testimony meetings. I was not sure where to to go because I was not with a level, but I did need some time to myself so I went down to the waterfront to take in all I had just experienced. When I got back I joined the second years where Garianne was a leader. It was so wonderful to hear the testimonies of these young girls. I hope and pray that they will be able to keep that experience close to their hearts and be able to draw from it in hard moments. After testimonies they had all the girls with a candle light make their way down to the waterfront where they were greeted by leaders with lights lining the beach. They formed circles by level. We waited for they third level for a while and then Garianne turned to me and said " Here they come they just didn't hear." This statement as I watched them join us with their lights was something I needed to hear. I thought of those in my family that are inactive, of those friends that I have that have fallen away. I thought of myself at times. I thought of me welcoming them as they hear the truth and follow the light. I watched as they journeyed toward the light with theirs now lit. I know I will experience this same feeling one day with each of these people I pray for. It will be so much more intense and wonderful I can't wait for those days. I am so grateful that I could go to camp and feel of the wonderful spirit there away from all the cares of the world. I hope I can have that strong spirit in my home more often and I will try my best to to this. I am excited for next year and hope it will work out so I can go again. I am so blessed. I have much to be grateful for.
So here are some pictures from girls camp. I did daily gifts for each of my YCLs and I had 31 of them so it was a chore but I just lined up my kids and their friends and had them help. They loved it. Also below that are some pictures from Camping with Becca and Steve. Clint had to work so I was my first experience camping with just the kids for 4 days, I just hadn't had enough camping from the week before so I went again. Then when I got home I had a breakdown and just wanted to go back away from all the responsibilities and realities. I'm better now.What a Great Summer! Very Memorable!
