Girls Camp 09

I had the AMAZING opportunity to go to girls camp with our Stake Young Women's group. I had 12 girls from my ward go, we had such a wonderful time! We went to a YMCA camp called Lynwood, McDonald close to the PA, NJ boarder. The girls camp director assigned me to be the Level 2 leader. The level 2 girls are 13 years old. We had the biggest group with 16 girls. me, Jessica, Selena, Alexis, Claudia (my level 2 girls)

Annie

Olga, Melanie, Eve (from my ward)

The first day we took the swimming test, set up the lodge and got settled. The theme for camp was "Walk the Path". Meaning walk uprightly before God so when we die we can return to him. Each level had a road sign assigned to them. Second Level was...Caution, steep incline. The scripture that went with that was Matthew 11: 28-30. It talks about Christ being willing to take our burdens so they can feel light. It was a great theme for us!

Nobuko

Clair

Andrea

Tracie

We spent loads of time canoeing and swimming, practicing our skits, being silly, staying up LATE, and just being girlie. It was fun feeling young again. The girls were so sweet. The ones who didn't know me though I was one of the JC's! How awesome is that?

Mary, Dia, Eva, Michaela, Savannah, Jocelyn

Katie, Michelle, Jennifer

Jocelyn, Mary (my ward)

Zoe, Eva, Melanie, Michelle (all from my ward)

Wednesday night we had a Faith Walk. We set up the woods with a rope stretched between trees. A tarp was off to the side and then at the end of the rope and trees was an open area right next to a pond. We put citronella torches around and hung candle globes in the trees so the area was lit. We put blankets on the grass and played some peaceful church music. We blind folded the girls at the pavilion after they wrote their names on a name tag and hung them around their necks. We then walked them to the edge of the trees where we put them on the rope (blind folded) where they had to maneuver themselves through the trees. If they were tapped 3 times on the shoulder by the "angel of death" then they had to leave the rope and go with the leader playing the angel of death. She sat the girl on the tarp still blind folded, took her name tag and told her to wait. We had 20 girls sitting on the tarp. The tarp represented "Spirit Prison".

The girls who were not tapped continued on until they got to the end of the rope where leaders were waiting for them. They took of the girls blind fold and welcomed her home to "Heaven" where the blankets and lanterns were set up. She got to help welcome the girls that came after her.

We saved 20 girls at the beginning who had not started their "walk" yet. Before they got to walk we explained to them that there were girls who's walk was cut short and they didn't get to finish and will not get their reward unless these 20 girls were willing to take their name and walk for them. Some girls were not willing to do it....so some of the willing got to walk for two girls. Once everyone of these girls got to the end of the ropes we took their blind fold off and they got to read the name of the girl/s they walked for and then they got to enter "Heaven" together.

It was an incredibly tangible lesson to the girls of the importance of doing temple work and remembering there are others who did not receive the fullness of the gospel who are waiting desperately for us to help them.

We didn't get to finish the walk because a HUGE storm came in, but even the girls who didn't walk came away with a testimony of the sacred work done in the temple.

Kimberley, Giselle, Kim, Leslie, Nicole (my level 2 girls)

Lafanda

Claudia, Penelope, Tracie

The last night we had testimony meeting. The girls who wanted to could bare testimony of Jesus Christ, the truthfulness of the church, the spirit that they felt at camp, share their feelings from the Faith Walk, anything that they wanted to share about their experience from camp. It was very spiritual and wonderful to hear the lessons the girls learned. They are amazing young women and all are very righteous. I was so pleased to be a part of their experience and to have the opportunity to get to know so many wonderful girls.

Kim (my JC leader)

Mary and Eva (from my ward)

Shenell (level 2 girl)

Michelle (from my ward)

Jennifer (level 2)

After testimony meeting the girls wanted to stay up all night playing and being silly so we let them. They all went downstairs and went silly on us. It was so wonderful because we didn't have any fighting between the girls. They were all respectful toward eachother and took care to make sure everyone was included...young and old.

Zoe and Michelle...my girls!

Midanno (level 2)

Lafanda, ?, Andrea, Selena

Eve, one of mine

Aariel, my laurel president

Michaela (reminds me big time of Elder Clark!)

We had a wonderful time! I'm so glad I got to meet other girls from our stake and bond with my girls from our ward.

Taline, Amber, Lily (second level)

Claudia and Jessica (second level)

Olga and Dia (my girls)

I shared a room with Dia, Willow, and Eve (all from my ward), Savannah, Nicole, Leslie, and Kimberley. The other 9 second level girls were...Midanno, Shenell, Andrea, Kaitlyn, Annie, Alexis, Jennifer, Micheala, and Taline. My JC's were Kim, Amber, Lily, Jessica, Chole, Claudia, and Selena. The best and most killer group there!