This past week was a busy one for me with my calling in young women's. It was young women camp week and there has been a lot of preparation to get to this point. I am not able to go to camp this week since McCall still needs me at night, but it was still a lot of preparation in getting paperwork, information out, preparing ward time, and making sure our young women were prepared. There is a lot more to it as a leader and you get to see the behind the scene in order to make it a great experience for the girls. We always do a stake young women camp and so I'm very grateful for the stake leaders and all the preparation they put into making this week a success. They dealt with my millions of questions and any issues or concerns that came up and they are such good people to work with.
We started the week off with a ward high adventure. Last year we had a very successful fundraiser which made it so I didn't need to do one this year and then having extra to be able to do a high adventure activity in connection with our young women camp. We went to High Trek Adventure in Everett and did their ropes course and zip lines. The staff there were incredible and were great in helping us understand the equipment that we used and were always available for questions and if we got stuck. Then they just let us do our thing. There were different levels of obstacles to go through depending on how high up you wanted to go and how physically strong you were. It was up to you to decide that. I tried a couple of the very top obstacles and they were tough and I knew my limit on some of them and would try a little bit of it and then turn back. The zip lines were so fun and at the end of the zip line you have to step off this really high platform and you have fear that there is going to be a free fall for a little bit and it takes some courage, but you really have to trust your equipment and your connection points. My favorite part of doing this with the young women was hearing all the encouraging words from each of them to each other. They were all always cheering each other on and helping push each other to try the hard things. We had so much fun together and it was such a great day and experience!
I wish I could have gotten more pictures of the young women doing the activity, but I wanted to join in with them so I couldn't take pictures and do the course at the same time. Afterwards, we ate some lunch together and we talked about how we could connect what we just did to the gospel. The girls talked about how they had to trust their equipment and how they needed to constantly be connected and how this is like trusting God and relying on Him and that He won't fail us. We talked about how there were rules that we needed to follow that kept us safe while doing the course and that this is like the commandments and how they keep us safe from sin. There were different paths that you could take on the course and some were easier than others and this is true in life. We talked about how in life there are good, better, and best choices. I brought up that I loved how they cheered each other on and how important that is in life that we cheer and encourage each other because there will be hard things that we go through in life and it is often through each other that we feel God's love and His presence.
Then the YCLs went up on Tuesday and set up camp and had a little retreat and more training and then the rest of the young women went up on Wednesday. I went up Thursday with McCall from lunch through dinner to spend some time with the girls and be there for our ward time. So I got up there to eat lunch with them and McCall was a celebrity up there. :) All the young women loved her and she was passed around pretty much the entire time I was up there. After lunch, they did a service project where they cut out fabric to create blankets for families that lost babies prematurely. The organization is called Teeny Tears and is really amazing. Then there was also another service to write letters to missionaries serving from our stake and also all the young women signed a card that will have their group picture from camp that will be sent to our new general young women presidency.
Leone loves McCall! Leone always immediately whisks McCall away and loves to carry her around and be with her. I love watching their relationship and it makes my momma heart so happy that my little girl is loved so much by my young women especially by Leone.
Then we had our ward time. We took our 10 young women to Belfair State Park and had them make sand castles. I spent most of the sand castle building time going back and forth from the bathroom, but I guess that is part of being a leader.
Then Sister Woodland shared a story that is a fairy tale version of the plan of salvation and how we each build our own castles. We talked at the end about how we each bring our own unique talents in building the kingdom of God and that we are all needed! My other counselor Sister Shumway made them a flower and keychain and I wrote each of them an encouraging note. It was sweet to hear that one young women said that she still had my note that I gave to them last year at camp.
They are such a fun group of girls! I love being with them!
Then we went to McDonald's and got some ice cream before heading back to camp for dinner. It was my first time going up to camp as a leader and I loved it. The spirit there is filled with love and unity. The girls connect so much at camp and become a group and are so unified. It is a testimony building experience and bonding with people that have the same beliefs as you. I am really hoping that I can go next year for the whole time and it will be Paige's first year at camp.
Then Friday we had some more adventures with friends. We met Lizzy at the lake with her mom and Paige and Lizzy had so much fun on a paddle board and swimming in the water. Baylor did some swimming for a bit too and it was such a nice afternoon.
What a busy but fun week spent with some really good people!
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