Young Women Camp 2025

Camp Week! The young women kicked off this great week by going to High Trek Adventure. This is our third year in a row doing this activity and it is always a hit and so much fun! It is great way for our young women to do something hard but also something really fun. We connected, cheered each other on, and brought unity to our group. Then we had a short discussion about our experience and how it connects to the gospel. I’m always impressed with what they come up with and I love it! 

• Just like we had to completely trust the equipment to keep us safe, we have to completely rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They can help guide us and keep us on the right path.
• There were many different paths and obstacles you could go through, and in life there are many different paths and challenges we will face. Some are easier than others and some are more difficult based off the choices we make. We all have the same goal, and it is okay that we take different paths.
• For the entire time, you always have one claw clip connected and this is like our Savior who is always there and reliable. He is always connected to us and wants to help us through life.
• Take time to dance and find joy in living. (Bella would pause in the middle of an obstacle and do a dance! It was so fun to watch.) Life can be hard so find joy in it especially the little things!
•  Each time we moved to a different path or obstacle, we had to reach out and connect to it. Our Savior is always there ready to reach out and help us as we move through each path in our life. Just take His hand, He’ll lead you there!
• This experience and the experience of life is more enjoyable when done with other people. There are times when we feel so alone, but we can reach out or we are the one who is being reached and both of those are beautiful parts of life. We can strengthen, lift, and encourage each other through life. (This is my favorite part of this activity because I get to witness these group of amazing young women be there for each other and encourage those that are scared or unsure in the moment!)

I did the course and zip lines for half of the time and then took the time to take lots of pictures. It was so fun to watch the girls do hard things, conquer their fears, have fun, encourage each other, and they would always find me when they were on the zip lines and smile and pose for the camera. It was such a fun way to spend the afternoon and a great way to kick off our camp week. It was a bonus to have Juliette with us and it was great for her to connect with my young women so she was comfortable with them when we went to camp.

Camp Rock was incredible! Doubt Not, Fear Not, Christ is our Rock! Young Women camp is a little piece of heaven on earth, and our girl’s had an amazing time. It brought them closer to each other, helped them feel the Spirit, and build their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wednesday the campers arrived, and it is sweet to see the YCL’s take care of their girls. The girls had fun on the slip and slide and in the lake. There is uncertainty at first and then the magic and fun starts to happen with skit night. They start to unite and work together. I got to see the care and love of leaders as we worked together to clean up our cabin from an unfortunate situation and care for the one. There is such love for each other at camp, and I love it!

Lake and slip and slide

Games with the Brethren that were there for the week

Skit night

Thursday’s morning started with such a sweet spirit as two YCL’s sang, “A Daughter of Light”. Tears filled my eyes as I thought of the girls in our ward and the light they bring to my life and  to the world. The girls learned some great life skills with some classes and did some service for the military. The girls loved floating down the river over and over again. They tested their knowledge in a fun relay race. Then they had such amazing spiritual rotations learning from our wonderful stake leaders. The girls feasted on the gospel as they learned about patriarchal blessings, the importance of their self-worth (the audible shock when the leader tore up at $20 bill!), and scripture study skills (with the sweetest bookmarks that the leader personally made for each girl). Then of course a favorite of the night was ending with Hoopla! It is such a fun way to end the night, and Brother Santos even joined in!

Some girls were brave enough to do the polar bear plunge to kick off their day.

Miltary service project (making some lanyards and writing some thank you cards) and survival rotations (they learned about self defense/awareness, first aid, and PNW plants).

River Float! A highlight for a lot of the young women.

Relay races to test their knowledge of the survival classes they had earlier in the day.

Minute to win it game at the evening roll call/flag ceremony.

I knew that Carly was also up at Ensign for the week for her first young women's camp experience. Their camp happened to be right next to ours. Oftentimes when we were not doing anything, I didn't see anyone at her camp but one evening, I saw them eating dinner and so I walked close by and found her. It was fun to see her and she was shocked to see me there at the same time. She was having a wonderful time which is awesome.

Hoopla- Such a fun dance party and an amazing way to end the day!

Juliette ended up with a stomach ache and not feeling well after Hoopla. So her and I ended up in our own cabin which was great for both of us. It was nice to be in a nice quiet cabin for one night, and we both slept a lot better than the night before.

Friday was a day that was filled to the brim with the Spirit. The girls started the day at the lake and the slip and slide. Then it was time for a highlight for lots of the girls which was an incredible faith walk. I know the girls felt the Spirit as they walked through, talking about finding peace in Christ especially a part with a mirror that was covered in affirmation. I know this touched so many of the young women since they mentioned it in their testimonies later that evening. Each of the girls took a rock through the faith walk that they wrote a letter on at each stop. P- Peach During Trials, E- Endure, A- Affirmation, C- Carry Each Other, and E- Eternal Savior. They ended with a gorgeous picture of all their pictures combined together to create a picture of Christ. They were encouraged to see themselves in Christ. The girls had some solo time to connect with God in nature and with personal letters from home. We loved ward time together for dinner and for some great conversations. I love our girls! Then we ended with the sweetest testimony meeting. Our girls hugged each other and were touched by each other’s testimonies, which was the best thing to watch as their leader and as someone that loves them dearly. It was the best time with the best young women!

Juliette had bit of a spill on the tube and it was so funny to watch! Then of course Paige was going right behind her and ran right into her.

Faith Walk

PEACE in Christ

Ward time with my girls!!! They are the best!

Roll Call/Flag Ceremony with the Bishops from each ward

Most of my young women got up and bore their testimonies. It was so sweet, especially one who was so brave and vulnerable and shared some things about her home life. I had tears running down my face as I listened to her. All of our girls rushed her when she sat down and gave her so many hugs. She hugged me multiple times and told me that she loved me and it melted my heart. It was such a sweet evening with the young women of our stake. Some things from the testimony meeting that touched me:

• Pray & Feast to keep the light
• Where did I see Christ today? When I look into each of your eyes and see your souls and in the trees.
• You are wanted!
• The Lord loves effort.
• Choose Him!
• Turn to Christ in the darkest of times. He's the light!
• Jesus loves you!
• When you look for light, He is there.
• You are an answer to prayers.
• The Son (Sun) is always there, even if we can't always see it.
• You are trying. You can endure because you are a child of God.
• God has a plan, and we are all part of it.

What a wonderful week with such an amazing group of people! Life is good!