Girls camp

To my surprise, I was called as girls camp director for our ward last fall. I have actually already been camp director once in our old ward, but the young women in that ward were so few, this was a totally different ball game. I was very nervous for the calling, but also excited at the same time. I had recently served in the Young Women's presidency for a few years and had only been released a couple of months when I got the calling, so it was nice because I already knew most of the girls and was excited to spend more time with them without the obligations of teaching on Sunday and mutual. :)

This year was stake girls camp, for which I was grateful. Still a lot of work-- maybe even more work in some ways, but I didn't have to do most of the planning. We went to a boy scout camp in Idaho called Camp Hull Valley, and it was gorgeous! Beautiful and green, tons of trees, and lots to do. 

The camp theme was "Stand and Shine" based on the scripture D&C: Each ward was asked to choose a country that was somehow meaningful to them to represent them. We chose Laos because we have a few families in our ward where the moms (who are sisters) escaped from Laos when they were small children and came to the United States as refugees. Two of their daughters are currently in the young women of our ward. It was really cool learning more about their country and the hardships they had to endure. These women are amazing examples of courage and strength, and their story has impacted me greatly. 

A few shots of our camp site:

We hung up Laotian flags in the camp site and wrote each young woman's name on the back of one.

Secret sister station

The camp had a lake that almost looked like a mountain infinity pool. It was such a beautiful place! We lucked out with great weather. It was definitely warm during the day, but not unbearable. It was amazing how cold it got at night after a hot day. 

On hike day there were three hikes to choose from. I chose the hardest one thinking I should take advantage of being able to hike without my kids or having to carry anyone. I figured it wouldn't be too bad since it was only supposed to be about 3 miles round trip. Turns out it was longer than we were told and the last mile or so was SO steep-- we were literally walking straight up the mountain. It was challenging, but I loved it. It was a beautiful day, and there were wildflowers everywhere. I was impressed with our girls' attitudes and not giving up even when there were several other wards who turned around and went back. 

At the trail head:

The view from the top was worth the effort! 

Bonus: I got cell phone reception at the top and was able to call my family and say hello before heading back down to camp!

And the way back down was beautiful too!

One of the things the stake planned was a "temple tour" one evening. Each ward had a big poster with a picture of the closest temple to their country and the wards visited other wards and heard stories about each of those temples. The nearest temple to Laos is the Hong Kong temple, which seems crazy to me. A few of our Young Women's leaders shared some neat stories and it was fun to learn more about the different countries.

Another activity the stake arranged was something they called "singing trees," but was really like a musical fireside. Each ward sat together in the dark and when it was their turn, they would stand up and turn on their flashlight and sing a song they had prepared. Our ward sang "Give, Said the Little Stream" and had one of our young women play the ukulele. I actually think the part of the evening I enjoyed most was seeing all of the lights from the young women's flashlights walking down the trail to the lake where the fireside took place. It was moving to see so many lights and know each one belonged to a young woman and I thought it went really well with the camp theme of "Stand and Shine."

Skit night always stresses me out and it is something I feel like no one really gets excited about until it is time to actually do it. The girls sort of dragged their feet about having to do a skit, but when it came down to actually doing it, they had a blast. Ours was an idea I ripped off from something a few friends and I did at a ward talent show a few years ago. It turned out really funny:

One of my very favorite parts of camp was the time I got to spend with the other leaders. I was fortunate that a few of my close friends are in young women and attended camp this year. I also loved spending time with a few of the leaders I didn't know quite as well. We stayed up later than the majority of the girls most nights just laughing our heads off and joking about a "she-wee" (a pee funnel for girls!) Girls camp can be stressful for sure, but I really do think it is such a valuable experience for both the leaders and the girls. 

A few other highlights:

Shooting a shotgun and hitting the clay pigeon on my first try!

Seeing Aubrie (one of my old Mia Maids) hug the scary lunch lady for a $40 pot from the leaders.

Receiving the "fed us like a grandma" paper plate award from the YCLs (a tradition from our ward where the YCLs write awards out on paper plates and pass them out just before we head home from camp). The girls were a big fan of the snacks I brought and I am so glad because the scout camp food wasn't the best.

When I was given this calling, I was asked if I would do it for two years. I said yes, and I am already thinking about next year!