Stake Girls Camp at Mutual Dell!

Before I write about the week of camp,  I'll write about being released. I got released from being Young Women's President in the PG 12th ward on August 11. I have had the opportunity to work with and serve these young women ages 12-18 for the past (almost) 3 years. Even though I knew the release was coming for quite some time, it was still a very hard transition. I have come to LOVE these girls so much and care about their lives and all they do. It has been a very busy, crazy, hard and wonderful few years and I have learned so much about myself and about caring for those I serve. I am so grateful for the opportunity God has given me to learn and grow and especially learn to love through service. These girls have taught me so much and I am so grateful for their friendship and love. Girls Camp this year was a great ending to my calling and I am so glad I got to go! I look forward to working with the youth again in the future!

Girls Camp this year was the week of July 15-19th. It was Stake Camp and held at Mutual Dell up American Fork Canyon. We had just 13 girls come this year, so a smaller group, but still so fun and more intimate. We had 4 first-years come this year. Luckily we came prepared this year with EZ-up tents to go over tables, lots of tarps and rain jackets. However, some of our stuff still got washed out from the crazy big rain storm we had the first night. Jayne Gray and I (our Camp director) had to run back to our neighborhood and round up lots more sleeping bags, blankets, foam pads, and sweatshirts because one tent got completely soaked. Instead of having 2 tents for the girls and two for the leaders, we had to squish all the leaders into one tent and the girls into two smaller tents. We were definitely cozy and it was a crazy beginning to our girls camp, but it was great that we were so close to home that we could run back 25 minutes to home and get what we needed.

During the week we had fun doing archery, volleyball, water game activities, a hike to Stewart Falls, self-defense, zip-lining and playing games late at night. Some of our favorite memories were a spiritual walk about Christ's life at night on the Wednesday. It was a neat experience and the Young Women were able to feel the spirit in the vignette's that were performed. The last night was of course testimony meeting and it was amazing to hear all the young women tell of experiences that have helped them to more fully realize they are daughters of God and the things about the Gospel they know to be true. I have LOVED seeing how much these girls have grown over the last almost three years. They are amazing and will do amazing things with their lives!