Girls Camp

Ahhh, girls camp, an opportunity to trade a house for a tent, a comfy king size bed for an air mattress with a hole. It's the opportunity to trade cooking on a stove for cooking over a fire pit and when that chicken is burnt on the outside and raw on the inside there is no way to call out when you get sick from eating it (ok, so no one got sick). We were able to trade our private showers for one with crickets and spiders starting at you from the side, a tree frog staring from the top (and jumping on you if you are not paying attention) and parasites swimming around your feet (seriously, it was a horsehair worm parasite, look it up) ... all this, and I would do it again?!? in a heartbeat!

I LOVE girls camp!! I love all youth, but I have a special place in my heart for the youth of my church! they are amazing, beautiful, strong, funny, caring, brave, funny.... the list can go on and on. I look for any opportunity/excuses to work with them. This week I not only got to work with 60ish amazing girls I also had the chance to serve with 5 amazing ladies! There are 6 people (including me) who have helped to plan and organize this camp. I feel so lucky to work with them and to learn from them.

After months of planning, it all started last Monday when we met with the YCL at the NOC to go rafting (YCL = youth camp leader, it is the 16-18 year old girls who are in charge of the younger girls). It was a blast! I was guiding one of the boats with five people, and there were two other boats with six people each. Only one girl fell out the while time.

That night we went to Appletree and set up camp. We had a ton of things for the YCL's to work on while we separated out the food, and that night we made chili over the fire. The next morning the YCL's had to learn the camp dance and get things ready for the hold to the rod walk. Later that day we played volleyball, and some of the boys from another camp came over to play... that made the girls happy, but after 10 minutes or so, enough time so that we would not be rude, we had the girls go back to camp. I like the first few days because it is relaxed, and there really isn't a schedule. We have a list of things to get done, but when we want a break, we take it. We stayed up and talked around the campfire at night (well, the leaders did, the girls all passed out early) and slept a little later in the morning (like 9ish). Sometime on Tuesday, some of the girls found a parasite in the shower that was really creepy looking. It turns out that it was a horse hair worm/parasite that feeds off of crickets and bugs, I didn't get a picture of it, but here is a picture that I got off the Internet

Wednesday the real work began. The boy's scouts moved out that morning and we took over there camp. We looked like turtles carrying tents on the back of cars and trailers. It seemed easier to just carry the tent than to break it down and set it back up again. I'm sure that it was funny to watch. The picture below is taken right before we carried it away to the next camp.

Wednesday is when all of the other girls come with their leaders. We go from a little group of 20ish to a large group of 80ish. Once getting all the girls registered and the tents put up we have get to know you games and group photo

Some of the other activities throughout the week include a hike, orienteering, nutrition, first aid, and crafts. There is so much going on all the time, and it is so much fun!

The last night is the best night, it is what the whole camp builds up to, and that is testimony meeting. It is a time when the girls get to share and express their thoughts and feelings about the gospel to each other. it is a time when they can strengthen each other. That is a whole blog in itself, and so will be for another night. I gave a talk on it today in church, and after about 20 seconds (ok, maybe minutes, but it didn't feel that long) I was only halfway through my talk.

I'm so glad I went to girls camp!!