Girls Camp 2014

Girls camp came and went in a blur! As the stake girls camp director I've been preparing and planning for months and months. The amount of hours/meetings/emails/phone calls and texts boggle my mind. Picking my assistant camp director was difficult for me. I don't know a ton of people in the stake so I called a few people in the stake and asked for suggestions. I prayerfully went over the stake directory. The more I prayed the more confused I got. I prayed about the suggested name from the stake YW presidency and I felt good. I took a leap of faith and decided Kathy Oliveros (a woman I had NEVER met) should be my assistant. Best decision I could have made! Kathy is such an amazing creative and incredibly patient woman. Exactly what I needed to have as my partner in crime.

 

We first chose the camp theme song "Right Where You Are" by Jessie Booth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHZrLNB68Oo

From that song we selected the phrase "Let it Spark" as our camp theme. 

We thought long and hard about what these girls needed in their own lives and chose to focus on recognizing that "spark" of the spirit. That the Holy Ghost can manifest itself to you in different ways. 

We used Elder Bednars "Patterns of Light" messages 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkOVbT2oxnI

for the evening programs to help set the tone. Probably the best part for me up at camp was feeling the spirit. It was so strong and beautiful you could almost reach out and touch it! When you are behind the scenes helping run the show it's hard to feel or hear the whole message. I did feel the spirit and have my own personal testimony strengthened. That being said I don't want to be in charge again. (EVER again)

TUESDAY, JUNE 3rd

I went up to camp a day early with the YCL2's (youth camp leaders) to set up and get ready for camp. Using "let it SPARK" we decorated in silver, gold, and anything the sparkled (or glittered). I think it turned out pretty good! Most of these YCL girls had been my 4th yr girls 2 yrs. prior so that was fun for me to work with them again. I felt like even though I spent hours and hours preparing for this week the actual REAL work didn't start until we arrived at camp. We unloaded the Uhaul, set up decorations and the sound system, and practiced a few evening programs. 

My journal notes from the first evening:

First day of camp 

Left for camp at 745am. 

Setup went pretty well. A little hot but lots of help from the YCL girls. I thought I lost my banner. But luckily it turned up later. 

We got the lodge and inside all decorated. I think it looks pretty great. There is so much that goes into planning this and then you get up here and the REAL work begins!! I miss Kathy! It's weird being up here and she's not by my side. Too many times today I wanted to ask her opinion. I can't make a decision with out her. 

WEDNESDAY, June 4th

This was probably the most stressful day at camp. You figure out all your kinks the first day your "plan" is put to the test. Nothing major went wrong, just a few tweaks and small issues surfaced. I was stressed about that evenings program (I had to speak and still wasn't exactly sure what I was going to say). I do remember that first day it was hard getting used to all the QUESTIONS. I couldn't take 2 steps with out someone approaching me asking me a question about the YCL's or about their camp site, toilet paper... Etc. I realize that is normal to ask someone in charge questions it just tested my patience and made it hard to get things done. I remember being sad and frustrated that the YCLs weren't really singing enthusiastically on stage, getting off the bus people didn't seem excited, little dumb things like complaints about sleeping arrangements... Etc. small issues I really shouldn't get hung up on. The first couple hours of camp was a blur opening ceremony, set up tents and getting started with rotations. We had 6 different rotations: MUSIC, CROSSROADS, CRAFT, IGNITE, PATH, and YUM!

Kathy and I planned the CROSSROADS rotation. We planned an obstacle course labeled with object lessons for each stunt. i.e. "Leap of Faith" over the moving noodle. "Overcoming trials" climbing a wall, "Life's a Maze" a maze with large cardboard boxes.. etc. After participating in the obstacle course a couple times we would gather the group and have a discussion about their own lives and experiences. I also used Elder Holland's talk "Wrong Roads" as a reference and spiritual message. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNQC-_srxH8

"Overcoming Your Trials"

My make-shift "Life's a MAZE":

My journal entry late WEDNESDAY night:

I survived the first official day of camp. So many cool moments at my rotation with Kathy we created an obstacle course and related it to real life obstacles and things u need to overcome. After the obstacle course we talked briefly with the YW about Elder Holland and his talk "wrong roads". I cried a lot quoting his talk and just felt the spirit talking to me so strongly. 

"I have absolute certain knowledge, perfect knowledge, that God loves us. He is good, He is our Father, and He expects us to pray, and trust, and be believing, and not give up, and not panic, and not retreat, and not jump ship, when something doesn't seem to be going just right. We stay in, we keep working, we keep believing, keep trusting, following that same path and we will live to fall in His arms and feel His embrace and hear Him say, "I told you that it'd be okay, I told you it would be all right." --Jeffery R. Holland

I just felt strongly that I was supposed to let things go and stay positive at camp.

1st nights program! Before camp we made a "SPARK GIRLS" video introducing the theme. This was a lot of fun and really helped pump the girls up at camp about "Let it SPARK"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-hWTt4R3y4

Camp program tonight stressed me out all day. I needed to get up and do closing remarks during the program. Blah!!! Public speaking is not my strong suit. But with Kathy by my side I did it. I felt the spirit of the program and I think it went great.

THURSDAY, June 5th

My THURSDAY journal notes:

Such a nice day. A lot more relaxing and less stressful. Kathy and I decided to not go on the hike this morning. We stayed at camp to get some things done (mostly map out and rope off the last nights reflection walk a lot more complicated than I thought it would be). Rotations again today. Angela Pace (autistic little girl in my ward) climbing over our homemade "obstacle" labeled "Overcoming your trials" she fell a with both legs straddling the wall, then winced in pain as she said "that was the worst trial EVER!" Lol. She is just so adorable!

The Night program was awesome. We had a couple short video presentations. 

The first Mormon message was about the power of the Holy Ghost influencing your testimony.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-004-increase-your-testimony?lang=eng 

Next we showed a slide show of some YCLs sharing a short message about promptings. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk68AwH2MNI&feature=youtu.be

After that we had the lip syncs from every team, YCLs and staff. Super funny! Followed by a dance party. I had a blast!

Every night I stayed up way too late, socializing and playing with my YCL girls. We even saw what might have been a bobcat late at night while chit chatting at the lodge a little creepy.

FRIDAY, June 6th

For the last nights program we planned a quite reflection walk. I wanted each ward to be dismissed about 2-3 mins apart and start walking a silent reflection walk. We had women positioned at different stopping points along the "path". Each of these women shared an experience they had where the Holy Ghost prompted or inspired them. Some shared experiences of a death in the family, others spoke on the guidance the spirit gave them with specific decisions in life. Between each shared experience each ward would more forward along the path and get to a crossroads section. A point in the path where the group needed to make a choice about which way they wanted to go. (Right or left). I had YCLs positioned at each of these crossroads on the path. If a ward chose the same path as the previous ward then they would meet a YCL with a "WRONG WAY" sign. They would then have to turn around and take the other path. My plan was to reiterate that in life sometimes we make poor choices and we have to turn around (repentance). The end of the walk concluded at a makeshift tunnel. Each person needed to walk into the dark 10ft long tunnel and read this quote while looking in the mirror "Be thou humble and The Lord thy god shall lead the by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers" D & C 112:10 the posters were lit up with portable Christmas lights to help make the "tunnel" dark and quiet.

Each ward then went off to have their testimony meetings. I was able to participate in the walk with my ward. But because of some hick ups at the beginning my ward ended up going 1st (not according to plan). I had to run back and forth in the dark to make sure it went smooth. One of our girls was missing and one of the YCLs misunderstood the process so I needed to make my ward do a "planned WRONG WAY".
I didn't get to enjoy the walk as much as I would have liked but I happily sacrificed my experience for others to enjoy. I think others felt the spirit, I know my wards testimony meeting after was especially sweet.

My  FRIDAY journal notes:

Today was the last night program. I have mixed feelings on how it went. I think it was a success. I get stressed and have anxiety and then I don't get to just sit and enjoy the moment. I was overly anxious about our sweet 72 year old bishop possibly stumbling on the walk and getting hurt. Negative thoughts filled my mind. "What if this doesn't work... What if no one fills the spirit? What if it's a disaster?...etc" I was a wreck tonight. The reflection walk I had planned obviously didn't go exactly according to plan. But when I think about how it actually went, I'm pretty sure it worked out better than I had planned. Just more proof that Heavenly Father has my back.

It was especially sweet to have my husband share in this experience with me! I was never so happy to see him on Friday! (Thank you Lindsey for watching my kiddos over night!) Ron was so sweet and reassuring. He is well practiced in the art of telling me to "relax!" LOL He even told me later that he was really glad he went and would totally come to girls camp again!

SATURDAY MORNING!

Pack up and Testimony meeting. Testimony meeting was amazing! So nice to hear the different experiences these YW had and their little testimonies blossoming!

I definitely learned a lot about myself this week at camp. It's an incredible feeling to be part of something bigger than yourself.