Girl's Camp 2011

So I've been home from camp for a month now and have had some time to reflect on my entire experience from getting the calling all the way through girls camp and then to our reflection night where we remembered camp. The first thing I need to say is that this was a life changing experience for me!! When I first got called, I was called as the assistant. No big deal, I can help plan and execute camp. Then came the news. Our camp director got pregnant (Congrats Nicole!!!) and I was getting promoted. LOL. Ok not promoted but you get what I mean. Again no big deal. But then it started to sink in what I would be doing! And the stress came. I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do for camp before I got called as the Camp Director. But as soon as I was set apart, everything changed. The stress went away and I knew that the ideas that I had were wrong. I started over from square one.

This is how I felt for a few months! Ha ha. No, planning camp was awesome!
I had fantastic YCL's who helped me out so so much and gave great ideas. I also had amazing leaders who even though it wasn't their calling, were willing to step in and help me out in huge ways!! They took so much stress off my shoulders. And after several months of time and effort, we were ready to head out to camp!
We seriously had so much fun. I think I lost a few pounds from all the laughing that I did that week. I wish I could write down all the funny stories that happened but there were just too many. We did get in a huge water fight the first day. Little did I know when I ordered the water bottles that they would be such a huge hit!
We had a special moment our first night. We had the privilege of retiring several flags. It was a very special moment.
We had some big activities as a stake and the girls did so great with them. I loved watching them work together at the confidence course.
The whole week was the week of crazy hair! India's was awesome because it would stay EXACTLY how we put it!! Mine got done several times by the girls and was really nasty. Oh well, it was fun!
I grew to love the girls in my ward so very much!! They each are so special and so fun and are going places. I loved learning who they are and becoming great friends with them.
We had an awesome service project and made bead animals. It was a blast. Other girls made hats and colored pages in alphabet books. It was a great way to relax and talk and perform some service.
This is Arynn. She is basically the biggest goof in the ward. She's hilarious!! And yes, she spent most of the week on the ground. She fell over all the time!
I really felt like a teenager again. They became my little sisters and I didn't feel like an old leader at all!
We had a fantastic week and a fantastic testimony meeting. These girls are so strong!! I am looking forward to doing it all again next year! This time I have a better idea of what to do and I think that I will be able to have an easier time with it. This calling pushed me in ways I did not want to be pushed but I am a stronger more confident woman because I did this. I know that the Lord qualifies those he calls. We had some very scary situations this year and i just wanted to hide and let others deal with it. But because I had been called and set apart as the Camp Director, I was qualified to handle the situations even though I had no idea what I was doing. It makes me feel like I can handle anything that comes my way! I also know that the Lord blesses those who serve and magnify their callings. It was extremely difficult to leave my 8 month old for almost a week, especially since I am still nursing her but everything worked out perfectly! And we have seen many blessings where we have been taken care of. I love my calling. I love the leaders that I work with. They are amazing women and I look up to all of them. I love the girls I serve and pray that I will know the best way to help them. I love this church and know that it is the one true church on the earth! Girl's Camp is absolutely amazing and life changing!!!