This is a VERY long post…intended much more as a history for me, than as a novel for you. No need to read the whole thing…just look at the pictures! 🙂
It's been over a week since coming home from Camp and I am pleased to say that the memories and joy that I felt while there have lingered with me. Such a fantastic experience. Such a learning experience. Such a joyful experience. And fun. And faith-filling. And reaffirming. And inspiring. Full of laughs. Full of hard work. Full of adventure. I have always loved Girls Camp with the young women and the leaders. I probably always will. But this particular camp will surely go down as one of my all-time favorites. It was that good.
My role was 'Programs Director' – specifically I was over the night-time programs. Tues, Thurs and Fri night. Tues night is traditionally "skit" night. Our theme this year was B.O.O.T. Camp (Building Our Own Testimonies) so I changed it to "cadence" night, asking each ward to do a military-style cadence. These were fantastic! Creative, funny, and inspiring all at the same time. I loved it and it looked like the girls did to. I also threw in a lot of music, dancing and cheering and it felt like a party (notes for me – song clips to introduce stake leaders, Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" and the Cupid Shuffle). We ended that night with Dana and President Dotter giving wonderful devotionals about testimony.
Thursday night is traditionally "spiritual" night. Kristan, Dana and I put together a production called "Women of Light" about women in the scriptures. It began and ended with the story of the 10 virgins (parable) and included Mary the mother of Christ, sisters Mary and Martha, Abish in the Book of Mormon, Esther, Rebekah, Mary Magdalene, and Emma Smith. The YCL's (Youth Camp Leaders – ages 16+) were my actresses. They worked so hard including 3 rehearsals, memorizing lines and listening to my constant barage of instructions. I felt so strongly that they were to be involved, and in the end they are what made it special. To see them embrace their roles and really work to portray the spirit of these women made it powerful for all who watched. All along we would laugh and say that this particular project was AMBITIOUS. I am not a theater kind of person…never have been. And this was indeed a theater production – lights, scripts, stage direction, speakers, 5 mics going at different times, slide shows, pictures, video, music, singing – the works! I have always affirmed that this program was inspired. I remember where I was when I was inspired to include the parable of the 10 virgins, when I was touched to do something on women in the scriptures, when I found a song and video on Emma Smith (and then had a friend re-work it), when I felt that the YCLs would need to do it, when I found the oil lamps from Jerusalem that we would use (and give to all the YCLs as gifts), when we decided to make necklaces with oil lamp charms for all 200 girls. And everytime Dana and Kristan and I met I felt that this was inspired. And that night it was cool, after having been stormy the night before, there were few bugs, after having been super buggy on Tues night, the girls were still and reverent and calm, the A/V equipment worked perfectly, the lights worked even though we hadn't had a chance to practice with them, the oil lamps stayed lit (mostly), the screen (made out of a sheet) worked perfectly after the men decided to put nagahide behind it, the girls remembered their lines and performed it better than they ever had at rehearsal, the costumes all worked, the necklaces were a hit, and the song that all the girls were asked to learn and memorize and sing at the end entitled "Hold Our Torches High" was beautiful and moving. I was awed and humbled by the whole thing. I feel that the hand of the Lord was evident and that our Heavenly Father was involved in the details. I feel blessed to have just been able to play a role in HIS program.
Then there was Friday. One of my duties was to put together the end of week slideshow of pictures for the girls. I sat on a bench outside in the pavilion (where all of the action happened) for 10 HOURS and sorted and sifted through 2000 pictures for this slideshow. It was a bigger project than I had anticipated. But it too ended up great - 16 minutes and a lot of pictures and fun music. On Friday night, the bishops all come and join us for the last night of camp. Kristan organized a game for them (a get-to-know-you-better type of thing). We also had more music, dancing and fun that night. The Stake YW Presidency bore their own testimonies. And then we sent each ward to have their own testimony meeting.
One of the things I also did all week was the wake-up call every morning for the girls over the speaker system. I played "reveille", told them to wake up!, and then played Doris Day's "Good Morning". If you know me well, you know that a microphone in hand has never been hard for me, so waking them up every morning was fun.
On Wed night, we got reports of severe storms hitting home. Parents were calling making sure we were taking precautions. Luckily we were east of Dallas and had a few hours to prepare. Decisions were made to bring in a group of girls that were tent camping remotely (lucky for them!). Then the girls were sent back with their ward leaders to secure their things and sit tight until further notice. Stake leaders met and discussed the game plan for if we had to take cover and move the girls to more secure locations. I will always feel gratitude for being counted among the leaders – to be able to watch the priesthood brethren lead out and protect and pray for safety. When a tornado warning was issued, and the decision was made to bring all 200+ campers and leaders to one of the safest places on the property (the YCL cabin – a grounded steel beamed building), we all ran in the pouring rain to get girls who were spread out in cabins all over the camp. My job was to go to the office and get on the speaker system and calmly give instructions. I was out of breath, and admittedly nervous because of the weight of trying to make sure all of these sweet girls were safe and protected. I was in this safe building, in the dark, talking to these girls and leaders that I loved who were running in pouring rain and rumbling thunder. I would see their flashlights flickering in the dark as they huddled together trying to get to their destination. It was moving. And sobering. I thought of all the parents back home watching radar and worrying and praying about their little girls. And then when we all gathered back together and everyone was accounted for, we listened as the girls sang beautifully together – songs of comfort and cheer and prayer. It reminded me that the song of the righteous is indeed a prayer unto heaven. I had to keep from crying…no longer because of fear or nervousness because of the storm, but from being awed by the purity and goodness that was before me. Girls comforting each other, leaders wrapping loving arms around them, priesthood leaders acting assuredly and protectively on our behalf….watching dangerous storms pass our way with no effect. Knowing that a loving Heavenly Father was watchful and mindful of his daughters. It was and is one of the great experiences from camp – for everyone involved.
And there are so many other little things that I LOVED about camp…
– sharing a room with Dana and Kristan
– getting to know all of the stake leaders better (Jammi, Nikki, Heather, Tami, Kari, Tammy, Julie, Rachel, Janice, Cindy, Karen, Pres Dotter, Pres Alleman, Bro Warner, etc.)
– playing on the rope swing and giant water slide into the lake…with the YCLs on Monday and in the middle of the night on Friday
– getting "creamed" with shaving cream on Friday night (thus the water slide in the middle of the night)
– listening to the bagpipes every morning at flag ceremony
– water gun/bucket fights with the YCLS, Kristan, Bro Warner and Pres Dotter…staying up WAY too late on Friday night (I think I'm too old for that kind of late night), accidentally hitting Kristan with my water gun
– laughing at the mic checks done by the stake leaders
– watching the YCLs (Debbie in particular) lead out when the girls were making tin foil dinners. I was supposed to be helping but smiled the whole time because I was hardly needed.
– after the Thurs night program, the "cast" of girls just quietly stood there and lined up while we hugged each one, one by one, thanking them and telling them how well they did. That was special.
– some of the YCLs wanting to help me do the wake-up call on Friday morning
– watching how much fun the girls had with the impromptu Cupid Shuffle, and watching them laugh at the Bishops when they did it
– seeing the girls wear their necklaces that we gave them on Thurs night; the ribbon, bead and charm that we worked so hard to put together
– archery competitions with the leaders (I stunk, but really wanted to win, as always)
– watching the girls just have good ol' fashioned FUN
– watching from my perch on Friday to see all the girls covered in shaving cream
A choice experience for me. I'm grateful to Derek who took off from work all week to stay with the boys. They allowed me to go without any inhibitions or hesitation and I love them for it. It was a big distraction for me for weeks leading up to and even after camp, and my family has supported me through all of it, and I'm grateful.
The End. 🙂
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