Here is a quick recap of our Girls Camp in no particular order as the computer just randomly put these pictures where it wanted to. We had about 26 girls go and a bunch of leaders. Our Theme was "One Little Light" and we centered our activities around being a good example and letting your light Shine, the Light of Christ, learning to listen to the Spirit, and the parable of the 10 virgins.
Me! Going through stuff, organizing, etc. etc. etc.
Our Girls Camp Director, Stephanie. She was totally awesome. She had so many great ideas and had everything planned and orgainzed. I'm so glad she accepted this call!
My 2nd Counselor and our resident pediatrician. Tasha is smart, fun, creative, and so great with the girls. Love her!
Bree - our assistant Girls Camp Director. Bree has a great repoir with the girls. After camp she was called to be a YW advisor and fill in when the other advisors can't make it to things. We love Sister Bree!
Each "year" and the YCLs - above - had to come up with a tent name, cheer, and scripture all related to "Light." These are our YCLs. They were great examples to the girls and helped us in all the camp activities, planning, etc. I love my Laurel's!
Singing and Dancing around the bon fire.
The first years (there's Miss Bee) doing their tent cheer!
We got the girls up at 4:30 one morning to climb a hill and have a sunrise fireside with the Bishop. He used Elder Bednar's talk on gaining a testimony and how for most of us it is like watching the sun rise... it comes a little at a time. It was a great "fireside" and a good experience to use some self control, get up early, and watch a beautiful sunrise early in the crisp summer morning. It was a bit chilly, but we went into the cabin after for hot chocolate and a yummy breakfast. (the girls and most of the leaders slept in the meadow in tents)
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Stephanie at the sunrise fireside.
Bishop and his wife, Stephanie.
This is Andrew. So here is the story behind how Andrew came to be:
So the YCLs could not WAIT to play a prank on the leaders. So they stole our bras and hung them from the pavillion in a big long chain (some bigger than others). The next morning, the oldest Priesthood holder came to me and said he thought I should know that there were some "braziers" hanging from the pavillion. I asked whose are they? He said, "I don't know, but I can tell you this, they are not Beehives." I about laughed my head off. So that was funny. Well, Bree and I (tenting together) decided to get the girls... with a twist. I plotted with the YCLs to get up really early in the wee hours of the morning and take some of the Priesthood holders clothes (their wives gave them to us) and make a dummy to put up on this tree stand that was way up the hill and overlooked the meadow. We also plotted to roll their 4-wheelers down the hill. Meanwhile, Bree and I were plotting... as I took the girls up to the cabin to make "Andrew" Bree went in to their tent and took ALL of their clothes... which they wouldn't realize until the next morning because it was pitch black and I took the only flashlight. It all worked perfectly. The next morning the priesthood holders were like... what the heck happened to my 4-wheeler?!? and found them at the bottom of the hill. Then they saw their clothes in the form of "Andrew" up on the platform at the top of the hill. What was funny was hearing the YCLs hollering out from their tent... "Oh, Very Funny Sister Astle! Where are our clothes?" ME? I didn't take them!! What are you talking about? I don't know where your clothes are! (none of those were lies... I didn't know Bree had put them in the equipment trailer) We kept giving them a hard time about getting up and getting ready for the day... one girl finally said, "I know I'm not as big as you guys, but I'm not coming out without a bra on!!!"
So, later that day, one of the guys, and a few of us leaders went on a 5 mile hike with the girls. While we were gone, the other leaders took Andrew down and put up this sign. Then, above the sign, even HIGHER on the hill, was the YCLs tent! They had drug it all the way up there and set it up. I laughed and laughed... and then noticed that my cot was strung up at the very tip top of a huge spruce tree. Haha, it was actually pretty funny, and I was very impressed that Ken figured out how to do that with a cable and a caribeener. Later the girls got it down for me... only to put it afloat on the paddle boat and set it asail in the pond. I actually thought about sleeping there that night. :)
We had each girl make a "light boat." It represented their testimony and being willing to let their light so shine before men, and share their light with others by being a good example. The girls each got a large piece of bark, and then decorated it with anything they could find in nature. They all turned out really pretty, using pine cones, flowers, weeds, grasses, sticks, rocks etc. They each got a tea candle and after a fireside talk by moi, they got to light their candles and then we let them go "out in the world" (the pond). It was very cool. (things to do different next time: put the candles in a tuna fish can or a vienna sausage can with holes punched in it so the candle doesn't go out and you have to hear, "Oh no! My testimony just went out!")
The last night of camp we had a 10 virgin night hike. Throughout camp each girl was earning "oil." They had to rate themselves on how they were doing with service, attitude, use of spiritual time, and gaining knowledge. The last night we gave each girl a real oil burning lamp filled with oil that they had earned. They lit their lamps, then went for a walk. We had the trail set up with luminaries. The girls went around a wooded area where the 10 virgins were. They went to each virgin as a group, and each virgin spoke on a specific quality. The YCLs were the wise virgins and they spoke on: A Christ-like person, Repentance, ordinance and temple work, truth light knowledge and talents, charity and service. The leaders were the foolish virgins, and we spoke on: Vanity and seeking after riches, sin and pleasures of the world, addiction and excess, dark works and idol worshipping, and unrighteous power and ego.
We each held lamps also. The Wise virgins lamps were burning brightly. The foolish virgins were dim. Each virgin spoke from personal experience and also from some ideas we had given them. It was a very powerful evening. After the 10 virgin walk, we went up to the cabin. We hadn't let the girls in the cabin very much, just for the one breakfast, and they couldn't figure out why. Well, we wanted to save the cabin for the big FEAST at the end, the big reward. So when we told them we were going to the cabin, they were really excited. We went up on the balcony, and the whole front of the cabin is windows. They could see in, and looked at a beautiful feast spread out before them. My Laurels advisor, Kamille had decorated the hole cabin in white, with pink and yellow and silver accents. She had a HUGE white table filled with platters of spectacularly beautiful food. AND THE DOOR WAS LOCKED! The girls were like....NNNnoooooooo! After a story on the balcony about being "locked out" and not having enough oil in their lamps, we knocked on the door, and the Bridegroom let us in. Sometimes all you have to do is knock. After we ate, we had our testimony meeting. It was a long night, but worth it!
here we are.... almost time to go home.... and here was my state of mind....
It was a great week, I'm glad we did it, I'm glad it's over and a lot of fun memories now!!
