Girl's Camp 2024

Girl's Camp 2024 is officially in the books! It was a totally different experience for me going as a ward leader vs as a stake leader. In previous years, I always felt a little unsure about where I belonged and what my responsibilities were. In the stake, we were with YCL's from all the different wards, so I didn't really know the majority of them very well. For my personality, it was a difficult position to be in. This year, I was fully involved in every aspect of camp and knew exactly what I needed to do. I also know and love all of the girls in my ward, so I was really looking forward to the week. 

I will admit that we definitely had some major struggles in our planning leading up to camp, particularly with leader availability. We thought we had everything figured out, but about a month before camp, we had 3 leaders drop out for various reasons. That was stressful! At one point, it was only me and our camp leader who were able to go for the week. 

I sent out an emergency SOS text to some of the moms of girls that were going. Within 10 minutes I had 3 amazing women volunteer to go, one was even willing to do all the food. What a blessing! I thanked them over and over again, but I don't think I could truly convey how much their sacrifice and willingness meant to me and the young women. They also just happen to be some of my favorite women in the world, so that was a huge plus. I felt like I was having a week-long sleepover with some of my best friends. 

An interesting story came out of all the drama. My friend, Kari, said that she had the impression that she would be going to girl's camp this year. When she originally wasn't asked to attend, she was confused about the feeling she had. She decided to leave the dates open in her schedule though, just in case. When our assistant camp director/cook couldn't come, Kari stepped right in because she was prepared. Throughout the week of camp, I came to know that each of those women was there for a very special reason. It was no coincidence that things ended up the way they did. They were each needed because their personalities and gifts helped specific girls through very specific things. I know Heavenly Father was behind it all, and that confirms to me how very important Young Women's camp is to him because of what it can do for his daughters. 

The Stake theme for camp this year was "We are His." I loved this theme so much because it put all the focus on our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. They asked each of the wards to use this theme to come up with their own themes by finishing the sentence, "We are His..." Our girls voted for the theme "We are His Greatest Creations." It was a powerful, beautiful theme to focus on! Emily Ashford, our amazing camp director, really went the extra mile to make it an integral part of our camp experience and to ensure that camp was both fun and spiritual. She and the YCL's created a beautiful flag to add to the Stake banner. 

We left for camp at 7:30 am on Tuesday morning. The trailer had been packed up Sunday night, and Emily and the YCL's had gone up Monday to set up camp and have everything ready for us when we arrived. Camp Mia Shalom is about an hour and a half away, so we arrived by around 9:00. It was so nice that everything was ready to go for us. Emily really outdid herself. Each girl's cot was set up in their cabin with their name banner over it. On each bed was a gift bag with a sweatshirt, bandana, journal, pens, washi tape, highlighters, and a lanyard with the daily schedule. The inside of the cabins were decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars, and the outsides had planet decorations to match our theme of We are His Greatest Creations. There were also solar powered twinkle lights set up to form a path to our kitchen and eating area. The girls, especially the first years, squealed with delight when they saw all the cute things that were waiting for us. Their reactions were worth all the hard work that went into it! Our cabins were definitely the cutest in the Stake (though I am definitely biased).

I also loved that Emily provided a very detailed schedule for the week. She gave everyone daily schedules on their lanyards, but also put them up in all the cabins and by the cooking area. It helped everyone know where we were supposed to be and when. 

Our first day was crazy busy because we randomly got assigned to do a bunch of the activities that day.  After we got everyone settled and had our opening flag ceremony, we had lunch and then headed off to Archery. Archery is always one of my favorite activities. I am not very good because I only do it once a year, but it is so fun. Each of the leaders and girls got 3 rounds of target practice in. I could have easily done it for another hour, but we had to be prompt because we went to the climbing wall right after we were done. The climbing wall is a new activity so we didn't know what to expect, but the girls seemed to enjoy it. I have no upper body strength, so I stayed on the ground taking pictures and belaying. The young women were very adventurous and brave, and I was so proud of all of them!

Next was D.E.A.R. time (Drop Everything And Read). Each day the Stake had a mini-theme to focus on, so we used that theme for our devotionals. They were: We are His Disciples, We are His Hands, We are His Light, and We are His Glory. This time each day was one of my favorite parts of camp. The leaders who prepared the devotionals did an incredible job giving them. They incorporated quotes, scriptures, and stories and gave the girls ideas of what they could study during their scripture reading time. We did these devotionals sitting in a circle in a little glen just outside of our campground. It was the perfect place to feel the Spirit and get away for a few minutes. After the devotionals, we would spend at least 30 minutes in personal scripture study. All the girls and leaders got to go somewhere by themselves and enjoy the peace and power of the scriptures. I loved it so much that I wished it could go on for another hour!

We finished D.E.A.R. time and then headed to the stake pavilion for square dancing. One of the YW leaders from another ward is a professional caller, so we got the full experience. There wasn't enough room in the pavilion for leaders to participate, but the girls had fun and learned a new skill. Right after that was dinner, followed by the evening flag ceremony. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but everyone was happy and had a great time.

That night, we built a campfire and did a review of our daily scripture study. I told the girls what I had learned, and then I gave them time to talk about the things they had studied and how it related to any activities we did that day. I was so impressed by the things the girls talked about and how much they had learned. We ended our evening with a family prayer and then went to bed. Our evening reviews were a huge success, and I want to make sure I remember it for next year. There were many spiritual moments that were shared, and I think it really solidified that YW camp is definitely fun, but it is also a time to learn and grow in the Gospel. It was a lovely way to close each night.

That night as everyone was going to bed, one of our YW was feeling very homesick, to the point that she wanted to go home. This was not unexpected because she struggles with things like that, but I hoped that she could be persuaded to stay. She really wanted to use the camp landline to call her mom, but it was miles away, and we were told it was only for emergencies. None of our cellphones worked, so I tried to convince her that she could do hard things. She was still really sad and asked if we could try to get reception so that she could call her mom. I was very doubtful because I have never gotten reception at camp. She and I started walking up the road toward the archery course. We walked for 10 minutes or so with no luck. I told her it was time to go back and that we would walk slowly just in case we got lucky. About halfway back to camp, we heard a ding on her phone showing that she had service. We stopped right in that spot, and she was able to call her mom. After lots of encouragement and kind words from her mom, she was willing to try to make it for another day. As we were walking back to camp, I told her that I believe in miracles and was grateful for Heavenly Father granting her this one.

The same thing happened the next night as she was again struggling. After making a call from the magical spot on the trail, she again felt like she could make it through one more day. I was proud of her for being brave. On day three, she told me that she was feeling good! She said she thought she could stay another day, but she would still like to call her mom. We walked to the magic spot, but this time, there was no reception to be had. We tried for a few minutes but were never able to get the phone to connect. Even though there was a little disappointment, I knew she could handle it this time. Heavenly Father had answered her prayers when she was desperate and granted her a miracle. When He knew she could handle it, he provided a way to let her grow and get stronger. It was a tender experience for both of us.

Ali and I went for a walk that night too. It was quiet and still, and we were in awe over the amount of stars we could see in the sky. As each minute passed, more and more stars came out. Hundreds of thousands could be seen, and we could tell that there were millions more beyond them that our human eyes could not quite make out yet. It was nearly impossible to tear our eyes away from the sky and return to the cabins. I got the distinct impression that there was so much more out there, if only we had eyes to see. How much do we miss because we can’t see? Sometimes we get caught up in our own limited perspective of how the world views people; based on looks, actions, and backgrounds. If we can change our spiritual eyes to see the true worth of every one of God’s children, what would change? How would we feel about ourselves? How would we feel about the people around us? How would we feel about our God and His glorious plan? ALL of us truly are His Greatest Creations. We returned to the cabin to sleep, and I felt like I had just learned a valuable lesson.

I slept poorly that night because of the new place, new sounds, and hard cot. I rolled around for hours and finally fell asleep around 3:30am. It was a long night, but somehow I had the energy I needed the next day to accomplish everything that had to be done. For the rest of the week I made sure that I used ear plugs and an eye mask, and I slept much better after that.

Day 2 was full of more fun and lessons. 

After flag ceremony, we had a D.E.A.R. time with Ali. It was my favorite one of the week. She talked about the daily theme "We are His Hands." She told the story of the statue of Christ that had been bombed and lost its hands. The hands could not be put back together, so the people in the town put a plaque up that said, "We are His Hands." It has always been one of my favorite talks. 

She then had us trace our hand in our journal and on each finger write one way that we have seen God’s hand in our life and a way that we can serve others by being His hands. As I thought about all the times I have been blessed by other people I wrote about special hugs after health trials, phone calls and text messages that came at exactly the right time, and visits from people that changed the course of my day and life. I then wanted to dig deeper into what I could do to be His hands. There is no better example of service than the life of our Savior, so for 45 minutes, I dug into the scriptures and read through many of the good works that Jesus did with His hands. I wrote them down and tried to apply them to my life. These are a few things I wrote in my journal from that day.

Jesus used His hands to pray for people. I can pray for those in need, and I can pray for them by name. 

Jesus used His hands to multiply. 5 loaves and 2 fish became enough to feed the 5,000. I can use my hands to multiply blessings as I serve, encourage others to serve, and provide opportunities for service.

Jesus used His hands to raise people up. Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus were both raised from the dead. I cannot raise the dead, but I can use my hands to raise up the weak and the weary, to lighten loads and brighten days. 

Jesus used His hands to calm. Jesus calmed storms literally and figuratively. I can help calm the storms in people’s lives by being a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a comfort in times of need.

Jesus used His hands to include. He included all by healing the untouchable leper, breaking bread with sinners, and inviting all to “follow Him.” I can help everyone feel included and loved. I can seek out the one sheep who has wandered from the fold and include those that feel alone or on the outskirts by showing love and compassion.

Jesus used His hands to sacrifice. Because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, we can overcome the effects of sin and death. I can sacrifice my time to fulfill my church calling, attend the temple, and to serve others. I can sacrifice 10% of my earnings to pay tithing to help further the work of the church. I can sacrifice two years with my kids to send them on missions. My sacrifices are nothing in comparison to His, and I know that they will be repaid a hundred fold. 

Jesus used His hands to carry. The cross he carried was heavy, but he did it to fulfill our heavenly father’s plan. He loved us and willingly died for each one of us. We can fulfill our baptismal covenants and help carry the burdens of others and provide physical and emotional relief.

After that amazing scripture study time, Emily put together an activity where we painted galaxies together. On the tables she spread out stunning pictures of galaxies, nebulas, moons, and other celestial objects that her husband, Jed, had taken with his telescope. They were beyond description, and more than one of us commented that seeing all the wonders of the universe and galaxies without end, was almost too much for our brains to comprehend. It made us feel so small.

But then on the back of our paintings, Emily had glued this quote from Elder Uchtdorf, “While we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, “What is man in comparison to the glory of creation? God himself said we are the reason He created the universe. His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters. This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God.” 

What a humbling and powerful thought that is! We are everything to God. From that same talk, Elder Uchtdorf also said, “God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.”

We finished painting the galaxies and got to take them home with us as a reminder of what we learned. It was a powerful morning, and I felt so uplifted.

After lunch we did a little service project cleaning up broken branches around camp and then headed to the waterfront for time on the confidence course and then kayaking on the lake. This is the first year that the YCLs have prepared to lead groups on the confidence course. Our YCL, Sydney Jarvis, was awesome. She took us through each activity and then stopped and had a discussion about how it might apply to our lives. They were mostly teamwork type challenges, but they also applied to some Gospel principles. Then everyone got to go out on the lake. Ali and I took a kayak and rowed for quite a while. It was very peaceful out on the water. The girls rowed, shot water guns at each other, and ended up jumping in the lake at the end. 

After dinner that night, the whole stake went on a sunset hike. They staggered the start by age groups. I ended up with the oldest girls, so we were the last ones to leave. The hike was pretty challenging (for someone like me who is old and out of shape:), but it was nice that it was in the evening when it wasn't really hot. I huffed and puffed, but made it to the top. Thankfully, they had stops along the way where devotionals were held by the YCL's. That gave us all a chance to rest and recover for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, we left too late, so we missed the sunset. I was a bit annoyed by that because I had been really looking forward to it. When I felt myself getting frustrated over something so small, I realized that I was just tired from not sleeping and needed to just take a minute to re-center myself. While everyone was listening to the last devotional, I went off a little way and sat down. My phone got a little bit of reception at the very top of the hike, so I texted Jonathon and just took a break from everyone for 10 minutes. It was just what I needed, and I felt better after that. The last thing we did was all gather for a prayer at the top of the mountain. Even though it wasn't exactly sunset, it was still beautiful.

Day 3 was more of the same, but with a little less on the schedule. We did D.E.A.R. time, went to the waterfront again, learned some First Aid from the camp nurse, played games led by the first year girls, and went to a series of classes about Spiritual Survival put on by the Stake. During the afternoon, we also got to go to the pavilion for Leader Appreciation. When I was in the Stake, I always questioned if this was actually needed, but it was such a welcome relief to get away from camp for a few minutes and enjoy treats and a soda bar. The YCLs played games with our girls so we could just relax and chat. It was an hour that passed way too quickly, but it was a nice recharge.

That night was the Faith Walk and Singing Trees. For the Faith Walk, we sat around the campfire while the YCLs each came around and gave a little devotional to each ward. They did a really good job, and I liked that our girls could look up to them as examples. At the end, they led us down to a little grove in the woods where they had hung up a giant picture of Jesus. It was dark outside, but the picture was lit up by a light. Each ward sat on blankets around the picture and then sang the songs that we had been practicing, followed by our Stake song. Our girls were particularly emotional about the whole thing. There were several crying throughout the experience. I'm glad they felt the Spirit. Our song was called, "Like Him" and talked about how we can become like Jesus, and our Stake song was called "I Will." They were both very beautiful.

Day 4 was our last full day. We had planned a ward hike, but several of the girls had been a bit dehydrated the day before, so we decided to take it easy. Instead we made bracelets and hung out at camp. I think it was a good decision to not push them. After crafts, we did our Secret Sister reveal. Everyone brought a handmade gift and gave it to their Secret Sister. I don't love this tradition because it is stressful for me, but the girls all seem to love it, so we did it for them. They were all very sweet with each other. Most made bracelets or other little things at camp. I made a keychain before camp because I knew I would be busy. It had her first initial and 5 beads that I painted in various shades of blue. I wrote a note about how each bead represented something that she could remember wherever she went. I am a Daughter of God, I am Kind, I am Enough, I am Needed, and I am Loved. I gave it to Kari and thanked her for everything she contributed to camp. My secret sister was Natalie. She had each of the girls write me a little note and then gave them to me with a wooden painted heart. It was simple, but very special. I loved reading those notes!

In the afternoon, our Bishopric came to join us at camp. The Stake held the Miss Mia Shalom Pageant. This was done in lieu of the usual skits. I really dislike skits, so this was a welcome change for me. It was super hot and sunny, so our ward brought our canopy and set it up so we could sit in the shade. It was a brilliant idea, and some of the other wards followed suit.

The first activity was a relay race. We had to send a group of girls up to the front to compete. They had to get dressed in Hawaiian clothes, then wrap a bandage, then get dressed in winter gear. Raquel is a ballroom dancer so she is used to doing quick changes. She and our other girls killed the challenge and got first place. The second event was a "talent" competition. One or a group of girls had to go sing a song in an opera voice. Shelby did it for us and was amazing! Lastly, our ward had to dress one of the girls in an evening gown made out of table cloths and ribbon. We all worked together to make it. The dress actually turned out beautiful! The design was surprisingly good with a large ruffle across the top. While we were creating the dress, the judges came around and asked each ward questions. Kaydence was our model. She struggled a bit with her final question, but overall, we did pretty well. When it came to the award ceremony, we were surprised to see that our ward won Miss Mia Shalom. All the girls were pretty excited! 

After the pageant, we played games with the Bishopric. I was in charge of "Are You Smarter than the Bishopric." I got questions about when the Bishopric was young (80's and 90's) and questions the youth today would know, and we had a competition. It was hilarious! Here are examples of the types of questions I asked:

I also did several rounds of "Doctrine or Disney" where I had a quote and each group had to decide if it was a quote from a Disney movie or a quote from one of the apostles. Some of them were actually quite hard.

The girls also got the Bishopric involved in some of their favorite camp games. I was proud of the Bishopric for jumping in and playing. I think it meant a lot to the girls. 

After games, we had dinner (pizza and donuts that Bro. Hammon brought up) and then had our testimony meeting. The girls gave tender, sincere testimonies and talked about what they had learned at camp. The Spirit was present, and I was grateful for a great ending to our camp.

On Saturday morning, we got up early and got everything packed up. Brother Smith was so nice and helped us pack up and drive the trailer back. We were toward the back of the trail, and the other wards parked and blocked the entrance so we couldn't get the trailer backed up to our cabins. We ended up having to hike all of our equipment to the top of the trail to get it into the trailer. I was annoyed and grumpy with the people who blocked it (that's what a week of camping will do!), but the girls were good sports and didn't complain. They were good examples to me. We ended up getting packed up and out of there before the other 2 wards that blocked the path did, so I was proud of the hard work the girls did. 

Camp was amazing and everything I hoped it would be! It was a great mixture of fun and spiritual, we didn't have any clicks or drama between the girls, and all our activities went according to plan. The only problem happened the last day as we were headed down the mountain. One of our girls was feeling sick that morning. Partway down the mountain, the car she was in had to stop while she threw up on the side of the road. Poor thing! It wasn't an isolated incident however. Pretty soon, a second car had to stop for sick girls. In total, we had 4 girls throw up on the drive home and a few others who felt sick. I was in the first car, and we didn't have any problems, so when we got back to the church I was surprised to hear that they were almost an hour behind. The leaders who were driving the sick girls were great and waited with them until they felt like they could travel again. I'm not sure if it was food poisoning (we were definitely low on ice in our coolers for the last 2 days) or car sickness (there were several girls who needed dramamine on the way up), but it was sad that it ended that way. When everyone finally got back to the church, they were looking pale and tired, but they had survived the ordeal! 

Overall, it was a great week, despite the ending. I am grateful to have gotten to participate and enjoy time with our girls, but also grateful that it was over. So much time and energy went into planning for everything, and it was nice to finally be on the other side. Emily was really the champ. She was the perfect camp leader, and the girls adore her! I am so grateful for everything she did. Until next year...