Holy moly these last few weeks have been a whirlwind and I am just now feeling a little caught up. I have been drowning in girls' camp stuff lately and all the hard work finally came together the first week of October. Sunday afternoon, Brett and I drove the kids down to Mesa to stay with Bob and Terri for the week while I was at Girl's Camp and Brett was at Scout Camp. This was the first week of October break for the kids since Payson is on a modified year round school schedule. After getting to bed super late Sunday evening I woke up early Monday morning to finish packing my car and headed up to Camp LoMia to start the crazy, funfilled week. The theme for camp was "Time Travelers: Remember the Journey". Each day was a different decade or era and the activites, lessons, crafts, etc. were centered on that time period. Monday was "Western Day" so I had to bust out some boots and wranglers. I am bummed I didn't get my full get-up in the pics, but you get the idea. Tuesday was 80s day, Wednesday was 50s day, Thurs was "Future" day and we packed up and came home on Friday. As the Asst. Stake Camp Director I was in charge of high adventure, hikes, service projects, helping with decor and crafts. I actually really enjoyed having a Stake calling rather than being a "Cabin Mom". I got to know and became friends with a few of the ladies at camp and am thankful for the experiences and time we shared together. Even though we had some really fun activities and dressing up was a blast I also really enjoyed the spiritual aspect of remembering the journey. At the beginning of camp we started off in the pre-existence and traveled to mortal life and by the end of the week were were in the after-life. I think my favorite part was from Wed night. I got to participate in the "Life Choices" Activity. Out past the Sacred Grove there was a rope that lead from the beginning of the "path" to the end, which was the sacred grove area. Along this rope several leaders were placed with a piece of paper with a scenario on it and a bowl full of white and black rocks. Each young woman was blindfolded and directed to the rope where she had to hold on and kind of walk/fumble her way to the different leaders standing along the path. All of us leaders were dressed in white (we literally looked like a bunch of angels) and the only sound that was heard was quiet music and the whispers of the leaders reading the scenarios to the girls. The girls would reach a leader, the leader would stop her with her hand, read the scenario that was printed on the card and then have the girl reach into the bowl to pick a white or black rock indicated the choice she made in regards to the scenario on the card. All of it was done at random, so the girls never actually spoke during the activity. My scenario was: You and your friends finally got to go see the new, popular movie playing at the movie theatre. The movie was great until about halfway through there was an immoral scene that made you so uncomfortable you wanted to leave. You have 2 choices: 1. Even though some of your friends will make fun of you, you decide to leave the movie 2. You decide to stay because that was the only bad scene in the whole movie. It was so hard to have to tell the girls that chose black rocks that they made a wrong choice...it kind of broke your heart. At the end of the rope path the girls were at the entrance to the Sacred Grove. They were able to remove their blindfolds and then Pres. Payne told the girls about the power of the Atonement and that all those black rocks/wrong choices they had collected/made could be washed away if they excepted Christ and his atonement. The girls then randomly chose their last rock and those girls that chose a white rock got to go to the right to be with the Savior and their family and friends. Those that chose black went to the left side and were told that they had chosen not to partake and would therefore be alone after this life. I can't even type this without crying like a baby. It was such a powerful, visual experience that I will never, ever forget. It was a lesson I desperately needed and one that I know was a big reason I was called to be at Girl's Camp. The next day we traveled through the different kingdoms...Terrestial, Telestial and Celestial. In each kingdom was a different speaker and what led them to be where they were after this life. Choices...good and bad, knowing vs. doing, truly being Christ's disciple and deciding to follow him 110% were lessons that re-affirmed the feelings I felt the night before. How could I not feel the feelings of inadequacy and failure and yet a sense of joy and peace knowing I am not alone, I am not expected to do this on my own and I have a Savior who already paid that price...I just have to follow him!!! But why does it seems so difficult sometimes? Why do I sometimes feel void of feeling? How and what do I need to do to make sure I have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost with me? Those are things that have been outlined in the scriptures, from our Prophet and Apostles and things we can ask individually in prayer to our Heavenly Father. It always amazes me how the Lord knows ways to touch the very core of your being, to shake you from the feelings of "going through the motions" and to help place others in your life to be those "real-life" angels. I had some amazing conversations with women at camp that I know will be lasting, life-long friendships and I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience all that I did. Now that I "know" what I need to do and where I want to be after this life and where I don't want to end up...I need to "DO"!!! I need to re-commit to being his disciple and get my life in order so that someday he will look at me and be pleased:)
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