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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Camp ~ Day 2 (and 3 Powerful Spiritual Experiences)

IMG_7737 Here’s what our schedule for our 2nd day of camp looked like. Yesterday felt like I had already been here a whole week (in both good and bad ways), so it was hard to believe it was only day 2.

IMG_7749 The Stake brought us the fixin’s for breakfast burritos. We had one tent make the breakfast (eggs, hashbrowns, sausage) …

IMG_7751 … and one tent clean the pots and pans. The incentive to do that was that they could earn the cutest bacon charm for their necklaces. We called it the “bringin’ home the bacon” charm.

IMG_7754 There was this HUGE tumor/growth looking thing on one of the trees and somebody made it look like a face by taping up cups for the eyes and duct tape for the mouth. LOL!

IMG_7757 We had our morning ward devotional by one of the YCL’s and then we had the girls get their scriptures and camp books and read the scriptures for their level so they could pass off that part of their camp certification. Lily got hers done early and carved this funny face into an orange. We have so many girls that have so much personality!

IMG_7763 All the girls left to go on their year hikes. I stayed back at camp with some of the girls that were sick/dehydrated and couldn’t go. We just sat in the shade and talked, ate our sack lunches, and cleaned up around camp. These are our fabulous 4th year girls that canoed across the lake, down a river, and spent the night outdoors w/out a tent. 2 of them came back COVERED in mosquito bites. I’m proud of them for doing something like that. They LOVED our little shower station we had set up w/ a hose and some good smelling shampoo & conditioner.

P1120797 Everyone got back from their hikes and they were all hot and sweaty and tired. So they changed into their swimming suits and I took them down to the lake so they could cool off. Someone had mentioned a fun game where you oil up a watermelon and play “basketball” in the lake w/ the watermelon (b/c it floats). They had to try and get the watermelon through the other team’s inner tube. The girls had a lot of fun playing that and just swimming around.

IMG_7765 This picture looks pretty ordinary, but it means a lot to me. I was walking back to camp w/ 2 of the girls and one of their flip flops broke. Poor Elizabeth had to walk super slow and careful so her flip flop wouldn’t fall off. After walking a little ways Ashlyn said, “give me your broken flip flop. You can wear one of mine and I’ll wear your broken one.” Elizabeth protested but Ashlyn said, “I’m older and want to help you.” It might not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but it touched my heart so much and made me get all choked up.

We walked along slowly so the broken flip flop wouldn’t fall of Ashlyn’s foot. I finally told Ashlyn to get on my back and I gave her a piggy back ride back to camp. It was easy, b/c she’s skinny and doesn’t weigh much. I was so impressed w/ her willingness to serve Elizabeth (a brand new Beehive) in such a kind way. This was the first of 3 very spiritual experiences I had today.

P1120812 When we got back to camp, Sis. S had set up some pampering stations for the girls. She had some relaxing music playing and had given the girls a little devotional about serving each other. They weren’t allowed to wash or brush their own hair, they had to have someone else do it for them as an act of service/love. After they got showered off, they came and sat down in a chair and got a cold washcloth put over their eyes. Then they soaked their hands in a tub of water while someone else rubbed their hands w/ a sugar scrub. Then after their hands were nice and soft they put their feet in a bucket of water and had their feet washed.

This was the 2nd powerful spiritual experience I had today. It was interesting that EVERY single time I went to wash someone’s feet they said something negative to me like, “my feet are so gross,” or, “I have ugly toes,” or something along those lines. I told them that I didn’t care at all, and that I wouldn’t be washing their feet if that bothered me.

As I served these incredible girls by washing their feet, I couldn’t help but think of John 13 when the Savior washed his apostles feet. It made that part of the scriptures come to life for me. What must it have been like to be His apostle and have that intimate one on one connection w/ the Savior as he washed the filth and feces and grime from their feet? Did they talk as He did it, or were they silent? What must it have been like to watch Him wash the feet of your fellow apostles and feel the love He had for them and for you?

As each of the girls said something negative about their feet it made me think of verse 8 when Peter says, “thou shalt never wash my feet.” I think I would have been the same way … I wouldn’t have wanted Jesus to even touch my feet let alone wash them. I would have brought up all those insecurities and negative things that the girls each said to me. I would have felt completely unworthy. I love what Jesus says to Peter, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”

Then Peter in verse 9 responds with, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” He wanted to be 100% with the Savior.

It was a very sacred and tender experience for me to wash the feet of some of the young women that I love so much. I didn’t care if their feet were nasty. I was doing it because I love them and wanted to serve them. Same thing with the Savior … He loves me despite my “grossness” or imperfections. He sacrificed himself because He loves me, and each and every single one of us. It was a humbling and powerful experience.

P1120814 After everyone was all clean, pampered, and refreshed we headed over to do crafts at 3:15. The girls got to paint a wooden block and then add a metal sheet to it where they could use magnets to put pictures on it when they get home. It was fun to see each of their personalities and unique creativity in how they decorated their blocks.

IMG_7767 At 4:00 we got to go inside where it was air conditioned and listen to Sis. D talk about “Navigation 101.” She shared some very touching personal stories about a time in her life when it was the “perfect storm” and she had several family members die (including her husband). She talked about how if she had not put in the work before that to have a firm foundation in the Savior then that perfect storm of hardships & trials could have easily drowned her. I just love her to pieces and was thankful for the message she shared. What an incredible woman!

P1120824 After the workshop we had some time to kill before dinner so I sat out on the patio w/ some of the girls and we came up w/ awards to give out at our evening devotional tonight. For dinner we got to eat inside (YAY for air conditioning). The dinner was some super good BBQ that was catered by Kirby’s. I heard it was voted one of the top 10 BBQ places in Texas. Sis. J cracks me up! Since we both have the same last name, the girls came up with nicknames for us. She is “Sassy J” and I’m “Sweet Curls.” I love it!!!

I have to say that I am SO THANKFUL for Sassy J & Sis. S (they nicknamed her Bambi b/c she’s so “deer” to us). They have made this camping experience so much fun. They are funny, upbeat, go getters, and it has made a huge positive impact to have them here.

P1120828 After dinner it was time for the Stake Presidency’s devotional. I sent everyone off to that and then stayed at camp to clean up the campsite and get the awards ready for tonight. It was nice to have that quiet alone time at the campsite. Everyone got back and we had our Bishop Visit/testimony time.

We circled up and he shared a few thoughts and then we went around the circle and everyone shared something. It could be their testimony or something they learned at camp, etc. It was my 3rd powerful spiritual experience of the day. We had a few girls that were very open and honest and shared how they are struggling with trials, with their testimonies, with their friends, with their families, etc. One girls said that she doesn’t fit the “Mormon mold” and I think we all realized that there is no such thing. Every single one of us has issues and things that we are dealing with. I felt that it really unified us, and helped us love each other more.

P1120831 At the end, we had to have a big group hug. It was bittersweet, b/c this is our last big hoorah all together. We have 6 girls that are moving out of the ward this summer! That’s a big chunk since we will go from 24 to 18 girls. We will miss them terribly, and I’m so thankful we got to share this fun time at camp together.

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