Our theme was "Happily Ever After." It was based on President Ucktdorf's talk during the General Young Women Meeting during the last conference called, "You're Happily Ever After." We wanted the girls to know that they have the potential to have there own happily ever after, there own eternity with our Heavenly Father.
The scriptures that were chosen by our camp director were Moses 1:39 and D & C 14:7
"For behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life on man." Moses 1:39.
"And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." D & C 14:7.
These fit perfectly. I was asked to do the flag. I painted a castle in the middle and had "Happily Ever After "above the castle. I wrote the two scriptures on the top and the bottom edges of the flag. I had put gold ribbon on the edges, too. Below the castle I put the words "Receive a crown in the mansions of my Father." Each girl and leader decorated and put their name on a crown and then placed them on the flag. I think it turned out really well. Here is a picture.
This is us after we have set up camp. When we first got to camp, we had all the girls gather around the tables and showed a video that was made about part of President Ucktdorf's talk. It fit perfectly with our theme
We took the girls over to the rock to be crowned princesses. Each young woman was placed into a tent group and had a princess for an example. There was Belle (this was my tent), Pocahontas, and the princess from Princess and the Pea. Then each girl walked through the castle we had and received her crown.
We had pizza for dinner. It was done in the dutch oven. It was really good. My tent had to fix it. I think we did a fabulous job. After dinner we had a devotional. It was really good.
On Tuesday, we talked about having our own happily ever after. The devotional was done by the Pocahontas group. They talked about how Pocahontas had become Christian and had been a guide in the life of many, but now had her own guide, the Savior. They took the girls on a compass activity. We showed another part of President Ucktdorf's talk about his wife and his own happily ever after.
The camp director showed pictures of some of the temples and the girls had to guess which temple each leader was married or sealed in. Mine was easy for many of the girls because we had talked about it during a lesson. Then the leaders each told about some things about their husbands. It was really fun to hear about the leaders and their spouses. I learned a lot.
Next to our camp there was a river. We had brought tubes and we spent Tuesday afternoon in the water. I was not going to get wet at first, but it looked so fun that I decided to do it. We all had a lot of fun. There was also a spot near our camp that had some big rocks in the river. Some of the leaders and the girls gathered there and just had fun talking and hanging out.
That night we had hotdogs over the fire. The Princess and the Pea camp did the devotional that night. It was really good. Every day for lunch we had sandwiches. I am not really a fan of sandwiches, but we had watermelon and chips with them, so I was ok. Everyone stayed up around the camp fire until around 11 pm. We sent the girls to bed and then some of the leaders went down to the big open area to finish setting up our faith walk. Kelsey did a great job. We have been memorizing "The Living Christ" since December and our New Beginnings was based on the story of the "Ten Virgins." We wanted to emphazise how learning "The Living Christ" has been a part of helping the girls put oil in their lamps, so they will be prepared to meet our Savior. The open field was set up with a path of lamps with electric candles in them. Attached to each of the iron candle holders was a part of The Living Christ.
We got the girls up around midnight and had them sit at the campfire. They got them up by saying, "The Bridegroom is coming. Take what you need and get ready." A leader took a pair of girls from the campfire, down through the camp, down a path and to a spot in the open field where Kelsey was. It was really dark and the only light was from the flashlights of the leaders guiding the girls and the lanterns out in the field. Many of the girls said it looked amazing as they came around the corner to the field.
At Kelsey's spot, she explained what they were doing there. Then she sent them on to me. They had to walk through the path toward three lights that were at the end of the path. That is where I stood. My job was to tell them about the first two paragraphs of The Living Christ.
"As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, two millenia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has has so profound and influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.
"He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, he was the creator of the earth. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He went about doing going, but was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come."
I was supposed to focus on a couple of points and talk about them. I had prayed about it, but not really put anything down on paper. I wanted to go by the Spirit. With the first couple of groups (we had nine) I did not really know what I was supposed to talk about. As each group left, I would pray to feel the spirit and be directed to what I needed to say. I started to feel that I needed to talk about each girls potential and make it personal to each one. Once I started doing this (at around the 3rd group), it came easily. I was touched as I saw each set of girls come out of the dark to find me. I know the Lord was helping know what to say. What a blessing it is to be close to the spirit.
I directed the girls to the next set of lights. Sister Rees was here and she talked about the atonement. Lindzee was next and she talked about Joseph Smiths testimony. Jessi was the last leader and she bore her testimony of Christ. After they left Jessi, the walked to a place where we had blocked off a portion of the field behind tarps. At the door, Danette stood and told them that to enter in they would have to say a part of The Living Christ. Once they did this, she gave them a bracelet with a charm on it and sent them through the opening. Inside, music was playing and a picture of Christ was the first thing they saw. There they also got a letter from their parents. If they could not repeat a part of The Living Christ, we had Suzanne there to help them learn one paragraph. We let them know that they have many along the way to help.
It was a very spiritual activity. I felt the spirit so strongly and I was very blessed to be a part of this activity and of this camp.
On Wednesday, Belle (my tent) had the devotional. My youth leaders did the whole thing themselves. I was so proud of my youth leaders. They did so much. They got the decorations for the tent (plates, knifes, forks and spoons). They wrote out on the plates "Be Our Guest." They even made up the skit themselves. I had three youth leaders and two third years in my tent. All of my girls did everything they were asked to do and did not complain once. At least not to my face. They were so helpful to everyone.
Two of my girls at camp, Maighan and Tiffanee
Wednesday afternoon we had a spiritual spa. Jessi W. and Lindsey did a really good job. We had some girls who did not want to do it, but we good sports and did it anyway. We did our hands, our feet, and our faces. We did a mask, a foot wrap with plastic wrap and cucumbers on our eyes. They told us stories and scriptures about how important each part of our body was. That we should use each part to help us keep the commandments to be able to have eternal life, our own happily ever after. At the end, many of the girls did their nails in the value colors.
Spa Day. I am the one standing in the back. I was helping Jessi and Lindzee pass things out.
We had the bishopric up that night. We had foil dinners and they were delicious. We had a wonderful testimony meeting. Again the spirit was very strong. After we sent the girls to their tents and went down to the RV (yes we had an RV for some of the leaders. I slept in a tent with an air mattress, which was way nice.). We stayed up till around 3 am doing the camp awards. It was really fun. I am so glad to have been able to get to know the other leaders better.
The next morning, we got up and took everything down and packed up. I wore my pajamas home. What a fun camp. I remembered why I love girls camp so much. What a wonderful spirit and a wonderful group of girls and leaders. Love girls camp. A lot of work, but well worth it.
Two of my girls at camp, Maighan and Tiffanee
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