Young Women camp 2008

So, I am back! Young Women camp was fun. It usually is! This year we went up to a LDS campground called Cinnamon Creek. The last time I was there was when I was around 14 years old, so yeah, things have changed a little. A lot of improvements have been made to the campsites, and it was rather nice.

Cinnamon Creek is Southeast of Hyrum, Utah. You have to drive through Paradise and Avon to get on the road that goes there, and the dirt road is REALLY exciting...twisty, curvy, blind corners, and all that fun stuff.

So, we got there Monday afternoon. Usually on the first day we tell the girls to pack a lunch, but this year we didn't. I don't think our camp director anticipated it taking us as long as it did to set up camp.

This year was also interesting for me because I wasn't allowed to do anything that would strain my back. Doctor's orders! So, I had to watch people lug my stuff around, put up tents without my help, etc.. etc.. IT WAS HARD! The whole time I'm sitting there thinking, I need to help, I need to be a good example and I wasn't supposed to. So, I lugged around really straining things like pillows and sleeping bags. Yeah, it was really tense. (That was sarcasm...just in case you're wondering...)

Once the "leaders" tent was up, we put our stuff in and I got out my brand new cot. Last year I slept on an old cot that Shane used when he was in scouts....yeah, it's a good scout cot, maybe Harrison will use it. Anyway, this year, I decided I needed a bigger, nicer, newer one that didn't feel like it was going to fall apart and twist my back when I laid down on it. So, Shane bought me this one...


It was super nice, but boy was it exciting to put together. Yeah, another, I feel totally useless moment, as I watch two adult leaders try to put the end bar on the cot, and my job was to put a hand on the cot so it didn't tilt upwards while they did it!

Then, once the tents were all up, it was time for lunch...it was hot dogs. I am not a huge hotdog fan, I have to be in the right mood to enjoy them, but by that point in time, I was SOOOO hungry, that it looked great! (We didn't eat until 3:00 PM.)

The girls were all really positive though, and only one or two really whined about anything.

The best thing about being a leader at Young Women camp is seeing the changes that girl's go through as they work together to accomplish something, and the friendships that are built, as well as the testimonies that are started and strengthened.

One girl in particular, really didn't want to be there, but the girl's in our ward encircled her and bonded with her. She is a young woman who is only in our ward every summer, so she wasn't all that excited about camping with girls that she didn't know. By today all the girls signed a paper giving her their addresses and e-mail addresses. She was a different young woman from the one that I drove up to camp four days ago. It was really neat to observe.

Not that I'm going to be released soon, but when that does happen, one of the things I will miss, is being able to go to YW camp.