I loved my first year! Yes it was scary, tons of spiders, dark and meeting new friends but the good outweighed the bad! It was all I dreamthed and more! Canooing, horseback riding, CRAFTS, awesome leaders, friends, food, late night fires, camp singing and so much spirituality!
Our YCL (young camp leaders) were awesome. I looked up to them so much. They were so loving, friendly and brave. I looked forward to being a YCL so bad! Plus they got special privilages, I was looking forward to it so much. Besides the fact that I love being a leader and teaching, this was the perfect thing for me. I just needed to complete my first three years as a camper and then I would be a YCL. Well along came a little someone called David and a couple decisions later and I was off on a different direction. Never got to be a true YCL. Missed out on the one thing I was looking forward to, many times I have sat and thougth about it. I get sad ofcourse.
But my Heavenly Father truly does love me. This year I was given the opportunity to go as a ward leader with my girls to camp. It's not the same as a YCL but it's as close as it can get at my age! :)
I have to say that I have a new profound respect for all the leaders I ever had when I was a youth. This is so much harder than it looks. And if I was anything like some of these girls I truly give thanks and apologies to all those who had to be patient and loving with me.
This experience was wonderful, touching and hard at the same time. I did have an extra advantage though, nobody thought I was a leader. Everyone thought I was a youth camper. It was so much fun to be there as a leader yet enjoy myself like a camper because everyone kept forgetting I was a leader. I pretty much got to do all the fun things with the girls! Sneaky I know!
If I sat here and wrote everything I learned and felt at camp I would never finish. My fingers would probably cramp up. So I'll just say that it was hard seeing how some of our youth are truly lost yet it was so uplifting seeing how many girls are trying hard to live the standards. How so many of them truly do have a testimony of our Heavenly Father. How many of them are kind and loving to one another. Camp is so wonderful, I think us adults should have our own week of camp where we are reminded of our goal in life and go home uplifted and motivated. I know that I was so uplifted and nurtured at camp.
Now this camp was different than the ones I remember. Unlike the other camp where the leaders got special privilages like sleeping in cabins, this camp I had to sleep and suffer right along side the girls. And that included walking 2 hills all day to get to the pool or to the dining hall or to any other place!
Couldn't help but take a picture of Ingrid. It was her first time going to camp and because of her age it'll be her last! But look at her, she's so tiny. She looked so cute with her bathing suit, cap, towel and sipping on a juice box! Too Cute!
I did come home saying I would never go back! hahaha but then again every girl pretty much says that every year but when camp time comes around we all jump on board! It's a love hate relationship!
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