Young Women Winter Campout

Ok, I think I have made it clear to most people who know me how much I hate camping.  Not dislike but hate.....just in case you were wondering ;)

I was released from my calling in Young Women's the the Sunday before our scheduled winter camp out.  Of course, I was a little disappointed.  I have only been in this calling for a few months and the girls are so diverse that I have learned much from them.  But, of course, a part of me was relieved because I was released  right before this camp out and even more happily, before the summer camp out.  But when Brother Williams and Emily (the old YW president) asked me to still go so that the girls would have one leader that they were used to, I immediately said yes.  Not because I wanted to; it just felt right.  I am much better about saying no to people now and I think the new me would have said no because of the stress level I know any type of camping will put me in but again, it just felt right.

I am truly grateful I went.

It wasn't easy getting there though.  I definitely put unnecessary stress on myself leading up to getting there.    But it is passed now and I wanted to share what I learned.

We camped in the mountains going up Weber Canyon.  I wish I knew the name of it but it was by a ski resort somewhere near Liberty.  I rode up with 3 of the new leaders, which was great because I got to know them.  One of them, I am becoming fast friends with.  If anything, going on this trip was worth just that.  Anyways, I remembered Emily telling me that when we get to our destination that we were suppose to park our vehicles at the gate and hike with our supplies up to the A frame.  We ended up going past that gate (which I mentioned to some of the leaders) and getting stuck so the little cars stopped going up farther and parked it.  We had 2 vehicles with us that was felt could go up so those 2, with our supplies, went ahead.  The rest of us started trecking up this snowy (some melted snow and ice) path.  It was not easy.

I may not like to camp but I do like to hike.  This was not enjoyable though.  My back has really been acting up ever since having Baby Boy in our lives.  Going up a slippery path with a bad back (because I would stiffen up my body) along with one of the Young Women holding on to one of my arms as an anchor was not good on my back.  It really hurt.  But we made it up and tried to get the fire going in the wood stove but do you think we had matches?  Ha!  But that is ok because the weather has been unusually warm so by the time we had gotten to the A frame we were all burning up.  But our dinner was still in the other 2 vehicles that were trying to make it up the steep path (we ended up passing them while hiking, which was a mistake) and we were hungry.  Time passed and got a call from one of the leaders that they could not get any farther so we walked  back down the hill to get our supplies.  On our way down we passed Brother Williams and Bishop Ward.  They looked like pack mules as they were loaded down with our stuff.  I am so grateful they went with us!

So we get the rest of our stuff and hike back up that trail.  Looking back, I should  be irritated with myself that I didn't push the idea that we all park our cars like Emily had said and all load up our stuff so we would only have to make one trip but an AMAZING testimony was given that night that I will share later, because of this experience.  The Lord knew what He was doing all along.

When everyone had gotten to the A frame, they ate dinner as I gave a little devotional on being a light in the dark.  My friend Peggy texted me the morning of the hike and I'm so grateful she followed the spirit in doing so because her suggestions changed the way I approached the devotional. 

To calm myself down that morning, I opened up my scriptures and landed on Alma 34:38.  It was perfect.  I knew I was contending against the Spirit that was trying His hardest to get me to understand that I needed to go on this hike.  Peggy was texting me the idea of teaching "a light in the darkness" when I had prepared on the foundations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I read to them exactly what she wrote which was:

"Remember that big fires start from little sparks.  The Lord didn't tell us to "be a flood light in the darkness" nor did He tell us to "be a spark in the darkness."  He just said "light."  Sometimes we ARE floodlights and that's great.  But sometimes all we can be is a spark.  That is still obeying His commandment.  Isn't it great that no matter where we are in our life, what we have going on, how strong or weak we feel, we can still obey His commandments and be blessed?  He is SO good to us!!!"  

One of the things that I felt that the old Young Women leaders were really good at getting across to the girls was this very concept.  Hold on to what you DO have faith in.  Cling on to that spark because sometimes that is all you have and that is ok.  Not all things in the Gospel make since at all periods of our lives and that is ok.  Have faith that one day it will.

Whew!  This is a long journal entry/post!

Anyways, from there we played a get to know you game and activity to get them to realize their self worth.  The Bishop then spoke to the girls of trials and how they are real and not silly.  This is something that I feel the Bishop has been great with getting across to our Youth.  I hope they take it to heart so that they know they can turn to their leaders if they need it.  A testimony meeting happened right after he spoke.  So many great things were said but the one that stood out the most was Narissa's testimony.  She spoke of how the Lord spoke to her as she was struggling hiking up to the A frame.  That she knew she needed to learn something from it.  And that something was that nothing in life that is important comes easily.  I loved that so much!

So all in all it went well.  It really did.  It was just that darn hike that had to teach me that nothing in life comes easy....darn those life lessons......

:)