Today I was asked to report on Girl's Camp and so I thought what better post than just include my talk. Especially for my journal purposes. I so enjoyed this experience, and although I am grateful it is behind me, I hope I can stay in tune with the spirit I had. Because that is definitely something I do not want to lose. The Saturday after I came back Wayne and I went out for Chinese food and in my fortune cookie the fortune read: Your hard work will soon pay off, today as three YW gave their testimonies, it was a huge pay day, exactly what my fortune predicted. Another tender mercy...they just keep coming...
My Testimony of Stake Girl’s Camp
June 30-July 3, 2014
Be B.R.A.V.E. it’s a jungle out there!
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This
past October it was a Sunday morning and for some reason I couldn’t sleep,
which is really quite unusual. I decided
to get up and do some blogging because I was home alone, it was hunting season,
and at 6:50 a.m. the phone rang. It was
Brother Hallows from the Stake who asked if I would be willing to meet with
President Farnes that morning at 8:00
a.m. I thought it was rather strange as
I had just been released as the Stake Primary President only a few short weeks
prior and wondered what I would be meeting with him for, but of course I said
yes. Little did I know what was in store
for me. At the time, I remember not even
thinking of saying, no. As this was not something I would have ever even
considered, although I may have wanted to.
However, at the time, I had a son who was trying to fit back into life
after his mission, another son who was serving a mission, and Wayne was going
through some health concerns, Caleb and I at the time seemed to be doing
ok. But, I knew that if I would serve,
He would help and take care of those people I cared about the most. I came home and immediately got on my knees
and told my Father in Heaven that I was pretty nervous, but that with His help
I knew that I could and would do it.
That night as I was reading my scriptures I wanted to open them up and
have that one magical, just for you scripture pop out, and it didn’t. Instead, I found myself reading one of my
favorite, go to scriptures: Moroni
10:23; If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me. I knew I had the faith, I just hoped I was up
to the task. When I first met with
Sister Cordon she had given me the names of who they had chosen and I have to
admit I was little anxious about this, however most of them were already my
friends already, and so I knew that I it would be easy to work with them, I
just was hoping that they would still be speaking to me afterwards. However, I wanted an assistant, which I have
come to believe that everyone should have one.
I was fortunate enough to have Wendy Fenn serve with me and together we
watched as miracles and tender mercies took place. As was mentioned before the theme that was
chosen was not just by chance, I had heard a familiar song called Brave, that
many of you have heard, too, while driving one day and thought to myself, “this
would make an excellent theme song for girl’s camp” Little did I know that one thought would
become such a changing force in my life.
So, of course, that is where it all began, even before it began. We came up with the acronym while having a
Spanish cuisine night at the Memmott’s with our returning missionaries. Boldly, Righteous, and Valiant,
Everyday. This theme is something that
these Young Women can and try to do and yet have to be BRAVE to do so many
times.
This all started in October of last year, but as soon as
January hit, it was for real. As we
started to hold meetings and prepare I found myself making changes in my life so
that I was fully prepared, too. I,
listened to better music, I pretty much gave up t.v. and things that I felt
would not welcome the spirit, I wanted to be in tune and ready to hear whatever
it was that we needed to hear for these YW.
One thing that we did was we tried to visit each girl, either at their
home, or during Sunday or mutual activities.
At the visit we invited them to Come Unto Camp, and Christ. They were given a picture of the Savior as
well as a copy of the Living Christ to read from each day, or week as they had
time. I knew that I could not ask them
to do something I was not willing to do myself and so I started reading it and
studying it, too. I would read it often,
but for sure I would pull it out each and every Sunday as the Sacrament was
being passed. I found myself really
getting to know the Savior even better, and my testimony of Him grew even
more. This is something I plan on
continuing to do. The Young Women theme
for the year has been Come unto Christ, what better way to do that then read
and study about him. I really feel like
I have gotten to know Him even better through this whole experience.
As we
prepared and got closer to the time that we would go, my life got even
busier. Work had a few new things come
up that had a deadline, things that had to get done, and just life in general. One particular Monday, which is Missionary
Email Day I was feeling maybe a bit sorry for myself and thinking am I going to
be able to do all that is required of me.
Plus to be honest, I was missing my boys. Bridger is
in Minnesota for the summer and of course our missionary. As I said my prayers that night, I just asked
Heavenly Father to help me to have the energy to get it all done and that I
would know that my boys were ok and happy.
A couple of days later as I was driving Caleb home from Driver’s Ed in
the gutter on Orchard Drive by Eaglewood was a fully inflated mylar balloon
with the words, “taste of Mexico” on it just sitting there. I said to Caleb, “did you see that
balloon?” He said, “what balloon” I
said, we’re going back!” And we
did. Of course to take a picture and
document it, but as we were driving I explained to Caleb how that was Heavenly
Father’s way of letting me know that he was aware of me and that everything is
ok. Later that night just after saying
my prayers, a post on Instagram came in from a member with picture of Stetson
and his companion in Mexico Soccer jerseys with the biggest smile on his
face. Once again, assuring me that I was
doing my part so Heavenly Father would take care of my family, too. I don’t believe it was a coincidence.
I told this experience on Monday night as we gathered
together as a Stake for a pj’s Family Night.
Prayer, Journals, and Scriptures.
All the Young Women got in their pajamas and gathered in the pavilion we
talked about reading daily from our scriptures and each did for a few minutes,
then they were given a journal to record in daily how they recognized the hand
of the Lord in the lives. It was a
wonderful sight to see all 180+ girls reading from their scriptures all at the
same time, and then writing down their thoughts of things that had touched
their hearts that day.
We had a wonderful jungle jam, awesome crafts that were
focused on the theme, for example, a white bandana that special paint was
applied to, then they put various things from nature, like leaves on it as it
sat in the sun. Then the as the light
touched the item, it changed the fabric and imprinted the leave or whatever to
the cloth. Just like how the light of
Christ changes us when we let it.
Everything we did, we tried to follow the spirit of what He wanted us to
do for these Young Women. Then there was
the hike, the one thing everyone tries to get out of. But, we went.
And, it was harder than we thought, some of the girls wanted to quit and
as they looked up and saw the others way up high, they wanted to turn back and
Wendy and I kept encouraging them that they could do hard things. At the top, I had my walking stick that Vince
had given me as a token for my calling.
On it was a paper that I really had wanted to cut off because those type
of things bother me, but for some reason I didn’t. When I got to the top, I looked at that paper
and decided that was the message I was going to give these Young Women. It told them to stand as a witness, at all
times, and in all things, and in all places, and that they are Daughters of God
and to Walk Tall. Then some of the
leaders started singing, the song Walk Tall you’re a Daughter, and we all
joined in. Another coincidence, I don’t
think so.
The final night, and I think best was the Light of Christ
Night. This is where every ward gathered
as they carried a light source of their choosing, ours a lantern and joined in
a circle to sing the song, Come unto Christ that all the YW of the stake
learned. Then one by one each ward sang
the song they chose about the Savior.
The last song was a song that I happened to find that gives a beautiful
message that we can become like Him. It
was played as their pictures in a video presentation played. It was amazing.
We really wanted the Young Women to bond as a stake, so we
introduced pin trading to them. Each
ward would make various pins that they would trade with each other and place on
their lanyards, or name tags. This was
an easy way for us to have the YW’s name visible so that we would be able to
know them not just their face, but call them by their name. At our first meeting the looks of
bewilderment was quite funny as some weren’t sure of what we were doing, but as
the pins started to be traded, the friendships and fun began, too. Our very own Laurie Evertsen had a quest to
get every pin, and may have succeeded.
And, I believe Andee had the pin that everyone wanted with her grape
soda one that there just wasn’t enough to go around. I, do have one of those. Thanks, Andee! The Light of Christ night we gave them all a
bigger pin with a picture of the Savior that said “Become Like Him” on it. This pin was to be put right in the center of
the lanyard so they would remember that He is the center of all that we were
doing and as our example. When I made
them I ordered enough that there would have been plenty and then after they all
went to their wards fire pits for testimonies, I found that I had not gotten one. I was a little sad, as I really wanted my
lanyard to be complete, too. But, I realized
that I could order more when I got home.
The next day as all were loading on the bus, I was talking to Melanie
Easton and as all the Young Women were loading I looked over and there in the
dirt was a Savior pin. I said, “hold on
Melanie, just a minute. “ I didn’t get a pin, and I wanted one so badly. I am so sorry for the YW who lost this, and I
hope it’s a leader. And Melanie said,
that’s your pin, Tammy. That was another
tender mercy. It would take far too many
minutes for me to tell you all that has happened and the many other miracles
and blessings that have come from this experience. But, I do know that our Heavenly Father is
very mindful of each one of us. He loves
us, and wants us to be happy and make right choices and he sent His son to show
us the way. And if we make a mistake
there is a way to repent and be forgiven.
That in itself shows just how much he wants us all to return to him.
One last thing, when we packed up to go home I somehow
didn’t get my camera. It was there when
I was taking pictures of the stake leaders as they were falling asleep in their
chairs and then not. But, I never really
gave up hope, and had faith. I called
Heber Valley Camp, they looked. Wendy
called and they looked again. But still,
nothing. Friday morning Wayne took a
phone call that they had found my camera, and yesterday a sister from a stake
in Farmington brought it to me. She said
the missionaries had searched the bed three times and it wasn’t there. And then, on Friday it was. I called Wendy and said, here was our last
miracle.
I am truly grateful for this experience, although I did not
know it at the time way back in October.
Each morning I read from this book Stand a Little Taller and on July 1st,
which was Caleb’s 16th b-day I was at Girl’s Camp and he had to put
his b-day which I have to say was a sacrifice on his part. My family was awesome through this entire journey. The thought for the day was this: Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great
cause. Lend your efforts to helping people. Cultivate a spirit of forgiveness in your
heart against any who might have offended you.
Look to the Lord and live and work to lift His sons and daughters. You will come to know a happiness that you
have never known before if you will do that.
I believe that with all my heart. Although I would not have campaigned or petitioned
for this calling, I am thankful for it now.
It has truly made me a better person.
