Emma's first year at girls camp was an eventful week. Of course she started packing the week before and thought she was all ready to go. On Sunday her Camp Leader asked all the girls to please pray that night that they would be prepared and ready spiritually and physically and to ask for the spirit to be with them. Emma was obedient and prayed specifically that she would not forget anything. When she got up in the morning all ready to go, she had a prompting to look under her bed, when she did she saw her bathroom bag that she would have left if she did not follow that prompting! This is not boy scout camp, a girl needs her hair accessories, deodorant and toothbrush! Miracle #1 Hadn't even left yet and the miracles were already beginning.
We Got up to Lake Creek Camp and it was beautiful....we set up camp and then started to enjoy the ropes course and zip line! Lily got to go up with me and she braved the 40 feet high zip line, where she had to climb a huge telephone pole, shimmy across a wire to the platform where she dropped on the zip line. I was amazed at her! Just as Emma's group was about to go to the zip line the Senior missionary who was in charge of the camp ground came and told us we needed to evacuate the area and that they had made arrangements for us to go the Heber Valley Camp and stay in cabins. We had no idea why but we followed his instructions, took down all our tents we had just put up a few hours before and packed our cars and headed up the other mountain. We were not sure why, was there a bear in the area or was the weather getting worse? Miracle #2 all 30+ teenage girls were totally obedient, even when not knowing why we had to move and I did not hear any complaining! Immediately they found the positive in the situation, CABINS!
We had quickly learned that one stake of 400 girls had to go home and have their girls camp canceled but because we were such a small group the Spanish Fork Stake made room for us by emptying out 2 cabins that we could stay in. Our theme this year was "Come Unto Christ, by Following in his Footsteps!" This was such an act of Christlike love from the Spanish Fork Stake, "Love one another, as I have loved you."
(John 13:34) Miracle #3
I came home the next day to find it was not because of weather or a bear but the Rainbow Family Gathering was happening very close to our camp ground and a woman had been found dead. Here is the article from the newspaper..."Girls Camp Moved to Avoid Rainbow Gathering"
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/girls-camp-moves-to-avoid-rainbow-gathering/article_1ff6f2c3-ebdc-5499-8372-8f55a64282d9.html
Miracle #4 It is truly a miracle that we were moved to cabins because we expected rain on Tuesday for Girls camp but not record snow! We owe it all to the Rainbow Gathering that our girls could be warm and snug in cabins and be sheltered from the low temperatures. I don't know what we would have done if we were in tents! And so what do you do at Girls Camp when it snows? You go Christmas Caroling to the other cabins who shared their shelter with you giving them your secret sister gifts!
A group of about 30 YW who all loved each other unconditionally all week long, showed kindness and compassion for one another who truly walked in the footsteps of the Christ all week. There were no clicks , no gossiping, no older girls vs younger girls, they were truly ONE!
"If ye are not one, ye are not mine"(D&C 38:27) I have never seen such a cohesive group YW before and a lot of it has to do with the wonderful YCL's and their wonderful examples!
MIRACLE #5
