Camp Courage: All For One and One For All!

Girls Camp...who doesn't love girls camp?! It's a week you get to spend away from the distractions of the world amongst wonderful people. It's a week to act wild and crazy and gain testimony through the Spirit that is felt. Spirits are brought together and connected through the many opportunities to feel the Spirit and work together. Ask anyone that is able to attend and I'm sure they will tell you that they always come away feeling their Spirit renewed and a better person than they were before.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Girls Camp for the Idaho Falls North Stake (Camp Courage) this last week. I was able to spend time and get to know some wonderful people from the Idaho Falls 7th Ward that Chad and I have been blessed to live in since we got married. What a wonderful week it was! There is nothing else like feeling the Spirit and strength of the youth of this world. We have awesome girls in our world and I am very grateful for the chance I had to get to know them a little better than I did before.

We had a great week of fun, hard work, team work and testimony building. The theme for the stake was Camp Courage. The theme for our ward was "All for one and one for all." Patterned after the brave Musketeers, we became the brave "Valueteers", standing for the wonderful Young Women Values; Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and Virtue. I, personally, was strengthened as I was able to share my testimony throughout the week, listen to others' testimonies, and see the wonderful example of courage each of our girls displays in each of their lives. I remember listening to my own Young Women leaders talk about what an example us girls were for them and I never understood how that could be until I became a leader myself. I am so blessed to be able to work with some amazing and very brave young women. Their example helps me to be better everyday.

I love my calling. I love girls camp. I love and adore the wonderful young women I am able to serve. I love my Heavenly Father and I know without a doubt that he loves me. I know my Savior lives and that His Atonement is real and encompasses me daily. I know that I am a divine daughter of God and that He has a plan for me. And I strive to live up to that knowledge everyday.

And with that, I would like to leave you with some pictures! I was a bum and didn't take any so I stole these for Sis John, our wonderful Young Women President.

Setting up camp: We had these wonderful reminders posted to help us be kind to one another and bond together.

This is Makayla, Pati and Maria back from their hike. They hiked 10 miles and were exhausted! What troopers they were! Two of our other girls, Katie and Krystal, hiked 18 miles! They started bright and early before the other girls and were the last to get back. What an example of strength and courage all of them were. I am so proud of them.

Pati, Maria, Sis John and I with Makayla and Jammie in the background, waiting for flag ceremony to start.

Krystal, Jammie and Pati being silly.

Pati going down the slide.

Skit night! This is Queen Stucki and our courageous Valueteers. "We are the Valueteers and we're here to conquer fear with courage, Courage, COURAGE!"

This is Katie and Makayla waiting out the thunderstorm. It started raining during skit night and soon turned into thunder and lightning. Luckily, it didn't last long.

We enjoyed some yummy Smores nachos during the storm.

See that tiny spot of chocolate underneath her nose? Well, I told Makayla that she had a spot of chocolate there and instead of wiping it off, she took a smores nacho and smeared it all over her face! What a crazy girl!

This is me, Katie, Makayla, and Kyrstal on Bishop's Night after our testimony meeting.

All of the girls with our beloved Bishop Johnson. Our one Youth Camp Leader, Jamie, is in front between Jammie and Katie. She was such a great leader. She really was a big help with the girls. 3 of them were at camp for the first time and she was great at showing them the ropes and getting them involved. Thanks for all the help, Jamie!

Brother Droegemuller and Brother Heeding, our awesome counselors to the bishop. What goofs! Brother Heeding was one of our priesthood leaders the whole week at camp and what a great help he was. We all loved having him around.

Me (2nd Counselor), Lonnie Graham (1st Counselor) and Susie John (President). Our Young Women's presidency minus our secretary, Heather Kunz (who was missed!). What a blessing it has been to work with these strong women. I have learned a lot from them and I am very grateful for their example. Due to work, Sis Graham wasn't able to be there for the week but we were very happy to have her at our Bishop's Night and share such a great testimony.

And last but not least, our fearless camp director, Mary Jo Stucki. (Sorry it's not the best picture) I am so grateful I was able to serve with her this week at camp. She is so wonderful. She did a great job planning for camp and getting things together. She really made girls camp the great experience it was. We owe it all to her. Thanks, Sis Stucki for doing a great job and loving our young women the way you do!

Camp Courage 2010 was an amazing week and I am so grateful for all the things I was able to learn and experience. Here's to hoping that we are still around next year so I can enjoy camp again!

7TH WARD VALUETEERS! ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!