Layton South Stake Girls Camp 2016

I can not begin to describe the amazing experience that I had this last week up at Girls Camp. I simply had back to back spiritual experiences. I absolutely love it when I am not really in charge, and I have amazing assistants who volunteer to do whatever I think needs to be done. I have grown a lot watching and learning from these two wonderful ladies. Stephanie Meredith and Nancy Hadlow simply had my back right from the start, AND... they both have said they would do it again if the Stake will let them. Yay!!!

Our theme was Born to Testify, and our camp experience was set up right from the start to testify to the girls that they are ready and willing to testify to the world. They may not know it if you ask them, but when they are called upon by the Lord, they jump up and speak with voices of angels.

SO AWESOME!!!! Can I write that enough?

The climax of the camp and the mighty miracles happened Wednesday night. Since I had had a spiritual experience before going to camp, I was calm throughout the whole week. Which if  you know me is NOT how I would normally approach the endeavor. I would stress and worry about every little detail, but I did not. Wednesday put my resolve to the test in the form of rain. We had planned to have a Faith Walk that would begin at 9:30 pm., and about 8:15 it started to rain. I was not concerned. I even told people that it would stop. You see, I knew the Lord had planned this, and I knew he would make it happen, and besides, it was not raining hard.

About 8:45 pm, it started to rain HARD. Everyone was feeling a bit anxious, Except me. The tech person, bless his heart, saved our equipment, but he didn't really understand that it was going to work out. We gathered together as a counsel to decide what to do in the upper room of the lodge. We came up with a Plan B, told the YCLs to go back to their wards and pray for a miracle. Then with a blanket covering the doorway, we knelt in prayer and turned it over to the Lord. I still was not really very concerned.

Chaos surrounded us, and bishops told us they would not support our decision to follow through with the Faith Walk, and at the decision making time when it was still raining, we decided to carry out Plan B. I turned to Nancy who had planned the whole thing and asked her if she felt good about it. She did, and so we moved forward setting up in the lodge. It was going to be what the Lord wanted and I didn't need to stress and worry. I knew I couldn't stop the rain.

As we were setting the final chairs in place, President Stringham walked into the lodge and stated, "Ladies, you might want to come outside." We walked outside, and to our utter amazement, there was not only no rain, but the moon was coming out, and it was getting a little warmer. It was too late to carry out our Plan A, so we moved to Plan A 1/2.

And it was perfect. Everyone knew they had witnessed the hand of the Lord working a mighty miracle, but that miracle was only the icing on the cake.

The real miracle was revealed the next morning when I heard stories of what really transpired that night. Those YCLs that I had sent off to their wards to pray for a miracle had done more than that. They had Prayed, Testified and Comforted the youth of their wards, and they were the ones to work the mighty miracle that night.

I even had the bishop apologize with tears in his eyes that he had learned a mighty lesson from us that night. Never discount miracles happening when the Lord is in charge. Never!!

I know that Girls Camp is important to the Lord. I have felt Him lead and guide me as I have planned not one, but two camps. The first I thought it was a tender mercy taking care of the weak leader, but when I witnessed it happening again with much stronger leaders, I can not take the credit. This was His camp, and he "Qualified My Work!"

So grateful to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. Can't wait for two more years.  Go Layton South Stake!!
(Really did I say that?)

The only downside of the week was that I had to leave my handsome son on his own for most of the week. He was fine, and he was so, so cute. When I came home, he asked me if it was worth it. Worth it? How do you measure that? My son is my life. Do I want to leave him ever? He is too important to me. I told him that I could not be the ward camp director next year because he needed to know that he was more important to me than the Young Women. He then very wisely stated, "But Mom, if that is what the Lord wants you to do, then that is what you need to do." Love my cute son who tells me that even after spending a week all by himself. I love that he did not feel sorry for himself. I love that the house was still standing, and that there were no trips to the emergency room either. Oh, I am so grateful to be his mom.

I also love, love, love my beautiful daughter who, even though she would prefer to have someone else in charge rather than her mother, rose to the occasion, and led with exactness. She wasn't even half as nervous as I was to stand up in front of 400 people including the whole stake presidency.

And Lastly, I am so grateful for my husband, who is a doer. He loves to check things off my list and helps me right down to the smallest detail. I could not do this without him, and I know that he would have preferred to be there by my side for the whole week. I love that we are a team in all that we do. I love that he has learned to not question my slightly different way of doing things, and I love that when I say, "I need you to be home taking care of the home front," he listens. I know that is not where he wanted to be. Thanks Gregg. I love you that much too!!