Week #2

This was week 2 of the girls in camp. Every week there are new experiences that strengthen your faith. The Young women are wonderful and we love them. Most of the leaders are just amazing and give all they've got to make this a memorable, spiritual experience. You wouldn't believe the creativity we see the leaders some up with.
Last Monday after the last girl went back to camp for dinner, we took a trail ride. This is a trail overlooking part of the camp where missionaries camp in trailers.

Then we drove over to Outlook Point, which has a great view of the Lake. It is a small look hilltop spot just big enough to turn around. We heard a little noise and saw this year old moose that was not afraid of us at all. It just came right up and posed for a photo shoot. The next day we saw a mamma moose with twins, just days old. They are so ugly they are cute. But, we didn't have the camera with us.

"Every week I will post an entry from the Journal at our Challenge Course #3:
When I was on the bridge (she is talking about the bridge that is 35 feet high off the ground)I felt scared at first then I felt an immediate comfort knowing that a Brotheren is holding me and that God is there. And to feel that made me calmer... I had fun and it was very spiritual. A.H."...... I don't correct sp. So cute.

First Group of YW Coming to Camp

Do you see the traffic jam coming in to camp? In a matter of 3 hours 2,600 YW and their leaders come in to camp with truck loads of food, camping gear and busses full of girls.

Everyone is checked through the Welcome Center.

Dale thought it was like getting everyone loaded on a cruise ship. The girls are all checked into their cabins, eat a quick lunch, then start their activities. By 1:30 pm some of the groups have hiked to the challenge courses. Now our challenge begins. Each course starts 7 different activities, one of which is the zip-line. Between 50-60 YW will rotate through the courses. Hopefully by 5:00 we have gotten them all down.

We had some amazing experiences with them. Fear of really high heights is very common. So many face their fears feeling the help and support of their Heavenly Father. Some of the YW like to write their experiences in a journal we keep on the benches. This is a typical journal entry that a YW wrote this week: 6/7/2011

Here at the Challenge course I have learned so much today! I had never really been looking for the meaning of the challenges, but this time I saw what they were trying to teach about. I so easily lose my way and it takes me so long to get back on, but these challenges have made me see that if you hold to what you believe and shield yourself from temptations you can't lose your way. Jesus will protect you.

And the missionaries here have changed my testimony about Heavenly Father. They showed me the quote, "With God nothing shall be impossible." And they said it so sincerely and I could see that they truly believed that. That thought was what got me through, knowing Heavenly Father was with me. I loved those missionaries!

(name and ward withheld)

After reading that, (and taking several doses of Ibuprofen for sore muscles) we are ready and excited for our next group to arrive tomorrow. We love this mission.