Summer Fun!

FYI: this is AJ
OK, so I know it's a little late, but right now I could use a little summer. It's been so cold and rainy! So, what better way to bring some much needed sunshine than to revisit summer break? My summer was divided into three amazing activities: EFY!, Girls' Camp, and Youth Conference.

EFY
I loved EFY. I can't believe I've gone all these years without it. Shantelle and I had planned to room together. They gave us room keys after we checked in and told us how to get to the elevators. The counselors had all made cute name tags for our doors. When we got to the room, the door said Shantelle and Shannon. I was immediately bummed. I thought, what is the point of being at EFY if I can't be with my best friend? Now that I look back on it, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way - not that I don't love you Shantelle. But if I wasn't put in a group where I didn't really know anyone, I wouldn't have made new friends the way I did.

My favorite part of EFY was the classes. Two of my favorites where: "The Pursuit of Happiness" and "Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude." I had a neat experience with the classes one day. I had picked a class to go to, but got confused as to where it was on campus. I ended up in the "wrong" class. I put wrong in quotes because there couldn't have been a better class for me at that time. I knew as soon as the brother began to speak that I was where I was supposed to be. It was pretty cool.

Girls' Camp
Girls' Camp this year was such a neat experience for me. "Treasure It" was our theme. And, of course, my amazing stake young women leaders went all out pirate! They were great! They should have made a movie. There was the perfect mix of fun and games and wonderful spiritual experiences.

On the first day, the youth leaders had the opportunity to help the stake leaders to build camp - literally. We built benches for the fire pit -"the cove." It was a cool representation of what we were doing spiritually - building the camp to be a place where the other girls could learn and grow.

I had the awesome opportunity to work with Sis. Michaelson from Avon. She was so fun! She brought a beautiful piece of music called "The Rose" that we sang on the last night. She also brought 100 kazoos to make a kazoo band. Our wonderful first years - they were our favorites! - made up our kazoo band. They chose the song "It's a Small World" and did an awesome job performing it.

Sis. Pini and Sis. Morgan both gave beautiful devotionals. Sis. Pini's was about not worrying about what others think of you. She read a story about wooden people who gave star stickers to beautiful or talented people and dot stickers to people who weren't "special" in any way. The stickers, dots or stars, would not stick to one person and she said it was because she went an visited Eli (their creator). She reminded us the rest of the week not to let it stick. Sis. Morgan's devotional was about temptation to the youth leaders on night. One thing she said really touched me an has stayed with me since. She told us that when it says in the scriptures that Christ will succor His people, it means that He will run to his people. I loved that.

Youth Conference
Youth Conference was great this year. We did a service project at a Girls' Scout camp. We got to build a bridge and paint cabins and a barn. My group - go orange! - started out on the barn. It was so fun to paint! I love painting and I loved my group. What more could I ask for? We were lucky enough to be the group that finished the bridge. The starting groups spent all their time trying to dig through the hard, clay-like ground for the posts. They had all work and no fun! We got to see the finished product.

I was a little concerned about building a bridge - me being a klutz and all. Putting a saw in my hand didn't sound like a good idea to me. But I managed to make it through the whole thing without even hitting my hand with a hammer, until clean-up. While moving the old boards (with large rusty nails sticking out of them) away from the bridge, I stepped on one. It hurt pretty bad, but more than anything I felt stupid. Who gets injured at a church activity? But I thought, at least it didn't happen at the beginning of the day. That would have been much worse.

One of the coolest parts of Youth Conference for me didn't happen in the middle of the service project or during the testimony meeting - that I missed to get a tetanus shot, drat! The coolest part for me happened at about two in the morning while I stayed up late talking to Allison Houser. We had shared the Auger's house last Youth Conference as well, so we already knew which of their many rooms to choose from. We were both going through a rough time and the more we talked, the more we realized our situations were identical and we were both searching for someone who would understand how we felt. We didn't sleep that night. What was really cool was that I had prayed before Youth Conference that something at Youth Conference would strike me and I would understand why I had to struggle through this trial that seemed impossible to bear. I didn't expect to get my answer while laying in bed with a best friend complaining, but God works in mysterious ways.

I really had the greatest summer I could have asked for. It was jam-packed with spiritual activities and fun. I can only hope that this next summer - my last as a kid! - will be as great.