Especially For You: Camp Hinckley "Route 66" 2008

Well, Jacob and Daddy left this morning for scout camp or whatever it's called. So now I have time to post about Girls Camp. But first...I finished Breaking Dawn at 5:07. It was great. The plot is great, Bella is great, Edward is great. Everything about it is great!

Monday: Kay, camp. Right. So I got to my YW President's house at about 10:30 last monday morning. We left an hour later as soon as the other camp goers arrived. The YW president's daughter is my age as were the other girls. We were all first year counselors. So we reached Running Springs at 1 pm and we met other friends and had pizza for lunch. We arrived at Camp Hinckley at 2 pm. My co-counselors and I had the brand new cabin since it was closest to the lodge because one of my co-counselors is in a wheelchair. So since our cabin was Missouri we decorated it like the Garden of Eden, because it's been said that's where it it. The cabin looked great, there will be pictures. At night, me and two friends (also counselors in my cain) Erika and Bonnie, did Aerobics. Haha, we made up our own routine.

Tuesday morning we woke up and got ready for our day. We had a meeting at 10:30. Staff meeting and what-not (is what not two words?). Well, as me and my friend Erika were leaving the lodge, Sister Dawna Marks, the Stake YW President got the call. We had five minutes until the bus arrived with the campers. So me and Erika raced to our large, beautiful, and new cabin and hurriedly got ready. I straightened my hair in record time, let me tell ya. So then we raced to the lodge as campers got off the bus and we found our ward. Ontario splits cabin's by Ward. So we did Camp deidcation and went to our cabins to settle in. We went to lunch and then went to take our camp picture which came out really great! So after that we had a guest speaker. Sister Dobler. Bishop Dobler from the Mountain View ward. She spoke about getting across the waters while keeping safe from crocidiles. Afterwards, we all met outside of the lodge to learn some form of line dancing which the girls loved and did all week. Ha, so we had dinner, campfire, and headed to our cabins.

Wednesday was about the same until after lunch, which was certification. I mean certiFUNcation. After that Sister Allen and I sat and wrote letter's to our girls. Then we had lunch, grabbed our notes from the cabin and returned for the next guest speaker. Her name was Sister Christiansen and she spoke about going to our Heavenly Father for help; for even small problems. After that, we had free time, and a camo choir anyone could join; about 20 of us. So we sang "I Walk By Faith" and "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God". Then Bonnie and I headed for the craft cabin, and stayed there the whole time. I made bracelts, and a shrinky-dink charm bracelet. The night before I had received three letters; Grandma, Daddy, and the hubby Jesse Tuttle. So I made a bracelet with Jesse's name. Ha! So then we had mail, dinner, and KP. Yuck, we had to clean up dinner! So during KP, campers went to their cabins and Counselors stayed to practice for our skit that night. It was a hilarious skit that involved ring insurance, a drive-thru wedding reception, and a large Mormon/Tongan family. So we practiced, went to our cabins, and left for the ampitheatre. Each level of authority had their own skit; Staff, C.A.'s, Jr. Staff, Counselor's and SIS's (fourth years). Then it was bedtime!

Thursday was the same up until the guest speaker. Her name was Sister Anderson and she had Word Bingo for us. SHe spoke about "Happily Ever After's", "Pea's, Potholes, and Pebbles" and something else. Oh, good traveling companions. So then we had free time. Which I spent in the craft cabin again. So after that we had a Pinewood Derby, and only one of my campers worked on the car. So I didnt make her wash dishes the night before when we had KP. Missouri lost the derby, and it was sad. So after that was flag and mail then dinner. Campfire was Cabin skits and they were all funny! During that though, my friend Sara--who is in the wheelchair--was taken away for reasons unknown at the time. After skits, Connie Hendrickson from the Stake Relief Society presidency spoke to us about basically everything. Afterwards, we were led down to the empty basketball court. We started singing Hymns and each year was called; first years, seond years and so on. It finally reached counselors and we were the last ones. During the singing, we could hear loud yells, shouting, and laughing. We were led to the beginning of a trail that went right past our cabin, and I knew the path led to the ampitheatre. We were told to get into three lines; I was in front. Blindfolds were tied over our eyes and we had to hold onto the shoulders of the girl in front of us. I was freaking out! I though we were going to walk blindly by the Spirit in the dark. So finally we were led by my hand, like three steps. THen we stopped and I was seperated from the group. I was led to a pole, andmy hand was placed on a rope. My leader nudged me along, and said to remember what my leaders and parents have taught me. I walked. It was the Iron Rod. When I realized it, I was overwhelmed and I wanted to cry, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Oh gosh, I'm getting emotional as I write this. Hmm, along the way, there were many people discouraging me, and many encouraging me. Some quoted general authorities and others tempted us. I made it to where I had previously heard the laughing and screaming. Someone took off my blindfold and I saw the "great and spacious building" and many people were standing in the path, tempting me with pornography, brownies, and the party. All I had to do was let go of the Rod. I laughed at the tempters. My friend Sara in the wheelchair was tempting us with the brownies. But it was afterward that I found out the brownies had two tablespoons of salt in them. Yuck!

The experience was amazing. The Spirit was so strong it hurt. I felt like I couldnt breathe through the whole thing. And when I reached the ampitheatre, there stood the Tree of Life. White lights wove around the branches and down and around it, making it bright as can be. It lit up the entire camp. It did. I felt my breath hitch and realized how lucky we all are in the gospel. Nephi and Lehi were so faithful that they did whatever they could to sway Laman and Lemuel in the right direction. It hurt poor Lehi to watch his sons' turn from the Lord like that.So I walked down the steps to the ampitheatre and there were all the girls who had gone ahead of me. They sat singing Hymns, like the faithful Daughters of God that they are. The Spirit was so strong, half of us were crying softly, and some were sobbing their eyes dry. I looked for my two "Miller sisters"--Caitling and Courtney Miller--and found them bawling their little hearts out. As the hymn changed to "Families Can Be Together Forever" I started to cry myself. It went on for maybe twenty more minutes. President Chase came out and spoke to us about Lehi's dream and the Rod. How it leads us to our Father in Heaven.

Friday was the almsot the same. Flag, breakfast, scripture study, meetings. Then our guest speakers were Brother and Sister Trask who returned home from a three year mission in the Phillipines. They spoke about feeling the Spirit and "Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance". Brother Trask spoke about the Prohet, reminded us who we are, righteous obedience, and standing tall. He played a clip of a talk of Gordon B. Hinckley's. He had talked about the saints who were on their way to Utah, and had to bear the unbearable winter weather. President Young sent men to search for the saints and bring them home. The saints were rescued and they headed back to Utah, many still dying. When they reached the icy river, they felt all hope was lost. They would never make it. But three very brave 18 year-old boys didn't lose their faith or hope. THey entered the icy water and carried the Saitnts across. They carried all of the handcart company across. I couldn't help but cry, the Spirit was with us as we listened to President Hinckleys voice, repeating the story. Lunch was next, and then certiFUNcation. I was a bad counselor during certification because I ditched my co-counselors and campers and hung out with Jr. Staff during certification. Ha, but I wrote them all letters! Then we started free time early because certification ended early. I bought lots of snacks from the camp store, and me and my closest friends ate in my cabin and we all did our hair for SIS names/graduation. I curled my hair in record time (picture below on stairs that lead to nowhere). Then we went to SIS names, and sang and cheered for all the "new counselors". Dinner was after with our Bishops. That night was the loudest with all the singing! Then Bishop devotionals/chats and a bathroom break. Testimony meeting was after and it was very good. And in all the history of my years at Girls Camp, never has Tesimony meeting ended THIRTY minutes early. It was a little disappointing, but when you're ready to bear it will be in your own time. Then we had devotionals and lights out (for those who acutally followed the rules!). Our C.A.'s were carzy and turned out the lights at 12:30. So me and the two remaining counselors, and two remaining campers, hung out in our large, spacious bathroom. I stayed up till 3:30, the campers till 4:30, and the counselors till 5:30. We all tattooed our feet pretty badly.

Time for pictures!

Cabin 101