The call to be the Young Women's President that I received in April came with a lot of mixed emotions. I really wanted to tell the Bishop he's got to be kidding to think with 4 kids and a job that I have any extra time in my life for such things. Wouldn't it be better to call a stay at home mom for this? But before I could wimp out the Bishop went into a tear jerking spill about this call coming from Heavenly Father and how he would magnify my time, energy and capacities to do it. I also felt an overwhelming understanding about a revelation I had a few months prior. Bart was applying for a new position with All State. I was impatient awaiting their decision and as I was sitting in church contemplating our situation and I got a distinct impression about when he gets this offer are you willing to sacrifice more? It calmed my nerves that he wouldn't get a rejection call but also got me thinking about the big pay raise Bart would be getting and how to best sacrifice more. Well he got the position but the pay was the same. A lateral move was Bart's response. So a little confused about the second part of the revelation, I moved on and didn't think more about it until the Bishop extended the call to me and I instantly felt that the sacrifice part more meant my time. The Lord had a hand in preparing Bart to get this new job to be home in the evening hours to allow me to be gone then.
As I began serving in this calling I was surprised at how much fun I was having. The energy from the girls and sisterhood with the others leaders has been wonderful but I couldn't shake feeling if only this call would have come in like 5 years. Looking through my journal one day I happened across the entry the day I got sealed to Bart. I had forgotten that the sealer told us that as we are faithful in the church callings will come most likely at inopportune times. Once again I felt the Lord answering my question that sacrifice is not always on our time table.
I also felt a little bitter that the call came right before summer with so much preparation with camp. I soon met with the camp leader who gave me great anxiety with her passive I don't know what to do attitude. The just released Young Women's President knowing she was moving at the end of the summer told me she recommended to the Bishop that they call new leaders before camp so they have a chance to bond with the girls. I thought that seemed like a cop out for her. I can humbly now say she was absolutely right. Camp turned out to be just that an amazing way to bond with the girls and leaders and see why each leader I felt inspired to choose was meant to serve with me and the girls.
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| And we're off... |
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| I love all these stinking girls (literally) |
It was stake camp this year and when the church published new camp manuals that took out all the certificates it left us with extra time to just do nothing. It stressed the camp leader out a bit but I think the girls liked the downtime best!
The stake provided an inspiring Faith Walk where the girls moved around to stations to hear about faith promoting stories from the YCL's. They also had a fabulous fireside from a man who went from being an inactive youth to going on a mission to Haiti and there being kidnapped and escaping. I loved when he shared that he later learned that at the exact time he was able to escape the Prophet and Apostles were in the temple ending a fast on he and his companions behalf.
Our stake has a tradition called the singing rock. I'm guessing at some point they all gathered around some rock and sung hymns but it has evolved to a gathering of all the wards on the field and each ward took their turn singing a specially selected piece. Our ward chose "Amazing Grace" and Emily, Erika and Abby accompanied them on Ukuleles.
The annual ward skits is always a treat for the girls to dress up and perform
The stake provided a fun afternoon of games!
The girls practiced some archery
The camp also had a zip line which the girls loved doing. I was so proud of Emily she was the first one up on the zip line with no fear. I've worried that Emily would just be in my shadow as we joined Young Women's on the same day but it's been fun to see her blend in with the other girls so well I hardly saw her and when I did it was surrounded by the girls.
