The Lost Files: Girls Camp (June 15th - 18th)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

I must say that I have never been to Girls Camp like this! It was amazing in so many ways! What was so different:
1- I went as a leader! That was really fun. I got to go to Girls Camp 7 times when I was in Young Womens! I was one of those summer birthdays so I got to go when I was 11 (my birthday was two weeks later) and I got to go the year after I was a senior (because I was still 17!). Oh those girls sure got to know me (that was the main reason that I went) and all of my shenanigans! I think that they had no idea that "Sister Dinger" was so wild and pretty silly. I think that they liked my fake Spanish accent the best.
2- We slept in tents! Not just any tents, the "Ritz" of tents. We slept in these 8'X14'X12' monster tents. They are hunting or sheep herding tents and we didn't even have to set them up! It was amazing how big these things were. These things were at least 12 feet high! I am used to cabins (yes I went to camp at least 4 times in cabins) and adirondacks (these 3 sided bunk bed things with an open front with moss, all kinds of things crawiling everywhere and a fire pit in the middle).
3- It was absolutely FREEZING!!! Why did I even bring deodorant?! I was a Popsicle! My outfit: I wore my understuff (of course!) a tank top, a shirt, and a zipper hoodie on top; and jeans and scrubs on the bottom. Plus my ski coat, socks and tennis shoes. And I was still cold! It rained, it hailed and sometimes the sun showed it's smiling face, but I was plastered to the fire! As long as I was moving a little, I wasn't as aware of how cold I was, but when I took my shoes off at night to get into my sleeping bag...that was a shock! Oh...and the irony...this year's theme: "Rise Above the Storm!" Really?! But of course it turned out to be a good analogy in the end.
4- We had a COOK!!!! What?! And we had the most amazing food! Yeah, I am not joking...there was not one foil dinner or roasted wienie in our camp...huh, uh! There was Spaghetti and Meatballs with Caesar Salad, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, Omelets, Orange Chicken with rice and crunchy noodles. I felt like I was at a resort, we were so SPOILED!

The skit dress rehearsal

5- Practiced and beautifully performed skits! Ours, wasn't really a skit, it was a performance. Background: We decided that we were going with an Americana theme and our sub-theme to "Rise Above the Storm" was "Stars and Stripes Above the Storm: Daughtersof Liberty". The author of our skit was worried about what the skit should be about so of course she prayed about it and this skit came to her in a dream. First one of the girls was Pres. Lincoln and started out "Three days and Two night ago...." It was totally creative and of course had the under tone of the Gettysberg address but likened to the girls at camp. Now, imagine behind Lincoln on two sides of a stage the girls are split into 2 groups. On one side there are people behind the American Flag and on the other, girls are behind the Title of Liberty (a flag from the Book of Mormon). Each girl was a performer and on one side there was someone representing America and on the other side, the Book of Mormon. So the pairs were: Christopher Columbus and Lehi, Nephi and family; Thomas Jefferson and Mormon (he compiled and abridged the Book of Mormon); Betsy Ross and Captain Moroni (maker of the Title of Liberty); General George Washington praying over what to do with the troops and Moroni burying the Gold Plates; and Lady Liberty with Angel Moroni. The flag bearers would walk across the stage and one pair would be set up. Then the flag bearers would come back and the next pair would come out... and so on. I mean this thing was amazing! In the background was the song "We are as the Armies of Helaman." At the end the girls sang the chorus of the song: "We are as the armies of Helaman/ We have been taught in our Youth/ and We will be the Lord's missionaries/ To bring the world his truth." I am getting teary eyed just thinking about it. They all end seperated again with the American side saluting the flag and the Book of Mormon side the title of liberty. It was so amazing and really cool for the girls to see that God really is the same today, yesterday and forever. And to see them make connections with the Book of Mormon and history. Can you tell that it was inspired!?
6- One Outfit! You get a camp shirt and pajama bottoms (this year navy blue scrubs with stars on the bummy) and you stay in them the whole time. It's a little tradition I guess. Apparently I wasn't in the "know" because I brought outfits that I didn't need. I stayed in the same outfit practically the whole time! Why change if I am just going to get cold! And apparently that is the attitude of the whole ward.

The Lake

7- There was a beautiful lake (which I will admit I could not convince myself to even get in the canoes and such because it was sooooo COLD). But of course the crazy girls had to get in. I was the photographer.
8- I actually learned how to use a compass! I was the leader for the 3rd year orienteering. They decided this year to not mark the spots that the girls were to go to because apparently in previous years they would cheat, so there was a little bit of frustration when we ended in the wrong spots...but anyway, it was fun.
9- I was mistaken I don't know how many times for a girl and not a leader (come on...I am almost 32 and these girls are between the ages of 12 and 17!!!!) It was a nice compliment (I guess). Or maybe it wasn' a compliment and just a reflection of how I acted... because I acted more like a girl than a leader. Hmmm...maybe I am a little immature. But, I am fun!
10- Decorated Port-O-Potties! The Youth Camp Leaders (YCLs) decorated all of them...ours was definately the best: The Tiki Hut (but my hair always got stuck in the hanging pineapples and tiki heads). I also visited the Princess Pot and the Alison in Wonderland Pot (that one came with mints in a box that said "Eat Me"!). Oh and I must say that I have never been a Port-O-Potty that hasn't stunk, but these smelled good and had hand sanitizer in it!!
What was the same:
1- Great fireside talks
2- Testimony meeting with the girls
3-Cold showers (really that should just be singular. I only took one the whole time!)
4- FUN!
My favorite moments:
1- Playing Werewolf (it's like playing Mafia but with more roles) with the girls around the fire and getting to be the narrator one game and using only my "Spanish" accent. They were in stitches! Ha ha ha! It was pretty dang hilarious!
2- Sitting around the campfire with the leaders really late at night
3- "Goodnight Moon"-The last night I went to bed a little earlier than normal because the weather was finally getting to me...I was told to get the girls to go to sleep. So I walked in and said "You guys need to be quiet of I am going to get in trouble." They of course giggled and thought I was kidding, but I proceeded and they realized I wasn't kidding. Then they asked me to tell them a story. I told them that I only knew really little kid stories by heart like "Goodnight Moon" and "Napping House". They said that they loved those, and so I recited them both. They still were a little awake and they asked me to do "Goodnight Moon" again. You see, when I read it to Tori and Brooke, I get real quiet and whisper the last line "Goonight noises everywhere". There was not a peep after I said that line. They were asleep (or maybe just quiet).
4- Teaching the girls how to make journals out of scrapbook paper and composition notebooks. One of the girls said "Sister Dinger, you are a really good teacher." Warm fuzzies!
All in all, I had a fantastic time. I am sure there is more to tell, but that is all you are going to get. If you are still reading this I am surprised that you lasted even this long! I was really glad have the opportunity to go and to get to know the girls. It really was (I am going to say it again) AMAZING!