Day 1
I don’t know if I’ve ever been so
ready to go to the mountains for a few days.
I’ve got my girl’s camp baseball hat on, my sack lunch in my back pack
and I’m excited. I love riding to
Cinnamon Creek with Cindy. This is our
fourth girl’s camp together. We chat along the way and listen to the rumble of
the trailer hitched up behind us. As we
come up on the extraordinary blue vista of Porcupine Reservoir, it makes me
chuckle to think of the first time I came to Cinnamon Creek three years
ago. “Wait a minute, when did all of
this water get here?” I had asked, confounded that I had been living not even
an hour away from this oasis for 10 years and been totally unaware of its existence. Eventually we pull into Cinnamon Creek
campgrounds and it feels good to be back.
The next little while is devoted to unloading the trailer and pitching
tents. There is always something fun
about the smell of a tent that I associate with having a good time. Cindy and Louise are my tent buddies this
year, and when Shelly gets here, I imagine she’ll be joining us. Michelle, who gets my vote as the greatest
camp director of all time, gives us an orientation and I am glad I didn’t know
much about the day to day activities scheduled this year because it is fun to
be surprised. The theme this year is
pirates. We are “treasure-seekers.” Michelle has brought with her four pairs of
wooden stilts, and right away the girls are delighted by this fun novelty. Stilt competitions between girls and leaders
alike start happening and I know the clap of wood against the concrete floor of
the pavilion is something I will hear a lot in the next four days.
Early in the evening we have our
photo shoot. We take a picture of all of
us together and then divide into classes.
This is my first year belonging to a class as earlier in the year I was
released as the secretary in the presidency and called as the Mia Maid
advisor. I love posing with all the Mia
Maids and then laughing as we take our “silly” picture. Later that evening is our dutch oven
bake-off. One of the things I love so
much about our girl’s camps is the fact that we have so many traditions we do
every year: the dutch-oven bake-off, the ugly pants contest, Dan’s homemade
bread for a snack, and many others. I
love all of our fun traditions. Cindy
and I are in charge of the bake-off again this year and the teams are Beehives,
Mia Maids, Laurels, and leaders. It is
fun to watch as everyone joins in to prepare their creation. Even those girls who are sometimes reluctant participants
eventually join in the fun. The dutch
ovens go on the fire and there is a scripture scavenger hunt to pass the
time. Eventually the treats are done,
and everyone is to vote on which dessert they like the best. Cindy and I count the votes as the dishes are
cleared away, and I make a joke that people are going to think we stacked the
votes because the Mia Maids win by a landslide with their “extreme brownie.” Later
on, Takiah and Destinee, two of our Girl Scouts lead us all in songs around the
camp fire. Some of the cute songs I’ve
never heard before, some melodies come quickly back from the girl’s camps of my
childhood. I love watching the two
sisters together. It is Destinee’s first
girl’s camp and likely Takiah’s last. I miss McKayla, the third Nish sister who
graduated last year. It is clear
Destinee will bring the same steadiness and leadership that her older sisters
have graced us with.
Eventually the stars come out, the
evening gets chilly, and it is time for bed.
As Cindy, Louise and I all settle down in our sleeping bags, we hear
ripples of giggles as well as the ripples of the water of the creek. I smile at it all and close my eyes to go to
sleep. But…sleep will not come. That is my girl’s camp curse. I don’t sleep
well at night. It’s not really that I’m
cold or uncomfortable, I just can’t sleep.
I drift off for a while but not very deeply and for the majority of the
night I am staring at the moon-shadows on the wall of the tent. Melatonin has no effect. A soothing audio book has no effect. Even prayers for rest have no effect. Eventually I look up towards the sky and pray
for something else. “Is there something that you need to tell me?” I ask. “If there is, I’m listening.” The next thing I remember is waking up and at
last seeing morning light.
Day 2
It’s hike day, up to the old mine, and I’m
a little nervous. Hiking up hill has never
been really easy for me, and after a second bout of pleurisy this year, I’m
really not sure if I’ll be able to do this but I want to try. I stand at the head of the trail and in my heart
I hear the whisper of the Spirit. “Just take it slow.” And so I do.
There have been so many times in
my life when I have been told by people with frustrated and impatient eyes that
I am too slow and that has always hurt a little. Because of that I’ve always tried to go at a
quicker pace, to never be the last one in the group. But these girls have healed so much of the hurt
inside of me and I feel the freedom of just going at my own pace. There are so many sounds of birds and buzzing
insects. There are so many big and
beautiful pine trees to delight my Oregonian heart. I love walking with my friends. Cindy turns and offers me a steadying hand as
we climb a high bank or walk across the stream.
I make it to the mine just fine and sit at the bench at the top feeling
strengthened. I enjoy hearing the girls’ tales as they climb out of the mine
after having gone exploring. Not for me, but I enjoy living vicariously through
them. On the way down, I chat with
Julie, another leader who is also taking it slow because of her knee. I love talking with her.
Just before lunch Amy arrives,
wearing her traditional cowboy girl’s camp hat. I’m so
glad she’s here. It’s not the same
without her. Lunch also marks the start of the Ugly Pants
contest and girls are immerging from their tents wearing the most hideous DI pants
they could find. But the star of the day is Melissa who struts her stuff
wearing a rainbow-colored jumpsuit she (wait for it) crocheted herself. The afternoon is almost unbearably hot, but Michelle
has a duck race planned. The girls
decorate rubber duckies with sharpies and then race them in the creek. Julie the master craftsman also has us
decorating wooden treasure boxes. Later on it’s time for the afternoon snack,
Dan’s freshly baked artisan bread. The air smells so good. There is homemade raspberry jam as well as
bowls of balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil for the savory breads. It is so good having Dan here as our camp
chef. Last year he said he was going to “retire”
and I’m so grateful he decided to come one more year. I’m glad Eric is here
again this year too. Mike Howle came up
today too with his funny jokes and big hearty laugh.
Tonight is our pirate pageant and
the girls are all doing a talent, a pirate walk, and answering a question. It is so delightful to watch them. I marvel at their talent. I laugh at their cleverness. Our three newest Beehives sing a sweet trio
of “True Colors.” Lizzie does a fabulous dance.
Kennedy limbos under her sister’s arm.
But London brings the crowd to their feet as she walks up to the stage
in a Napoleon Dynamite costume and wig and proceeds to (with a completely
straight face) do the Napoleon Dynamite dance.
Every four or five girls, there is “commercial” provided by the
leaders. It is great fun to watch and
participate as my friends act out the little skits I wrote weeks ago. It is hard to pick between the Star Wars and
the Geico commercial as my favorite. As we
walk back to camp, I see that Shelly has come, bringing with her ice and all of
her wonderful Shellyness.
Later on, we gather at the campfire and
I teach the girls how to play “In the Manner of the Adverb.” I love watching the fun as they catch on. I love seeing the smiles on their faces and
hearing the giggles. Shelby and Annika
surprise me as they are excellent little actresses. We play round after round, stopping to make s’mores
and roast starbursts. Sweet Ashley has
made everyone a purple beaded bracelet to remind of us of integrity as a pillow
gift. As we settle in again, this time
with Shelly in our tent, I once again realize it is going to be a long
night. There are a lot of things on my
mind, things I wanted to leave at home but won’t stay there. Somewhere around 2:00, Shelly and Cindy get up
to walk to the bathroom and I go with them.
The moon is shining so brightly, we almost don’t need Cindy’s lantern. As we walk I think about how grateful I am
for these two and how they steady me in my life. Louise joins us soon and we
all giggle as the suggestion is made that when we get back to the tent we
should talk and laugh for a while and keep the girls up for a change.
Day 3
Tracy comes in the morning and it
makes me smile to hear her laughter ring out as she hears stories from the
week. I sure do love my president. After breakfast there is certification with a
matching game and a knot tying class using Twizzlers pull-apart licorice. (Did
I mention we have the best camp directors ever?) Then it’s over to the field for a pirate obstacle
course, put together by Shelly and Melissa, or as they are affectionately
known, “The Morties.” These two Beehive leaders are extraordinary on their own,
but together…they are superheroes. We are all back at the pavilion later on and
there is a card game and a game of Telestrations going. Some girls are coloring and of course the
stilts are in use. I look up from my
coloring page to see that our dear Michelle is in tears. She has been going to check her phone every
day and today she got word that her sister-in-law had passed away from
cancer. It is an expected passing, but
none-the-less hard. Michelle is the
picture of grace as she explains to all of the leaders what is supposed to
happen next and then says a tearful goodbye to the girls. It is hard to see her go, but we are all so
grateful for this wonderful gift she’s given us of so many beautiful and
precious memories this week.
We have a service project in the
afternoon, taking deadwood down off of a hill and to a place where it can be
used for fires. The girls are troopers
and I am so proud. There is no need to
tell these girls that they can do hard things.
They simply do them. The
sweltering afternoon heat bears down during afternoon free time. I use a washcloth with some ice wrapped up
inside for relief until Cindy takes me down to the creek for a while to stick our
feet in the water. Oh my, that feels
good. I find balm in both the water and the
company as we sit and talk for a good half-hour. Later
on it is time for another one of my favorite traditions, the letters from home
and the personal scripture time. This
year the girls receive a “message in a bottle,” a painted black bottle with
their name in gold letters and their letter wrapped up inside. I decide to take advantage of the quiet time
and do a little scripture reading of my own.
I am unzipping the tent when a fragment of scripture suddenly comes to
my mind. My prayer a few nights ago
comes back to me and I know that this is no random thought. I know I am receiving communication from
God. I take my scriptures and find a quiet
place. I know where the scripture in my
heart right now comes from and I turn there.
As I do, I read the scriptures ahead of it and I am amazed. I hope I never stop being amazed at this
miraculous process, no matter how many times it happens in my life. The entire passage is a direct answer to the
prayer I have been pleading for weeks. As
I sit there I am filled with light, clarity, and strength. I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
Marty and Bonnie Reeder, our guest
speakers arrive in time for dinner, along with the bishop and his wife and
Brother Miskin and his wife Joyce. Joyce is my mom’s best friend in the ward
and she has a delivery for me. My own
sweet mom has written me a treasured letter from home and I steal away for a
few minutes to read her letter on my own.
Unfortunately I miss Bonnie and
Marty’s talk because one of the girls isn’t feeling well but we make it back just
as Marty is tearfully telling the end of his story of a time when he faced
danger while sailing. I watch the girls’
faces as he bears testimony of Christ being an anchor in our lives. I hear that God used the sky as a visual aid
as Marty was telling his story. I wish I
could have seen that. We all go back to
pavilion for wonderful dutch oven cobblers, one of the best camping comfort
foods ever. The cold and sweet vanilla
ice cream is wonderfully delicious as it melts against the crispy buttery
topping and the warm fruit. We head to
gather at the fire and play a few more rounds of “In the Manner of the Adverb”
I love seeing the smiles. I love seeing
the friendships.
Tracy starts off testimony meeting
with an inspiring testimony as usual.
The world is still as we listen to the fire crackling and the water
rushing. The sisterhood between us all,
girl and leader alike runs deep as we get up and share our stories. One girl shares about how she misses her
older sister, who died when she was young, and when she sees a pair of sisters
up here together it makes her sad. But
when she sees the type of butterfly up here her sister loved, she knows that
her sister is indeed with her. Another speaks of depression struggles she’s
been having and the peace she’s found.
Another talks about how she asked herself at the beginning of the year
if she was going to church for herself or for her parents and she realized she
was going for her parents but would continue to go. Now she says she knows she goes for herself. Girl after beloved girl, story after story, I
don’t want it to end. It is extraordinary
to me as I watch and listen to the beautiful youth leaders who have grown so
much and give so much leadership to the younger girls. Wasn’t it just last year that they were first
years themselves? One day little Lizzie, Annika and Destinee will be the youth
leaders giving treasured words of wisdom. And…how is it possible that it was so long ago
that I was once one of these girls, crying with my friends as we all felt the
Spirit together? But that is the great beautiful circle of Young Women. There will always be a little piece of my
beloved Young Women leaders in me and there will always be a little piece of me
in my girls. One day, some of them will
be sitting around a campfire, filled with a love of God and their girls. And so the legacy goes on and on and on. After testimony meeting is completed, there
comes the part that I love almost as much.
Everyone hugs each other as we say goodnight. My mother heart that longs to give affection is
very happy as I hold the girls close and feel the blessed feeling of
daughter-like love. I think sleep will
come a little easier tonight. And it
indeed does.
Day 4
It is hard to say goodbye. After breakfast we have the fun of awards and the secret sister reveal. Thanks to cute little Kennedy, my secret sister, I now have a new love of cocoa butter lotion. Then it is down to the business of packing up and breaking camp. Again the girls are troopers as bathrooms are cleaned, tents are taken down and bags are brought back down to the trailer. I’m grateful for the chance to care of the land we’ve been blessed to stay on for a little while. I hope the next group enjoys their stay as much as we have. Soon the cars are loaded and it is time to head out. I am checking on something with another leader as Cindy pulls out, ready to start the caravan. I stick my thumb out to hitch a ride and then climb in. As we pull away and Girl’s Camp 2017 comes to an end, I think about something someone said to me a few weeks ago. They asked if I was still in Young Women and if that was how I got “roped into” going to camp again. They don’t understand. I can’t believe I’ve been so lucky. I can’t believe I’ve been so blessed. I doubt any pirate, real or imagined, could ever find a treasure as precious as mine.
It is hard to say goodbye. After breakfast we have the fun of awards and the secret sister reveal. Thanks to cute little Kennedy, my secret sister, I now have a new love of cocoa butter lotion. Then it is down to the business of packing up and breaking camp. Again the girls are troopers as bathrooms are cleaned, tents are taken down and bags are brought back down to the trailer. I’m grateful for the chance to care of the land we’ve been blessed to stay on for a little while. I hope the next group enjoys their stay as much as we have. Soon the cars are loaded and it is time to head out. I am checking on something with another leader as Cindy pulls out, ready to start the caravan. I stick my thumb out to hitch a ride and then climb in. As we pull away and Girl’s Camp 2017 comes to an end, I think about something someone said to me a few weeks ago. They asked if I was still in Young Women and if that was how I got “roped into” going to camp again. They don’t understand. I can’t believe I’ve been so lucky. I can’t believe I’ve been so blessed. I doubt any pirate, real or imagined, could ever find a treasure as precious as mine.
No comments:
Post a Comment