Ask

Stepping into my car Monday morning, it was still pitch black outside. The sun had not even began hinting towards rising, and I was already loading up to leave home for Heber Valley Girls Camp. After a somewhat stressful week of work, full of finishing touches before my week away from work, I was down to the wire on girls camp preparations. Craft projects, decor projects, packing, planning all got pushed to the last minute, and I was kind of stressed as I left that morning. 

As I began driving down 6200 South, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something, or that I was anxious or unprepared. I decided to offer up a prayer to Heavenly Father to help me. I prayed that I would feel comfortable and capable as I served as a leader. I prayed that I would have the Spirit to guide my actions all week, and that I would be able to connect with the young women in my care. Lastly, I prayed that I would be able to see these young women as Heavenly Father sees them, and to feel a bit of the love that He has towards them. That prayer instantly brought the Spirit into my little car as I cruised down I-215. 

If you have ever been to Heber Valley camp, you know what a special place it is. It is owned and operated by the Church, and is home to 78 of the sweetest senior missionary couples. I was amazed at the true love that these missionaries had for each other, and each of the young women that visited that camp. They are the perfect examples to these girls. The camp has cabins with space for 12 girls and 4 leaders in each. There are civilized restroom facilities that even provide hot showers, for those that wake up early enough to beat the crowds. The natural flora is stunning, with campsites cut out of the natural forest. Wildflowers bloom on the roadsides, and deer, moose, chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits  are abundant. It truly is the perfect setting for the perfect girls camp. 

The most special piece that is unique to the Heber Valley camp is the undeniable Spirit that abounds there. It is impossible to deny that there is a feeling of peace, unity and love in that camp. And this provided the perfect setting and backdrop for what turned out to be one of the best Girls camps I have ever attended. 

The week was busy, our schedules filled every day with hikes, challenge courses, devotionals,  meals, lakes, crafts, and more. From the get go, our girls were running from place to place, having amazing experiences one after the other. It was exhausting! They were able to attend a devotional given by LDS singer Calee Reed, who really related to our young women. She was cute, funny and extremely talented, and really had a special Spirit that she brought with her to our camp. She spoke about recognizing who we really are when we say we are children of God, and how we need to come to know this for ourselves. 

The theme of our camp was "Ask", which at first I was not entirely sure what to do with. It seemed very broad, and unspecific to me. But, as I came to know our young women better, I knew it was exactly what we needed at this time. The stake provided posters where our girls could write questions that they wanted to know the answers to. One such question was "Why do we have to get married in the Temple?". More on that later. But these questions showed us what our girls needed to know more about, and what we could focus on as leaders. 

On Wednesday, our Stake presidency joined us at camp for a special fireside where they were able to answer those questions and more. At this point, a massive thunderstorm descended on our camp, and we sat, freezing in the pavilion listening to our Stake president. The Spirit was thick as President Farley answered the questions that our young women needed answers to. Several of the girls in our ward had their questions read and answered during the meeting. I was amazed by the vulnerability shown by our awesome young women!

As I mentioned before, I had prayed to see these young women for their divinity and grace that is innate to them. Later on, after I had pondered the theme of "Ask", I prayed that I would be able to be an example or provide answers to some of the questions that our young women had. Well, my prayers were answered! I grew to be very close with every single young woman. I loved listening to their stories, and watching them interact with each other. They served each other, loved each other, and laughed together! The Spirit of love and unity was so strong in our camp, I was moved to tears several times. 

On Thursday, as I walked back to camp after having visited the restrooms, I was walking with a young woman, talking about how the camp had gone. I began talking about how I had been through the temple already, even though I was not getting married. I spoke about temple marriages I had been able to attend and about being sealed in the temple. I shared my personal feelings that I wouldn't miss out on the blessings offered through the sealing for anything! A temporary marriage would not bring the same level of permanence and sanctity that is offered through a temple marriage. As I paused in my ramblings, I turned and looked at this young woman's face as she said "That was my question."

Instantly, the Spirit filled the space between us, and I reached out and hugged her. I saw her then as Heavenly Father sees her. A beautiful daughter to Him, who needed Him to answer her. She had tears in her eyes, and I did too. It was one of the most special moments I have experienced. It was an answer to both of our prayers, simultaneously, and taught us both. I'm so glad that I was able to be of service to her.