Stake Summer Fun

First up, girls camp. It was that week that the temperatures really started rising. Although it was only mid June, the 18-22nd, it was already hitting the high 90s. Basically, we were very, very warm all week. The YCLs, youth camp leaders (16 & 17 year olds), got to camp late Monday morning. We were there to help set up camp, but the girls in my ward didn't do a whole lot for a few hours because our tents and boxes weren't getting there until later that evening. By mid afternoon everyone was just trying to survive the heat so we all ended up mingling in the air-conditioned dinning hall for a few hours and helping with small jobs that we could do inside. A few of us ended up taking naps too. Our camping gear was finally brought up so us KC1 girls set up camp.

 

We had pizza for dinner and then went back outside to set up the first activity that we would be presenting when the rest of the girls got there later that night. This activity was about spreading your light. As the girls arrived, about 9pm, a set of YCLs would take a group through a small part of the forest, leading them with only a flashlight while it got progressively lighter as they walked. They reached a pathway lined with nightlights, then tiki torches and finally the opening with light everywhere.

In the morning, the YCLs needed to go get the girls in their group. For our 4th years (I was a 4th year leader) we dressed up as limo drivers and called them out of the dinning hall after bearkfast. It was time to get right on the big project of the, now famous, glowstick dance. Guess what song we did it to this year. Yes the one and only: What Makes You Beautiful. Sorry 1D fans, but I got sick of the song pretty fast.

 With the exception of eating, this task of course took up most of the day. Every year this performance gets bigger & better and we weren't about to disappoint. Somewhere in there we were also able to work on our skit which was preformed after dinner.

After rehearsing a few more times, we began to tape the glow sticks onto everyones dark sweatsuits. As I mentioned before, it was unbearably warm in the first place. Wearing these outfits were completely and utterly uncomfortable even though the sun had set awhile before. It was still worth it.

The third day of camp was all about celebrating 100 years of YW camp.

The big activity of the day was the walkabout. The 4th years were in charge of leading the 1st years on this fun hike. First we gathered everybody to get their faces painted like aboriginal people. Well that was the idea.

Each 1st year was given a walking stick that they were going to decorate along the way. Every few minutes we would stop at a check point and find decorative objects like ribbons, beads and stickers that had been placed along the path to put on the sticks. Each object was a symbol of some gospel topic or principle. 

After lunch we had a culture activity where we listened to some speakers and learned about three different countries. Brazil, Korea and the islands.

 During free time we had a photoshoot. Here are the YCLs.

 4 Years and the YCLs!

 And some friend who were willing to take more pictures with me.

Now it was time to get ready for the birthday party! Yes, we threw a party for YW camp. Our families were even invited. My mom and siblings came (dad had to work). Almost all the YW participated. The story of the first camp was told, there was singing and a whole lot of dancing. The Polynesian girls did a few of their dances, the 4th years did the golwstick dance again, but without the glowsticks this time (lame, I know), the YCLs did an interpretative dance to Call Me Maybe (another song I am sick of, sorry guys!).

The 2nd Years also did an interpretative dance to our theme hymn: You Can Make the Pathway Bright.

Thursday we were in charge of our own lunch by level. We started on that soon after breakfast. The 4th years went all out and prepared a multicultural meal in dutch ovens. Rice, beans, veggies, meat and dessert all prepared from recipes from different countries.

During free time we got a visit from a water slide like last year. After mustering up the energy to walk through the sweltering heat across the field to where it was set up, it was worth it to cool down. I also made an ice candle which was one of the crafts.
Our ward was also privileged to watch this comedy provided by KC3 leaders:

 

 It was ward night now. The bishopric and other ward leaders came and ate dinner with us. Each ward had been assigned a country and was supposed to make a dish from that country to contribute to the dinner. We were Norway so we provided Norwegian "reindeer" stew and apple strudel. This is a picture of the lemonade booth. There were different flavors to choose from that you squirted into the lemonade. 

After dinner we had our entertainment of the night. A dance off between the FP & KC3 leaders. It was one of my top favorite parts of camp this year.

I passed off the theme hymn and signed my name on the sheet.

Now it was time for the spiritual part. Bishop gave us a little devotional about shining our light after which was testimony meeting. All the wards set up their chairs in the big field and watched a little skit about Joseph Smith and the 3rd Years sung their song "Testimony" that they had written. Although I didn't get a video of them right then, here is a recording someone else took earlier that day.

I was just getting semi used to the heat when the next morning we packed up and left after breakfast. Hello air conditioning!

 

And then there was Youth Conference. It was only one day this year, which made me sad. But after the temple celebration, the leaders were plumb tuckered out so they didn't have as much time to work on it.

  

The day began with games with the longest lasting one being jump rope. We were then split into groups and put onto school bus. Each group was sent to a different rest home where we talked and listened to the people who lived there. At the very end we went to the dinning room and sang a few songs. When we got back to the stake center, we ate lunch and then went to a few classes. I chose to go to a dating panel, a life decisions panel and career choices. The last class that everyone went to was about the temple. Then it was dinner time, which went faster than expected so there was some much needed down time to rest.

 

Marta, our Spanish foreign exchange student, along with two other Spanish students who were there, quickly made friends with some other girls who speak Spanish.

 

  

While waiting for the dance to to start, a long game of limbo was played. The dance was really fun with two other stakes, Warrensburg and Olathe.