Having a broken foot is really lame.

Here's the update on the foot: Went back to the doctor on Tuesday; he was impressed that I had actually stayed off of it as asked; he poked around at the sore spot but it wasn't so bad; took an x-ray and it was still similar to before but since it didn't hurt he said it was healing; he said to start putting weight on it and within the week should be done with crutches; keep the gorgeous shoe on 24/7 for another couple of weeks; then come back. Great, huh?

Actually, I did just fine at girls camp by spending 90% of the time in a wheelchair spinning around the dining hall. (The wheelchair is an old one that usually sits in the coat closet in the Elgin building.) I had an assignment in which that was a good spot to be so it worked out for me. I got pretty good with the crutches after going back and forth from the cabin a couple of hundred feet away.

At camp we had mice, lice, and froggies. Dad's comment about that: If we had stayed there any long we would have had all 10 plagues! Funny.

Actually it was a wonderful camp. I think our young women had quite a few opportunities to exercise faith and feel the Spirit, because it was there. Our main purpose was to help them go home with a better understanding and appreciation of what it means to be a precious daughter of Heavenly Father. And to look at others and realize that they are His children, too.

When it was pouring rain on Tuesday night we asked them to pray that it might clear up so they could accomplish what they needed to. So we woke up to beautiful weather from then on.

We had an awesome first aid drill in which the certification leader put the girls into groups with a mix from every level. That way there should have been someone in each group who had studied the needed first aid during the week. Then, by following compass points, they went to where 3 victims were. Unfortunately two of the unconscious victims (including my 1st counselor) perished before the girls figured out how to help them. The young camp leaders were totally amazing actresses, screaming, moaning. One girl with just a poison ivy problem (and red make-up all along her legs) was hollering her head off, distracting the others from taking care of the victim that really needed it. It was great.

On Monday afternoon after our arrival I had each girl make a little clay oil lamp. Then on Thursday night for the program the YCLs were dressed as the 10 Virgins from the parable. They were stationed in 10 spots around the camp and the girls went around to hear their stories. Five had made good choices and projected a strong, righteous countenance. The other five told of their choices and how that affected the way they felt about themselves and about their future. Then they came back to the main campfire and stood in a line in front of it holding their lit (with a battery candle) lamps held in front of them. I tell you, it was an absolutely stunning, amazing sight. Then while they sang a beautiful song, the other lit lamps were distributed to the other girls and they went with their bishops to have a little discussion with them at various locations.

Then the next morning, our testimony meeting started at 6:45am. It was in an outside amphiteater across from a beautiful half-circle shaped grove with a grassy area in front of it. It was incredibly beautiful as the mist cleared and the sun moved. One of the girls commented that it must have looked like that in the Sacred Grove. Several told of how powerfully they felt the Spirit as they spoke. It was all the more sacred of an occasion because one of our YCLs was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in June. But it didn't turn into a sobfest for her but rather a wonderful, spiritual feast.

After the testimony meeting they divided out for a solo time for about 45 minutes. I had prepared a solo booklet for them (especially for those who didn't bring scriptures or didn't know what to do with them if they did), but we had asked the parents to write a letter to their daughter to read during the solo time. We suggested they tell their daughter how much she means to them, how grateful they are that she was born into their family, and some of the hopes and dreams they have for her. We had 4 non-member girls there whose parents also wrote a letter to their daughters. I had a wonderful experience being near the Level 1 girls, many away from home for the first time, weeping over the sweet words of their parents speaking to them from home.

It was an exceptional year in which we knew from our first meeting that we were on the right track. We've had many setbacks, quite challenging in spots, that only told me that Satan didn't want us to carry out what we had in mind and it made me all the more determined to go forward. There were many miracles, large and small, throughout and I know that the Lord's hand carried us through right to the end. It was a great privilege to be a part of such special experience.

Can't wait until next year! SH