I have never felt so accomplished, busy, joyful, spiritual, challenged, tired and blissful!
First off, I went skydiving with my sister in Ogden. She was visiting from San Fran and we wanted to do something random. Good thing we didn't tell our dad beforehand. He was kinda upset we went but would've been more mad if we told him beforehand.
Then I did this outdoor camp in Oahu, Hawaii. It's called the Journey Foundation. It's a non-profit organization that sets up camps for teenagers to learn more about themselves and how they can be a leader. This camp in particular gives kids high-adventure activities to learn from and challenge themselves. I was a counselor along with a co-counselor for a group and I did that for two weeks. We went surfing, snorkeling, rock climbing, hiking, etc...
I freaking love those kids. There was a mix from Hawaii, UT and Alaskan Eskimos. So rad! They really challenged themselves! I have so many stories!
Afterwards, I did EFY (Especially for Youth) Hawaii. EFY is an LDS church camp where teenagers can focus on gospel principles while being uplifting with supportive teenagers like themselves and counselors. I was a counselor and for the Hawaii week my co-counselor was Parker. We lucked out with an AMAZING group of kids! I was told you will feel Heavenly Father's love for them.... but from my first meeting with them, I felt the Spirit SO strong I was going to cry just hearing their names! So embarrassing! Our group name was Confess and Forsake, which oddly enough, was the team name I came up with in my interview for EFY. I didn't even have a say in it. The kids came up with it. Some found their testimonies for the first time, others built life long friends, and some felt love they hadn't felt in a while. I smile just thinking about it.
Sadly, I had to leave Hawaii. With one LONGGG flight back to Utah, I came home repacked my suitcase and within 2 hours drove straight down to Provo to start EFY-Provo. Same program as the one in Hawaii.
My first week, I was put with a tri-counselorship. That means We had 2 girl groups and 1 guy group. My co-counselors were Ryan and Heather. An awesome group of kids! We had 3 from England, 2 from the South and the rest a mix. I definitely began to think in a British accent by Wednesday! This group was so fun and my boys called me "Maaaaam! like little children. haha. I love it!
Week 2 of EFY-Provo I had a younger group,the 14-15 year olds. Unfortunately I couldn't be around them as much I would've liked due to being in charge of the Variety Show that week. These kids had a ton of energy and for many it was their first time to EFY. My co-counselor Josh was a fabulous guy to work with because he was so funny with the kids and was always with them. We were "Children of Israel". Although at times they picked on each other, by the end of the week they had trouble leaving and saying goodbye. Some of my girls were SO sweet to some of the boys. I think they came a long way throughout the week.
My 3rd week of EFY- Provo was a fun one! I had a great group of kids and although all the boys teased me.... and all the girls had huge crushes on all of the boy counselors... we got along so well! I had some really powerful spiritual discussions and experiences with my girls especially. I really learned the importance of listening to the promptings of the Spirit that week. Our group was The Inhabitants. My co-counselor was Nate. Nate is so random and funny, the kids really loved him! He was good with knowing when to be serious and when to be funny.
My last and final week of EFY was in Sacramento. I originally did not plan on doing this but a friend of mine convinced me to go. Great decision! I met some of the most amazing kids! The kids in that area seem to be facing a lot of difficulty due to not having a lot of LDS teenage support around them. I met some kids that had amazing stories and were a HUGE strength to me. These kids were in EVERYTHING! They dominated the Variety Show. They were winning all of the game night games. We were obnoxious with our OI OI noises. Plus these kids are still very close now. They have done gospel study over Skype after EFY, they go to church and dances together. It's crazy awesome! Our group was Receive the Light. I had anther tri-counselor group with Aaron and Alicia. Both were really cool people! Alicia was so funny and showed so much love for the kids. Aaron knew his scriptures and doctrine well. We were a great team.
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