Camp Ruth

My sister Kim had a picture of Ruth, but it wasn't a very good one, so she asked if I could help her re create it for Camp Ruth. It turned out pretty good.  We used this at camp and Kim made some beautiful frames to put them in for gifts.

I had a great time at Camp and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to go. I was asked to talk in church about it today along with 3 of the Young Women from our ward. We had 9 girls from our ward who went to camp. I was the last to speak so I had to try and wrap my talk up into a shorter version. I had so much to say about camp, so it was kind hard to pick and choose what to talk about. So, here is somewhat a version of my talk and experience at Camp Ruth.

{First day journal of Camp Ruth}

Like a tree that has fallen because its foundation was weak & couldn’t carry the heavy snow, we need to have a strong foundation in order to stand the temptations & burdens that come our way. We not only need to pray, go to church, choose the right, read the scriptures, but really participate in the gospel, study the teachings, be examples. Build a strong foundation for ourselves, a strong foundation with the Savior as our Rock. He really knows us each by name. He knows who we are, we need to know him & if we do & if we build that strong foundation we cannot fall. We cannot fail no matter what may come our way.

We talked a lot about “Our foundation.” Our Foundation is something you add to & build upon. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is Our Foundation, where our foundation should begin. A main Reason for Camp Ruth is to help each girl gain a firm foundation and to be able to choose the right path for them.

Like we learned and memorized in Helaman 5:12.

To Earn our Big R reward we memorized Helaman 5:12, The 13th Article of Faith, As Sisters in Zion and Read & Studied the Intro to the Book of Mormon, Testimony of Joseph Smith, Testimony of the 3 witnesses & 8 witnesses, The Book of Ruth, Relief Society Theme, The Family Proclamation, The living Christ & committed to saying our prayers morning and night, reading scriptures daily & bearing our testimony at camp Ruth. As I read and pondered & memorized each of these things, I knew that they were true, I believed each of the teachings before hand, but the spirit was so strong and I learned something knew from each of them again. It had been a while since I read the testimony of Joseph Smith and the witnesses and as I was reading them I got the strongest feeling and I could picture it all happening and I knew without any doubt at all that it was true and that the Book of Mormon is true and was meant for us. I know Joseph Smith was a true Prophet and restored the church on the earth.

I was already going to camp as the Laurel Leader from our ward and then I got asked by the Stake to be in charge of all the music for the entire stay at camp and I also did a GAP Session on the importance of music and how it can bless our lives. Gap stands for "Girls Along the Path" for those who don’t know and there were many other different session and activities besides mine on music. There were others on of course Gaining a Firm Foundation, Becoming closer to Heavenly Father through Prayer, Scripture Study, The Priesthood, Dating & Marriage for Eternity(which was one of the favorites of the girls, Who I Am, Journaling… and much more. We talked about how we can apply each of the things we learned into our everyday lives. We also had our own little group devotionals morning and night and it was so fun to get to know some of the girls in our stake even better. We have some amazing girls in our stake and in our ward.

We really got to ponder what our Divine roles as woman are through studying “As Sisters in Zion”, the book of Ruth, the Relief Society Theme and the Family Proclamation. A few things I wrote down about Ruth is that she was Loyal, compassionate, unselfish, obedient, strong, a true friend, faithful, humble, an example, she had perseverance, devoted, loving, courageous, grateful, committed, truly converted and I want to strive to be more like that in my life.

All the leaders and girls were asked to fast the first 24 hours before they arrived at camp and I really think that set the mood for the whole time. The spirit was SO strong and there was no fighting, drama or anything and there were about 85 girls all together in one cabin so that was amazing! :) We not only felt the spirit so strong but we learned so much and had a lot of fun and laughs with the different activities & staying up late laughing and playing games, including the dating game & charades....so fun!

It was fun and awesome to see the girls helping each over a tall rope without touching it, showing that we never had to do anything alone, we have our friends, our family, our ward leaders and Bishop and Heavenly Father constantly with us, we have help along the way. Another fun activity was an object lesson to show that we can’t use 7 days worth of tooth paste all at once, in one brushing or use a big pipe as a straw. A regular straw is best, exactly like how we need small and steady constant doses of scripture steady in our lives. I think all of us who went to camp can have a great reminder & image in our mind of “I brushed my teeth today, have a read my scriptures?” haha

 I think the highlight for everybody was the Iron Rod and Testimony meeting. It was a bit different for us as leaders than it was for the girls. Just watching all the girls and especially the girls in our ward just stand in the darkness or wander in the darkness, hoping they would listen to the spirit and find the rod and hold on until the end. It all became so real and how our lives really are and how Heavenly Father must be looking down on us, wanting us to do our best, wanting us to choose the right, wanting us to hold to the rod. It was the most spiritual, amazing and gut wrenching experience. I bawled, sobbed as I think all us leaders were as we tried to help, but there wasn’t much we could do, we were told to just make sure they didn’t fall badly and hurt themselves and if they were to get so lost and scared and not know what to do we were to say quietly “listen to the spirit” and we hoped they could hear the very faint music playing or the prophets voice speaking. As they got closer to the end it got louder, but at first it was very faint and hard to hear. They had to wander blindfolded, stumbling over big logs and trees and bushes until hopefully they found the rod. It was amazing to see the bishops breaking branches so the girls could make it and it was very hard as a leader to not do more, as we watched the tears roll down their faces, and we had the tears rolling down ours, to not be able to take there hand and lead them to the rod, to not speak and tell them which way to go, we were there to help them in every way we possibly could, but ultimately it was up to them. We helped where we could with all the girls in the stake and as I watched the girls in our ward come down with the blind fold on and not know where to go I cried even harder. I felt so protective of them & I stayed by them the whole way through & prayed that they would follow and listen to the spirit and when they came to a cross roads in the rope we all stood there hoping they would make the right choice and we watched how one paved the path for the rest, the ones following her didn’t even know there were two ways. After wards some of the girls talked about how it must have been how it was in the pre-existence. How they were waiting and excited to start the rod experience and how they must have been so happy in heaven, waiting for their turn. But, when they put the blind folds on they became scared and hoped they could make it to the end. It was such an amazing and emotional experience and a great site to see when the girls made it to the end and their parents or leaders were waiting there for them and they all hugged and cried. It’s an experience I will never forget.

(Our ward- Mesquite 4th)

 Each Young Women President led them down the mountain and then had to let them go on their own in the "darkness." 

 trying to move trees for them :)

 finding the Rod- now the long journey to the end

 They made it!

 Lots of hugs and tears for all

It was almost scary to me to come back home, back to the real world, After feeling the spirit so strongly for days, I imagine it's maybe almost like a missionary feels, the real world, the TV, computer, everything around me seemed weird for a little bit. And I just hoped that I could keep feeling the spirit so strongly and remember everything that I learned there. I LOVED the bonds that I created with some of the girls there and some of the leaders. I love the girls so much, I admire their knowledge and testimonies they have & they are such examples to me.

So happy we earned our "Big R"

Some of the girls during my GAP session, having a little fun with music

The whole group

My fun little group of girls

Stake YW leaders who work so hard for the girls

I learned so much more at camp and I’m so grateful for the opportunity I had to go. I will be so lucky if I get the chance to go again. It really is a life changing experience for both the girls and leaders who get to go.

Out they Come!

Ashlyn had her tonsils & adenoids out June 8th. She missed the last day and a half of school :( sad but it had to get done, and this was about the only time we could do it without waiting clear until July when I get mine done...BOO! So, we got there bright and early at 6:45 am and she was ready. Ready to breath good!

 All ready to go back into surgery

 Surgery went well, it lasted about 30 minutes exactly.  Dr. Jones said that her tonsils were HUGE and growing back into the muscle and so he had to dig them out...OUCH! Her adenoids were also HUGE and blocking off about 75% of her airway. We are so happy to get those out!  She wasn't too happy right here, she was puking and not doing too well. :(

 We stayed in the Hospital until about Noon and then she got released to go home.

Finally could eat a popsicle and hold it down and put a smile on her face long enough to get home.

Ashlyn didn't eat much for about a week, but we are so happy & thankful for those that brought her lots of popcicles and icecream.  She lost some weight and was a sad Ashlyn for a while.  It was very tough!! She was in a lot of pain and thankfully she was starting to get somewhat better before mom had to leave to Camp Ruth a week after her surgery.  Day 10 she was hurting again, but now sweet Ashlyn is back and feeling a ton better! Yay! She can breath and it was all worth it. Now she is getting on the drops to control her allergies better.  But, she is breathing so much better and sleeping better and for that we are thankful!! Now for my turn coming up next :( I'm not looking forward to July 13th and the weeks to follow. Wish me Luck...haha!