So this last week I had Girls Camp. Where all the girls of my Church youth group spend a week camping, learning and just having a great time together. We drove all the way from our home to what literally felt like the middle of no place. We stayed at Dance Hall Rock for two nights. No bathroom, no running water, so much dust and sand that I thought I would never wash it all off everything! But most of all an absolutely amazing spirit. It took all day Tuesday to get there because we stopped and did a bunch of little hikes, they were really cool!
At Dance Hall Rock I learned just a little about what the pioneers must have felt like on the trail, but I also learned that you can take in the beauty of the gorgeous red rock and sand and still find happiness even when faced with difficult circumstances, which like the pioneers, we did have. I'll talk more about that in a minute.
The dirt road that we traveled on most of our time between hikes was the bumpiest road I have ever been on. We were surprised the whole car didn't just start falling apart. But we made the most of it. We sang Camp Songs and every other song imaginable during those bumpy hours in the car. But hey, at least it was a car and not a wagon. :D
The second day we hiked down Hole In The Rock. People! They got wagons down that crack in the the rock!!! When we walked to the mouth of the crack I looked down a very, very steep and rocky slit in the canyon down toward the lake below. You could see where the wagons had been and I stood there in awe. My mouth hanging open and tears welling up in my eyes. These people were so dedicated.
We proceeded to climb down very carefully. We have a special needs girl in my Laurels class, she was slow. I and the rest of my class helped her down and then back up every step of the way. As we did with every other hike. I learned the power of service and giving it all you have. Not losing your patience just because someone can't do something you can. And constantly praying that we would all make it down and back up okay. But we all did it! Just like the pioneers.
Thursday was one of the most challenging and life changing days of my life. We set off to hike some slot canyons. We were all excited, happy and thought we had enough water to last the day. We thought we would all be fine, and we were. But not without some real unforeseen challenges.
It was hot as we hiked down towards the canyons through the hot sand. The sand in every thing rubbing blisters all over our feet and practically every other place on our poor bodies. We were so happy when we got into the slot canyons where the sun didn't really shine and there was much, much less sand.
We had two priesthood holders with us at the time. One of my good friends Father, who is a big and strong man. And one of my leaders husband, we'll call him Ica for reasons you had to be at camp for. ;) Only a few minutes into the canyon there was a bowl. A place in a slot canyon where it opens up into a bowl like form. Just as I'm getting ready to cross the bowl my friends dad climbs up the side of the bowl and falls. I saw him fall and a sudden rush of fear came to me as I thought of all the things that could happen because of the fall. I believe all of us in the canyon felt it. Ica comes running up behind me to help him. He can't move. His whole left side of his body hurts, mostly his elbow and knee. My friend is trying so hard not to cry. I wrap my arms around her and tell her it will be okay.
Our leaders tell us to continue to hike through the canyon, with me and my best buddy leading the way with one leader in the rear. I was praying the entire time that we would be okay and was trying so hard to be strong for the younger girls. As soon as we came to another bowl we all knelt down in prayer. During that prayer I just had this feeling that everything would be just fine. He would get out and he and his daughter would get home without any problem. during that time Ica gave him a blessing. He told him that he would be able to get out of the canyon and to his car without help. And he did.
He is currently in bad shape. A broken elbow, a messed up knee and no insurance. But all who witnessed it have been changed and are still changing. I know God was with us even in the bottom of a slot canyon in the middle of no place. He heard our prayers and blessing and he answered them without a second thought. It was a miracle. While all this was going on an older couple were kind of hiking along with us, just because it happened to be that way. They weren't of our faith, but after the blessing and probably wondering what the heck was going on he told the injured man that he would make it out without anymore harm or pain. And he did.
God loves us all, He is with us and will never leave us! I cannot deny that.
We continued to hike. We got out of the canyon and back into the hot sun in the middle of the day. We set out to find the second slot canyon and I was excited but had this feeling that we wouldn't make it. Half way there most of the girls got really hot, tired and red faced. We found that they had not brought enough water. One of the girls had brought no water at all, just juice. They were dehydrated. I quickly ran out of water trying to keep the rest of the girls alive. We didn't know how much farther the second canyon was and soon we all felt that it was time to turn back the way we came. We carried four of the girls most of the way back to the first slot canyon and back to the cars.
Feet hurting, needing water, sore all over, sick of the sand, hungry, I wasn't sure I would make it up the two big rocky hills back to the cars. I'll never forget that moment when I came over the first one and Ica was running down towards us with two big bottles of water. Those big bottles of water we called the babies for the rest of the time.
The relief and peace we all felt as we walked the short distance to the cars. Hugs and tears were shared.
We piled in, drank lots of water and tried to sleep as we bumped on and on. Soon we arrived in the little hick town of Escalane. The camp ground we were going to stay at was full and we didn't know where we were going to spend the next two nights of our adventure. But deep down we all knew it would be okay. We hung out at a little convenient store in the middle of town wondering what to do. We got dinner and our camp director led us to a place she knew. She knew the people from work, (her and her husband are tour guides) they were kind enough to let us stay in their orchard. For the next two nights we slept out on the grass under the stars. It was amazing! There were cows, a buffalo, a pot bellied pig that just roamed around, and lots and lots of dogs. The people there were so kind and generous! We couldn't thank them enough. They told us that they would reserve the barn suite for each of us girls honeymoons. And I think I might just take them up on it. ;) It was great!
I learned to be really Christ like this trip. By doing and by seeing others doing it every step of the way.
Friday we had one more hike, we again had two priesthood leaders. Ica and Bishop. We were going to hike down to some falls and play in them, but we couldn't find the trail head! We finally just decided we would hike where we were and hope it would be it. We were 95% sure it was the right trail. We hiked half the day trying to find the falls with no luck. We walked down another big rocky mountain, and slid down a steep cliff into a stream where we thought the falls should be. We hiked and hiked in the water, with our bear feet, trying to find the falls. Not knowing that they were really up stream not down. My feet were killing me! I don't think I have been in that much pain in a long time. I wouldn't have been surprised if I suddenly saw my own blood flowing down the stream from my feet, they were hurting that bad. But they didn't. I thought I would lose a toe nail or three, but I didn't. As we walked back up the steep and rocky mountain our special needs girl was having a hard time. She didn't think she could finish, but she was determined that no one would be able to carry her. So I and two of the other girls and our leaders helped her up the mountain. While encouraging her I encouraged myself to continue on.
I limped along on my sore feet and legs helping this amazing girl along. Finally one of my good friends and my Uncle/Bishop decided that I couldn't do it on my own, (Though I probably could have.) They took turns helping our girl and then me. I learned that I sometimes need to let go and not be so stubborn. Sometimes I do need help and I need to except that help. It was hard to except but they were just as stubborn as I was. *rolls eyes* Ica was just as worn out as I was but he carried me the last 30 feet to the car. The rest of that afternoon and evening it was hard for me to walk around. My feet just needed to rest. The other girls would help me even if I told them I didn't need it.
By the time Testimony meeting around the fire came that night I was already teary. The past few days had really been life changing. All of us girls bawled our eyes out and we held each other in embraces of friendship and loyalty. I will never forget these experiences.
I've just talked about the big things that happened. Things that effected all of us. But there were many, many, many other small things that happened that probably had an even bigger effect on me personally. These small things are very special to me. The thing I have learned from them is that I just need to press on with what I know I must do. God will be there with me every step of the way and will never leave me, even when I am stubborn and don't think I need or want his help. He will still be there. He can change this poor piece of ground, which happens to be me, into something great and remarkable. Something that will be great and change the world. Something that will produce much good fruit.
I hope this long and nearly endless post wasn't too long and boring and that you are better for reading it. Now to get back to changing the world one small step at a time.
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