If Life Were a Musical...

then it would probably be very similar to Oakcrest. So at Oakcrest we have a wall in Tree Hut labeled... you know you work at Oakcrest when... and they're all super funny. But one of the things is "you know you work at Oakcrest when you burst into song every 5 minutes." So true. :) Anyhow, this weeks' theme was "if life were a musical!" We each picked a musical, and I chose Rogers and Hammersteins (how do you spell that??) Cinderella! You know the one with Brandy in it? Unfortunately most of my campers hadn't seen it... but fortunately one of my campers was this super cool black girl with braids! She was Cinderella! Haha it was a great week! I played some basketball with my campers for the first time this summer and it was a good way to get to know them! I think I'll keep doing that... or we'll play soccer.. or I don't know, something super fun! ;)

Tuesday morning we cooked out with Awesome and her girls. It was the fastest cookout of my life! I think we're all just getting way better at building fires and stuff, so it's super exciting! We, of course, got a one match fire! We ate McMuffins for breakfast and they were pretty good! We just cooked the eggs and toasted English muffins. I really like cookkouts, because I'm learning to cook over a fire! It makes me want to go camping, just so I can cook over a fire for other people. I tell you what, cooking over a fire gives you a very accomplished feeling. We of course, brushed our teeth with ash! Kaley, McKenzie, Natalee, Tasha, Makayla, Tasha, Jo (short for Jordyn), Caitlin, Me, Haley, and Hannah

Then we decided to go and attack another camp... we found Shortcake and Sport just down the way. bahaha good times! Shortcake, Weso (Awesome's nickname of her nickname is weso... because its in her name. aWESOme... get it?!) Sport, and me.

We like to play Peter Pan (Zipline) and Robin Hood (archery) at camp! Its super fun! Here's a picture of us playing robin hood. We just play for about an hour, they all get fairly good by that time, and then we have a competition! It's super fun! Jo, McKenzie, Makayla, and Natalee

The Tuesday night party was great! We played games like follow the yellow brick road, dance tag, and Mingle! Here's our costumes! None of my girls wanted to dress up like a boy, so I got to be the prince. Jo, Hannah, Kaley, Kenzie, Haley, Caitlin, Makayla, Natalie, Tasha, and Me.

After the party all the staff put on a talent show. It was pretty funny. I did my talent with Ellipsys, Shortcake, and Buttons. Have you ever heard of the backyardigans? me neither! apparantly its a kids tv show... anyhow we danced to two of their songs. it was...interesting. :)

This is the first week that I've had my entire group be super excited for the mudslides! EVERYONE got dirty! and it made me super happy! and it was actually a really warm day! So getting sprayed off by the super cold water wasn't as bad as usual. We got a before picture....

and an after picture.... Good times :)

This weeks prank was to steel Scrumptious and Calamities mattresses! It was super fun! Then we decided since we were carrying mattresses around, we'd go ahead and use them to play mattress dominoes! bahaha my girls loved it! I think I'll have to make it a tradition to do with all of my campers!


Here's our last picture together. They were all about funny pictures this week! Top: Tasha, Natalee, Kenzie, Kaley, Haley, Middle:Hannah, Makayla, me, bottom: Caitlin, Jo

It was of course, another great week at camp. I actually wasn't feeling to swell about it all. I was feeling a little sick for a couple of the days, but it was more than that. I didn't feel like I was doing a very good job. I don't know what my deal was, but something was missing. I was feeling like I had just messed up my whole week, and I felt super bad for these girls. I didn't feel like I was teaching them anything or helping them in any way. I've been really blessed to be able to see the differences I make with each of my groups, but with this one I didn't feel like I was doing any good. My testimony meeting even seemed a little sketchy, because I made the mistake of sitting at a table, and all the girls just put their heads down and went to sleep, blah! Note to self, never sit at a table during testimony meeting :) Anyhow, I just felt like I kept messing up. But, now I feel better, I feel like maybe I did make a difference in their lives, and I hope that they will always stay strong in the church! So..

Miracles of the week...
- even though only 5 of my girls bore their testimony at testimony meeting, I got a note from one of my girls the next day. I had asked her to pray that morning and she had said no. In the note she apologized for not praying or bearing her testimony. I guess her families not to strong in the church so she's not used to doing those kinds of things and felt uncomfortable. But then she bore her testimony for me in the note! Oh my goodness, it made me want to cry! I think that she can be strong, even tho she doesn't have that support from her family.
- Tuesday night I felt a need to teach my girls about prayer. So I went with it. :) Yesterday I got a note from one of my campers that I thought didn't like me very much. I just want to share part of it with you "you really helped me becaue I have been having problems with saying my prayers and the prayer lesson and this whole week you helped me get through that problem so I thank you so muich for that and I love you so much." Hurrah! I love it when I can follow the spirit and someone's heart gets touched!
- Thursdays are busy days... and normally while our campers are getting ready for bed we go in our room and prepare Unit prayer. Well my roommate Ellipsys and I got talking and all the sudden Unit Prayer was supposed to start in 10 mins. I am no good at just wingin it.... So i was a little stressed. But I grabbed my Preach my Gospel, True to the Faith, For the Strength of Youth, and my scriptures, and prayed then headed out. haha not a good idea to put off preparing... but it was a neat experience. Lucky for me my girls had things that needed to be taught them and the spirit worked through me. I felt very guided in my words. and, although it all seemed really random and stories poppin into my head out of nowhere (or by the spirit, whichever you want:)) it touched them. I ended by playing the song "window to HIs Love" for them. many were in tears by the end, I am so super grateful for the spirit! Isn't the gospel so great?!
- Remember how I thought my testimony meeting was a failure? Well another note from a camper said.. that she felt the spirit so much! and her testimony was strengthened a lot from it!
- I got two letters from previous campers this week! I am so glad that they remember me, and hopefully Oakcrest and the things they felt and learned! Hooray!
- Natalee got super sick on Tuesday during the talent show. She was in tears and afraid that she would have to go home. I took her to sick narf and let them take care of her. That night our Unit Prayer was on Prayer, and I talked about how amazing prayer is. Then I told them that prayer can work miracles, but that they needed to pray in faith. I then asked them to have the faith to get Natalee better. We said a prayer asking that Natalee would feel better, that she wouldn't have to go home, and that she would be able to participate in all of the activities. Guess what? They went to sleep that night, and she woke up feeling a little better, she was able to participate in all of the activities, and she didn't go home early! :) I tell you what, prayer works miracles!
-Even tho I felt a little sick sometimes, Heavenly Father always blessed me with enough energy to play with my girls, and to teach them what they needed to hear.
- My testimony was strengthened, of course.

I love spending my weeks playing, getting dirty, feeling the spirit, laughing,and hoepfully making a difference in some lives. I love this calling, I love this job, I love this gospel! Hurrah for Israel!

PS we are now half-way done with Oakcrest. I cannot believe how fast time flies! aaaaaaaaa!

PSS Evan has now been gone for 10 months!!! I cannot believe how fast time flies! :)