June stake camps part 3 - YW camp

I have loved Young Women camp for a long time. I was privileged to attend camp as the stake high councilor for three years before being called to the stake presidency, and those were marvelous experiences for me. It was such a privilege to be at the camp all week, to be devoted to serving and helping, and to be blessed by the wonderful programs and activities planned for the young women.

Since being called to the presidency, I have tried to continue to participate at an appropriate level. We have the chance to go to camp as a presidency on Tuesday evening to share a fireside with the girls, and we love doing that. But I also really love to just "lurk" on the sidelines or the backs of the classes and watch and listen. There is nothing quite like it.

This week, I stayed over Tuesday night after our devotional until lunch on Wednesday, and then came back up Thursday morning to watch until lunchtime. That was about all the time I could spare, but every moment was enjoyable. Bonnie was at camp all week (as she has been for years) with the stake camp committee, and so it was nice to spend some time with her as well. Here are a few photos from the week's events:



Of course, I have a special fondness for the Heber Valley Camp, a wonderful facility built in the mountains east of Heber City, about 45 minutes from our home in Orem. We've been involved with the camp since it opened in 2003. I created the initial website for the camp (which Bonnie took over and continues to develop), and we also created many of the initial hiking trails in the area. Matt's eagle scout project, along with several others from our stake, involved preparing and clearing hiking trails. I spent many hours on those mountains, and "our" sections of the trail have a special feel to me still. This year, after a very moist spring, the undergrowth was lush and full, and the wildflowers were everywhere. I took an early-morning hike and enjoyed "communing with nature" along "our" trail.