Lessons learned from this summer

So, I spent this summer preparing for and executing two big events - a family reunion, and girls camp for my ward.

A year or so ago, I was appointed to be in charge of our Waite Family Fun Days this summer. I was excited, and had some ideas about what I wanted to do. Some of which got vetoed by the family, but some of my original ideas I did end up doing. Then, in October last year, I was called to be the Assistant Girls Camp Director for my ward. Which I was thrilled about. I LOVE girls camp. I had to laugh when I got the calling, because I pretty much knew that I had brought the calling on myself, by a comment I had made in one of my Relief Society lessons.

I was teaching, and someone was making a comment, and mentioned that they had just been to girls camp. I said, "I love girls camp. I wish I could go." Completely innocent and naive. But, oh my, the reaction that comment got from the women in that room - it was hilarious! Craziness and laughter ensued for a minute or two. People were telling the Relief Society president to watch out, that she was going to have to find a new teacher, etc. I just laughed about it at the time. But, several months later, when I was called, I was not completely surprised. Brother Ford, who was issuing the call, even asked me if I knew this was going to happen. I guess since I didn't act too surprised or shocked or anything.

I learned the rest of the story later. That same night (as the comment made in Relief Society), there was an open house at a ward member's house for one of her children. The Bishop was there, along with the Relief Society president, and the newly called but not yet sustained (so it was still a secret) Young Women President. The Relief Society president was visiting with the Bishop and WenDee (YW Pres), and telling them about what had happened in Relief Society that day. The Bishop, after hearing the story, said, "maybe if the right person hears that" or something to that effect, all the while knowing that the new YW president was sitting right there listening to this. And so she called me a couple months later.

At the beginning of this year, January or February, the camp director got released one Sunday, much to my surprise. (I found out later she was in the middle of a divorce.) The young Women president talked to me after church that day, and asked if I wanted to be the director. I said yes. It totally scared me, but I had already been feeling like that was what should and would happen, and with Heavenly Father's help, it would all work out. She said she would get a good assistant for me. I told her to get someone who knew about food and cooking because that is my major weak point. 

A few weeks later, they called one of my good friends in my ward, Jeanne, to be my assistant, and I couldn't have been more thrilled about that. She is a great cook, so I knew we wouldn't starve. And she is just a fun, happy, great person. 

So the two of us commenced the serious camp planning. We already had a theme, but that was about it. I had the whole thing to plan and figure out. I walk with Jeanne and several other ladies in the mornings sometimes, so that became our camp planning time. Some days it ended up just the two of us walking, and that's when we would really get some thinking and planning going.  

To be continued. I want to write about our theme and what we did. But this is already getting long. So I will split it up. 

And, I missed posting yesterday. I only made it two days. I had every intention of posting, but I slept at Jeanette's last night, so the kids distracted me.