Week Number 15

Because this last week was a holiday week in Utah, (July 24th is Pioneer Day) we were open all week to family reunions.  Our experience with families is a lot different than with Young Women.  

     Families bring their own personalities, discipline, age groups and expectations.  Most families are wonderful to work with.  Especially families with little children.  Challenge Course 5 is unique because of our high swing.  Although the swing is it's own challenge, it doesn't have as much anxiety or strength requirements as the other high courses.  We can take a two year old in a full body harness and give them a great experience swinging up as high as 10 - 12 feet.  

     This week we had an 18 year old girl visit with her family.  She graduated from High School this Spring and is heading off to college this Fall.  She also had a stroke a year ago and lost the strength in her right side.  She hasn't got the use of her right arm and walks with a limp.  But, she was determined to swing to the top.  Everyone else holds on very tightly with their right arm as they are pulled to the top.  The left hand holds onto a red strap that, when released, lets you swing.   This young girl had to be pulled up 40 feet without the security of a tight grip on the rope.  I'm not sure I would do that but she trusted us and was determined.  She had a wonderful time.  I expect her to have a wonderful future and obstacles will not stand in her way.

We also had some moose visit our camp this week.  It was fun to see one up close.  It looked at us without any fear.  I missed the Bull moose that visited.  The moose visit the area at the top of the camp and our cabin is at the bottom so we don't get to see them often.  I took pictures of it but it just looks like a big black shadow in the trees.   Some experiences just don't translate well into photos.

Moose in camp

We had an evening of square dancing Saturday evening.  SO MUCH FUN!  I highly recommend it to everyone.  You don't need to be extremely coordinated to have a good time.  I took pictures of it also but once again it just looks like a lot a people bumping into each other.

Square Dance

We have only two more weeks of Girl's Camp.  We will still have family reunions into September but the joy of working with the girls is coming to an end much too soon.

Week Number 14

We are starting on the second half of our mission.


We had thunder storms in the late afternoon three days this week   With lots of thunder, lightening and rain.  We needed to close the Challenge Courses on Friday evening because of the lightening.  A family was disappointed and we felt bad that the course needed to be closed.  But, lightening, metal cables, and tall poles just aren't a good combination.


On the other days the storms blew through during hours when the courses were already closed.  We worked in the rain a few times because we don't close for rain.  Only lightening.  Working in the rain is really refreshing.  Felt like old times in Washington State.


Thanks to Joe I have a YouTube video to share.  Mike and I are working in it.  I'm connecting a Young Woman to the swing and Mike is working behind me.  Thanks, Joe!
 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZKADwoGKYQ

I hope you can go to this link and watch the video.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Week Number 13

This week saw one big change but for the most part settled into the pattern of weeks on the mountain.

     The Challenge Course team, comprised of 16 couples, has been rotating through the challenges courses.  Mike and I have spent two weeks on course 1, 5, 4, and 3 each.  We were quite sure we would spend the next two weeks on Challenge Course 2 but that was changed when the Team Leaders decided it was time to give each couple a permanent assignment on a specific course.  Mike and I were assigned and will spend the remainder of our mission on Challenge Course 5. THE HIGH SWING!!!   We are thrilled.  We love the course and love the other two couples we will be serving with.

Elder and Sister Bastian

Elder and Sister Bastian are the Course Leaders.  Their home is in Neola, Utah but they spend the winter in St. George.  This is their second summer at Heber Valley Girls Camp but their first summer on the Challenge Course.  They are fun and kind and we love working with them.  We are finding we have a lot in common with them including the fact that we each have 12 grandchildren.

Elder and Sister Harkness

Elder and Sister Harkness live in Sandy, Utah.  This is their first summer at Heber Valley Girls Camp.  We really enjoy working with them.  They are full of energy and fun to work with.  We look forward to getting to know them better.

For our p-day this week we simply bought some deli-food and sat in the park for a few hours.  We had a long talk and just enjoyed being together.  Of course, we're together 24/7 serving on our mission but a peaceful, relaxing picnic was wonderful.

Our picnic in the park

This week we had a very special guest on Challenge Course 5.  She came with her sister who was so devoted. 

Our special guest

Jenna, 16, was in a wheel-chair and had no use of her muscles.  She couldn't sit up, walk or speak.  She could smile. When her sister was on the swing she watched with such delight it was wonderful.  We wanted so much to make it a good experience for her so we put a helmet on her an took a group picture with all the girls from her ward.  The most inspirational part of the entire afternoon was watching her 18 year old sister, McKenna.  She knew every eye movement, every sound, every nuance and could respond to Jenna, and meet her needs.  We witnessed complete charity - the pure love of Christ - between these two remarkable sisters. 


We were blessed with rain showers again this week.  They cooled the air and kept the dust down.  However, they never once interfered with running the Challenge Courses.

LESSON LEARNED THIS WEEK:

1 Corinthians 13:4 & 13
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

• 
  We will never forget the charity we witnessed in the love and devotion of one sister to another.  I hope someday to have such a charitable heart for everyone I meet.
  

Week Number 12

Because this was the week of the 4th of July, the camp was open for families.  Girl's Camp will resume tomorrow, but this week we had 2,500 - 3,000 guests that were here with family reunions.

Our Challenge Courses were open for the families to use.  AND THEY DID!

We were on Challenge Course 3 this week.  It is a beautiful course. 

Challenge Course 3  - Up the cargo net, across the ladder to the nest and down the zip line

 

 

My view from the Eagles Nest

I thought I'd show you the different camps that make up Heber Valley Girls Camp.

 

Each Camp has five campsites with at least four cabins in each.  Each cabin sleeps 16 girls and their leaders.  Each camp has one large pavilion and several small cooking pavilions.

A typical camp site -- Can you see the deer?

The Priesthood who come to help have their own sleeping quarters.

Where the Priesthood sleep.  The cots are soft and comfortable

The girls sleep in cabins like this

Girls cabin -- Sleeps 16

The girls meet in the outdoor pavilion for meals and crafts, etc.

Outdoor pavilion -   Inside is a room for medical, staff and restrooms.

     Heber Valley Camp is amazing.  The girls have the Challenge Courses (of course), Legacy Lake, hiking trails, all the food they can eat, clean cabins, restrooms with showers.  Their leaders plan a week full of crafts and games and speakers who can touch the hearts of the young women in this beautiful setting away from the noise and commotion of the world.

     This week was so much fun.  We had some families with over 140 members at their family reunions.  They had a few days to get to know each other and strengthen each other.  The ages ranged from Great-grandparents (85+), Grandparents, parents, young parents, teenagers, adolescents, children, toddlers and infants.  I helped an 84 year old grandpa go down the zip line after climbing the cargo net and crossing the bridge.  I had a four year old girl do the same thing.  

LESSON LEARNED THIS WEEK:               Families Are Forever

The family unit is so important.  It gives meaning and purpose to every age.  Grandparents enjoy their grandchildren with such an unconditional love.  Parents learn patience as they teach their children the important lessons of life.  Children feel protected and cherished as they receive support from their family members.   I watched brothers-in-law acting as brothers and sisters-in-law interacting with the children of their siblings.  I watched Grandparents holding babies and cheering on their children and grandchildren as they challenged themselves on the high course.  Then the entire family watched with awe, amazement, and overwhelming support as Grandparents challenged themselves and succeeded.

This weeks tender mercy:

     We have been concerned with the fire danger this past month.  Utah has had 42 consecutive days with no rain.  The camp was so dry and dusty; making is uncomfortable for hikes, games, challenge course, etc.  We prayed for rain.  Not only to make it more comfortable and not only to reduce the fire danger but for all the people affected by the fires and all the brave fire-fighters.

     Rain came this week.  On Thursday we woke to pouring rain.  It was such a relief.  It rained all morning.  At 3:00 pm, when we started working on our Challenge Course, the rain let up and the sun shone through the clouds.  We worked with families until 8:00 pm.  As soon as we reached our cabin it started raining again and rained all night.

     

Psalms 40:11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

     (A side note:)  The deer enjoyed the cool rain also.  The forest is cool and damp.  Mike witnessed deer playing tag among the trees.  A bull moose (probably the father) was playing tag among the trees with a young calf moose.

 

Our Eleventh Week

Last Sunday, after I posted my blog entry for the week, I walked outside because there was heavy smoke in the air.  I took this picture.

Smoke on Sunday evening.

      I think most of Utah is on fire.  We have emergency preparedness meetings and training on evacuation procedures.   At least two of the Elders serving here are professional fire fighters - specializing in range fires.  They are confident that we are secure in even the worst case scenario.  Could be a very interesting summer.  I'm hoping for day to day service.


This week was spent working on Challenge Course 4.  We had Young Women, Youth Conferences, and family reunions.

We are busy everyday and becoming more confident with our assignments.

      On Friday we had a Ward Youth Conference visit our course.  One of the young men was 18 years old and in a wheel chair.  He was paralyzed from the waist down.  I was worried about him making his way through the wood chips.  I did not need to worry.  He was able to climb the pole - 25 feet - cross the cable to the Eagles nest and ride the zip line. ALL this with only the use of his arms! He is amazing.  He is on the Olympic paraplegic tennis team.  Nothing stops him when he sets a goal.   Whenever I feel like saying "I can't do this" in the future, I will think of him.

THAT WAS THE LESSON LEARNED THIS WEEK.