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

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  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.