So this year was stake youth conference, and we went up to Reid Ranch. WHATTA BLAAAAAST.
I mean, the food was gross. Water was nasty, except for the bathroom tap. It was SO BLASTED HOT. But other than that.. It wasn't too bad.
Thursday: got there, got split up in to groups, played games, horseback riding.. GET THIS, you had to wear a helmet. Totally understandable, BUT THEN you had to wear a life jacket. LIKE WHAT THE??, John Bytheway came to speak to us "Living the gospel is easy... because the consequences of not are SO hard.", dance, which I danced with my leaders and bishop because they actually know how to have a good time, scripture talks with my girl, not sneaking out like I should have therefore missing the hottub party.
Friday: Woke up at like... 6 because of the dumb sun and no drapes or blinds on the windows, spiritual workshops, more games, lake, paddle boating and canoes, showering with my baby sis IN OUR SWIMSUITS, photoshoot, more games, TESTIMONY MEETING, basketball, TESTIMONY MEETING WITH MY GIRLS, signs, twerking on the porch, more pictures, getting in trouble, sneaking out the back door, getting caught, chattin, sleep for 3 hours.
Saturday: Sunrise hike that was overrated, PACK UP SO WE CAN LEEEEEEAVE, awards and slideshow, driving home, getting home, NAP NAP NAP.
So... Let's just go through some awkward moments, yeah?
#1: forgot stuff, so I had my bishop run me home. Get up there and realize I actually forgot more important stuff. YAY ME.
#2: Cute boy walks past room, one of my girls traps me in the curtains, he gives me the WEIRDEST look. Heyyyy. Haha but, me being who I am, I go, "Well this is awkward.. Heyyyy"
#3: Walking into my room in the middle of the night, flipping on the lights to see half of my roommates were asleep. WHOOPS SORRY.
#4: Sneaking out the backdoor after being told to go to bed, getting caught anyways. CRAAAAAAP.
#5: Playing basketball. Who am I kidding? Made 2 baskets out of... 5,000?
#6: Wrapping my arms around Mitchell right as some other girl was reaching her hand out to dance with him. HA. Ya gotta be quicker than that!
And I'm sure there's MANY, MANY, MANY more. But, we won't focus on those haha.
Soooo, let's get down to my favorite part, yeah? TESTIMONY MEETING. But Sarah, that's so cliche! AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS. But, unlike most, I'm being serious when I say so. I think the best part was seeing nonactive members get up there and just PREACH it! Nothing makes me more happy. Nothing:)
So I'm sitting there with Mitchy, and he leans over to me and goes, "I'll go up if you go up" SO OBVIOUSLY I GO UP. A couple seconds later he comes up and joins me on the steps and goes, "I hate you." OH YOU DO NOT. He should know me well enough to know that me, of all people, is going to most definitely go up there! I'm actually really glad he told me to go up, because while I wanted to, I probably wouldn't have. I would've kept telling myself that I'd wait till the line was shorter. So hey Mitchy, thanks for gettin me up there:)
ANYWAYS. It dawned on me that night that I.. that this is technically my last year of going to youth conference and girls' camp. That I'M the Laurel that my other girls look up to. AND THAT WAS SO CRAZY TO ME. I.. I'm so proud of who I've become. Really truly.
So after stake testimony meeting, our ward decided just to have a ward testimony meeting. Well.. actually, the leaders weren't so sure, but I pushed for it because I knew all my girls had something to say, but they just didn't get the chance. So while my leaders were rallying the girls, one of them comes up to me. Her name's Olivia and she says with tears in her eyes, "Sarah, you're the Laurel I want to be.." STOOOOOP. MY HEART WAS IN A PUDDLE. I have never been more happy. So we go in to one of the rooms and I notice that one of my girls is missing and my leader said that she didn't want to come. So I was like, "I'll be right back." I go into her room and she's just laying in bed. She says that she doesn't want to come because it's boring, and she's heard the same thing for the past two hours, and she just DOESN'T GET why everyone thinks this is so great. So after a little convincing I get her to come in with me. I love this gospel.
All the girls who didn't have a chance earlier, bore their testimonies in that room. The Spirit was SO strong. And I bore my testimony, again. Al Fox always says "The one thing I love more than this gospel is yappin' about it!" and I TOTALLY agree!
THERE'S JUST SOMETHING I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW: But mostly this is for any who may be struggling, not knowing if this is true, not wanting to believe. I'VE BEEN THERE. And let me tell you somethin.. it is SO easy to just.. to just give up. To not believe. To think that this is a buncha bull. I know it is, I know that! Because guess what.. Having faith is HARD. Gaining faith is even HARDER. This path is STRAIGHT and NARROW. It's not easy to live the gospel, it isn't! But guess what-- the consequences of not living this gospel are SO. MUCH. HARDER. My dad and his side of the family aren't members. And a few years ago, my brother fell away from the church. So my WHOLE life I've seen people that don't live the gospel. And for a little while, THAT'S what I thought I wanted. They always have so much FUN. And they do! It's such a party being with them, BUT their happiness is temporary. I've learned that. And I've learned that this gospel is TRUE. I'VE LEARNED THAT. I don't want anyone to ever think that I've been raised this super Molly Mormon girl who's always wanted to serve a mission, who has the perfect little Mormon family, because that's not how it is, and that's not how I was raised. I've seen both sides here. And I've decided for MYSELF that I NEEEVER want to lose the Light of Christ.
I have such a strong testimony, that is continuing to grow, because I'm working at it. We had an object lesson up there with ooblech (???? ya know what I mean? The whole cornstarch and water thing?) ANYWAYS, that was related to testimonies. The second you stop working at it, it just falls apart. I KNOW that MY Savior lives. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me. I know that I am here on this earth right now, because I have a purpose for being here. I know that there's a plan for me! And for all of you! I've read the Book of Mormon, and I KNOW that it IS the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, who restored this church to the earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet on the earth today. I am so grateful for all of the tender mercies that are in my life. I am so happy. "Be happy. Be cheerful. This gospel is TRUE."--Peter Cooke
It looks like I'm flipping the camera off so yay I'm such a good example.
Canyon Rim Stake!
Sunrise Hike. Can't get enough of the two men in this picture. THEEE BEST.
xoxo, Sarah
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