Let's just take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? It's 2007, and there's little 11 year old Sarah.. (I was almost 12, and my bishop loved me enough to let me go early)
Oh dear.. Hahaha. SOOOO. I have so many great memories from my first year at camp! But the one I want to focus on is TESTIMONY MEETING.
Are we not the cutest?
Oh dear.. Hahaha. SOOOO. I have so many great memories from my first year at camp! But the one I want to focus on is TESTIMONY MEETING.
So, just a little preface to this, I used to cry SO hard. Like.. unbelievably hard. Like.. so hard I couldn't breathe, and my brothers would laugh at me foreverrrrrrrr. It was great.
And let me just tell you, Jeffrey R. Holland wasn't kidding when he said that girls' camp testimony meeting are the most spiritual riveting experiences you'll ever have.
SO THAT BEING SAID...
We were all sitting in a circle, and everyone was just taking turns going around the circle. Problem #1: I was last. I could feel the tears coming when the first person started talking, so yay. Problem #2: I had to listen to the two ladies I love the VERY most go before me. More tears, so yay. So finally the circle works its way around to me.. YIKES. I seriously do not remember the last time I cried that hard. I go, "I just wanna let you all know how much I love you..." and then I just LOOOOOOSE IT. I can still see everything haha, it's engraved in my memory. #humiliating So I don't know how long they let me cry for, but finally my bishop just leans over and says, "Do you wanna be done now?" I couldn't even say anything, I just nodded my head. So hey that was really fun. Jeez, no wonder I hated public speaking.
So, the whole bawling my eyes out thing continued for about... 4 more years. Haha goshhhh. It was AWFUL! So then last summer I was called to be on SYC (Stake Youth Council) ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Basically I was TERRIFIED. Wait, wait, you guys expect ME to be able to speak in a bunch of different sacrament meetings?? This is all a big joke, right?! NOOOOOOPE. (insert example of how the Lord knows us personally)
Last year at camp.. seriously one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. I won't get into all of it, that's for another time maybe. BUT... Last year seriously changed my life. AND it was the first time EVER that I was able to make it through my WHOLE testimony without sounding like a blubbering baby. YESSSSSSSS.
So, I go to camp, with my BEST friend this Wednesday! UGH I'M SO EXCITED:)
Are we not the cutest?
GIRLS' CAMP 2K13
Hey, if you need help packing just let us know.
Alright friends, I. Lerv. Camp. Hahaha. Oh, man! It is seriously the best. The first day our theme was having the gospel of Jesus Christ as our treasure map. Steph was relating things to faith and the Holy Ghost.. SCORE! Later on that day I was talking with one of my girls who is my freaking MINI ME! It is seriously so crazy. Anyways, we didn't get to talk all that much before we got a few more girls joining us that led to a quick ending of our discussion.. Ugh. Satan, can you like, not try to screw things up? Cool. Thanks, man. But, I started telling her about how much my life has changed in the past 6 months. Before I could say much one of my girls Hannah goes, "Your face and voice change when you talk about this stuff, you just look so happy." Well Han, that's because I AM! Happy, happy, happy:) That night I was in charge of the devotional. I based it on the talk by Jeffrey R. Holland "Lord, I Believe" http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng Read it. Listen to it. Watch it. Whatever you want. It's seriously too good. (I may or may not have picked it because he happens to be Steph's favorite....) DAY ONE=SUCCESS
Day 2 we had solo time. Ohhhh how I loooove solo time. I was flipping through my Book of Mormon, thinking I'd go read 3 Nephi 11, when I saw a yellow highlighted scripture with hearts around it. I had to stop and look obviously! It happened to be Heleman 5:12. Ugh. I LERV, LERV, LERV, IT. "12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Um, okay. I'm IN LOVE with that scripture. DAY TWO=SUCCESS
Day 3=testimony meeting. YESSSSSS. You all know this is my favorite part of everything.. haha. I'm not gonna say too much about it though, the Spirit was SO strong. I honestly cannot remember what I said, and that is my FAVORITE because that means that I really didn't say anything. I was just a vessel for the Lord. I remember I told the girls about this experience that Al Fox had, " I was praying to Heavenly Father, more so of a scream and yell at Him than it was speaking, saying I couldn't this, there's no way, not tonight, not feeling like this-but- if He wanted me to, I knew that He would help me. The answer didn't come clear, but the next thing I knew I found myself driving to Payson Canyon to a girls camp. I was talking to Heavenly Father all the way there and I received an answer. An answer that came so clear it was like I was reading a billboard. An answer that came so powerfully I physically felt it. I was consumed. I was taken over. I was crying, except this time it wasn't because of my head but because of my answer. Heavenly Father answered my prayer saying, 'Al, you go tonight...you go and you make sure that you tell those girls...how much I love them. Al, go to those girls and tell them...that I notice them. That I'm listening. You make sure you tell those girls that I'm right here." After that, I'm not sure what I told them, but I know what I told them was completely, 100% true. After I finished my girl Mary Hannah said something along the lines of "you always know what to say" but, I DON'T. I NEVER know what I'm going to say. The words I speak are not mine, but the Lord's. Not long after I said the words amen, Steph said, "Alright, so this is my first time bearing my testimony, so just bear with me" OHHHH MY DEAR HEAVENS GRACIOUS. I COULD NOT STOP S.M.I.L.I.N.G. smiling smiling! I seriously don't think I've ever been more proud. Heavenly Father truly does answer prayers. He is there. He listens. He loves us.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: this church is so, so, so, true!!
I could keep going on, and on, and on, and on, with quotes and scriptures and experiences from camp, but I'll stop here.
I want you all to know, that I KNOW this church is true. This gospel is pure. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The gospel of Jesus Christ is PURE. I love this gospel so, so, so much.
I say these things, in the name of MY Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.
::HIGHLIGHTS::
"Woot, woot, you is cute!"
#RC2helmetcrew
Egyptian Rat Screw
ping pong
*le me taking my makeup off when one of my girls says "You look so weird without makeup on"
MY BESTEST FRIEND
the multiple times a day Steph and I got told that other girls want a friendship like ours
ALL MY LADIES
the foooooood
Mafia
Bedtime stories
BECOMING CLOSER TO MY SAVIOR, AND BRINGING OTHERS WITH ME
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