I feel stupid for taking you back this far, but I can't just pretend like my summer didn't happen. So here's a happy flashback. The story of how it all happened is pretty amazing. I would be an ungrateful person if I didn't share it. So here's the story, followed with mostly just a lot of favorite pictures from the week. I hope you enjoy it.
On my 29
th birthday, one of my
bestest friends from
EFY (Jason), informed me of the disappointing news that the
EFY office had put an age limit on counselor applications. "Female counselors must be between the ages of 20-28." Well Happy Birthday to me! Thanks Jason. I was totally bummed, however, working full-time in my career in Salt Lake City, I knew I didn't really have time nor flexibility to do the
EFY thing anymore, so I hadn't planned on applying.
Well just when I thought adult life was taking over and I was going to be forced into retirement, the
EFY office contacted me and asked if I would work this summer! The age rule didn't apply to ME. So being the sucker for
EFY that I am....of course I said YES and was beyond excited to be back at it again!
There were only 3 sessions that I could possibly do because of my work responsibilities during the summer (Missouri,
Nauvoo 1 and
Nauvoo 2). I only had enough vacation time to do one of those weeks. It was a hard decision to say the least. My first choice was
Nauvoo 2-the last session of the summer. You all know I'm not one to ever pass up a reason to go to
Nauvoo, so
Nauvoo 1 followed as my 2
nd choice and Missouri (the home session) as my 3rd choice. I was still a little surprised they had moved the Kansas
EFY session from the
KU campus, (where it's been every year since 1996), to the Missouri campus, so I felt less pull/ less loyalty to
EFY Missouri.
I'd hoped the office would just assign me where they wanted me to go so I wouldn't have to make the decision myself. I emailed them my preferences and they said, "We want you for all 3, so you'll have to choose." (Isn't that always the way!!) I found out my niece was coming to visit me in
SLC during
Nauvoo 1, so that took care of that option, so to me the choice was obvious...
Nauvoo 2. Well, as I was online to decline the offer to work the Missouri session, I couldn't get myself to do it. It literally made me sick to my stomach
everytime I'd try to hit the decline button, so I knew something was telling me to reconsider. I reconsidered with prayer and knew without a doubt I was supposed to go to Missouri. So I did. This was the result:
*Our company name was "Prepare a Way" which came from
1 Nephi 3:7*For the first time in my "
EFY career", I was the only female counselor, and had 2 guy Co-counselors. Spencer and Matt. They were fantastic! We had a great time together.
*Our company was an unusual
EFY phenomenon of 21 guys and 9 girls! that never happens, but it was PERFECTLY what those particular youth needed!
*Not that it makes any huge difference, but for my first time at
EFY, I had a youth in my group who was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I tried to beat him up for it. (
ok, not really, but this picture really does make me laugh
every time I see it). It did add a special opportunity to teach and answer questions and watch the youth have a missionary experience as well. Larry was baptized a month later on Aug 8
th, 2009.
*One of my girls, (
Kairsti) and I were almost
twinners! She made her dress...isn't it awesome?! The youth are so amazing
*It is tradition for me to take a picture with all of the Young Women from the
Olathe 3rd ward (my homeward) at
EFY. So here it is! (I was lucky enough to have one of these girls (
Valerie) in my group too!)
*This picture just rocks...no explanation needed!
*I was assigned to Variety Show duty with BC Ashley and another counselor, Matt (who I actually already knew from my time living in the Lawrence University ward back in Kansas). We spent long hours together sorting through all of the amazing, creative, hilarious (and sometimes painful) tryouts.
I think we started to get a little crazy with all of our time together. We found the most ridiculous ways to entertain ourselves after awhile.
Ashley's performance of "
Newsies" was definitely a favorite. This was our
reenactment of our favorite acts from the variety show. (Synchronized swimmers, the Sons of Provo and "Yeah Toast")
*We were blessed to have an entire company of fantastic youth with firm testimonies and amazing spirits. This was the service project... Look how happy they are to serve! Such a great group of youth!
*Pizza night at
EFY is a long time tradition. Well in Missouri, the dorms were brand new and since the campus wasn't familiar with
EFY-they wouldn't allow us to have food in the dorms. So another first- we had pizza night together as companies outside after game night. I LOVED IT!!!!
* One of my favorite things about this particular group of youth were how easy it was to just chill with them. They were excited about everything and willing to just have a great time!
*I felt really close to all 9 of my girls and really had so much respect for them. It was great to just sit and hang out together for girl time.
*One of my girls, Chelsea, and I totally bonded. We shared a lot of good talks together, cool experiences and a lot of laughs as well. I spent a lot of time with ALL of my girls, but Chelsea and I always seemed to be at the same place at the same time (classes, hallways,
lunch tables, etc). I guess she wasn't used to a counselor being around so much because she nicknamed me "Creeper." This picture cracks me up, because honestly...who's "creeping" who?
It became Chelsea's personal goal to get me married off to BC Jason by the end of the week. Ha! Little did she know he and I are already the best of friends and pretty much surrogate siblings to each other. (Yes, the same Jason who broke the "too old" news to me on my birthday). My age is one of Jason's favorite things to remind me about.....often! Oh well. We have so much fun. Jason consistently had been keeping me posted on his
EFY adventures throughout the summer, and I was always jealous of his fun. It was AWESOME to actually be there with him, to be a part of the stories and to have a chance to work together again.
* I love
EFY. I always have, and I always will. It was a blessing to be able to work as a counselor again. Working the Missouri session was the best decision I'd made all summer. It was an amazing experience and I know exactly why I needed to be there. Heavenly Father truly loves His children here on earth. He is aware of us (me, other counselors, as well as the youth) and it is through His guiding hand
and tender mercies that things happen to bless our lives for the better. I am constantly awed by the many experiences in my life that remind me of that.
