Girls Camp

So I'm convinced I have one of the best callings in the church-working with the young women. I've bounced around a little bit within the YW program-from secretary, to Laurel adviser, and now to Mia Maid Adviser-and I've loved it all. 

This last week was our girls camp and because I am still nursing Summer, I was unable to attend. However, I did leave her home for one evening to head up for testimony meeting. It was a wonderful evening and I'm so glad I was able to go. I'm sure the YW were glad I came as well, since I brought up their breakfast for the next morning. 

Anyway, I was very impressed by all the testimonies the girls and leaders in our ward bore. Several of them were more along the lines of "thankimonies," while some were long and others short. Some were brief and about gospel principles, while others filled with emotion and revealed much about the speaker. For some, it was their first time ever bearing their testimony and for others, it was something they had done a lot. Some had testimonies that were just beginning to take root, and others had testimonies that were well established. All were heartfelt, all were filled with love, and all had the Holy Ghost with them. 

Here are a few thoughts that stood out to me that night. 

1. As members of the Church, of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we all have something in common-the Gospel. No matter what our differences, we have this in common and it is a bonding point between us. Even if we disagree about every other aspect of our life, we can claim our testimonies as a similarity. 

2. People go through hard things, and the Lord blesses them. I looked at some of the trials our YW are going through and was even more amazed and their resilience and desire to do good. Things are hard in this life, and as a teenager, there are often things that are out of their control. Many have to deal with adult problems at an age that they shouldn't have to. For those who really try, the Lord blesses ten fold-even though those blessings can be hard to see sometimes.

3. We all have our own set of difficulties, unique and tailored to help us grow as an individual. What is hard for one person, may not be hard at all for another. 

I'm grateful that these young women are the future of our Church and our society-and that I get to hang out with them on a regular basis!