Ella's Girl's Camp

So, last year Aly posted about her Girls' Camp. I figured this year it was my turn.

We met at the stake center at 9 AM on Tuesday and drove for two hours to Camp Zarahemla. The car ride was abnormally silent as we drove all the girls in our ward (of course, we're used to having six noisy children in there, so). We arrived at the camp, unpacked, and went to orientation. During orientation, the missionaries told us that there was a forest fire about three miles off, but that it was contained and we shouldn't expect any trouble from it. After orientation, we went off and rotated through some activities.

On the second rotation, the second years (including me) stood in our swimsuits, waiting to be let into the lake. Suddenly, we heard the air horn blow the pattern the signaled an emergency.

We rushed back to the amphitheater, where we were told that the fire had spread and that we were going to be evacuated. There were a lot of ideas floating around about what was going to be done. Some said that we'd have to be bussed out to Naches, the nearest reasonably sized city. Some said we were going home. Some said we'd go to Zion's Camp, the same place we went last year. All we knew is that we had to pack up as quickly as possible.

We went back to our tents and repacked the stuff we had just unpacked. I was one of the few who actually changed out of their swimsuit before the ride home. Many miracles happened as we rushed to prepare, evacuate, and arrive at camp, including:

• Everyone being in a state of calm, without panicking
• There being enough seats in just the leaders' cars for every girl and leader
• Brother Brown being allowed in with his giant trailer to pile everyone's luggage in
• There being a place for us at Zion's in the same lodge we used last year
• The drive up to camp taking half a tank of gas while the drive back down to the stake center, where we met and ate, only taking a quarter
• People rushing to the stake center to set up and take down chairs and tables for us to eat on and rice for us to eat (with the meal the kitchen staff had ready for that night)
• There being enough service for most of the girls in our car to call one of their parents and explain the situation
• The leaders, having to throw out their carefully prepared schedules, coming up with things to do from scratch
• Many more that I don't know about or haven't thought of

Anyways, we had a different crew in the car ride down, and let's just say that they were a lot more boisterous, chatting loudly, singing along to the radio, Disney songs, and of course, Mormon Boy, and sleeping. Many girls were still in swimsuits as we drove for another twoish hours to the stake center, and then another hour and a half to Zion's.

Anyways, aside from that, it was a pretty normal Girls' Camp week. I loved the testimony meeting, the Spirit Walk, and bishop's night, as well as the food, rock climbing, and crafts. The kitchen staff, aside from being amazing chefs, were hilarious. One of the leaders thought one of the cooks was staring at her, so of course, they all stared at her while they ate and put on weird skits. Not to mention one guy who put a floaty around his neck, a mop on his head, carried a giant wooden dowel and walked through the eating area.

And of course, Patricia. We can't forget about Patricia. So one of the leaders (same one as last time, actually) was scared by her kids with a manikin head sometime before camp. The YCLs found out about this, so of course, one of them went out and bought a manikin head to prank her with. This manikin head was named Patricia.

Patricia showed up a few times at camp, usually on top of the YCL's head, covered by a hoodie. On the last night, this YCL came into our cabin and put Patricia on the head of the leader's daughter. They brought the leader in, saying the daughter felt sick. When the leader entered, all the lights were off, and flashlights were shining on Patricia, which was on top of the daughter's head. The leader went back into the lodge and said, "They are all dead to me."

When the YCL came into the lodge for some reason or another, the leaders confiscated Patricia and took pictures of the head in places like the urinal, or the stovetop. Later, they gave Patricia a body and used her to scare the YCL.

And the best part? Later, Patricia signed our car.