I just got home from Trek this afternoon and it was a WONDERFUL experience! I had the best family ever and it was so fun to have the Poultons as my Ma and Pa! On Thursday, we pretty much walked the entire day. I noticed the Lord's tender mercies from the very start. By lunch time on the first day, I had blisters on both of my ankles. I found that I was able to ignore them while we were walking along the trail and enjoy the experience. I knew that the Lord was blessing me with a good attitude, and I was so grateful! It was also pretty hilarious to listen to my mom and YW leaders fussing about my feet. It was cute. I love them. I was also amazed by the fact that every single member of my trek family did more than their fair share of work pushing the handcart. Some people needed a little encouragement, but everyone helped. Everyone's positive attitudes were truly contagious. We sang, talked, counted to 100 at one point, and whenever a part of the trail got difficult, we encouraged each other to push through the difficulty. It was absolutely incredible!
On Day 2, we walked for a bit, then did some activities including: HAIR WASHING (YES!), pioneer games, making up skits, throwing hatchets, learning how to crack a whip, and making scones. After dinner and a wonderful devotional given by the Stake Presidency, we had Bishop's Time. Bishop Buhler gave such a great lesson. At the end of it, he directed some remarks toward us college freshmen. He spoke about how he knows that we have strong testimonies that will carry us through the next phase of our lives. He counseled us to listen to promptings we receive as we make many important decisions in the upcoming years. In his words: "We should not do what WE think is best if it contradicts what the LORD thinks is best." Maybe that wasn't an exact quote, but that was his point. He told us about how three years into his college education, he felt strongly impressed to change his major. He acted on this prompting, and told us that he has been so blessed in his life because of it. I am currently trying to figure out if the college major that I have been thinking about is the right one. I have been praying for guidance and researching possible majors outside of Music Ed. Sister Hatch and I talked about this a while ago and she encouraged me to keep my mind open. As she said, I'm 18 years old and the world is mine to explore! It's so true! As I picked my college courses, I was amazed by all of the different subjects that I can explore! It's so amazing and so nerve-wracking at the same time! I am the kind of person who likes everything to be planned out, and making decisions is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am going to rely on my Heavenly Father to try and make this a strength. I have a strong testimony of my Heavenly Father's love for me, and I know that he wants me to make the right decision and be happy. I will continue to do my part by researching majors, then bring my decision to my Heavenly Father. I know that he will guide me toward the right answer, and for that I am grateful.
At the end of Bishop's Time as Bishop Buhler was wrapping up his remarks, it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only was this my last Youth Conference, this was my last church camp that I would attend as a youth. This realization hit me so hard that I had to fight back tears. Thank goodness it was dark out, because I'm not a fan of crying in front of people. My fight against the tears was useless, unfortunately. The tears prevailed. It was ALL Sister Hatch's fault. After everyone had said good night and headed back to their campsites, the two of us were among the few people left. She looks at me and goes, "Sarah, you're all grown up now. This was your last one." Then alas, we both started sobbing. Congratulations tears, you won. We were quite a pathetic sight, hugging each other and crying. I love her so much. She has always been there for me no matter what. I feel so blessed to have had her as my Young Women's leader. I know that Heavenly Father placed all of these amazing leaders in my life for a reason. I don't know if she realizes how much I look up to her, and she's never failed to be an amazing example!
On the final day of Trek, we had an amazing testimony meeting! I love listening to everyone's testimonies and seeing how strong the youth of the Oakton Stake are! I feel so blessed to have been a part of the Herndon Ward and the Oakton Stake. All of these Youth Conferences and my years at Girls Camp have strengthened my testimony and made me the person that I am today. I love the Gospel and feel so blessed to be a member of the Mormon Church.
On Day 2, we walked for a bit, then did some activities including: HAIR WASHING (YES!), pioneer games, making up skits, throwing hatchets, learning how to crack a whip, and making scones. After dinner and a wonderful devotional given by the Stake Presidency, we had Bishop's Time. Bishop Buhler gave such a great lesson. At the end of it, he directed some remarks toward us college freshmen. He spoke about how he knows that we have strong testimonies that will carry us through the next phase of our lives. He counseled us to listen to promptings we receive as we make many important decisions in the upcoming years. In his words: "We should not do what WE think is best if it contradicts what the LORD thinks is best." Maybe that wasn't an exact quote, but that was his point. He told us about how three years into his college education, he felt strongly impressed to change his major. He acted on this prompting, and told us that he has been so blessed in his life because of it. I am currently trying to figure out if the college major that I have been thinking about is the right one. I have been praying for guidance and researching possible majors outside of Music Ed. Sister Hatch and I talked about this a while ago and she encouraged me to keep my mind open. As she said, I'm 18 years old and the world is mine to explore! It's so true! As I picked my college courses, I was amazed by all of the different subjects that I can explore! It's so amazing and so nerve-wracking at the same time! I am the kind of person who likes everything to be planned out, and making decisions is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am going to rely on my Heavenly Father to try and make this a strength. I have a strong testimony of my Heavenly Father's love for me, and I know that he wants me to make the right decision and be happy. I will continue to do my part by researching majors, then bring my decision to my Heavenly Father. I know that he will guide me toward the right answer, and for that I am grateful.
At the end of Bishop's Time as Bishop Buhler was wrapping up his remarks, it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only was this my last Youth Conference, this was my last church camp that I would attend as a youth. This realization hit me so hard that I had to fight back tears. Thank goodness it was dark out, because I'm not a fan of crying in front of people. My fight against the tears was useless, unfortunately. The tears prevailed. It was ALL Sister Hatch's fault. After everyone had said good night and headed back to their campsites, the two of us were among the few people left. She looks at me and goes, "Sarah, you're all grown up now. This was your last one." Then alas, we both started sobbing. Congratulations tears, you won. We were quite a pathetic sight, hugging each other and crying. I love her so much. She has always been there for me no matter what. I feel so blessed to have had her as my Young Women's leader. I know that Heavenly Father placed all of these amazing leaders in my life for a reason. I don't know if she realizes how much I look up to her, and she's never failed to be an amazing example!
On the final day of Trek, we had an amazing testimony meeting! I love listening to everyone's testimonies and seeing how strong the youth of the Oakton Stake are! I feel so blessed to have been a part of the Herndon Ward and the Oakton Stake. All of these Youth Conferences and my years at Girls Camp have strengthened my testimony and made me the person that I am today. I love the Gospel and feel so blessed to be a member of the Mormon Church.
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