Lessons from a cancelled YW Camp

A year-and-a-half ago, I was serving in Young Women’s and we were prepping for Stake YW Camp. We had selected our ward mascot, come up with our lip-sync dance, made our banner, bought supplies… 

It was also suuuuuper dry in Arizona last summer. 

14 days before the first day of Stake YW Camp, we received word that the stake needed to cancel the camp. The fire hazard was too much and the surrounding forests were being closed. 

YW Camp Cancelled. 14 days before. Yes, it was as dramatic and shocking as it might sound. 

But here’s the more dramatic part: Camps were turned over to the ward level. But the only days that everyone had already blocked off of their busy summers were… 14 days away.

So with 14 days’ notice, our ridiculously talented YW Presidency threw together a Ward YW Camp at a cabin that was randomly available. Planned food, activities, horseback riding, crafts… 

The girls loved it.

But let’s go back to those 14 days of chaos before everything turned out well.

There was a little bit of murmuring at first, from girls, parents, and leaders. We had spent multiple mutuals planning everything out. Girls had used their time and resources to create beautiful and creative decorations that went along with our stake theme. Budgets had been spent.

The Sunday before this new Ward Camp, our Bishop came to speak to the YW. 

What he said was so poignant to me.

“The Lord knew this would happen the whole time. He knew the whole time you were spending hours prepping for a lip-sync battle that would never happen. He knew the whole time you were shopping for gifts. He knew the whole time you were coming up with cheers and painting banners.

“This was the plan the whole time. This was no surprise to Him. 

“So what lessons do you think He wants you to learn from this?”

I think attitudes were changed in both the hearts of the leaders and the girls that day.

We knew this was a “hard trial” that we needed to have good attitudes about. 

But it changed our perspectives to remember that this was no “wrench in the plan” – this WAS the plan all along. 

And knowing that it really was the plan made it a whole lot easier to adjust our attitudes and find the beautiful and intricate lessons that we needed to learn. 

Why did Lehi’s sons have to “go back” to Jerusalem two different times after leaving it? It was the plan all along. It was meant to happen that way. Which means, there were lessons to learn. What lessons do YOU think they were supposed to learn? And what lessons can WE learn when we feel like we are being asked to “go back”?

The Lord will not be surprised.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black