Longest Post Ever!

Just to warn you this is going to be a long post... :). I hope that you don't mind and read the whole thing and comment.

Ok so today in church I was asked to give a talk about camp. I really enjoyed everyone and I thought that mine was pretty good. It went something like this (I am going to have to remember from memory so bare with me):

Good Afternoon brothers and sisters. My name is Katie Russell. Today I was asked to give a talk about camp. First off I want to talk about the most amazing and fun thing you can do at camp: and that's the hike. (I don't think that people got that that was a joke). I was very proud of myself because this year I did not hurt myself. I was not one of the first to finish but I did it without complaining and suprisingly I enjoyed some of it. The only thing that I don't get is why they always say,"Take a look at nature while you are hiking." I don't know how you are suppose to do that when you are always looking at the ground! Well, I guess I could tell you something about nature and that is what kind of rocks were on the hike.

While I was up at camp I had some issues with my anxiety. I was proud of myself because I worked through it and I am thankful to all the girls for helping me. I guess that Sister Johnson told my mom that she knew the anxiety was coming when I started pacing. I hadn't even realized that I did that. I learned something neww about me at camp.

To be truthful I was not that excited to come to camp this year. It's a hot place and I am not a nature kind of girl. I mean I think that it is pretty but I don't love being outside. We had fun last year but it was not enough to make me want to come again this year. I enjoyed the leaders last year. It was nice this year getting to know new leaders. Last year I knew both the leaders before camp and this year I got to meet new people. I am so glad that Sister Johnson and Sister Mitchell got to come and I am glad that they helped me through camp.

Last year was a fun experience but I always made the assumption that at camp you got this big spiritual filling that I did not get. I mean I felt the spirit but I didn't in the way I thought I would. This year I went to camp not thinking I would get it but hoping that I would and what do you know, I got it. Last year I just thought it was going to be handed to me but this year I looked for it and felt it and let in then rather than just expecting it to be there and not doing anything and then being disappointed when nothing camp of it.

I loved both years of camp. This year was spiritual and last year was fun. I honestly don't know what to expect for next year because both years were so different. I will go there hoping to find fun and the spirit. Sister Mitchell was always saying, "Camp is what you make it." I truely believe that. You do there thinking you are going to have the spirit you will. I know now that if you just expecting it to be there it will not be there. You have to look for it. And I say these things on the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Now I know that it was longer than that but that is basically what I said. I hope that you enjoed that. Moving on to the next thing I want to talk about. Sister Adams talked today in Young Women about trials and oppistionns. She said some things that really opened my eyes. Did you know that when Elder Maxwell had cancer that he said after a while he realized that he had it so that he could teach the poeple of the church better?! I don't know if I could ever admit that to myself. Ever trial that we have it for a reason whether you recognize it or not. I will post more later about this talk tomorrow... I really want to discuss it but my hands are betting tired!