Oh Happy Me

I was looking back on some of the things that I have blogged on, and I usually always blog on something that is frustrating me. As I read my own words I sounded like a huge complainer, so to change that, I want to blog about the amazing Summers I have the opportunity to have. They have truly been remarkable. I have worked with Especially For Youth (EFY) for three summers now, two of which I have been over counselors that are in charge of 12-15 youth. I have loved being a Building Counselor because I was able to meet kids that I would have not met if I had my own set of youth. For instances, my friends in the picture below:

These boys helped me more than they will ever know, and I am so glad I was able to meet them. The two boys in the center are the ones who introduced me to the rest of the crew. They were such a delight to work with and here there stories and how different each one of them ones due to their personality and what they had experienced in this life. I hope that they can remember how amazing they each are. They are very very awesome guys! They made me really excited to be a teacher and be around kids like them for more than a week and see if I can help them get through the rough times we all face in life!!!
It is reasons like "my boys" that remind me why I love this job so much. I was able to help, in a sense, just by being kind to them and not snubbing them like they had experienced so many times from members. I am not trying to sound like I am tooting my own horn, all I want to express is that kindness changes peoples hearts and brings them back to Christ more than labeling that person as a project and treating them like you do a dirty, worn out shoe.

Another reason I am so grateful for this job is in reference to the amazing people I meet that are my age. I love the friendships that I have had that started at EFY. It is nice because I have such a different level of friendship with these people than I do with my other friends. I am able to hear their testimony constantly at work and I know that I can go to them for anything that I need. One more glorious thing, counselors love to serve :)
This year a lot of them go to USU, and I am so sad that I will be in Ogden student teaching, but I know that I will be up there 9/10 weekends to party it up and go crazy with them!!

Fist week Team!!

Loved having fun during Service.

One Amazing BC team!!

One of our many adventures!

 My BC team, well we were quite the bunch! We all had so many different qualities to bring to the table that we had quite the time adjusting to each other, lets be honest. BUT we made it work and we had a blast. It was a true delight to work with Nicole, Colby, & Braden again this Summer. It was fun to see how different a team can be when only half of it changes. I have loved both Summers as a BC and they are completely uncomparable. Last Summer, I spent most of my time with my BC team & youth; this Summer I focused more on the Counselors & youth. Good heavens, this Summer was more techy for some reason, we all found out our love languages and what color we are. I am so grateful for the friends I have made from my team this year. Because of Laurie & Jay, I now must say I have friends that go to BYpooh ;) I now can say I have a friend who will be famous one day, a friend who constantly had a smile on their face that was so infectious. I now have a friend who was as positive and real as one gets, even when yelling at an old crotchety woman at Village Inn. I now have a friend who was an example to me on letting things roll off your back and getting the job done. There are so many qualities that I have taken from my new friends that are molding me into a better person. So thank you all for being such a superb example to me in various ways!!!

my old team.
2010 team.Constant water fights--that I ALWAYS won!!!!

From both Summers I have learned and grown as an individual, spiritually, as well as humanly. I know that sounds odd, humanly, but  it is true. I have seen how well I can handle and try to understand people rather than condemn them. I'm sure some of this is from personal experience. I was able to understand this Summer why a youth would become angry due to us asking them to cut their hair to be at a camp they are forced to be at from their parents. Rather then say "it's just hair" I listened to their frustration and got to some core issues. And by being able to tell them that I understood what they were saying really helped. They usually laughed when I would show them pictures of my purple hair and how I had to get rid of it for EFY.
I wanted to do better at not being a Frankenstein rule orientated BC, I wanted to help the individual more than focus on the rule. I think by doing this I was able to do my job better and help lots of counselors as well as youth.
I love this program, when I tell people about it I become so overjoyed by the memories of the changes I have seen this program make in the youth that come lives, and for the memories that I have with the counselors, my team, and session director lessons. It is a program for the youth, but I get so much out of it that I keep going back!!It helps remind me that even though this world continues to become more dark and wicked, the church will continue to shine brighter to counter the darkness and these youth that I have had the opportunity to work with are helping build that light. The counselors are helping to show that light and continue to build up Zion. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I had to work EFY for three summers.

I thought it appropriate to put in at least one of the model shots we took along with our ninjas shots!!! :) ha ha ha

Thanks for taking time to read or browse the pictures!!!

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