To sum the week up in one word: wow.
It's difficult to write about EFY without getting all cheesy, so I will do my best to keep it to a minimum. I won't bore you with an itinerary of what went down, don't worry. There are also some experiences I had on EFY which are very personal and special to me and I don't feel like this blog is the forum to share that with you. So apologies if it feels like a long synopsis, but I'm doing it for your benefit - I promise!
I was a participant at EFY in 2006 and I loved every minute of it. It was a difficult time of my life; dealing with divorce, getting dumped, disappointing a-level results, the anticipation of moving to uni. I was a little bit fragile to say the least. But I came away from that week feeling better than I ever had before and I was ready to take on the world. That week I had received answers to questions that I'd never even thought to ask before. And so when the opportunity came up to be a counsellor this year, I jumped at the chance. I wanted help someone get the answers I got.
In the run up to EFY the nerves began to creep in. It's hard to explain my fears but I think they were all rooted in self doubt. Looking back I see now that I had no need to worry but let's face it, worrying is what I do best.
When I finally met all my girls I knew there was nothing I needed to worry about. They were wonderful girls. And for some bizarre reason they actually liked me. And when we got together as a company I just knew we had some amazing youth.
Wednesday night was games night and I don't think I've ever laughed so much.
The youth really could not be bothered about the banner and cheer to start with. And they ended up in the final cheer off. So proud.
HEAR MY VOICE! Say what? Say what?
Pizza night was the best. Sitting in our jammies, eating a load of junk food and talking about boys. I felt like I was 14 again.
Oh yeah. Did I mention of the girls ended up getting injured on games night and spend the rest of the week in a wheel chair? Well, that happened.
Thursday was a tough day. But the youth made it worth it.
Our youth were only 14 and 15 years old and it was humbling to learn so much from them through our gospel study, devotionals, their testimonies and examples. One thing I was in awe of was how obedient they were and I saw the blessings in action for the decision they made. I had to wonder if I ever was as strong as these youth were when I was their age and I know the answer is no.
It's crazy how much love you can have for someone, how much you can care for them and how hard it is to say goodbye when you've only known them a week.
I know I was only there for a week, but I miss the bubble I lived in. It's not the same being home, I'm no longer waking up to love notes. There's not any girls to wake up. I don't even eat breakfast! Oh and then there's that endlessly fun thing called work.
I'm grateful that I was able to serve. I'm grateful for the love that was shown. I'm grateful for my coco Alex. But most of all, I'm grateful for my dear youth.
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