An Ode to Oakcrest

What seams like two very short years ago I got a phone call from one of my favorite people in the entire world Ashlee Jensen or as I like to call her KaBunga. What I didn't know was that the message she told me would change my life.

Everyone talks about life changing moments they have had in their life and Oakcrest is one of mine. When KaBunga called me to tell me I had been hired as a counselor I'm confident that I started to bawl.... and with out her knowing me I'm pretty sure she thought I was a crazy! I felt so blessed to be going to a place that as a little 13 year old had impacted my life so much. Oakcrest is an LDS girls camp for girls ages 12-14. I had the great opportunity to work at Oakcrest for two summers (2009 & 2010) I was also able to be a camper in 2004 and my Counselor was Pooka.

Tomorrow is the Oakcrest staff 2011 first training. While thinking about this I couldn't help but reflect on my two amazing summers as a counselor lady at Oakcrest.

I got to work with two of the most amazing staffs Oakcrest has ever seen! I am so grateful for all of these girls. I can honestly say that I have made some of my best friends at Oakcrest. I look up to these girls all so much!

I want to say Thank You to both of my amazing directorships! I don't think I could have done half of the things that I did without them! These 8 women are some of the most incredible people I have ever met! It always amazed me how when I needed help or just a hug they knew exactly what to say and do! I look up to them for all of their craziness and their incredible ability to follow the Spirt.

My roommates!! Oh man I had some of the best moments at Oakcrest with the girls I was assigned to live with! From jumping on the roof pretending we were reindeer, pretending to kill each other, living in a sanctuary of unhappiness, being told by our girls to go to bed to praying each night together and feeling the Spirt stronger than ever. I love all of these girls!!

Now my campers. Because I was a counselor I spent all of my time with my girls and I wouldn't have had it any other way! I love my girls! I didn't know that it was possible to look at a card with a girls name on it and just love them so much without even meeting them. When I went to Oakcrest my goal was to work as hard as I could and be a helping hand to help my girls to come to know their Savior and his love for them and to teach them about the gospel. I don't think I could have ever known how much my girls would help me and the impact they would have on my life. Sometimes I think I needed them more than they needed me. They changed my life. I love my girls and I'm so grateful Heavenly Father let them be in my life!

Oakcrest 2009 and Oakcrest 2010

This past week Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President, spoke at the CES fireside about "Coming to Know." She talked about how Alma came to know the Savior and then taught the people at the waters of Mormon. She challenged each of us to come to know our Savior and to have our own personal waters of Mormon. Oakcrest is my waters of Mormon. It is a place where I came to fully know my Savior, his love for me, and that through him I can do all things. I'm so grateful for my Savior and the opportunity that he gave me to work at Oakcrest. I will always hold a special place in my heart for Oakcrest.

Good Luck Oakcrest Staff 2011 we are all rooting for you!! "Have faith my friend, we'll help each other to reach the end. We must be strong for the road is long to eternity."