EFY- St. George

I got back today from my first week of being an EFY counselor. We were at Dixie State in St. George. It was quite a nice campus, minus the ridiculous heat (which isn't super fun to wear polos and pants in... and it definitely isn't fun when the AC in your apartment breaks and it's 89 degrees and won't cool down). And the food was actually surprisingly good (though the long lines weren't fun).

The session was a little bizarre, because it was a combined stay-at-home and overnight session. I heard it was combined, but I assumed that meant that some counselors and kids would be stay-at-home, and others (like myself) would be overnight and we would just combine for some activities. However, it ended up being that all counselors were overnight and everyone had some stay-at-home and some overnight kids in their groups. I had 7 overnighters and 5 stay-at-homes in my counselor group. Because of this combo session, the schedule was a bit weird and cut things a bit short. It was sad some of the time, but I definitely appreciated the extra hour of sleep a night (since the day started at 7:30am for counselors, instead of the normal 6:30am).

My co-counselors (Ry and Tiffany) were absolutely fantastic and were amazing mentors to have my first week. I'll definitely be a better counselor because of them.



I also adored the coordinator and BC team, which is great because I'm going to continue to be working with them in Salt Lake. (No picture, but I'm sure I'll get one another week.)

My company for the week consisted of 39 amazing 14- and 15-year-olds. They were an absolute blast and I learned a ton from them. They decided to name themselves "You Choose" (using Matthew 6:24).

I miss them already.

I never understood people who said it was hard to be an EFY counselor. Remembering how fun I had the 4 years I went as a participant, I couldn't comprehend how it could possibly be hard. But I get it now. The week definitely had its ups and downs for me as I tried to figure out how to be the best counselor I could. And to be honest, I do feel like Satan was trying really hard to get to me, so I wouldn't be as effective in helping these youth. But I was able to get through the "downs" and enjoy some incredible "ups." The laughs shared over crazy dance moves, Tiffany's "dolphin laugh", our company winning the water competition and being able to dump water on the health counselors, the most variety I've ever seen at a variety show, the sweet spirit during testimony meeting, the bonding that occurred during games and pizza night, playing cards during free time, hanging out with the counselors before all the kids came, being able to consistently bear my testimony as I taught these amazing youth, and receiving lots of my own personal revelation as I was able to quietly ponder.

There's so much more I could write about the week, but I think I'll have to end it there. I'm really tired. And kind of worried for next week. (If I'm this tired now... how am I going to do with even less sleep next week?) But I know it'll be great. I'm so excited to meet a new group of kids and learn and grow from them, and hopefully I can help them some, as well.