Best Callings Ever!!!

Dave and I have really fun callings right now. I'm the Young Women's Sports rep (aka: basketball and softball coach), and Dave is a teacher's quorum adviser. But what is especially fun about our callings is that we got to go to Youth Conference this year (June 26th - 28th). This year was a ward Youth Conference and we went river rafting down the Colorado into Moab. I know.... fun huh! It was more than fun..it was a blast!! Sooooo much fun!! It was a good activity to be a leader on because we really didn't have to do much but play with the youth. We went with a tour company that pretty much did the not so fun stuff that the leaders would usually do like prepare and clean up meals.

It wasn't an activity for the faint of heart. It was over 100 degrees, the water was freezing and really dirty, brutal water fights, we had to use port-a-potties for 3 days, no showers, the drinking water was clean but probably not sterile, we set up and took down camp for 55 people twice, we went through rapids that threw people out of the rafts, and last but not least we had to spend 3 days with young men between the ages of 12 and 18 (Need I say more). But we honestly have the best youth in our ward! They handled all of that a lot better than I did, even our youngest little beehives were getting thrown and trying to throw people out of rafts during the water fights.
I don't think river rafting is what I'd call our Youth Conference activity. "The Water Fights to End All Water Fights" is a much better fit for the experience we had. Really, as soon as we put the rafts in the water that's really all that we did for the next 3 days and it was so much fun!! It really was brutal though. It started with shooting super soakers and water cannons, and throwing buckets of water at other rafts, but that was quickly abandoned by the more effective method of jumping rafts and throwing people in the river. And this went on for hours. We have some pretty athletic and competitive young men, but they're not as athletic and competitive as the young women. I couldn't believe the Young Women. They were crazy! I was so impressed and pretty much intimidated. If anyone needs a bodyguard I've got some 15 and 16 year old girls I can send your way.

Of course Dave and I were in on all the water fighting. Everyone was, you really couldn't avoid it. In this case the best defense was a good offense. I don't know....you just get in the moment and you're surprised at what you're capable of. At one time a raft stole our bucket and I jumped on to it to get it back and was fighting for it with an 11 year old boy. The fight ended with me taking the bucket and him into the river with me. I don't know if it was the shock of the cold water or what that brought me to my senses but as I was floating there, bucket in hand, I kind of snapped out of it and thought, "What did I just do? Did I really just take out an 11 year old for this bucket?"

The very last day we tied our rafts together and just had a huge brawl for the last few hours on the river. I'm still amazed that no one came out of that last one hurt too badly. I think that was the first time I can honestly say that I witnessed pure, absolute, insanity!! (I know...not something you probably want to hear as a parent) But it was so worth it!

Youth conference was a huge success and tons of fun for everybody! I have to admit that we didn't try to make too much of a spiritual experience, but we did have some really good devotionals (and some not so spiritual ones about war and how the other rafts better watch they're backs by the teachers quorum) and a fantastic testimony meeting, and most importantly our youth grew closer towards one another. So, our youth came away from our 3 day "water fight" with all friends and no enemies. Go figure!!?

To see more pics of our trip go to
picasaweb.google.com/mrsrachelbaker/SH2ndYouthConference2008