Youth Conference 2008

The whole group, girls and guys. We had fun!

This weekend was Stake Youth Conference for all the priests and laurels. It was so much fun! Our theme for it was Rock Solid for our Mosiah 5:15 theme and we got really cool shirts. It was held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It was supposed to be kind of a mock EFY thing with counselors (70th ward members), living in dorm rooms, a dance, classes, escorting, group families, etc. We were able to have Jenee Wright Prince, Clyde Bawden, and Freddy Ashby there. Clyde Bawden and Freddy Ashby did all of the music for the Reflections of Christ, an exhibit at the temple that is possibly going to travel around to other temples, along with another girl Hope Shepard who played cello. It was really good. The spirit was so strong this whole weekend. On the last day, we had to wear dresses the whole day. There was a special calming spirit upon the whole group today. When we gathered together to have our testimony meeting before we left we sang a song, As Sisters in Zion & We'll Bring the World His Truth, an EFY song. As we all stood up and the girls started to sing, then the boys sang their part, then we all came in together singing, "We are as the Army of Helamen...", the spirit was so powerful and so strong it was overwhelming. I looked down at Mom looking at all the youth then I saw President Turk take out a hankerchief to wipe his tears, then I saw Mindy Fox tearing up as she looked at the youth, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this church is true and the spirit is powerful. It was amazing.

The girls in our group. Our counselors are in the middle with the black and white polka-dot and the long blue dress. You can see my new skirt I just made the day before, too. It's so cute!

I had a good family group with good counselors. Two of them converts, one who just got his endowments taken out about two weeks ago, the other from Japan who came 9 years ago as an exchange student who was faced with discrimination in her school, who later joined the church 5 years later. We got really tight with her and had such a good time.

Our group name, Jonny's Rebels: Us against the world. (Jonny was our counselor in the middle holding the banner with the shades)

It was a good experience and I loved every minute of it. We had a dance the first night and I learned some new dance moves... maybe I'll show you all sometime. The second night we had a variety show. I played my duet on the recorder by myself in my $3 clubbing outfit and had a roaring applause.

My duet by myself.

THis is a movie that Yumi (my counselor) took when we were doing our cheer/dance. I don't know the words to the boys rap, but the girls are saying, "Oh, Oh... Bye, Bye, Bye. Just hit me with the truth, Oh, world you're more than welcome to. So give me one good reason to follow you. I know that I can conquer all with the truth on my side. I wanna see you out that door, Satan, Bye, Bye, Bye." Then we say, Who are we? Jonny's Rebels. What's are motto? Us against the world.