EFY!

A counselor sandwich. These girls are cool. Way cool actually.

My last Provo group. Angels, every one of them. 

My Co-counselor and I on the last day of my last week of EFY. I promise it wasn't me that made him look like he wanted to cry...

This summer I had the amazing privilege of being an EFY counselor for 6 weeks. It was the most fun I've ever had at a job, while it was also the hardest job I've ever had. Alma 17:5 explains exactly how the experience was, "Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their journeyings, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit." By the end of my last week, I was utterly, and completely exhausted in every way. But it was so worth it. I learned so much about myself, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, teaching the gospel, living the gospel, and sincerely loving people. There were a few moments when I just felt the spirit so strongly, and knew that I was in the right place, at the right time. Other times I wanted nothing more than to just disappear for a nap or two. Overall experience: best ever, and way too much fun.

Some funny things that I observed:

• I know the lyrics to Justin Bieber's songs better than most 15 year old girls.
• None of the youth knew who sang my favorite song from when I was their age when it came on at the dances. It was Backstreet Boys! I can't believe I'm already experience a pop culture generational gap.
• One of my girls was a little bit blond (figuratively), and provided me with a few good laughs. One morning she had gotten herself a bowl of cocoa puffs for breakfast. She left for a few minuets to get something else, and then came back to the table. When she arrive she was quite upset to see that the milk in her cereal was chocolate milk. She asked who had done such a thing. The other kids had to teach her that the chocolate cereal makes the milk turn chocolate...I don't know why but this story cracked me up.
• I have the best Mormon pick up lines now, and a few that were specifically catered to me by my crazy 17 year old boys. One boy, we'll call him Sam, came up with this one:
• Sam: Hey Mary, lets play a game. We each take turns putting the word, "Me" after our names. I'll go first, Sam Me. Alright, now it is your turn.
• Me: Mary me.
• Sam: Oh, how kind of you to ask, I'd love to marry you! 
• Me: You know I'm way older than you, right?
• Sam: Love knows no age.
• Me: But you realize I'll be 27 when you get off your mission?
• Sam:.....uh....maybe it does know age over the age of 25. 
• My personal favorite pick up line though was, "Is your name virtue? Because you've been garnishing my thoughts unceasingly."
• I learned some hip new dance moves including "The Bernie," "The Cat Daddy," and an occasional attempt to "Dougie,"  "Spongebob," or "Jerk." My youth only approved me to do the first two though. The later dance moves they suggested I practice on my own.