EFY

I got back this morning from EFY. I absolutely loved it! It was a great experience, and even better than Trek (see below for details :P)

So, Monday morning, I got there, got my stuff, and sat around in my room, messing around on my guitar a little. My roommate Mckay walks in while I'm playing guitar. He puts his stuff under his bed, and then tells me that he's going to get some food. So, I guess he went to a cafe with his cousin, and got some delicious looking food. When he comes back, he and I talk, telling about ourselves and such. Then, our councilor Bobby (the bestest ever! :D) and we have the introduction meeting, with all the boys in our company. Then, we go outside to meet the girls, and there are two girls for every boy, interesting odds, right? And so, after meeting the company for a little bit, the boys escort the girls to the institute building, where we get the schpill on rules and such like things. So, that night we have family home evening and we learn some stuff taught by Brother Low (He and Sister Low and G are amazing!) and then we go back to our company spot to play some family home evening games, that have a purpose, and after each game we explain the purpose of that. Oh, our company name was True and Faithful, and that was pretty sweet, but, you'll have to read on for that.

So, Tuesday, we have our Participant Morning Side thing, and then we go outside to meet the girls. Then, it's off to breakfast. Food is good, then we go to the institute building. We have our Session Director Morning Side, and then we go to classes. The classes are amazing. We had Brad Wilcox teaching a class there, that's right, be jealous. Well, so, that day is amazing. The dance that night was pretty sweet, and Bobby started teaching me a foot dance one of his kids had taught us previously.

Wednesday we do fairly the same thing as Tuesday. And then, that night we have Game night and cheer off. We hadn't started our cheer till like 10-20 minutes before. While we worked on the cheer, Mary, Heather, Alexis, and Cami (I think that's it, sorry if I'm wrong)worked on our banner (which was flipping awesome). For our cheer, we did a spoof/parody of 'Don't Stop Believing' and that was pretty cool. We ended up winning the cheer off and banner competition because we're just that cool. Then comes pizza night, and that was flipping sweet. We had pizza, cookies, soda, candy, grapes (:D) and milk, and music playing, and us dancing (Me and Bobby perfecting our foot dance thingy). It was flipping cool. Then, Brother Low came in and had some milk, and we tried throwing grapes in his mouth. Then, as he was leaving he said, 'You guys have the number one party here' and that was cool because that means we won everything :D

Thursday might have been the best day there. So, it was the Sunday of EFY so we got to dress up in nice clothes, and I think that made everyone more serious. So, we get to the institute building and separate Young Men and Young Women, each going to different class thingy. The Young Men went into the east chapel, and we had a fireside devotional thingy. But, we took up most of the time planning and preparing for a surprise that we would put on the next day for the ladies. So, after the planning prep time, Sister Low gave us her fireside lesson thingy in the time that was left, and we went upstairs. We where taught by Sam, our BC. Then we had the Q/A panel come in, and that was very uplifting, they answered questions I didn't really know I had. So, after that is lunch, and then the variety show. Our group had two people in it, Mary and Emily (who both did flipping amazing, no lie) and then we had free time. After free time/dinner, we went back to the institute building for Musical Program (which was pretty nice) and then devotional. Brother Lows devotional was when I started getting teary. Then we practiced singing the medley, and I got even closer to being teary. Then Bobby and two other councilors went up and sang a really spiritually moving song, and my eyes started leaking. Then, we went to testimony meeting. I ended up starting off the testimony meeting (I'm not sure how I did it) and I started crying on my way up to the podium (oh, by the way, we had separated into companies, and we where with another company) and then, when I got up to the podium, I started bearing my testimony, and for the first part, I couldn't open my eyes, and was holding my head down, hoping that my voice wouldn't die (which it does when I get emotional, my throat starts contracting) and then, I finished, and went back down. The testimony meeting continued and my crying continued. I would guess at least 6 separate times I cried. Then, after the testimony meeting we walked back, and I started crying a little more. Then we separated (girls and boys) and went back to our dorms. At our devotional that night, Bobby had us bear our testimonies if we wanted too. All who hadn't gotten a chance bore their testimony. Almost every single boy cried that night in our dorm as we bore testimony to each other, we couldn't help our emotions as we felt the spirit.

Friday comes, and it was also a good day. We had FTSOY (For the Strength of Youth) classes and those where very well done. Then, we had some lunch. It was a pretty good lunch. Then we went and did a service project of tying fleece blankets for the homeless shelter. Then, it was free time, and that was good. Then, we had our Dance, and that was pretty sweet. Me and Bobby showed our foot dance thingy to peoples, and taught some peoples, and Bobby taught me the turn step part. Then we went to our Taking it Home part. But, the video didn't work, so we didn't watch it. But, the boys launched our surprise. We sang 'My Duty To God' and then we said to the ladies (and I completely mean this as I quote it) "Ladies, thank you for having the courage to stand tall, we love you" and then we started applauding them (probably for around three minutes or so) as we got on one knee. We kept applauding and applauding, it was nice. Then, apparently the girls had a surprise of their own. After we sat down, the ladies stood up and recited the Young Womens theme. Then, they sang and a song explaining how God truly knows who they are, and they are all daughters of God. (Beautiful Daughters of God in my opinion) and after that, was sang the EFY theme. Tears started leaking in our group, and I almost did cry. Then, we sang the EFY medley and more tears came. I again almost cried. Then, as we where going outside for our final devotional, I started crying. Then, as we sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" I started chocking up, and I had trouble singing. Then, we had a short lesson from each councilor (each councilor is amazing, Bobby, Ashley, and Natalie, I love you guys) and each lesson was amazing, I cried in each one I think. Then, as everyone was crying, we hugged, and that was a nice time too... haha... then we went back to the dorms, crying, laughing, and talking. (I almost cried again typing about this)

Then, today we said our good byes and left, possibly to never see our EFY family again, and we where truly a family, and I loved them like one. On the way home from EFY I almost cried because I probably would never see them again, and I was really depressed and quiet. (I had tears almost falling out of my eyes here)

So, that was my freaking amazing EFY experiance.

Thank you to all those in my company, you truly made this week amazing for me, and I will never forget that. I love each and everyone of you, and I thank you for accepting me. I know that this is God's true church, and he is our loving father. I know that Jesus is my lord and savior, as well as my older brother. He sacrificed himself for me, and for you, so that we may receive eternal salvation. I am so grateful for this. I know Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration, and he brought the lords church back to this Earth. I know President Thomas S. Monson is the true prophet of God on this planet. He knows what is best for us, and we would do well to listen to him. I am so grateful for The Book of Mormon, and what it has done for me. Once again, I am so grateful from my EFY family, you truly made this the best week of my 15 years of life. I am sad that it is over. I know that Jesus lives and he will come again for us. I know he is the only way to eternal salvation and happiness, and I hope and pray that one day I may be worthy to possibly even come close to achieving that goal. I know that this church is true, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
(almost cried again, I'm surprised I didn't)

For all my EFY family company people, I thank you, and I love each and every single one of you. I hope that life may give you all that you need, and, good bye, I hope that we may meet again.