FORT WALTON BEACH — Each summer the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ young women participate in a week of adventure and testimony-building they call Girls Camp.
These 12- to 18-year-olds exercised their creative sides as they staged choreographed plays and lip-synced to their favorite songs.
During the first night of this year’s camp, they dressed as their favorite “Star Wars” character. Crestview group 1 used pool noodles and silver and black duct tape to create light sabers. Crestview group 2 used the Michael Jackson song, “I'm Bad” with a gangster theme and changed the words to “I'm Good." They became “hug dealers”and gave out hugs to all.
Classes were offered to prepare attendees for survival in Northwest Florida’s woods. The girls learned basic first aid and canoeing along with how to care for camping equipment.
“In addition, they spent hours in the pool learning water safety and just having fun with crazy pool relays, scripture-based scavenger hunts and water balloon fights,” a church spokesperson said.
The women learned about diverse cultures from natives of other countries who taught them about the foods, clothing, dances and songs of their lands. Hawaii, Peru and Italy were featured in these presentations.
The program ended with a testimony meeting, during which the girls could share their beliefs in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Following the “Star Wars” theme, they were encouraged to dare to be different and do what God wants, to trust in themselves, and to be in the world but not “of the world,” the spokesperson said.
“And to remember to be happy by never thinking of yourself.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LDS Girls Camp features survival training, crafts