First Week of EFY (Blue 2)

Evolution of the Ninja - Company Banner

Well I just got done with my first as a counselor at EFY Provo. It took a long time to get the paper work and things worked out but I am so glad that I did it. 

I had to go to a relatively long training last Saturday morning from 10am to 4pm .... ick. But it was worth it. It was really nice to be able to just take a breath and realize what was about to come. I checked in to my dorm (Heritage Halls) later that day and just kinda dodged getting to know people. Whenever I am in a new group, or surroundings where I am not confident, or low-totem-pole, I tend to build a nice wall around me. 

Well I spent most of my Sunday making some last minute preparations on my lessons. After a bit, my new roommate walked in and after a bit we became really good friends. He invited me to meet up with a friend of his who was equally awesome and accepting. So that Sunday night I really felt awesome and accepted and that was just the best start to seriously a FREAKIN' AWESOME WEEK!

Monday morning was filled with nervous excitement as we waited for our kids. Seriously, it was probably the closest to Mission/Christmas jitters I had felt in a long time. 

(Here there would be a sick awesome vid of our company cheer and a keytar player....yest thats right, in that session there was a really talented keytar player.)

We made a few errands when I get a call that all my kids were being switched up with my roommates kids, so we swapped 15/16 year-olds so I got all the 16 year-olds (6) and my roommate got the 15 year-olds (12). I was a bit jealous but after having just my 6 boys, I realized what a blessing it was so have a smaller group. 

I got set up with some veteran counselors that were just the shiz!!!! Man it was crazy!

Alright so this is the best thing ever, slush with ice cream and some strawberries...heaven!!

I have so many fond memories of this week. Each day my roommate and I would just (humbly) brag to each other about how awesome our job was, our kids and just the experience. For instance (long story short) one of his kids went to catch a Frisbee and fell down some 25 feet no exaggeration and seriously it could have been farther....and not a broken bone in his body, just a little scratch on his arm and some shin splint-like pains....seriously people, these kids are being watched by not only counselors but ... extra hands. 

My kids were just a bunch of dorks like us counselors. There was a great vibe from them, not really any clicks, it was just a great bunch of kids. We counselors were pretty awesome as well, some of the BC's (our leaders) called us the perfect storm - and that we were. 

The Larsons, our Session Director and his wife

By Thursday, we had a pretty tight nit group. I expect I could call myself a success with the young women in the group when they started setting me up with the counselors they saw at lunch and at the dances. So here we were Thursday, spiritual day, all the kids dressed in their Sunday best and it was time for Testimony meeting. It's no wonder they call this Payday! I could almost (almost) do this for free because of this last week. Those kids grew so much, it was so great to here testimonies of recent converts, kids from Mexico, Korea and Venezuela, and awesome kid on his way to Tallahassee Florida for his mission, kids that looked just like Justin B, kids that didn't want to be there, just a nice group and the best part was....THEY ALL BORE THEIR TESTIMONIES...I felt something like a proud father at that moment. It was unreal. 

Alright this is sick awesome, a toothpick, balancing on a toothpick, with intertwined forks suspended above it all...seriously sick

Two anyone?

Friday was awesome...mostly because we had the whole company cryin' by the end. The guys in their gangster hats with their heads down as tears came and went. I got a bit emotional as I bore that last testimony to the kids.... little bit emotional.

I cannot wait till this next week starts.