Camp Nurse

I was asked to come to church girl's camp at Lomia and be the nurse for our stake. Being a convert at the age of 18, I had never been to girl's camp. I had lots of friends who have gone both as girl's and as leaders. I know they always had a good time. So I said yes.
I have to say I was apprehensive though. When we had a meeting early on in the year, I looked around the room and thought, I really don't know these people. My friends, Cynthia and Lezlee were going though and I figured it would be ok.

I was nervous as it got closer. Was I crazy to say I would do this? There were girls I was worried about. I was worried about living and sleeping in close quarters with people I didn't know very well. I was committed so off I went. This is what it looked like when the leaders and YCL's arrived on Monday. Two trailers and numerous private cars full of stuff to be unpacked and set up before the girl's arrived on Tuesday morning.

This is the room inside the staff cabin that was to become the designated nurse's office. I can tell you that during the day, it was blazing hot in there. I spent as much time as possible out on the front porch. We brought some fans and it made it tolerable, but barely. At night and early morning, it was quite pleasant. And the bunk beds? These two were for my patients, but yes that is what we all had to sleep on too. Cynthia and I shared a set, I was on the top. I hadn't slept in bunk beds since I was a little kid. I would climb up the foot board and heave myself over the end onto the bed. I could slid off the side pretty well though. I was paranoid about keeping Cynthia up though. They would rock and roll anytime you moved. I think they were from when the camp first opened 43 years ago. But Cynthia and I pretty much passed out at night, so it wasn't an issue. Other than the bruises I acquired from sometimes hitting my legs on the metal bars as I "hopped" in.

So Pam Young, our camp director made me an nurse in and out sign. I was almost always in as it made everyone nervous for me to stray very far.

And this is the nurse's office after I was almost set up.


Here is an area of a the staff cabin. Yep, 3 women, 4 beds in this space.

They were all great and fun though. Here was a little impromptu song for us.

Our front porch was pretty inviting. After we made a little more shade with the canopy, covered the table with a table cloth and dragged out a fan when the afternoon would get stifling. Everyone worked really hard to make it as nice and comfortable as they could.

We had a lot of really nice people to work with. The kitchen staff worked really hard. They were the first ones up in the morning and often the last ones to bed at night. And they fed us all very well.

Brother and Sister Lee and Patricia Tejada headed up the kitchen. This is Sister Lee. Her husband looked really tough. He is a prison warden. So you know he is tough. But he was really sweet with all the girls.

Patricia

One of our breakfasts.

The prison warden in apron whipping up omelets.

We had great leadership. Amanda Meppen was one of the assistant directors. She worked really hard during camp putting together a live time multimedia presentation of what was happening for the girls to see closing night.

Pam Young was our fearless director. She was amazing. She was loving and caring for everyone. She kept leaving us little thoughtful gifts or treats on our beds. My favorite moment though was when she was looking for the other walkie talkie. She kept having someone call it. I can hear it she said I'm getting closer! It was in her back pocket. Too funny.

Claire, another assistant camp leader. Everywhere, all the time. More energy than the rest of us put together. The three of them did an amazing job of putting together a great experience for the girls.

And this poor little bird tried to take care of it's nest on our extremely busy and crowded front porch.

This is one of Pam's treats for us. Each cabin had a value and theme from the young women's theme. Ours was knowledge and the color green. So they used Knowledge is Toadallly amazing. We had lots of frogs in our cabin.

And this is the injury that scared me the most when it happened. Sabrina tangled legs with her sister and fell, hitting her arm on a corner of the bench. It swelled so fast and so hard with a large lump, that I was afraid she had broken it Thank goodness she hadn't.

I had some possible pink eye too. That was scary because it's so contagious and could spread through camp. I isolated the girl, and she ended up going home about half a day early. I am not at all convinced she had pink eye, but once we talked about sending her home, she just wanted to go and there wasn't much talking her out of it.

Had several splinter removals, 3 bloody noses, upset stomachs, menstrual cramps, homesickness, blisters, mosquito bites and one asthma attack. And we all made it back and are accounted for!

I'll have some more posts of the girls and fun...