Our Young Women lived up to their kingdom name of the "Shinies" this year at Girls Camp.
We chose the name "Shinies" to remind us to live to our potential as counseled by Sis. Elaine Dalton. She dubbed the Young Women of the Church this in a talk entitled "Now is the Time to Arise and Shine".
Our home away from home was at Camp Little Thunder, high above Cedar City. By night, we spent the duration of our time in metal storage containers equipped with bunks. By day we enjoyed the deep blue skies and Quaking Aspens.
Not only were the Young Women spiritually fed, but they learned a thing or two about cooking outdoors.
The Bloomington Stake worked so hard and provided a way for the girls to feel the Spirit and learn of their Divine Nature. One of the first things they taught the girls, was how to say their Young Women's theme through sign language, which they learned perfectly and performed for the Bishop and Bro. Stephens when they visited our campsite on the last evening. The girls were more than thrilled to perform for their supper of Cafe Rio!
Girls Camp was an experience not soon forgotten.
We thank Bro. Kanenwisher, Sis. Bown and Bro. Larson for ferrying us to and fro and to our Bishop and Bro. Stephens for visiting us and participating in the testimony meeting. Thank you Bishop for providing nourishment by way of our favorite food too!
Thank you to Lisa Carson, who was our camp director extraordinaire. She came very prepared to teach and show our girls much love. We are grateful for all of her hard work.
Thank you to the Stake leaders who provided, taught and shared by example, the way to Arise and Shine forth.
Elder Ed and Sister Linda Sappington returned to their Bloomington Ward family on June 11 after having served four months in the West Indies Mission office in Trinidad and 14 months in Guyana, South America (formerly known as British Guiana). Called to serve as Guyana PEF missionaries, their assignment expanded dramatically after hearing Caribbean Area President Francisco Viñas teach, “It’s not enough just to baptize. We must teach them to read so they can get an education. We must help them qualify for jobs so they can support their families. We must minister to our members from birth to the cemetery!” “At that moment, we were impressed to ‘teach them what we know!’,” states Sister Sappington. “What we know is computers, employment and fun! When we embraced those three concepts, our mission truly became remarkable!” 
For Elder Sappington, the most enjoyable experience of their mission together was “making a difference in the lives of young people through the Perpetual Education Fund program . . . and taking thousands of great pictures of this beautiful country!”
