Camp Hike - with Eggs

By Alice Gifford - YW Connection

I used part of an idea from the list (thanks Vicki!!!!) during our hike. We had 75 girls on the hike and I gave 36 raw eggs out. I told the girls to think of their most precious possession and that the egg represented this. Then we began the hike. It was interesting that as soon as we started walking that several of the girls began complaining about the egg right away and didn't want to carry it. So they gave them away. One yw ended up with five eggs. One of the girls forgot completely about her egg....she started talking and having fun and before she realized it she'd dropped it. I told her how sorry I was (with a grin - I was the evil one °Ü° and asked the girls who were following to drop their eggs too so she wouldn't feel bad (I said it in a whisper and as sincere as I could) One of the girls did drop hers and I smiled really big and said "good girl" and then laughed hysterically. And then turned to the others girls and said, "Whatever you do, don't drop your eggs!" and ran off.There was one young woman who cracked her egg. I said, "oh, that's too bad. It's okay to just drop it now because it's cracked and will just get you dirty. She hesitated and then dropped it.Those are just a couple of things I tried. One of the men who came on the hike was listening to all of this and kept telling the girls, "whatever you do, don't listen to her!" I kept telling the girls, "You know me, you know I love you, you can trust me!" I offered candy in exchange. I promised to take good care of their egg if they'd just let me hold it for a minute. etc....When we came to a grove of trees and then we stopped and we talked about the eggs and what they represented. We talked about how easy it can be at times to "forget" about the most important things in life if we don't pay attention, that there are many who we come along and pretend to be their friends but who really don't care that much, how powerful peer pressure can be - you go along with something because you don't want someone else to feel bad. Along the way, we might crack them, we might drop them, we might even get tired of carrying them.I also used a poem that S. Michael Wilcox used, "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the Kings Horses, and all the Kings Men couldn't put Humpty together again - But the King could and the King will." We talked about repentance and that the Savior can fix cracked eggs and make them "sunnyside up" °Ü°After my little talk, I told the girls they could give the eggs back to me. Most wanted to keep them even though they didn't need to. Today before we left one of the "first year" girls came up and said she had something for me. It was her egg. She'd kept it safe and was beaming. I told her she could take it home, poke a small hole in the bottom with a needle to let the yoke drip out and then put in on a shelve in her room to remind her of what is most precious to her.Thanks again to all who contributed ideas for this object lesson!One thing I forgot to add was I talked to them about Zeezrom and how wicked he was - a very cracked egg. Then we talked about the "change of Heart" he experienced and how painful his repentance process. I explained how he learned that Alma and Amulek had not been killed and had requested a blessing which was given and he became a faithful missionary for that time forth. The "King" did heal him °Ü° Have fun at camp!!! Part 2 - As indicated, I was a "tempter". At the end of the hike, when we stopped and talked about the eggs and what they represented one of the YW "finally" consented to giving me her egg - knowing me & trusting me. Of course, part of the lesson was that we can not always trust those around us and we must be worthy of the spirit to be able to discern this. As part of the lesson, I threw her egg to the ground. We chatted for just a moment and I continued with the lesson. Note: A Words to the Wise - I just found out that she was devastated that I actually broke her egg and almost started crying. One of the advisors from her ward saw her expression and afterwards they talked about the lesson and she was able to comfort this young woman. When I learned how hurt this YW was, I felt so bad! So this is what I've planned. Next week, I'm going to present her with a beautiful glass egg. I'll explain that sometimes in life we are not the ones who commit the sin, but we are still the one who gets hurt and one of our biggest challenges in life is forgiving those who hurt us deeply. We must have faith that in the end, Heavenly Father will make everything right - mercy and justice - the atonement. If we are faithful to the end, Heavenly Father will bless us with all that He has and the beautiful glass egg represents her egg that has now been made whole and it will be a reminder to her to remain faithful to the end.