One of the chaperone's trying the Confidence Course.
The way it's supposed to be done.
Well not really. But he did it better than the Marines did.
Then the Marines wanted to show off and offered a challenge. Josh would represent the kids. The kids got excited and the whole group crowded around the rope course.
But the Marines wanted to make things more challenging. Instead of climbing just one rope, they would need to climb two ropes.
There wasn't even a contest--the Marine lost to Josh. Even with all that technique the Marine tried to teach Josh to use his legs... Josh used only his arms and he still beat the guy...
All his Marine buddies were not pleased to say the least.
I can still hear them laughing at their buddy. Humble pie anyone?
So who's the chaperone here?
Half of our group was stricken with sickness and other illness. I ended up playing. Not sure whether I helped or hurt our team though. But-- I had fun.
On the base of Mt. Fuji Japan. Here I am outside our dorms (as the Air Force calls it) or barracks (as the Marines call it). During my chaperone duty for the LDS Youth Conference.
------LDS Youth from Okinawa (3 hour plane ride from the south), Misawa (11 hour drive from Northern Japan), Iwakuni (12 hour drive from Southern Japan) and other LDS teenagers from the Tokyo area attended this youth conference. The youths were children of military or government employees.
Couldn't have been with more self-disciplined, responsible and mature kids. Yup, 14-18 years of age.
One of the Marines thought I was one of the kids. Another tried to recruit me. The Marines in Camp Fuji were awesome and we appreciate them letting us use their facilities.
The first morning I was there, they sounded the reveille over the PA, and I almost jumped up from my bunk to get ready for the morning. It brought back memories of camp. I had to tell myself I was in Youth Conference and not Field Training all over again.
I rolled back in bed.
There were attempts (mostly vocal warnings) that I was going to get pranked by one of the youths where I was staying. Unfortunately, his attempts never materialized.
Something always happened though.
The first night, I stayed up late making sure everyone went to bed during the designated lights out. But I didn't really have a hard time doing it. They basically went to bed by themselves. There were a few who had to take care of a few things so I waited for them.
The second night was the same. I realized they were all reading their scriptures on their bunk beds. What could I say or do? Stop reading your scriptures and go to bed?
The third night, I stayed up all night checking the temperature of one of the kids I was responsible for. Making sure his fever was going down and not up. We had spent a day in the nurse's office with him getting an I.V. stuck in his arm.
I knew his parents trusted us with him so I wanted to make sure this kid got better. He played the guitar later to the cheers and adulation of teenage girls!
And during the last night of our camp, from my under my bed covers and half-asleep, I call out: "Don't even try it". Turns out it was Daniel and his brother Parry about to "prank" me. With a very surprised tone, Daniel asked how I knew they were there since I was facing the wall and mostly how I knew what they were about to do without me seeing or hearing them.
My reply? "Because I'm Jerome".
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I was really impressed me to see many of the kids reading their scriptures on their own without being told.
They weren't just friendly to be polite but they were really sincere and included others in their group.
These were kids who have never met before but one wouldn't have been able to tell by how they treated each other with such sincerity, humor, teasing, and kindness all rolled into one.
I would drive them to attend youth conference and back again in a second anytime.
I can't help but think of where these kids might find themselves in a couple of years. I hope they remember this week. The lessons they learned and the feelings they felt. I have watched them grow with more confidence. It was such a neat experience to see.
The road for many of these kids will not be easy. Some of them will not have the supportive community they've enjoyed these past couple of days.
They will face many trials, doubts, and even pain but as long as they continue to do what they learned this past week, and as long as they remember what they felt and to continue doing what they know to be true, I have no doubt they will be good and doing good wherever they find themselves in a few years.
I can't wait to hear all about it--- if only I get the privilege of seeing them again.
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