Striking Camp and Colonial Williamsburg

We began our morning with a heavy thunderstorm at 3:45 AM.  The boys had packed their bags the night before, so there was just the matter of packing sleeping bags, pads, cots and tents.  It rained until we had everything packed up and the campsite clean.  

(Be prepared for wet items moms!)

Then the weather cleared as we hiked to our tour bus. 

Another challenge met!  The boys did great.

We transferred our overland bags to a Semi truck,

and drove on for 5 hours.  This is how we watched "Megamind" and "Percy Jackson"

Lunch at a RESTAURANT!  Mongolian Barbeque in Williamsburg.

How nice for the boys not to have to cook and clean!  (I hope they appreciate you more when they get home!)

Fortification at Colonial Williamsburg:

The boys are recruited to become American Soldiers to support the Revolution!

The stockades.  This was very popular with some of the boys, and strangely satisfying for four happily tired leaders!  ;)

Bro. Tagge and his son.  What a great pair!

Back at the hotel I saw some boys taking advantage of the exercise room, pool, miniature golf course an badminton.

Tonight, we had a single troop wide meeting.  The boys were asked to share their favorite activity of the trip and any other thoughts or feelings they had, including their testimony if they felt it was appropriate.  They expressed a lot of gratitude to leaders and parents.  They talked about how much fun it has been to get to know each other and work together on service projects or just doing camp work.  They shared their favorite activities; it should be fun to ask them about that.  Many talked about their experiences sharing the gospel or sharing a Book of Mormon.  A couple shared mature insights, such as being grateful for patient volunteers that taught them how to do the high adventure activities, or recognizing the work that had gone into the Jamboree from so many leaders.  It was clear that these boys have grown in many ways.

The leaders shared our lessons learned too.  There were many, but I was most impressed when Bishop Tagge told them that they will rember these experiences all their lives, that these experiences have prepared them for their missions, and that we intend to be at their farewell meetings in several years.  

A great spiritual experience as we end this Jamboree trip.  

Tomorrow a day of fun and the trip home!