Search and Rescue

I am so excited about this year at school. My roommates and I get along wonderfully. It feels as if we've been friends for years. I feel truly blessed to be able to live with such amazing girls. I love my new ward and have already met more people than I new in my ward last year. Everyone's so nice and friendly.

We had our first ward party last night. It was held in a $6 million cabin in the canyon near Springville. They had a huge kitchen, an indoor basketball court, an indoor playground, an air hockey table, a ping pong table, and lots of couches and places to socialize. It was actually a multi-ward party, but by the time we arrived (3-4 hours late, for which I'll explain in a minute) a lot of people had already come and gone, but we still had a good time.

Earlier that day, Amanda (my roommate), Scott (this friend of mine from my ward last year), and I joined the search for Camille. In case you don't know, she's a BYU student who went missing last weekend in the canyon. I didn't realize how official and organized the search would be, but we had to fill out paperwork, wear bright orange vests, and we were put into groups of 10-14 with an assigned, specific area to search. Our particular group was assigned to search a large field and a residential area in Orem near the canyon. In the field we spread out in groups and marked areas of suspicion, taking notes on what we found. We then went door to door in the neighborhood to see if anyone could provide information. The actual search took about 2 and a half hours and the briefing/debriefing took another hour and a half. It was a very interesting experience. I've never done anything like it, but I was grateful for the opportunity to contribute. For those of you who are scattered across the country, just please remember to keep Camille and her family in your prayers.

Edit: A search and rescue team found her body near Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. They think she was hiking alone and fell.