Picture a world where people’s attitudes are as heavy and dark as a deep fog. One where even the slightest encouraging grin is near extinction. In this world, fear rules and discouragement is the greatest weapon. For many teens in the Church, this is the world they face every day when going to school, working part-time jobs, etc.

Thankfully, we all get a break from this increasingly unhappy world once a week at Sabbath services—once a year at the Feast of Tabernacles—and once a year at Ambassador Youth Camp!

At AYC, “A smile is like a wallet—you cannot leave home without it.” Everywhere you look, everyone is happy. It is easy to be yourself and people are encouraging. Joy abounds and growth is almost contagious. There is always a new story to tell or new joke to pass along, which inevitably leads to booming laughter.

This is one reason I could not stop smiling during my time there—nor could others! While the examples are almost endless, I will detail just some of the events throughout camp that caused us to grin. Hopefully, they bring a smile to your face too!

One morning at breakfast, I began to laugh hysterically at some of the girls’ anecdotes about encounters with enormous spiders. There were many bug-like creatures that all shared one thing in common. They were BIG. Hearing these stories was a source of great enjoyment.

Another time before dinner, our stomachs were groaning in unison as we began to feel sore from the day’s activities while lining up for the meal. Yet, instead of grumbling and complaining, the air was saturated with chatter, chuckles and giggles.

Areas that provided the most laughter were the times that we talked about each of our cultural differences. Even though I now live in the United States (having emigrated with my family when I was younger), I had a tremendous time speaking about my Haitian culture to a fellow camper from Zimbabwe. In return, she showed me how to speak in the African languages she knew, including Ndebele, which uses “click” sounds. We both laughed and tried unsuccessfully to pronounce words from each of our native countries!

The bulk of camp was the many activities planned to fill our days. For example, there were writing assignments along with sports. A “can do” attitude abounded in each.

During the volleyball tournaments, my teammates and I made some big mistakes that eventually cost us the game. But instead of being angry and blaming the losses on individuals, we put on big smiles, congratulated each others’ efforts, and encouraged each teammate to do their best next time.

The Amazing Race was an activity that taught me that your attitude affects everyone else. I was the group leader and though we were dead last, after a while I stopped caring about winning and just made sure to have fun. This mentality led to closer friendships and made the event a great learning experience. Even though some of us were soaked with water or covered in shaving cream from various tasks, a sea of pearly whites could be seen while each team waited for clues to their next challenge.

Riding the Lady Slipper (a nickname for our bus) is usually an adventure of its own. No one can stay asleep on this bus. Campers yell chants and sing songs (whether knowing the words or not), and funny things happen. Joyous conversations always saturate the air, filling the bus with smiles!

In summation, the two weeks of AYC were packed with encouragement, bonding, sportsmanship and teamwork, all of which taught me the importance of a smile. From now on—even when I return to my own city—I will never leave home without it.