Sibu District Young Women’s Camp Prepares the Rising Generation

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In June 2025, 38 young women, with their leaders from the Sibu District of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in East Malaysia, ventured out for a two-day camp. The Rainforest Adventure and Education (RAVE) campsite of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), just outside of Sibu, Sarawak, became the base camp for their physical and spiritual adventure. Young women from all five branches in the district participated. They came from Sibu, Sibu Jaya and some even made the long drive from Mukah.

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Lois Sucher, an experienced senior volunteer of the Church, offered guidance and support to the brand new District Young Women (YW) Presidency as they embarked on their first camp experience. District YW President Doo Abun, with the aid of her two counselors, Florensia Ilok Anak Bajat and Periasila Anak Tok, worked with Sucher to plan an activity-filled agenda. Several adult leaders from around the district also participated in organizing and assisting at the camp. 

Emy Anak Entawan, YW President of the Sibu Jaya Branch expressed, “Watching the young women draw closer to God, build their confidence, and discover their worth as His beloved daughters reminded me how vital our role is as leaders to guide with love, faith, and gentle strength.” 

She added, “I also realized that in giving, I received so much spiritual strength, peace of heart, and a powerful reminder that God works within each soul, no matter their age.”

The first day started with the young women being divided into four groups or “crews” by the colors: blue, pink, purple and yellow. Each crew featured a mix of young women from different branches so that they could make new friends throughout the district. Each crew appointed a crew leader to assist with many camp duties during the trip. The crews worked, studied and played together as a team.

Sibu District President Bik Wee Anthony Lau and senior volunteer Scott Sucher provided the priesthood support at the camp. The latter observed that “the junior crew leaders were very attentive to the young women in their crew” and they “became great friends with other young women in the district they didn’t know before and great bonds were formed.” He said, “There was a sweet palpable feeling of love, one toward each other.”

After each crew personalized and decorated their backpacks and flag, the young women were assigned a secret sister to reveal and recognize at the end of the camp. In addition, each young woman was given a water bottle labeled as the “Waters of Mormon”. This was to remind them of the sacred ordinance of baptism by water that took place at that location as described in the Book of Mormon. In the book of Mosiah, the prophet Alma outlines the covenants and promises associated with baptism into the Church (Mosiah 18:8-10).

The camp theme “Hope of Israel” was inspired by the 2018 Worldwide Youth Devotional, presented by Church President Russel M. Nelson and his wife Wendy. This theme became the spiritual backdrop for the events of the camp, particularly for the “faith walk” that they undertook on the first night. They walked reverently along lighted paths to different stations where they contemplated the five invitations extended by President Nelson in that devotional: 
1) Hold a seven-day fast from social media;
2) Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks;
3) Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path;
4) Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and;
5) Stand out. Be different. Be a light.

The young women listened to President Nelson’s concluding remarks where he said, “My beloved younger brothers and sisters, you are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!” 

Other spiritual activities combined handicrafts with personal reflection as they decorated their personal copy of the Book of Mormon. They then searched within it for answers to the topic “Life Questions Answered in the Book of Mormon”. The young women found and marked scriptures that provided answers to such questions as: Did I exist before I was born? Is there really a God? And where do I go when I die?

The crews also had plenty of opportunity for fun and physical activities as they worked and competed as teams in human foosball, kickball, balloon toss and even a rubber chicken slingshot competition. Learning camp songs, crafting secret sister gifts and braiding hair were other bonding experiences for the young women. Another event that combined artistic creativity and teamwork was a unique and delightful fashion show. One young woman from each crew was selected to model a beautiful wedding dress that they had collectively crafted out of multiple rolls of tissue paper.

The evening of the second day was capped off with a barbeque provided by the Sibu District Presidency, followed by a special testimony meeting where the young women expressed their love for the gospel and for each other. Chaperone from the Mukah Branch, Weena Lim, said that she learned “to love others is to serve them.” She said, “I witnessed how much effort the leaders poured into making this camp meaningful for everyone who attended. I could feel a strong presence of the Holy Ghost throughout the camp and was deeply touched by the faith shown by everyone.”

Nichole, a camp participant from the Sibu Jaya Branch, shared in her testimony that this young women’s camp helped her increase her faith in God. She expressed that there have been times in her past when she felt spiritual distance, but she noted that the activities and especially the inspiring music played during the camp really touched her heart.
 
Nichole reflected, “I know that Heavenly Father is always with me...He hears my every prayer...He provides something far better than what I pray for. With this, my faith has grown stronger. I am so grateful that there is a true Church of our Heavenly Father on this earth, I believe that Russell M. Nelson is the prophet on this earth.”