Young Life

This weekend was filled with Young Life, but not in a traditional way. Friday night I went to pick up a video camera from Shey (a girl in my Bible study) before her WyldLife club started. The host family was amazing and insisted I stay for dinner. It was such a familiar and comfortable feeling to be sitting around a dinner table discussing (actually, I was just listening to) the events of the night's club. I ended up sticking around for the entire club. Nothing says Thanksgiving club like turkey bowling! Although my heart was for high schoolers rather than middle schoolers, the excitement of being a part of club pulled at that special place in my heart that's all Young Life.

Saturday I met up with a gal I worked with at Frontier Ranch in the summer of 2005...Ash was a year-long intern and I was a summer intern. Somehow we've remained friends and even managed to see each other a couple of times since that last day at Frontier. Ash's sister lives in Scottsdale so technically she was visiting her sister, but we were still able to meet for lunch, which then turned into spending the entire afternoon together. It was a great day and I don't think I can even describe how it felt to be around an old friend like Ashley. She understands how much Frontier means to me because it means as much to her. She has amazing insight and I am truly thankful for the advice she was able to give me when I didn't even realize that I needed to hear those words. I wish I were more eloquent with my words so that I could express all the thoughts and feelings I have...to give you a glimpse, it's something along the lines of how deep friendships can become, God's love, knowing friendships will last longer than our life here on earth, how Young Life connects people from all over, God speaking truth in our lives through others...and yet so much more.

I went to a sleepover Saturday night with a bunch of girls from my Bible study. It was really fun to just act girly and relive girlhood. Almost all of the girls in the Bible study somehow are or have been involved in Young Life. Our leader is on staff here in Scottsdale and is just an absolutely amazing woman of God. The entire night was filled with laughter, some very YL-like shenanigans, good conversations, community, and very little sleep. Kathy, our Bible study leader, and her best friend from college brought us bagels this morning. We spent probably an hour just talking and being real with each other. We also got to hear some pretty hysterical stories of Kathy and Mer in college. I am so thankful for these women in my life; I never would have known if Jordan (who I know through Young Life) hadn't invited me to go with her the first night way back in August.

Finally, Sunday: the last day of my Young Life weekend. My old area is putting together a video of former club kids and asked me (and Jordan) to answer a few questions on tape. Hence I had to borrow the video camera from Shey on Friday. Jordan and I found a great spot with fabulous Arizona landscape as the backdrop for filming. One of the questions was "would your life be different if you had never been involved in Young Life?" Absolutely. I don't think I can even imagine my life without Young Life. Even though I am not currently volunteering at a high school or a camp, Young Life is a part of my life--and it always will be in some way, shape, or form. I love this ministry--I know that it is not perfect and that it has it's faults but nonetheless, I love it. And I think I realized this weekend how much I miss being an active part of it. I hope that I was able to express what an impact Young Life has had (and still has) on my life for the video. I think that this post has done that if nothing else. :)