Andrew and I just spent 8 days at Frontier Ranch, a Young
Life camp, in Buena Vista, Colorado. Amazing is an understatement! I have been to YL camps as a camper, leader (toughest job), summer staffer, and now an adult guest. To watch all of the hard work come together from a birds eye view was quite a change for me.
We have been on committee in Madison for a year so Andrew has heard plenty about what Young Life is. He has seen a banquet, plenty of committee meetings and heard about contact work and camp. This was his first YL camp experience. Some of you may be thinking...well everyone grew up going to camp. Of course camp is great. No...this is not like any camp experience you have ever seen. Does God need YL? No...he doesn't. But it is an amazing tool used to reach "Every kid, Everywhere!" Everything including the food, facilities, and program is top notch. The reason camp is so relevant is because you don't go to camp by yourself and come home alone. Instead, your leader that has been intentional in getting to know you on a personal level, rides the bus with you to camp. When you get there, your leader is with you EVERY step of the way. They are doing "the screamer" with you, eating meals with you, going on a 5 hour (super intense) hike with you, etc. Each night there is cabin time to discuss questions, read scripture, and pray together. It doesn't smother kids though. It just allows time to process the talk and maybe put together all the thoughts running through kids minds.
On top of all the fun things at camp, there is also an assigned speaker that doesn't just disappear after he speaks. He is at meals, leading the hike, spending free time with you, etc. Assigned team includes the program guys (entertainment) and everyone else that does scheduling and runs camp for a month. They are on "assignment" for one month and then a new crew comes in to run camp. Most of the assigned team is on staff in an area around the U.S. There are also about 50 high school and 50 college VOLUNTEERS that pay their way to come work at camp. Their jobs range from cooking, serving, cleaning bathrooms, working rides, snack shop, etc. It's not easy but they LOVE it...I loved it when I did summer staff. There are some really long nights and early mornings but no one complains! Everyone at camp is real. The most important thing to "get" at camp is that being a christian isn't easy. It's hard! Steve Gardner (the speaker and a YL staffer from Charlotte, NC) did a great job of explaining how God's love will never disappoint. He is always pursuing us but until we accept him and begin a relationship with him...we are fallen. That's not easy to hear. He offers an everyday love to change our everyday lives.
In most cases, kids come home to a 21 day follow-up. In Madison's case, our only leader had to go straight to assignment at Trail West. So when he gets home he will do his follow-up. It's really important to keep that momentum up because it's hard for kids to come back to the same situations. But that's what makes Young Life camp different...you don't have to do it alone. My leader took me to church with her after camp. It opens the door to new possibilities.
Madison has had a full time staff person for 1 year. Our first summer, he took 8 kids to camp. Next year we are shooting for 80! We can't do it without local support though. We work off of a budget and always are looking for more funding opportunities. Young Life accepts monthly donations or one-time gifts. Please consider making a small contribution to allow God to work in the lives of teenagers through Young Life in Madison. You can donate here:
Here are some pictures and videos from our trip.
Andrew, me and a camper from Fort Worth, TX on the screamer...listen closely to hear who is really screaming...
Screamer pic
The program guys...hilarious
How many teenagers can fit in one hot tub?
Throw all the floaties to the other side of the net...chaos
If this isn't proof of God then I don't know what is...
It wasn't hard for Andrew but it was honestly the hardest thing I have ever done!
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