Fall Weekend

I spent the past 60 hours at a Young Life weekend...the slogan for Fall Camp is "like Summer Camp but Shorter and Colder." Good sell, right? Our area served as work crew for 250 students and leaders from another Chicagoland area. We served and bussed meals, prepared for and ran events, and filled in wherever help was needed. A few highlights:

1) Because we weren't at a Young Life property, the camp dining hall wasn't necessarily set up for work crew. But, our kids did an amazing job of turning a small job into an art. Work Crew welcomed every camper into each meal with loud cheers, led a pre-meal rendition of the hokey pokey, and had the whole dining hall singing "Build Me Up Buttercup." These kids created energy and allowed the campers to have a true Young Life meal experience minus the Young Life Camp. It was so great to be a part of!

2) We were blessed to serve Capernaum (Young Life's ministry to students with special needs) kids this weekend. From carrying their luggage to their rooms to serving drinks and singing songs, our Work Crew kids helped make the weekend for these amazing kids. A club highlight came when Brian, a boy with Downs, was called to the front to sing Karaoke in a competition. He lit up the stage and won over the crowd; the over accurate applause-o-meter declared Brian the winner. The uninhibited joy that he displayed, and the celebration from his friends was contagious.

Overall, it was a powerful weekend of growth and service for the 18 kids from our areas, and a weekend of clear gospel presentation and crazy fun for hundreds of high school kids!