Young Lives Camp!

Pure Joy

Joy: a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.

Do you consider ‘pure joy’ as you look in the face of 15-year-old pregnant teen or mother?  Let’s be honest, joy is not the first thing we think about in these situations, but it is what God instructs us to do.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…  James 1:2

We were all witnesses to pure joy at Young Lives camp this year and continue to be amazed by God’s workmanship as he brought together an unexpected group of people to live, play, eat, fellowship and worship together in His name.

The people (servants all, doing God’s work)

Staffers - who make it happen, work tirelessly to raise money, organize, prepare teachings, skits, games & plan for months before we all show up for 3 days of camp

Work crew - appropriately named.  Teen workers, cooks and childcare workers that serve God by serving us.  They work hard behind the scenes day and night to make it all look easy & fun.

Camp Doctor & Nurse – professionals who volunteer their time & make it possible for us to have campers on the property & are prepared for any emergency situation.

Mentor Moms & college YL leaders - who have the privilege of spending time with the teen moms & babies, attending club, having lunch & doing life through out the year

Campers - teen moms or soon to be moms and their babies/toddlers

Why take time in this blog to explain ‘the people’?  Because ‘the people’ is an important strength of this Young Lives ministry. It’s easy to get groups of people together that share a season of life, common work or social group, but the real miracle happens when you mix it up and let God’s work begin.  For a time it’s awkward, uncomfortable & takes a real effort when God calls his people to ‘do life’ together out of our comfort zone.

This is the Joy that happens:

·      Leaders that plan & pull off a ‘spa time’ for the girls - an hour & a half of pure pampering, candlelight, face masks, washing of hands & feet, nails done & silent prayers offered up to the Lord for these young lives and the young lives they are holding close.

·      Teenage boys carrying babies in their playpens at 10pm - oooing & ahhhing at those cute babies as they try to keep them asleep.

·      Leaders making fools of themselves - funny hair & costumes just for our entertainment, to make us laugh together & share the gospel through humor.

·      Moms, campers & leaders getting wet, messy – everyone doing silly things all in the name of a game and not even caring how they look or who’s looking.

·      Teen moms pulling together - borrowing clothes & dressing each other for a special dinner.

·      Cooks doing what they do – making amazing meals, baking cookies late at night, after a long day of meal preparation to share with us before bed.

·      Teens caring for other teens babies – allowing the mothers to have a little fun camp time without their kids, maybe they have even been in class together at school or passed each other in the hall (don’t tell me that doesn’t change someone’s opinion or response to the other).

·      Campers being overwhelmed by love – seeing and responding to the love & care that is being showered on them

·       Holding a baby you don’t know – just so mom can take a shower and clean up.  You receiving the real blessing.

·      Seeing a 17 year old soothe a baby in the middle of the night - gently cooing and rocking an upset baby with love & gentleness that only comes with the strength of Jesus dwelling in them.

·      Mentor moms pouring themselves into young moms - just as had been done to them from their mentor through the Young Lives program only a few years earlier.

·      Napping with a sleeping toddler in your arms - in the midst of a chaotic, busy room of girls and babies.

·      A baby’s first shower.

·      Moms exchanging stories – funny stories about kids & sharing child rearing advice.

·      Girls sharing their struggles - losing friends during their pregnancies, defensive walls falling as they share their trials and we share our own trails with them.

·      Mentor Moms being role models – caring for their own babies while at camp and making sacrifices to leave their family for a few days as they serve the Lord and love on others.

·      Prayers, prayers, prayers - offered up for years, months, and days. Offered up during cabin time on our behalf from the hearts and minds and spirits of young servants.

·      A mentor mom (me) being overwhelmed by God’s faithfulness - watching my own kids serve on the work crew and love on others.

·      Changed lives - mine included

Join us as we ‘consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds, because we know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’

James 1: 2-4

Kelly Foster, Mentor Mom

July, 2012