OUR WEEK AT CROOKED CREEK RANCH

This week 56 Young Life kids and leaders traveled by charter bus to Fraser, CO to experience "the best week of their lives" at Crooked Creek Ranch. We are a little past the half-way point of the week. 

Cy Martin, one of our volunteer leaders, shares some of his experience so far with his guys:

After just one day, all I could say was that Crooked Creek Camp in Colorado was amazing already! I love being at Young Life camp and my guys are loving it too. None of them have ever been to a camp like this before. The first club was outrageous! Tons of enthusiasm and laughter. The talk was great and set us up for a solid first cabin time. None of my guys are Christians, and none of them have anything spiritual going in their life. They are nice and not against God, but they didn't grow up in church or Christian homes and just haven't been exposed to the gospel before. 

I asked each one in cabin time why they came to camp. Each one said they came because they were pursued and because their friends were coming. They know that we're going to talk about God this week, but they haven't really thought about it past that. They have tough lives, and they have experienced life without God for 16-17 years so far. I think they are primed and ready to experience God in a huge way this week.

Day 2 was awesome. I got up at 7:00 to beautiful sunshine coming over the mountains. This was a packed day, full of activities, from a wacky sand volleyball tournament to a mountain bike ride to a "rodeo" of fun, all inclusive games, yet with lots of time to spend with some of the guys just hanging out. A BBQ dinner followed after that in the valley over the ridge from camp at the base of the continental divide 

Club was once again awesome. We sang some Justin Bieber and rapped the Ludacris part like champs. The upfront game on stage was musical guys, and the girls have to fight for them. Emily Yurwitz from our group won and we all died laughing. Steve, the camp speaker, did a great job telling the story about Jesus turning water into wine. Just like how the master of the ceremony told the bridegroom that they had saved the best for last, Steve pointed out that it took the faith of the servants to take the dirty pots used for ceremonial cleaning and follow Jesus instruction. Fill them to the brim, and then dip some out and take it to the master of the ceremony (aka your boss). Sounds easy, but put yourself in the servants' place. It takes some faith to believe that Jesus can take dirty pots and make the best wine ever in them. 

Cabin time went very well. We talked about what it feels like to get rejected, and then we talked about whether or not we've rejected God and why. God is doing great things in their hearts. I can tell that the Holy Spirit has been hard at work, because each one of them is willing to listen and be real. That's a huge praise!

The week is continuing to unfold in unexpected and amazing ways.We had a ride before breakfast on the "Claim Jumper" which is a huge swing like at a theme park. It swings way out over the valley so it's really high off the ground. At the very top where we start the cables are parallel to the ground. Several of the guys were afraid of heights and so it was a big deal for them to do it. The same guys have been having trouble letting the walls that protect their hearts down. It was a great accomplishment for them and it really helped them be open in cabin time last night. 

Steve, the camp speaker, explained at club how we keep trying to fill the void in our hearts. He has a 30 gallon fish tank on stage with him. He took a pitcher with a hole in it and scooped one of the fish out. The fish represents us, and as the water ran out of the pitcher he kept filling it up with more water. Just like in our lives we keep trying to fill our life with more and more stuff to try and have enough to keep so that we don't run out. It's just like our spiritual lives. We keep filling it up with stuff to try to compensate for the huge hole we have, and we've become really good at it. 

My guys really opened up last night. Really tough stuff in their lives that they shared. It was by far the most serious and emotional thing I've ever been a part of. It was totally heartbreaking. 

At the next club, Steve talked about our "condition." He took 1 oz of dye and said that it represented sin. Then he said "a little sin is ok right? It's not like it will affect other parts of my life." Then he poured the dye into the fish tank and the entire tank turned black. The fish can do nothing to get rid of the black, and we are just like the fish.... there is nothing we can do to get rid of sin on our own.

We've done a lot of activity since the sin talk--the ropes course (which was great for he guys to conquer their fear), a carnival, a big dance, a hike up to 10,000 ft! But the best part is coming... In club, the story of how and why Jesus died on the cross is coming. My guys are very anxious to know what comes next in the story. They don't like the idea of being helpless with sin. 

I can't wait to see what God does Days 5-7 of camp!

In Him,

Cy