Winter Blast 2017

            You know you have just spent a weekend with a – what do you call a group of junior high students?  A herd?  A swarm?  A school? A gaggle?  A gaggle sounds appropriate.  You know you have just spent a weekend with a gaggle of junior highers when, between you and your husband,

You have shoes that smell like this:

You have clothes that smell like this:

You have muscles that won't let you get off of this:

You have a pair of jeans that looks like this (it's a sad day when your jeans decide to self-destruct in the final round of a game you instigated...p.s. the back has holes too):

You have a stance that looks like this (because you are still afraid that at any moment you might be shot in the neck with an invisible dart and have to fall on the ground paralyzed all while hoping someone will save you before the natives try to dump water on your face):

And you, upon returning home, have a bedtime that looks like this:

            We loved every minute of it, and are so thankful we had the privilege of getting our feet wet in youth ministry again at Maranatha Bible Camp’s Winter Blast.  On Friday, Jon and I loaded up our minivan (yep, no shame) with suitcases, music, speaking notes, a guitar, a keyboard, and a cajón, and we drove to the North Platte/Maxwell area to lead the chapel sessions at the retreat along with the help of a talented percussionist whom we met after we arrived.  Together, we led the worship time, and Jon gave the messages.  We also were able to participate in everything from playing games like Gaga Ball and Nine-Square to discussing the history of One Direction (the band) with sixth grade girls at sixth-grade-girl decibels and levels of sass. 

Some of My Maranatha Camp Mementos

The whole weekend was a ton of fun, but the best part was getting to see pre-teens learn about Jesus, sing about Jesus, and pray to Jesus.  Junior high years are so difficult and so crucial.  I remember being incredibly stressed out, confused, and frustrated all the time in junior high, but I also remember that those were the years when I really started to understand what walking in a relationship with Jesus in my daily life meant.  Those were also the years when I got to see one of my dearest friends put her faith in Christ (on a side note, Maranatha played a major role both in developing my walk with Christ and in the salvation of my friend - it's a great place of ministry!).  They truly are formative years, and they are years when students desperately need to know that they are loved and accepted.  Pointing them to the One who loves them and accepts them perfectly and completely is such an honor. 

Throughout the weekend, my husband taught through Ephesians 2:1-10.  Over three sessions, He explained how we were dead in our sin, we were made alive in Christ when we believed, and how we can live in a way that fulfills our purpose by living for the One who gave us life.  Of course, he also sprinkled in a variety of colorful and memorable illustrations and some occasional banter with random students who liked to interject.  During the fourth session, Jon went over a quick review and then instructed everyone to split up into groups to talk about what Jesus meant to them and how they could use the gifts that God had given them to bring Him glory.  In addition to the main messages and the small group times, the students were able to hear interview-style testimonies from several of their leaders about what life was like for them in junior high and moments in their lives when God really drew them to Himself.  The students were also given opportunities to share what they had been learning with the whole group.  Through it all, I was encouraged by the testimonies of other leaders and of the students, and I was challenged by my husband’s messages once again to live every moment and use every gift for the One who created me.  All in all, as paradoxical as it sounds, this weekend was an exhausting time of refreshment, and I cannot believe just how much I've missed working with youth!