This will be a summer for me that will be hard, draining, and long. I will be working 6 days a week working 45-55 hours a week. More importantly, this will be the first summer since I was a junior in high school that I will not be at a Young Life property. Since I have started a relationship with Christ I have been on these sacred grounds.
Most people know me as the Young Life guy. The guy who has given up a lot of missed opportunities to do things with Young Life. These missed opportunities mean nothing to me. The people I have met with Young Life at the camps, pray overnights, committee leader weekends, Work Crew, Summer Staff, Leadership, and everything in between have made me who I am. These friends I have don’t just exist for that one point in time. They will last a lifetime on earth and for eternity in Heaven. This post will be more about them than what is going on in my life.
I believe that God placed these people in my life to push me more towards his grace, his love, and his mercy. This will be a post thanking them by name. Some people aren’t big about “name dropping” but I love doing it because I love the friends I have and I want to affirm them whether they read this, a mutual friend, someone they know, or a complete stranger. Most of these people I don’t already see often and I may not see them or have much contact with them for the next year. This change will be even harder for me as I travel the world and go into the unknown. The countries I go to could change, I don’t know anyone on my World Race team yet, and I will be with people that don’t speak the same language as me. It will be crazy time for me. I can’t go into this new season without thanking my friends that have been a part of different and the current season of my life.
I will start will my furthest away friend Joel, thank you for being such a light at work crew. To be able to see how God is using Young Life across the pond in Scotland and the UK it brings me heart joy that you are a light there.
Hood Rats Part one. Terry, Ryan, Issac, and Zach, y’all made Work Crew such and experience. Y’all are confident men who you are and it has been great to continue to see y’all over the years. With Christ inside you, you are changing Chesapeake and largely the world. Glad that I still see y’all despite knowing each other for 15 days 3 year ago.
Matt from NC, dude love being there when you decided to live your life fully for The Lord and it humbles me to see the lengths you have gone to love people.
Hailey P, you are someone that exudes happiness and continues to rejoice in life despite how things are going in life. Your heart for other makes me want to have the same love for The Lord.
Catherine H, Laruen W, Brandi S, Emily K, and Kayla S. Thank y’all for being women that follow Jesus and how continued to push us guys during work crew and other men in your lives now.
Hood Rats (and the princess) part two. Caleb, Mike, Matt, Sean, Issac again, and Anna. Y’all know how to live life to the full. Your joy for each other and other continues to prove to me that people cannot be joyful on morals alone. Because of the living Christ inside y’all are who y’all are. Thank you for being people of joy and showing it to me and others. (If I did all of y’all individually it would take 2 more pages).
Jake S, I love your continuous hunger and wanting people to know Jesus in Ohio. The way you are always down to do anything and have a thousand reunions makes me so happy that you want all of our friendships to continue. Thanks for your continuous strength and fervor for The Lord and how you have shown it to me.
Jake N, road trips with you make my heart full. Getting into a random strangers car at 4 am at Walmart and then driving 13 hours was one of the best times of the whole month of June last year. Your love for others and relationships based on and in Jesus is heartwarming.
Craig L, Coming to Saranac I thought I wouldn’t like you because we have different personalities and didn’t mesh right away. I love you like a brother and it’s Jesus that binds us not the world. You are encouraging, enthusiastic, strong willed, and are always there to spur someone along. Thank you for who you are.
Ben P, Glad I got to sleep every night looking at a mummy. You don’t act like one, you are full of life and know the Author of life itself. Glad I got to do Real Life with and share our stories with 1,000 kids and see Jesus use us to break down walls. You are the most down to earth man who strives to know the heart of Jesus.
Summer Staff girls, the way all of y’all have a heart for Jesus encourages me. I can’t just pick and choose different qualities y’all have because every time any of the guys then or myself had an interaction we could see the holy spirit in each of you. You are spontaneous, nurturing, full of adventure, funny, and filled with Jesus thank you for being the women and friends that you are to me.
Zail S, We have known each other for a long time but have just recently became friends. Our connection is Jesus. You are encouraging, full of wisdom, and strive to figure out how the grace of Jesus will play out in your life. Thank for being a light to me and others.
Cameron H, You get buck wild and have passion that fills your soul. You are always there for someone and are great at continuing relationship whether your far away or close by. Glad you are my friend.
Charles L, You’re a ball of love and are one of the funniest people I know. You strive to put yourself at the feet of Jesus and worship him. Glad I have seen your life with Christ from the begging. Even more glad that I get to spend eternity with you with Jesus.
Brandon H, you are just like your brother. Y’all aren’t that different at all, in a good way. You have your passions and they drive you to who you are. You get batted down a lot but you get up and get stronger every time. I love that your life is a constant encouragement as you emulate The Gospel.
Kevin L, you are big for no reason and I wish I was you. You are of man of Lord and it shows by your physical and mental strength. You are always there to help, when Karen lets you, and you do it with a smile. Your heart for Middle school kids is growing and will continue to blossom. Glad I have and will watch you grow with Jesus.
John C, you are my favorite not redneck. I have watched you grown so much over the years. You have a heart for others and just want people to see why and who you live your life for. You gave me a reason to be a better leader and a better friend. There could never be too many rednecks in your truck.
Chris B, you have a crazy mindset like no other. You are all over the place all the time. You want to love people in where they are at and form lasting relationship for the purpose of them meeting Jesus at some point. Playing NHL is frustrating but I would never trade it or our friendship for anything.
Will F, you have a heart for others. Every time I am with you, you ask how I am doing, more specifically how was work. Work always sucks but you ask anyway and you care to hear how I am doing. You are thoughtful and have a desire to be a piece of the change in Goochland. Glad to have someone that loves and pushes me towards Jesus in the lives Goochland High students.
Ian M, You are possibly the one person that has pushed me towards God’s path for me and you are a giant source of wisdom in every aspect life. You showed me how to leave the known and leap in to a life of unknown possibilities. Leading YoungLife with you was hard because you pushed to forget ourselves and follow Jesus and live that life with kids. You still do today and I look forward to see you every time I do. I am glad to be a disciple of yours. I rejoice in your love for The Lord, that you show to me and others.
The last few are the people that I do life with daily and are the ones that convinced to do this trip. Thank y’all for showing me Christ daily through the high and the lows.
Ian B, Your willingness to go after Jesus and run at him despite how hard it can seem. You take the mundane in life and make it an adventure. You are always there to talk to. You prove to me that life isn’t just about work that it is a constant fight against the enemy and Jesus always wins. You are caring and understanding. You want to help and provide ways to help, and you do this because of your love for Jesus. You are the man, love talking with you and being your friend. Love you bro.
Whit B, After Work Crew I was on a “Jesus high”, I didn’t want to come down an wanted to build community. You wanted to fall away and do your own thing. The Lord had it planned out for us to lead YL. Every time I meet someone knew that knows you I tell them we used to hate each other with a burning passion. I do that not to take shots at you but to tell our redemptive story. We are bound to together by the love of Jesus. He is the reason we have a solid and common ground to stand on. Nothing else matters and despite the hard times and issues, you are my friend. Love you man.
Austin K. Throughout all of high school I looked up to you. You were always a model of Jesus to me as a newer Christian. Now I still look up to you, you continue to live a life that I couldn’t live. You desperately want to help others whether it’s our friends, middle school kids at Hope, pick up random dudes from Wawa, or just being there to listen. You have had trials that I couldn’t face and with Jesus you have smashed through them. You see the good things in your life not as your own accomplishments but The Lord showing you a way he loves you. You give it all to The Lord. You encourage me in every aspect of life. Love you man.
Jake M, I always wanted to be friends with you growing up. I thought skating and the lifestyle that went with it would make me cool. I didn’t like you at all after freshman year. Then you started to change little by little and I was doing the same. Jesus came in to Goochland and saved us. He showed us there is path to life and it is him. You have been another reminder that God loves his children and is faithful. We don’t know his timing but he will show us things continually. You question things and your feelings are raw. Walking with Jesus isn’t pretty all time but you always get cleaned off. I see this in you as you continues to prevail and draw towards Jesus.
Last but not least thanks to my family.
Mom and Dad, this trip will be test for me and for y’all. Remember that I have grown a lot in 21 years and I will continue to. Trust that I will be okay and the God loves us, and everyone in this world.
Evan, you are my brother. We are so different yet we are close. I will protect you and help you with anything till the day I die. I am glad that you have seen a change in my life and it was Jesus. You saw that he is the way and have a relationship with him as well. I won’t be here for a year. Young Life is over for you. You have to decide what the rest of your life with Jesus looks like. Love you bro.
God placed all these people in my life and I thank him for knowing how to love me. This time before I leave will be hard. I believe that God wants me on this trip for a reason. I don’t know exactly what it is yet but it will happen.
I need help from whoever reads this. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I need $2,5000 more before Decmeber 18th. Pray and then act on how God wants to expand the kingdom.
Grace and Peace to you.
