If you’re wondering what’s been going on in my life the past few couple months this is the blog to read.
First off, Avengers Infinity War came out on April 27th. I saw that the night it released and was amazed. It was the perfect culmination of the past 10 years of building that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been doing. That has been on my mind a bit. Haha.
Mid May I had a family vacation to Yachats on the Oregon Coast. It was a great time for the family. We went on many walks along the beach and played many board and card games. It was a good time to talk one on one and catch up with some of my siblings and was also an awesome time of time together. I also greatly enjoyed chasing and spinning and generally being a 10 year old with Titus. Those days will be gone in a few years. I need to enjoy them while they last. It was an amazing and relaxing time. It was probably the last family vacation we will have before I leave for the World Race and probably one of the last family vacations we will have with just the seven of us; which is kind of sad to think about.
I graduated from high school on the 7th of this month. We had a community celebration of myself and the two other seniors who live out here. It was a really cool celebration. Friends and family came up and shared memories and spoke words of affirmation and encouragement for my future.
It feels weird to be graduated. It still doesn’t seem quite real. My childhood is surely coming to an end. There is sadness and excitement in that. I have grown to love WFR more than I can say and I will miss it so dearly; not to mention how much I’ll miss my family who have grown to be my best friends.
There is excitement too though. Excitement at being independent and free. Excitement of discovering a much wider and larger world beyond what I know. Excitement to follow through with God’s plan for my life. This childhood will be gone forever; but there is comfort in the fact that I will always be a child to God. He will always be with me and care for me. He will always fill me with wonder and awe and surprise me beyond my wildest dreams. Life will never be dull when my Father has a hold of my life.
Although I’ve been on summer break for a little over a week now (my graduation was before I technically finished school) I feel like it has just started. That is due to the fact that I just finished leading Wyldlife camp at Creekside. I led nine middle school boys with Jeremiah. Four of the boys live here at WFR and the other five are from Madras. It was an exhausting five days. But it was a lot of fun. It was an awesome opportunity to grow in leadership. I got to connect with the kids and grow in my relationships with them while sharing the Love of Jesus, which is what Young Life is all about.
Being a Young Life leader isn’t exactly right up my alley. The ideal Young Life leader is enthusiastic, energetic, outgoing, and fun while also being loving, sincere, trustworthy, and wise. That first half doesn’t really fit myself. But it was a good time to go outside my comfort zone and try to be those things anyways. I did really enjoy a lot of the time though.
One highlight was doing cardboard testimonies. I had never seen this before but for this week those giving the cardboard testimonies were half work crew and half leaders. For those who don’t know, cardboard testimonies are sometimes apart of the work crew presentation during Young Life camp. The first side tells what life was before a relationship with Jesus; the second side tells what life is with a relationship with Jesus.
It’s so good to look back and remember all that God has done for me. In the years before my relationship with God really rocketed (during my first work crew in 2015) my faith and my life really was empty. I was seeking pleasure and satisfaction while putting on a mask of religious perfectionism. On the outside I looked like I had it all together but on the inside I was broken, alone, and devoid of purpose. I was empty. But during my first work crew God grabbed a hold of my heart. He taught me what real community looks like. He taught me how to be vulnerable and real. He taught me how to draw strength from Him. He taught me what a relationship with Him looks like. In short, He blasted me with His amazing love and I was forever changed. Not to say my life has been easy since then; but it has been a life of growth, companionship, and divine purpose; it has been a life of grace, joy, and providential peace; it has been a life filled by His unfailing love.
One thing the camp speaker talked about during the week was the fact that God calls us tov meod. This is a Hebrew term that is translated into English as “very good.” But she said how those who speak Hebrew know that this translation doesn’t do justice. What tov meod really means is “amazingly and overwhelmingly good or the fullness of good.” We are all tov meod. This is made clearly evident through reading Psalm 139.
However, she said that much of the time we don’t feel like tov meod. This is because of sin. Only God can restore us from our sinful state into our original position of tov meod. I got to love on kids during this week, showing them that they are tov meod. I’m excited to get to do the same to all peoples during the World Race. God is crazy about every single person on this planet. He calls them tov meod and wants a relationship with them. Many people don’t know or understand this. I’m excited to be the voice that tells them about this God and His Son and the relationship they can have with Him.
I’ve decided on not doing a work crew session this summer. I was thinking about doing a session at Woadleaf earlier this year and maybe even a summer staff session at Canyon 1st session or 3rd session at Creekside. But none of that materialized. 1st session I couldn’t because of leading Wyldlife camp and 2nd session I couldn’t because of World Race training. 3rd session was my only possibility but eventually I decided not to apply because I want to spend my last month before the Race with my family and enjoying solitude. I feel confident this is how God would want me to spend my last summer here.
Even so I’m going to miss not doing a WC session. WC has been a huge part of my life for the past three years. It has impacted me in such positive ways and is the beholder of so many good memories. It’s an awesome time to meet amazing people, make unforgettable memories, work my butt off for Jesus, help others meet Him, and to grow closer to Him. I’ve done 4 and a half sessions in the past three summers and not doing any will make this summer seem kind of bland. At least that’s what I’m thinking now. But I know it’s not true. Though I might miss not doing it, God has a reason and purpose for it that will work for the good of all.
My summer won’t be completely empty. I have WR training camp coming up (July 10th – 20th). I still don’t really know what to expect of that. I know it’s like a practice run of what we’ll be doing during the Race. But because I don’t know any specifics of what I’ll be doing on the Race that doesn’t really tell me much. But I do know I’ll be meeting my squad-mates and I’ll be put into my team that I’ll spend 24/7 with for a large portion of the Race. That’s exciting but also a bit nerve racking. I know it’s all in the Lord’s hands but I just hope so much that I’ll be paired with people I love and connect with. It’s also nerve racking cause at times I have doubts of whether I’m ready for the World Race. I am not even close to being ready… on my own. But I know that through the Lord I can do all things.
I also am going to work to get fully funded this summer and to finish getting all the supplies I need. The only really important supply I have yet to choose is a sleeping pad. So if you have or know of a pad that has worked really well for you I would really appreciate your input on the matter.
I leave for the Race on September 8th or 9th and will get back early June. I know I will learn and grow a lot during the Race. I will be stretched and come home with lifelong friendships and memories. Although it’s greatly dependent on that experience I have a few ideas about what could be next. I think I will apply for a summer internship at WFR. Then after that is much foggier but I do think I’d be interested to study theology and philosophy. I desire to serve the Lord and whatever He places on my heart I’ll do my best to follow. I don’t know where He is leading me though; so for now I just need to trust Him. And who better to trust with my life?
