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Happy Thanksgiving #2

We've decided that we want to be a community that is thankful all year long so we will have a monthly celebration of leaders, kids, committee members, and parents. 

We think the theme of Thanksgiving will change each month so we can have American Thanksgiving, Mexican Thanksgiving, Italian Thanksgiving, Chinese Thanksgiving...

So far attendance has been leaders and kids and the menu has consisted of a lot of potatoes, bread, pie, more potatoes, chicken, cookies and turkey.

Young Life is designed as a relational ministry-- leaders meet kids where they are and live life alongside them. Tonight was a beautiful picture of how together we are experiencing life to the full. I love that kids from all different grades and friend groups feel welcome and accepted here. I love that a handful of the YL kids that graduated last year came because they are still a part of this family.

Monday at Campaigners two of the kids were sharing about the service weekend and how they had been impacted. Carly described Young Life as her family. I heard one of the guys on the weekend telling someone about how sweet it was that he was in a stretch of YL stuff everyday for eight days in a row- campaigners and bookworms and club and church and thanksgiving and wydlife and bigger or better- this is such a central part of these kids' lives.

We substituted club this week with a little game called Bigger or Better.

Every group starts with a penny.

Then every group has 1 hour to make as many trades as possible to find the biggest and best thing possible. You can go to houses, malls, churches, stores- you just have to find people to trade with you.

Trade 1- Fire Department gave us a plastic fire hat

Trade 2- Cute young couple with a baby gave us a red yoga ball

Trade 3- The boyfriend of one of Ellyn's friends gave us his old broken iPod

Trade 4-7- People told us they had nothing to trade

Trade 8- 7 dogs greeted us and then the Feasts gave us a stroller and took a picture with us. 

Trade 9- We picked up a dog.... Which may or may not have been a pet.

(I don't really like animals or having them close to me or in my car so this was a big step for me.)

Returning with 3 minutes to spare I think we did well.

Sar's group returned with a ladder.

MaryEllen's girls brought back a Red Bull cooler.

Chris and his boys brought this "$4,000" painting.

 Other groups returned with a unicycle and a scooter.

Because it wasn't a school night for me I went with Taylor to see Allison, also home for college. How wonderful to just sit and hear stories and laugh and be together. I'm very thankful for nights like this.