"Jack's pizzas are healthy."

I've been in Xenia, Ohio for the past three days with Sar and her family. It was my goal for the semester to visit since she's been to Camp T so many times. 

We left after the mini-marathon Saturday and came back late this afternoon (I took a personal day from school! Liberating). Sar and I toured Xenia, visited her old house, hit up Tim Horton's for iced capps, drove past Xenia HS, hosted a bridal shower, hung with her mom and brother, visited Nana on Mother's day, ran errands, had dinner with all of Bob's family, got Sar's hair cut, ran more errands, went shopping with Barbara, had lunch at Cheesecake, graded blogs, and eventually drove back. I love spending time with Sar and it was so fun getting to see her life at home and all of the people there. 

We're finished with official leadership for the semester but still got together for a fiesta dinner with all the leaders.

I love this team (plus Jenna and Avery).

I love that they have become my friends and family away from home in Indy.

I was thinking today about how this team is in some ways so different than our group last year. We've gained leaders and many of our friends moved on. It's different. Change happens.

But so much is the same. This is a group of people that are passionate about meeting kids where they are and living life to the full. They want to tell kids about the good news of Christ and walk alongside them.

And next year our team will look different than it did tonight. Some of these leaders will be gone and there will be new faces in the mix. But so much will still stay the same.

I love that tonight we played wiffle ball in the street. More and more people kept joining the game as kids arrived.

The girls' team, called the girls' team because Mac and I were on it, won 4-1! I don't really do sports but I caught the ball twice (Dad and Mom- can you believe it?!) and got two runs.

Everyone was loving the sun and warm weather outside. And after not going to school today it kind of still felt like the weekend.

In Campaigners we talked about Matthew 11:28-30 where Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 


It is so comforting to know that God has got this under control and that he is a God big enough for all of our burdens and worries. We split up in groups and talked about what the burdens are in our own lives. Each of us shared and finally one of said, "wow, this is depressing." That's the truth. All of these burdens of not being good enough, of not getting along, of not measuring up, of not knowing what's next, of not knowing how to get better are depressing when we deal with them on our own. But tonight we were reminded that we're not dealing with them on our own.


Each of us wrote down our burdens, the worries weighing on our hearts, on a piece of paper and then went outside. In the fire pit we each threw in our paper, so very campy I thought, to symbolize Christ taking it away and then sang "Lay My Burdens Down" together.

The rest of the night we made s'mores and sang around the fire. That middle picture below is Jake and Heather taking a "brother and sister, holding hands from the back, jumping, peace sign, profile pic" pic. Classic.

I love that it has become a trend to keep singing at the end of Campaigners. We sang "From the Inside Out" which is typical and "Ain't No Mountain High" which is fun and somehow got to "All Star" which is strange. But it was a really great night.