Varsity FBC girls are incredible. I'm proud that Mollie and Ellyn are both part of this squad. Varsity girls are working on making bracelets for patients at Riley Children's Hospital this month. If you want to add to our collection let me know!
One of my old CILTs, Maggie Kroeff, became a camp counselor this past summer. Today she tagged me in an article she wrote called Why I Owe It All To My Camp Counselors. I love all things camp, especially reading about camp from someone else's perspective. Maggie is someone that I look up to and admire even though she's significantly younger than me. She's kind, patient, helpful, humble, driven, loyal and creative. My favorite part of the article came after it was over in her bio: Maggie Kroeff-- Majoring in being myself and loving the life I was given.
Her article is awesome. Go check it out. Maggie is on the right of the picture below when she was a CILT in 2014. She's currently a freshmen at St Louis University.
This morning as first period was just beginning I said, "Hey guys, want to skip school?" Now I realize that's probably not what a teacher is supposed to say to their students... but sometimes you've just got to be honest. My kids suggested going to Florida or to iHop so we made a reasonable compromise and went outside to write instead.
Tonight we finally got back to Wyld Life Campaigners. The adult leaders and HS disciples meet before to have dinner together and tonight we got into one of the best, deep thinking conversations we've ever shared. We talked about a hypothetical, real situation that our team is facing and asked for their input and opinions. What unfolded was the realization that there may be no right answer and there are just pros and cons to the situation. Sometimes life isn't just black and white, sometimes in the gray areas we have to make room to have a conversation and walk through the tricky stuff together.
I love when my students show up to Wyld Life. Tonight there were a handful of new kids there and I was so happy when I saw them getting out of their parents' cars. It's the best getting to be Brookie Cookie, Kayleigh and Claire's teacher and one of their Wyld Life leaders. This was my dream years ago and I don't want to take it for granted.
We had quite the crew of 7th and 8th grade guys show up tonight. Conner couldn't be with us, but Jacob and Zach rocked leading them like pros. I think this experience is just as shaping and powerful for the HS students as it is for the Junior High kids.
Lauren Feldmen has been leading Young Life with us for almost a year now but tonight she decided to come check out Wyld Life too. This friend is incredible and I love getting to do so many things with her. Tonight she leaned over during dinner and whispered, "Do you realize we've eaten two meals together today?!" Can't wait to be at Tecumseh with her next week.
Hannah Reed got to come to Campaigners again tonight and I was ecstatic. This girl is a gem and someone that I look up to even though she's so much younger than me.
I love watching all the leaders and kids greet each other, laugh, make new friends and run around as people arrive. I love that we've got kids from all four Junior Highs in Fishers.
I love that our Junior High and High School kids are getting to know each other and looking forward to seeing each other. Tonight when all the HS kids stood up during announcements I had the Junior High kids raise their hand if they could name one of them. Every single High Schooler, and there are a lot of them, was named by a 7th or 8th grader. That's pretty awesome.
These are my kind of people. Like Chloe said tonight, "Leading other people has given me so much joy and made my faith so much stronger."
You were made for this. You are loved. You belong here. This is the Wyld Life family.
We gather downstairs in the basement to go through announcements, introduce leaders, sing and listen to the story of one of the HS leaders. Everyone packs in on the couches, the floor, the pool table, the treadmill and it's just so beautiful. We love this.
Tonight Hannah shared her story of what life was like as a Junior High kid, how God has moved in her life an where she's at now. Listening to a different High Schooler each week of Campaigner's is becoming one of my favorite parts. I love hearing them reflect back on their own lives and seeing them recognize where God has shown up along the way.
I got to sit a room tonight with some of my HS friends and a small army of Junior High girls. They're funny and quirky and brilliant and enthusiastic and I love these conversations. Tonight we talked about the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus asked God to send in his place and what that means for us.
I love that Wyld Life is awesome not because we love Wyld Life, but because we love Jesus. From greeting kids in the driveway to praying together in a circle, we're introducing them to a God that knows them and loves them. I'm so lucky to be a small part of that.
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