College Cass, WL Paint War and other Updates

In just one week the Fall Creek Junior High 7th Grade Field Trip to Camp Tecumseh will be in full swing. WE CAN'T WAIT! Earlier this week, all 293 of our t-shirts arrived, get sorted and distributed to kids, counselors and teachers. Now we just need October 1st to arrive. 

Some of my favorite words I've found lately...

Last week a dream came true-- Justin and I hosted HS Young Life kids for the first time. Maddie, Liv, Wash, Grace, Hannah and Meric are all girls that I lead FCJH 8th graders with. They came over for Fried Rice night and an enthusiastic game of Fishbowl.  We want to have the kind of house where people always feel welcome and know they can show up unannounced.

Saturday morning we set out early to Muncie to pick up our girl College Cass to take her to Victor's for breakfast. Over pancakes and biscuits & gravy and french toast, we asked her all the questions about school and classes and friends and everything she's checking out and getting involved with. After being a constant part of each other's lives the last few years I really miss seeing her all the time. Cass is one of the greats.

The rest of the Davis clan arrived and we got to celebrate Emily, our niece, at Ball State. We walked all over Campus, checked out the Brookstore and one of the cafeterias, saw the dorm room, played some pool. Chirp, Chirp.

Saturday night we made it back to Fishers for the Wyld Life Paint War. Thankfully, the cooler temperatures made it much more enjoyable to run around outside all night long.

Our outstanding, welcoming, positive HS leaders greeted kids and gave them name tags.

A whole slew of kids showed up for the very first time tonight along with dozens of regulars.

We had a human ladder race...

Had a relay race with some balanced eggs...

Chugged Mt. Dew through a smelly sock...

FTK (For The Kids)...

Got to listen to a Club Talk from Johnna...

And then through colorful powder at each other-- it was awesome.

Sunday I traveled to Camp Tecumseh with co-directors Kristen and Haley and our 23 new counselors so they could learn where everything is at camp before they have 6 kids to teach.

Sunday night we got to have dinner at the Barn with our adult YL leaders-- Ian, Brad & Johnna, Abby, Emily Kitchen, Rick, Scott & Jordan and Justin. We had a fiesta and talked about life moments and laughed together. It was time well spent.

Partner Pairings meets Wyld Life

Without question, the most anticipated, the most exciting, the most high-energy moment at every Staff Training is Partner Pairings. Over 100 counselors have already spent several days together getting ready for campers, but this is a turning point. During Partner Pairings every single counselor finds out their partner, their cabin and their unit for the summer ahead. 

Counselors go from being one out of an army of staff to becoming someone's partner. They become the counselor of a specific cabin. They have a Unit of counselors to belong to who will soon become their family. They belong. Suddenly a very large group seems much smaller.

I wish I could bottle up all of the smiles and screams and fist pumps and hugs and jumps from Partner Pairings and sprinkle it out the whole rest of the year. The emotions are incredible. Ask any Tecumseh counselor and they'll be able to tell you every detail of the morning of Partner Pairings-- it's unforgettable.

I think the best ideas are often borrowed ideas, so I'm going to borrow Partner Pairings.

This year our Wyld Life leadership team consists of 7 adult leaders and 45 HS Juniors and Seniors. FORTY-FIVE HIGH SCHOOLERS. That's exciting and just so dang many and kind of intimidating all at once.

So WL Leadership is going to have it's own Partner Pairings on Monday night.

We're going to organize our leaders into specific teams this year-- suddenly a very large group will seem much smaller. Every HS leader has their own adult mentor, a specific group of kids to get to know and a small group of other HS leaders to grow with.

On Monday night they might find out they're on Caitlin's team, leading 7th grade girls at Fall Creek Junior High with six of their best friends. They have a place to belong.

I can't wait to celebrate with all of our leaders on Monday night at our own version of Partner Pairings. Perhaps we'll create the kind of energy and excitement and fun that we'll want to bottle up for the whole year.

"I feel like we never left." CILT Reunion 2017

The CILT Reunion has been one of my very favorite December traditions for the past 10 years. This weekend I got to live the "best 25 hours of the year" one more time. I love reuniting with kids like Sara who were main characters of my summer and continue to be so important to me. 

All of the CILT counselors were back and Grace was in charge of creating CILT signs to put all over Lake Village-- she makes things so fun. 

There were camp games, jump-roping, song creating and scavenger hunting...

 We had our "Would You Be My Friend If I Wore This?" theme dinner. We sang and danced through the dining room while simultaneously devouring camp nachos.

 We love dressing up silly in the summer, but the outfits kids come up with for this night are always some of my favorites.

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

The counselors

The reunion is crazy-- 25 hours with 100 people and tons of energy and excitement. Because we know that building friendships and having intentional conversations are two of people's favorite things about camp, we try to make sure that's part of the weekend too. We split into families-- one counselor with about 16 CILTs from combined sessions. We met together four different times and talked through different questions each time. I'm so thankful for this group of rock stars and that I got to have this bonus time with them.

One of the highlights of the night: Just Dance Competition between sessions.

We played some crazy games, watched a video recap of the CILT life, did the ever-popular Newlywed Game and ate ice-cream sundaes.

Hopi cabin summer 2017

Abanaki cabin summer 2017

Choctaw cabin summer 2017 (we're only missing two girls!)

The Kiva summer 2017

Grace's campers (cause she spent time in Hopi and Choctaw)

My favorite moments of the CILT reunion are often when I'm just hanging out with these girls, laughing about silly things, catching up, reminiscing and sharing stories. I really, really love them and am so proud to call them my friends.

Chapel on Sunday morning is extra special at the reunion. We still sing songs like normal, but then a CILT from each session shares their story of how God has been at work in their life this year.

I admire the courage and heart it takes for them to stand up and share about their faith in-front of all of their peers. This year we heard from Sarah Nelson...

Ethan Krone...

and Emily Weibel.

I love when campers can take something tangible home with them to remind them of Tecumseh and the encouragement and support and friendships in this place. That's why we always carve out time to do love tanks together. All 3 sessions, guys and girls, counselors and campers-- everybody's in.

We met with our families for the fourth and final time on Sunday morning.

Sean's family

Sav and Kate's family

Grace's family

Mike's family

Katie's family

Sarah's family

We ate one more meal together and then it was time to start saying good-bye. When I first started doing reunions years ago I was always so tearful at the end. I don't cry much anymore, but it's not because I love the kids any less. I've learned through the years that friendships last, that distance doesn't have to keep you apart and that it's such a gift to walk away filled up with encouragement and love.

I'm thankful for all of you-- how you've impacted my life and that I've gotten to be part of your story.  Love you CILTies.