"She climbed under the bush to find the bunny and when she came up for air she had blood on her arm but she just wiped it off like it was no big deal. That's when I knew she was awesome."

It's Character Day at HSJH today and the halls are filled with superheros, Pikachu and Luke Skywalker. But Cecilia and I decided that Camp Tecumseh counselors are characters too so we wore our wooden nametags, pony braids and I found my blue staff polo and Noonway sweatpants. 

Tonight I got to sit and talk with Taylor Porter and Allison Stamer  Williams for over two hours. I can't even explain how wonderful I think these two women are. They were some of my first Young Life girls in Carmel and the two that I've stayed in touch with the longest.

Taylor and Allison have taught me so much about what it means to live life to the full, to love your friends well, to see adventure, to go deep with Christ, to choose joy. They're the kind of people I want to be like when I grow up. When I give examples during Campaigners or devotions about the kind of people we should strive I often tell a story about one of these girls.

These days Allison is married to a fantastic guy, studying hard in dental school and loving chopping things in the kitchen. Taylor is nannying a little girl named Meredith that she loves, choosing to live in the present and planning an incredible adventure in Europe for next semester. I'm so thankful for these two and their long (distance and time) friendship. There are few people quite as alive as them.

"Nobody ever looks stupid when they're having fun."

It's the last YL of 2014 and we're going out with a party, a Neon Dance Party to be exact. Zach Zuber, aka Project Z, a freshmen YL guy offered to DJ Club for us tonight which was awesome. He even brought his own speakers, lasers and dry ice. 

We  pulled up 15 of our closest friends to play musical chairs by diving on a guy's knee every time the music stopped. The Farris duo ended up being the final pair at the end of the game. 

We played Running Charades with a fierce battle of the classes. They had to run back to their team and act out phrases like these:
Reading Ryan Ahwlardt's tweets about Frozen
Watching Dallas Clark play for the Colts
Chloe and Kate work at Perkins
We're excited about Wilderness and Castaway
Fishers loves Starbucks
Hip Hip Jorge could win the Hunger Games

There are 10 animal heads in this barn
Project Z is in the house
Baby Olivia and Baby Lucy are best friends
The HSE Redistricting Plan is confusing
Every Taylor Swift song is a hit
YL is better than Christmas

Then it was just time to dance. ProjectZ ran the show and the rest of us did our best and most awkward moves all over the gym. It was so dark that it really didn't matter what you were doing cause no one could really see you anyways. I've always been a fan of dance parties and getting to hang out with leaders like Ryan and Molly or kids like Hannah, Haleigh and Julia on a night like this is the best.

Ryan talked tonight about the ways we can engage with Christ. He's been reading this book lately called With that he's obsessed with and I love the whole idea of it. We're not called to live life UNDER God (obeying his rules), OVER God (believing he'll forgive you for everything and there are no consequences), FROM God (treating him like a vending machine) or FOR God (doing things with an agenda for him). Instead we're called to live life WITH God.

Ryan invited us to ask the question, "When have you been WITH God in this past year?" All sorts of moments were mentioned as he called on kids around them room and we heard about moments at camp, one on ones with leaders, prayers at church, a friends funeral, holding a new baby and driving in their car. God is with us everywhere. When we train ourselves to open up our eyes we can see him even more.

I was thrilled that Jordan Dixon, a Senior, came for the first time tonight. She plays volleyball and when we saw her at the Catching Fire premier we invited her to come to YL. I'm so glad that Mad Cav came with her and that she had fun hanging out tonight.

I love that this YL family may look different from week to week but there's always room for more people to join and be part of this community. Everyone is in. That's it.

Though break is awesome, I sure will miss hanging out with these people in the next few weeks.

This Weekend's Letters

Dear FBC crew 2014,

Way to represent the pink and FBC monogram all across HSJH and the midwest today. I love that boys like Brendan and Mason are proud to wear their shirts. It's so fun to see FBC friends like Hallie and Lexie that are far away wearing theirs too. 

Cami and Cecilia,
Thanks for making school fun. Cecilia I love that you're so excited about your wooden nametag and that you love the "Old Hag" side even better than the "Cecilia" one. Cami thanks for saying hi and being excited every single time we see each other. You make school even better for me.

Dear Caroline, Julia, Olivia and Hannah,
Our 2nd Annual Chipotle and Christmas lights tradition is one of my more recent favorites. I never get tired of hearing Caroline's stories or questions or thoughts on life and studying. It's refreshing to hang out with a group of girls that really just loves one another and is so kind to each other. Thanks for wanting to do things like watch the coolest Christmas lights in Fishers, sing along to old songs by reading the lyrics off your phones and searching for craft supplies in Wal-Mart.

Dear Grace, Katy and the rest of the Crew,
Watching the Best Buddies Volleyball Game on Saturday morning was one of the coolest things I saw all weekend. Gen Ed students playing alongside their Best Buddies and cheering each other on was phenomenal to say the least. The room was full of positivity and encouragement. Thank you for spending your time investing in something that really matters.

Dear YL Team,
I loved our time together as leaders on Saturday. It's been a reflective time around here lately and I'm glad that includes an afternoon with just this group. I love hearing how you're each seeing God in action and connecting with different people in our YL family. It takes a village and we can have such a greater impact when we work alongside one another.

Dear Sarah and Ben,
OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOUR NEW HOUSE! Everything is really changing. Sar I still remember the first time I visited you in Chicago and now I won't forget this first to Champaign either. I have such a good feeling about this. I think God has prepared a way for you here and I'm excited for you to jump into community and work with these people, to meet new kids and love these leaders. I have so much faith in both of you. Thank you for being two of my favorite people.

Dear Hannah and Cass,
I didn't plan on being a leader for Seniors in YL this year, but getting to walk along side the two of you has been one of the greatest parts. Thanks for making time to hang out right before Finals. I love getting to talk with the two of you, hear your hearts, have you explain things like LNMs, ask hard questions and just be together. You're both incredible. I really will miss you more than you know when you graduate in a semester. Love you long time.

"So I'm circle dancing with my bros, cause that's what Christian guys do, and Cru Chick keeps looking at me from across the dance floor."

Thankfully I've got plenty of junior high homies that are willing to help me out. Two different girls sat a table each lunch today passing out the FBC sweatshirts to 7th and 8th graders. Jules and Elise covered A lunch...

Cecilia and Maddie got B lunch...

and Sophie and Elyse finished up in C lunch. 

About half the girls were changing into their sweatshirts as soon as they got them and I bet the other half will wear theirs tomorrow. I think it's safe to say this year's sweatshirt is a hit. 

FBC was pretty chill this afternoon. We projected Elf instead of playing a game and spent a whole lot of time working on bracelets and talking. I can't believe this semester is almost over.

Tonight I got to hang out at KCraig's with Wyld Life adult leaders Lori Trulock, the Spanish teacher at my school, and our new friends Jess and Connor. Our dinner reminded me of my days as a Carmel YL leader when I got to spend so much time just hanging out with the leaders on our team as friends. I'm friends with HSE leaders too, but tonight just felt different. We laughed and told old stories and Connor and Jess told us the story of how they fell in love (which includes some Pokemon, a DTR during Finals week and coloring "Lovable Lobsters" together). I'm lucky to get to lead alongside these awesome people and can't wait to go to Castaway with them this summer.

"Oh, I think you might know my son. Do you know Ryan Ahlwardt?"

Christmas came early today in the form of 173 bright pink sweatshirts. Office Aids wheeled four gigantic boxes to my room this afternoon and I was beyond excited about it. Then the great sorting of 2014 began after school. 

I snagged my FBC elves Sophie, Elyse, Gracie, Maddie, Maggie, Hannah, Maddy, Audrey and Elise to help. They rolled and rubberbanded all of the shirts and sorted them by size.

We packed up the ones that will be handed out during lunches at HSJH tomorrow. Then the other 100 all got labeled and 25 of them got stuffed into envelopes to be shipped to friends that live far away. A box of them will go to Bloomington next week and a huge pile will be passed out at the CILT Reunion next weekend. FBC friends span the country.

Maddie, Maddy, Maggie and Elyse came with me to the post office so we could get the 25 packaged ones mailed right away. Little did we know that while we were talking about Wyld Life camp the woman in front of us in line was listening in. She turned around and asked, "Do you know my son Ryan Ahlwardt?" We all couldn't believe the coincidence and sent Ryan a selfie right away.

Tonight Wyld Life leaders and kids gathered at Mama Bear's for our last Campaigners of the semester. I'm so thankful that KCraig went out on a limb and decided to try having Campaigners for these kids. They've latched on and totally loved this part of YL.

Tonight we started with 10 minutes of prayer time when they could pray silently or write a letter to God. Blaire led us in singing Thrive by Casting Crowns and I was so impressed by how quickly everyone caught on. Then I got to be part of a conversation with Maggie, Elise, Natalie, Maddie Zirkle, Jess and Natalie Mills about thriving as we dig in deep and reach out. These talks matter. These kids matter. I love that we get to make both things a priority.

"If only #blessed wasn't so cliche." Young Life Christmas Party

Ryan and Lauren's baby girl Olivia may just be the most facial infant I've ever met. She had all of these different emotions in a matter of seconds last night. I think it was the camera light that flustered her, but usually she's quite smiley.

Last night was special, and not just because I got to eat the most glorious meal of my life from carried in Maggiano's (bruschetta, avocado cob salad, fettuccine alfredo, pesto sun-dried tomato ravioli).  Last night was special because it was our third annual Young Life Christmas party. This year our whole committee, their families, YL staff, volunteer leaders and HS leaders gathered together out at the barn. It's rare that we're all together at the same time. I'm pretty sure this is the only time it actually ever happens. And I love getting to see all of these people at once.

The goal of the night is to celebrate together. We know how to do that well. We filled nearly a dozen tables with new and old friends and devoured all the food from our overflowing plates. Michelle wanted everyone to get to play a game together so I got to teach them how to play the Airport Waiting Game. I loved seeing Jim Devoe and Jay Cowan racing around or when KCraig and Bo tackling each other to get a chair.

Then everyone dragged their chairs to make one giant circle. Just like last year, we took the time to share why we're each thankful for Young Life. Listening to the perspectives of adults and HS kids, parents and teachers, junior high students and committee members wove a really intricate look at our community. Each person has a story of how they and their family have been touched, a story of a kid that knows God because of Young Life, a friend that has found joy and friendship in this place when they felt so alone before.

Some of my thoughts on this year with Young Life--

God is in this. It's so easy to see his enormous blessings as we continue to see growth and numbers that we can't take credit for. He is at work in kid's lives and it's because of him that we have so many kids at both Young Life and Wyld Life on a weekly basis and that both camp trips filled in less than a day.

It's not about the numbers. Because we've had incredible turn outs from the start, I fear that people may think that's how we judge success. But as KCraig said tonight, if we were doing all of this for one kid it would still be worth it. I think success is measured in the depth of our relationships, in the transformation of a kid's heart when they accept Christ, in their willingness to serve others and in the longevity of their faith long after they stop coming to YL.

If we're called to live life to the full, lives bursting with purpose and meaning, then I'm confident that this is that place for so many people. We were made for this.

Love Tanks at Young Life

Do you know that feeling when your heart is so full that you can actually feel it? I love that feeling. At our Minute To Win It Club we gave the winners old trophies from the Bowman's attic. Hannah won a gymnastics trophy that she tried to pass off to me but I said she had to take it home and she could give it to me later. Well tonight she showed up with that trophy and she had the Senior girls all sign the bottom of it for me. I LOVE it. It will know be proudly displayed on a shelf in my apartment. I really, really don't want these girls to graduate in a semester.

At the beginning of Campaigner's tonight Ryan announced our Summer Camp plans for our fourth summer of trips. Now that we have so many kids that have gone with us to YL camp twice, we're offering WILDERNESS! It's a week long trip to go back packing in the mountains of Colorado. You're on the trail with your group for five whole days and from all the stories I've heard it sounds like just the coolest thing ever. I really, really wish I could go. It's been my dream since the beginning. I'm so excited we have kids that will get to experience this.

Then our first and second timers to YL camp will be going to CASTAWAY! Yes, our Wyld Life and Young Life groups will both be traveling to Castaway in Minnesota this summer. I've been there once several years ago and I'm so excited to go back with these kids. 

Tonight we spent some more time in individual prayer before starting to write Love Tanks. This has become an HSE tradition that we do at the end of each semester. The idea is that we each have a Love Tank inside of us that is filled by others and that we can fill up the Love Tanks of other people. We write notes of love, encouragement, prayer, memories and hopes.

Now that we've done this several different semesters, kids have an expectation and excitement for this night. We had over 100 High School kids show up and tape their Love Tank to the gym wall. Kids who have done this before know that they can never write fast enough so they came prepared with some of their notes already written. That shows that they think this is valuable and they think that encouraging as many people as possible is worthy of their time.

It is a joy to be able to write notes to the Young Life kids and leader that mean so much to me. I love having the opportunity to tell girls like Genna and Annie, leaders like KCraig and Jackie or Wyld Life leaders like Chad and BGrad the things that I see in them and my prayers for their life. This is a time when we get to echo truths about who they are that God has been telling them all along.

Being a Young Life leader in HSE is one of the greatest joys in my life. Besides being a counselor at Tecumseh, nothing else even comes close. I can't tell you how much the words that were written to me in my love tank mean to me. These kids each have such a big part of my heart. When I was in HS I never would have dreamed that I would be part of a community like this. I'm so glad that God is all about surprising us.

As soon as I got home I started getting texts from so many Young Life kids. They were signing up for Wilderness and Castaway, saying thank you for love tank notes and texting kind words that they didn't have time to write down. This community is so full with love and energy and fun and excitement that it's actually bursting at the seems. I'm so lucky to be part of it all. I love these people.