"Tonight was dope."

Tomorrow is Alli Sam's birthday. When we met up for mini-campaigners tonight it seemed only fitting that we would celebrate with funfetti cupcakes. I've been friends with this girl for nearly five years now and I'm so thankful for her. I'm so excited for the ways that she's growing right now, how excited she is about Wyld Life and this joy I've seen in her since Castaway. 

I made a spontaneous trip to the bookstore this weekend and one of the new books in my stack is For the Love by Jen Hatmaker. She's a Hope Spoken speaker, a TX conference I went to with Sarah B two years ago, and a well respected Christian author by women like Shauna, Glennon and everyone else that counts. I'm five chapters in and already loving her book. Our mini-Campaigners group read the first chapter together tonight.

"I love people. It's what I know. I want us to live well and love well... The fullest parts of my life, the best memories, the most satisfying pieces of my story have always involved people."

"Love is really the most excellent way. One of the best parts of being human is other humans. It's true, because life is hard; but people get to show up for one another, as God told us to, and we remember we are loved and seen and God is here and we are not alone."

Monday nights at Young Life are always awesome, but there was something extra special about tonight. Maybe it's because we met at my apartment instead. Maybe it's because of the specific combination of girls that were here and the ways our lives have overlapped. Maybe it was all our talk of friendship and being grateful for love and our people. But there was something awesome going on tonight.

The best part of my life, the best part of my story, is the people. I wish I could do justice to these girls-- to tell you why I love Olivia, Rach, Hools, Cookie, Kayla, Chloe, Alli Sams, Brooke, Annie, Alana, Genna and Maddy so much. I wish you could hear where they've been and what they've learned along the way and where they're headed. I see God all over their stories. Living life with them, this is what it's all about. We're showing up, we're taking care of our home team, we're deciding that today, just regular today, is worth celebrating. 

We closed in prayer before heading home and one of the girls started praying like this, "I don't really feel true joy all that often, or know a lot about it, but when I'm with all these girls and everybody's talking I think that's it, like I'm dipping my toes into all this and it's neat." For the love. That's my kind of prayer.

Honorable blog titles:
"Am I allowed to bring my drink in?"
"All of my wildest dreams have come true--for real though."
"So I bought a car for $200 the other day."

Dear Camp Tecumseh,

Greetings from the Indy CILT girl reunion where every Session is represented, it feels like we're back in the Longhouse and Caroline is figuring out the different flavors of veggie straws. Tonight we made time is our busy weekends to gather together. Today at church we read the verses Hebrews 10:24-25, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another." And I couldn't help but think of this little team. 

It would be easy to just keep living our separate lives in Indy, to just post #tecumsehtuesday pictures and talk about how much we miss CILTs. But I think we'd be making a huge mistake if we didn't take advantage of living this close to one another. So this CILTie reunion will be the first of many this year. 

Camp T, you've made this group a family. Even though some of these girls only met tonight, they've got shared memories, shared history, shared connections with counselors like Liz and Alli and Ellyn and Tim. They know that awesome dwells in the Party Room, that RFAJWD is serious business and that few things are more holy than singing in the Green Cathedral beside your adopted campers.

Lauren and Kaya loved spending week 1 and 2 with Session 1. Tonight we missed friends like Jill and Rachel, Sara and Corinne, Megan and Mak, and of course Cal Pal. Thank you Tecumseh for the longest bunk beds the night we pushed them all together, for making potholder headbands at the end of the day, playing Sardines in the lodge, a record amount of rain that actually flooded the Black Hole, Liz swimming in her puddle and the birth of my Fit Bit. Session 1 was the best start to the summer and the the rest of our weeks at Tecumseh were filled with, "Remember in Session 1 when..." 

Maggie "Big Girl" Drake and Caroline Cross represented Session 2 tonight. The night would have been even greater if they'd been able to bring along friends like Maggie, Clare and Elise from Chicago, if Nikki Lanigan Jones had flown in, or if Allie Vanneman had been able to make it. It feels like Sesssion 2 just happened. We won't forget trying to squeeze all 40 CILTs in the Wolve's Den because we may have said that Session made it happen. The night the hobo dinner was cut short due to a torrential rain storm but it was ok because the Bescaks brought all of us pizza over the weekend and a few days later we woke them up for midnight donuts. We can still hear Emma's screams when Liz pushed her fully clothed in the shower. CILT boys have never been more proud than after Session 2 guys made the leaning tower of corn dog sticks.

Session 3 had the most girls tonight--Caroline, Lilly, Rachel, Swanton and Julia. Their Session ended the summer on such a strong note and I'm so thankful for their friendships. We missed the rest of their CILT Pack like Lucy, Katie Giovani, Bridget and Mags and Lauren's energy that never seems to run out. Those weeks were sparkled with moments of more glitter rain, the most fugitives ever, waking up to yarn webs, a hike to the Camp Tecumseh sign, best friend necklaces, weekend CTXC, Liz's epic birthday celebration and an all CILT polar bear swim.

It was a summer of epic proportions and those 6 weeks were easily in the top 10 of the whole year. I saw people try new things because they were encouraged by their friends. I witnessed vulnerability and honesty give people a new sense of freedom. I saw laughter that brought people back to their real self. I saw joy overflowing on the walk to the lake, between counselors and campers before lunch, and in love tanks stuffed with notes. I saw life to the full.

At the end of every wake the Torchbearers are recognized at Closing Campfire. They receive a candle that reminds them to "let their light shine as they go back home so that others may see their good deeds and praise their Father in heaven." These girls are letting their lights shine in their schools, with their families, on their teams and with their friends. I love that Camp Tecumseh isn't constrained to just the summer, but that it's affects, relationships and lessons cover over the rest of the year.

This reunion tonight was the first of many and I can't wait till the next. Thank you Camp T for introducing me to these sweet girls and for the weeks we got to spend together living the dream in the Riv this summer. You're the best. Love, Sar

Honorable Blog Title:

"Last night I put an alarm on my phone for midnight with Mariah Carey and wow, made me miss camp a lot."

"I didn't get the most names, but I got the most phone numbers." Wyld and Young Life Paint War 2015

At Young Life and Wyld Life Club we invite kids to jump in to the chaos and fun and whimsy and unpredictability of this community. Tonight we joined forces for an epic Paint Battle at the end of the night. I love these people and the way Christ brings all of us together.