I was blessed to be paired with an awesome former Vida Joven-er who now volunteers with international schools Wyldlife as my co-cabin leader. She has a few more years experience with this age group and brought a lot of insights and fun to our cabin. I knew about half the kids in our cabin at least on some level and by the end of the weekend felt like I knew them all even better.
Here are a few highlights and some pictures. Be looking for some more in December's newsletter coming to your in-box in a couple weeks!
Larissa and Dani: These two girls are from one of 5 schools where we don't actually have a presence on campus, but have heard about Wyldlife through the grapevine--in their case through one of our high school student Wyldlife leaders! These two girls have stolen my heart! They are so sweet and so smart and I'm so excited to be friends with them the entire time I'm here. In a break before dinner, after taking a shower I found them laying in bed talking. I asked them what they were talking about and they said their futures and what they wanted to be. After pausing, Dani added--and when we have boyfriends how we really want to know them well and know what they are about. Smart girls! These two are in 7th grade, and 8th grade is a turning point here for kids' involvement in Wyldlife...sometimes we lose kids to partying or thinking that Wyldlife is for "babies." And the transition to Young Life is even harder. I'm hoping and praying for the faith and wisdom God has given these girls at such a young age to stay strong! They could be huge leaders in their schools!!
Middle school boys: WOW. Not sure what else to say. WOW. I have a confession to make. I'm an awful Wyldlife leader :) Here's why... Scene: Gym time with guided games. Perpetrator: Harry (description: typical middle school boy--loveable one minute, want to wring his neck the next!) Incident: I'm walking away from a game of scooter hockey and suddenly from four feet away Harry kicks a ball RIGHT IN MY FACE. 2 seconds of stinging shock then Harry: "Oh, I'm SO sorry. I'm SO sorry. Are you okay? I'm SOOOO sorry!" Me: "Don't worry, Harry! It's fine. It was an accident." Gotta love middle school boys and pink cheeks!
Middle school girls: WOW. Not sure what else to say. WOW. Haha. We have a handful of middle school girls who are just difficult to love. And they are EXACTLY the kind of kids we want at Wyldlife. They don't want to listen to instructions, they leave the cabin in the middle of the night to play in the bathroom, they ask you 5,000 questions, they talk during the Club talk, they love you one minute and hate you the next. And God broke my heart for them this weekend. Broke my heart for the 7th graders who are already partying like college students. Broke my heart for the ones who didn't want to eat because they think they are fat. Broke my heart for the ones who don't have a mom and sometimes not a dad. Broke my heart for the ones who are so desperate for attention they'll look for it anywhere. Broke my heart for the ones who had NEVER heard before in their lives that they are TOV MEOD--the best of the best of the very, very best. It's the Hebrew word God uses to describe the creation of humans in Genesis.
It was a whirlwind weekend and at some moments I questioned my ability to love these middle school kids well then at the very next moment I would remember something and get really excited. I got really excited because Wyldlife gives us a chance to meet kids where they are EARLIER and walk with them LONGER and give kids a chance to know SOONER they are LOVED by a big God, a God who thinks they are the best of the best of the very, very best!
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