All Area Leadership Camping Trip

In the beginning of April we had our leader camping trip! Most of us arrived in Santa Barbara on a Friday night, grabbed In n Out for dinner, and then went back to the site for s’mores and time around the campfire. We spent Saturday morning in prayer and then spent the rest of the day walking around the beach, exploring the surrounding areas, and relaxing at our campsites. Our Area Director, his wife and our committee chairs made us dinner that night – Chillie dogs and baked potatoes  - and we had a devotional around the fire. The rest of the night we hung out around the campfire, enjoying each other’s company. It was a great time to get away from the craziness that we have in our day-to-day lives, and spend time with the people we serve with.

-Rachel

Big Air with Dana Hills Young Life

Since we took the kids to Big Air a few months ago they have been asking on a weekly basis to go back. The kids had a blast! The car ride there is just as fun as actually being there. It is a great bonding experience. The kids spent most of their time on the dodge ball court. I love when we are able to give the kids an opportunity to just be a kid, you never know what they might have going on at home. It brings me so much joy to see them just having fun & acting there age. A lot of kids these days are forced to grow way to fast due to difficult circumstances. I pray they feel loved and like they have a safe place to belong where they can fun just being themselves. Please pray for them all to really have a life changing experience with Jesus when we leave to camp in about a month now! 

-Megan

Dodgeball With All of OC Young Life

This past month we went to a region wide club where all the kids played Dodge ball. The kids got really into and had a really good time. It was a great bonding experience for all of us. The boys made it to the semi-finals, but the girls did not do as well (ok, so we lost every game). It was a really fun night that gave us new memories!

-Megan

High Rollers- James' Intro

Club has been a blast these past few weeks.  I’ve especially been stoked on having some new kids coming.  It’s awesome when our students invite their friends because they love coming to club so much.  This week we had James come.  I met James at Tesoro a few weeks ago and invited him to club.  I was really hoping he would come that next Wednesday, but he didn’t.  About a month passed and still no James.  So when I saw him walk in to club last week I was pumped, to say the least!  We made sure to introduce him to everyone and get him on stage for the upfront game.  He totally killed it in the pie-eating contest, and you could tell he was feeling like a million bucks with everyone cheering him on.  When the night was over he gave me a huge hug and told me he’d be back next week.  Can’t wait to see him on Wednesday! 

Wyatt- singing his heart out on stage!

Bailey and Jason attempting the pie eating challenge

 

-Tayren

Andrew Fordonski

This April, our area experienced one of the harder things that comes with working with people who have special needs: our friend Andrew Fordonski went to be with the Lord. He had a long battle with cancer and malfunctioning shunts, and he is finally living pain free with our Savior. The Capernaum Beyond group has been studying the Fruit of the Spirit. The week that Andrew passed we were talking about kindness and what that looks like. As an act of kindness to Fordonski family, our friends from club wrote letters to the grieving family. It is always nice to see our friends caring for others, and wonderful to see their kind hearts shine through when they know someone is in need of comfort.

-Rachel

Camp Fundraising- Working at the Ranch

The kids have been working really hard to get to camp. They spent their Saturday working all day on a ranch to fund-raise!

-Megan

Wyldlife Life Club

Club this week was one of those Clubs where us as leaders just have to sit back and thank God for getting to do what we do. Of course it was filled with funny games and raffle prizes and lots of laughter and excited conversations about our up coming trip to camp in June. 

The real reason this week was so amazing was i got to speak on what it means to have Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and that he just wants to walk with us in all that we do and be there for us no matter what. I had the pleasure of leading them in a prayer where they had the chance to except Jesus into their hearts and make a decision to follow him and love people the way he calls us to love one another! 

We had 8 kids make this life changing decision! I'm in awe of God's faithfulness, please pray for these young people and us as their leaders that we can live life along side of them and continue to follow him. 

-Dmar