First Young Life club of the year!

Getting ready for the first club of the year!

Last night was the first high school Young Life club of the year! We had around 40 kids from 4 different high schools come out ready to have a great time. While the leaders and I were excited, we had no idea of how many kids to expect. I was hoping for enough to make things exciting, but did not expect anything like what we had!

Shaving cream baseball... it might have gotten a little messy.

The night started with everyone hanging out around the fire as kids showed up. One of the highlights for me was watching the returning kids from last year come. They were so excited to see Josh and Micah. It was evident how deeply Josh and Micah cared for these kids last year. I pray that as we move into this year, and possibly some growth in numbers, the relational aspect continues in this same way. The foundation that Josh and Micah laid last year is great!

 

MVP pitcher, Jack Benjamin, and Sam... like I said, it got messy!

Once everyone seemed to have arrived, we played a game. Shaving cream baseball. Its basically a game of whiffle ball, but the ball is filled with shaving cream. It was awesome watching the ball explode every time it was hit, and Jack Benjamin was hilarious to watch as a pitcher. As the game came to a close we switched the ball out for water balloons filled with shaving cream and let kids take turns hitting them with the bats... and then it just turned into a bit of a shaving cream war... nothing says Young Life like people getting covered in shaving cream!

Now that's a fire!

Once the mayhem died down we had s'mores and hung out around the fire. We have a few new leaders, and then a couple leaders, myself included, who came up from WyldLife this year. It was great getting to see leaders and kids begin new relationships, and watching the new leaders jump right in with kids.

Some of the freshman kids looked a bit in shock. I don't know if they knew what they were getting into, but as they were leaving they said they couldn't wait for next week, and were excited to bring more of their friends.

Like we always say, Young Life is about relationships. It starts with leaders building relationships with kids, and then those leaders hopefully get to help kids begin and build their relationship with Jesus. Nights like these are all about making opportunities for leaders and kids to get to know each other. A relationship with my Young Life leader forever changed my life, and I pray that some of the relationships started last night will change some of the kids lives in a similar way!

At the end of the night I introduced all the leaders to the kids, and let them know what to expect for the rest of the year. We will be having club every Friday night. All the leaders shared how they are involved with Young Life because they want kids to see that Jesus loves them just the way they are. I got to share how we do this because we believe, with all our hearts, that Jesus came to give us life to the full. I also told them that we want them to come and feel like they belong even if they don't agree with us about Jesus. Young Life is for every kid, everywhere, for eternity. We will always seek to be a part of these kids' lives, even if they never want anything to do with Jesus.

Next week is the all Orange County Young Life roller skating party! Its going to be a great time for sure!

So much fun! Can't wait for the rest of the year!

Our Week at Oakbridge!

This summer's Oakbridge trip was easily one of the best camp trips I have ever been a part of. From the kids all getting along, to the leaders doing an absolutely amazing job, to the camp staff… it was incredible.

We took 19 kids this year, and of those 19, 6 kids said "yes" to Jesus for the first time ever, and 10 kids rededicated their lives to Jesus that week. 

Please watch the following video and take a look at the pics to get a glimpse at what a week at WyldLife camp looks like! We will be going to winter camp this November 20-22, and then back again next summer (we will let you know the dates ASAP)!

About to have one of the best weeks of our lives!

Matthew meeting one of the WIlderness Explorers!

Mixers the first night.

The boys slept out under the starts the first night… it was awesome!

The food at Oakbridge is sooo good!

Unity game uniforms!

Again, that camp food is so good, Jack agrees!

Protect your leader… Matt was pretty dry compared to the other guy!

All camp pic! I see a lot of yellow!

The leap of faith.

Leaders got ruined at the carnival… so fun!

Grant, Matthew, and some pantyhose!

Max, having a blast at the messy games!

Spencer, about to do damage ith some shaving creme!

Best messy games ever!

Everyone had a blast!

Don't mess with Michele when it comes to card games!

Midnight dance party!

Water games!

Failed attempt at a human pyramid.

The high dive was a highlight! Natalie getting wild!

Archery! Kieron's got some great form!

Tyler G with the bull's eye!

The game room!

The ropes course was rad.

Spencer soaring down the zip-line.

The girls doing some awesome freestyle walking at the skatepark. 

Guys had epic pillow fights the last two nights!

Saying "YES" to Jesus!

Such a wonderful week!

Move Me Like the Ocean- Kyle Reynolds

Kyle Reynolds is one of our awesome Wyldlife leaders. 

He is also a very talented musician. 

Kyle is leaving this next year to work on music full-time. 

Kyle recently wrote a song that was inspired by his Young Life story. 

I asked him to write up an explanation on how the song came about. Below is his response.....

"Young Life has been apart of my life ever since I can remember and I've recently been fortunate enough to start leading music at Young Life camps. After seeing so many kids lives changed last year while playing music at Oakbridge, whether it was during "Say So" or just talking to kids throughout the week and seeing the Lord totally change their hearts, I was inspired to write this song. This song is about the kid  who is sitting in the back of the club room. This song is about me, you, and the person who has decided to go all in regardless of what is ahead and what they've been through. I hope this song can be sung and listened to as a prayer asking God to move us like the ocean. I want to step out of my comfort zone and allow God to fill me up with His strength and courage; and not rely on my own. In the chorus it says Move Me Like the Ocean, Move Me Like the Ocean, I still have my doubts, but it's time to step out in the ocean. I think this is something we can wake up every morning and ask the Lord. Everyday we have the choice to step out in the ocean, the unknown, and trust the Lord. All we have to do is say yes."

The lyrics to the song are below along with a link to his iTunes account. 

This month proceeds from the song will go back to Young Life. So take a moment and check out Kyle.

MOVE ME LIKE THE OCEAN

I know there’s  more to this at least that’s what I’ve been told

I feel alone and I’m so sick of it I need a place to call home

Can we forgive our past, lets go and not look back

move me like the ocean

Ocean

without a doubt you’re pulling me out of the ocean

Clouded by racing thoughts, I feel so far away

Told myself I’m doing fine, but was that just another lie to say

Can we forgive our past, lets go and not look back

move me like the ocean

Ocean

without a doubt you’re pulling me out of the ocean

move me like the ocean

Ocean

without a doubt you’re pulling me out of the ocean

Move Me Like the Ocean

-Dave

Young Life Area Camping Trip 2015

For the past 3 years our area has made a tradition of going camping in the Spring. The reason we go is to build community among all the leaders, grow in the Lord, and rest. 

This year was another faithful example of how the Lord is blessing us. One of my highlights is when we talk about how and when we have seen God moving in our lives and ministry. 

There were a lot of "God Sighting's" this past year!!!

As an area we praised God in worship and in action. We had a solo time Saturday morning and communion together on Sunday. Each night we worshipped together and talk about God.

The Lord has been super faithful to our area once again. 

Enjoy the shots below from our very own Rachel Antoun

-Dave

Marco Club craziness

We had an awesome time last week at club. Filled with lots of funny games Like seeing who can drink the Coke the fastest through a giant straw working as a team it was hilarious, high-fives,and the word being brought by one of our leaders Kelly Martnick. Kelly spoke about his Zacheus and how God wants to be in each one of our lives no matter who we are or what we've done. It has been really fun having a bunch of new kids coming to check out what a wyldlife is all about and to see how much fun they're having and the connections that are growing with their leaders and their understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what he's done for them in their lives.

Marco WYLDLIFE is back!!!

We had our first club after our Christmas break and it was a good one. To keep in the season with unhealthy eating we decided to pile all the kids into the cars and drive to right aid and get a proper double scoop scoop. After getting in the yummy ice cream we headed back to the house where Riley Murphy brought the word in a real way. He told stories of his previous missions trips and tied them in perfectly with the passage of Jesus walking on the water. The connection between our faith and understanding with Jesus and keeping our eyes focused on jesys. life will be a lot easier instead of when we try to do it on our own.

Ladera Goes to Winter Camp

What a great crew... what a great weekend!

This weekend was Winter Camp! I can say that it was the best winter camp I have ever gone to, not only because the camp was great, the food was good, and the people running the program were amazing, but the kids and leaders we brought were the best! It was a weekend I won't soon forget!

Octoball got crazy!

Oakbridge is a very special place. It's not the typical semi-rugged youth camp... but more like "Club-med" for middle school kids! The place was built just for them, and everything, from the octoball court, to the skate-park, to the fields, to the room for club... everything was built just for them. 

The songs at club were awesome!!

For a lot of the kids, this was their first time at Oakbridge, and for some of them, it was their first time going to "club." Since we haven't been able to find a place big enough to host us in Ladera this year, we haven't been able to have "club," but we did at camp, and it was awesome! From the songs to the games, to the funny skit guys, to Sullivan teaching about Jesus' love, it was amazing! The program was seriously one of the best I have ever seen.

Taylor got to go mattress surfing!

Mackenzie and Jack chucking cheese puffs at a leader.

Club was awesome

The 6th graders got shacked

A part of what makes camp so special is that it gives kids a chance to get away from normal life, and out of their "comfort-zone" while making sure they are still safe, and even comfortable. They are treated like they matter, and they can tell that everyone at camp really cares about them.

Dog-pile Andy!!

Pic with Mrs Santa for scavenger hunt

The first night started with club, and then a pizza party at 10pm! After we got to go back to our cabins and talk about what Sullivan had shared in club about Jesus. These are called "cabin times" and they happen after every club. Its a time for leaders and kids to go back to their cabin and reflect on what they just heard at club. 

Group selfie at the archery range

The first night Sullivan talked about how we all come to camp with a picture of what Jesus is like. Some think of him as a Santa Jesus, others as a Police Jesus, others as their Homeboy Jesus, and others as a far away, distant Jesus. Sullivan talked about how Jesus was so much more than any of those, and how we can come and get to know him. She shared about Zacchaeus, and how even though everyone hated him because he was cheating them out of their money, Jesus sought him out and had dinner with him at his house. Jesus isn't like what we would expect, he is so much more, and when we have an encounter with him, it changes us... it makes us better us'.

Jail break... Brandon got into it!

Henry and Matthew thought the food was awesome!

The next club, Sullivan talked about the difference between "sins," or bad behavior, and "sin." So often this is something that people miss-understand, or as Sullivan talked about, miss-diagnose. Sin is separation from God. Its not trusting that God loves us and is taking care if us. Sins are a symptom of this, but if we just treat the behavior, or the symptoms, we don't get down to the root cause and nothing gets better.

Sullivan shared about getting diagnosed with Lyme Disease early this year, and how she had been sick for 8 years, but doctors kept treating her symptoms instead of looking for what was causing them and nothing got better... she just kept getting more sick. She compared this to the story of the "Bleeding Woman" in Mark 5:21-43. In this story Jesus is asked by a man who was extremely important to come and heal his daughter, as he was on his way to this guys house he got held up by a woman. This woman had been sick for 12 years, and spent all she had on doctors who were not able to figure out what was wrong with her. As soon as she touched Jesus, she was immediately healed. Jesus knew something happened and stopped to hear this woman's story. Even though he was on his way to do something important with someone important, he stopped for this woman that no one cared about and then took the time to listen to her story. That is what Jesus is like, and he does the same with us. He can heal the deep sickness that we have, and he can fill the longing that every human on earth has. We were created to long for a relationship with God, and we will never be completely satisfied until we are in it.

All camp tug-of-war!

The start of the messy games

It got crazy!

The next club Sullivan talked about God's rescue plan for us. It was awesome seeing kids respond to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for them because he loved them, and that he would have done it just for them. In the 6th grader cabin time that night, a few of the kids started talking about how they couldn't believe that Jesus loved them that much. They couldn't believe that Jesus stayed on the cross when he could have gotten off at any time.

Andy

Henry took some shaving creme to the face

Grace, Taylor and Natalie had a blast!

Aside from the club talks and cabin times, these kids got to be exposed to Jesus' love through their leaders, and the staff at Oakbridge. They got to do things, like through flour bombs and chicken feed at each other, and then watch their leaders be super silly.

Caitlin and Kailey got worked!

Tyler was into it

Matt and Riley came out clean as a whistle... or not.

Everyone had fun!

This pool looked so inviting... but it was about 50 degrees!

It didn't stop kids or Grant from going off the diving boards!

Mackenzie did a cannon ball off the high dive!

Frisbee golf was a huge hit

Hunting for rams.

Little sunset adventure

Sometime you just don't use your hands to eat dessert

At the end of the weekend they were given the chance to say "yes" to Jesus and begin a life-long relationship with him. Sullivan talked about how Jesus didn't stay dead, but came back to life. She also talked about how Jesus will love them no matter how they respond to him. Even if they say no, Jesus loves them the same and will never stop pursuing them.

Jade got to pie Grant in front of everyone!

Russian Ribbon Dancers... From Russia

This guy was awesome... especially when he would play Taylor Swift

Sullivan was amazing sharing Jesus with everyone

The girls' last cabin time

The 3 hour tour of San Clemente on the way back

Camp was such a blast this weekend. I can't wait for summer camp this year! Be sure to mark your calendars because we will be going back to Oakbridge this summer , June 24-29!

Can't wait for summer camp,  June 24-29