"Shanel" Written and Performed by Taylor Bonds

This is a song written by one of leaders about her friend Shanel. Such an amazing testament to the relationships we have in Young Life!! Thanks Taylor for sharing this!




-Dave

Area Needs

As we look to start club up again there are numerous things we can use to help us reach more kids and the ones we currently are reaching. Below is a wish list of sorts, if you can help in anyway with anything below please contact me at 949-291-7818 or SouthCountyYL@gmail.com, to ensure we don't get too many duplicates

Some of these things we need this week, and some can slowly trickle in....


S'more Stuff

Marshmallows

Graham Crackers

Chocolate

Hangers

Beyond Stuff for the year

50: 100pg spiral bound note books

5: packages of pens

7: packages of coloring markers

5: packages of name tags

1: large plastic bin

High Rollers stuff:

3: Roles of  blue painters tape

1: large plastic bin

1: Small portable PA system

5: Sets of Guitar Strings

1: Portable Video Projector

Area needs

Envelopes & Stamps

Coffee for Monday Morning Prayer

Gift cards for leaders to take kids out- Starbucks, Any Food restaurant, etc.

Costco Gift Cards

Gas Gift Cards

Sharpies 

God IS Moving in South County YL!!

Hey Everyone,

It's been an amazing summer and I have so much to tell about what God has been doing in South County!

This summer we took about 80 people to camp. We had 4 different camps and all of them were great! We took students to Woodleaf, Lost Canyon, & Oakbridge.

Area Prayer is going amazing! Each week we have people come and join Megan and I in prayer for the area. It has been so rad to witness God showing up and truly moving in our area and answering prayers! If you would like to come it happens every Monday morning at 9am. Please come and join us!

This summer I had one week in particular that 2 different youth pastors from Laguna Beach contacted me. After meeting with both of them we are establishing joint efforts in reaching the students of Laguna Beach. Young Life used to be in LB numerous years ago. It is exciting to God moving again in Laguna and that YL has a chance to be apart of it.

In the beginning of the month we had our 1st Area Leadership Meeting with over 50 people there. We had a time of worship which was a rad time to prepare our hearts for the beginning of the year. We spent the first part of our meeting sharing a meal together (which is something we will do every meeting, if you would like to help with that please let me know). After that we had a bit of business to go over, split into our club teams, and then spent 45 minutes just worshipping God. The area will be having leadership meeting every 1st Sunday of the month.

This month also saw the launching of a region wide Student Staff training. This training is specifically for our part-time staff, key leaders, and anyone who just wants to learn more. The course will definitely be stretching and a great learning experience for those attending. They will be challenged to not only grow in their leadership but also their spiritual walk. We have 12 people represented from our area going. We have a handful of people who are from local churches within our area and then several part time staff going.

We currently have 2 girls raising money to join staff. One will be running High Rollers (our younger Capernaum club). The other is going to be leading the Dana Hills Club.

We also want to be starting club at El Toro High School. We have a teacher there who has requested YL to be there. He is willing to lead a team of leaders and love on the students of El Toro HS. If you know anyone who would be interested in being a leader at El Toro High School please let me know ASAP.

There is some other exciting stuff happening that I will be letting you know soon. Please continue to pray for the area and what God is doing. Please also join us in praising his name for what he is already doing and done in the area.

We are also in need of more leaders for each club. We currently have 4 clubs in our area with multiple on the horizon. We have 1 typical high school club, 1 middle school club, and 2 Capernaum (special needs) clubs. We can use people who are young and old. Please contact me if you are interested or have any questions.

Thanks,
Dave

Oakbridge- Beyond Capernaum Camp 2012

This is the second summer Young Life has held a Capernaum Beyond camp for our Capernaum Beyond Friends and surprisingly, it topped the fantastic camp we had last summer. Beyond Camp is unique to most other Young Life camps because it is made specifically for our friends with special needs who are over the age of 22. Many of the people who come to this camp have been involved in Capernaum for a number of years. This camp is perfect for our older Capernaum friends because everything about this camp is directed toward an older crowd, while still having the fun, energetic aspects of a typical Young Life Camp.

South County took 15 campers, 6 of which were first-timers to camp, and 11 leaders to Oakbridge for Capernaum Beyond Camp this summer. We had a fantastic 4 days at camp, despite the high temperatures. We were able to keep cool by taking advantage of the TWO slip’n’slides set up on the field and by hanging out at the pool and watching our friends do “tricks” off the diving boards. The second day we were there, a number of our friends did the High Ropes course, a few of our friends are old pros and sped through it while some of our first-time campers conquered their apprehensions of this new experience! Our last night there, the camp had set up a carnival for our friends, complete with snow-comes, a cotton candy machine, a dunk tank, and a “pie your leader” station… which every leader was thrilled about. Many of us were still wiping shaving-cream out of our ears when we got home. It was a great four-day camp filled with lessons about Jesus, music and dancing, and we are looking forward to round 3 next summer!

-Rachel Antoun

Hanging Out At Bravo Burger, SJC

Hey Everyone,

Every so often our Capernaum Groups get together and have dinner at Bravo Burger, SJC. This is a great time for everyone to come together, hang out, and eat some good eats.

Please feel free to join us this coming Wednesday, August 1st from 6:30pm- 7:30pm. Each person who comes helps raise money for Young Life. Just remember to say your with Young Life when ordering!

See ya next week!

Camp Video Scrapbooks

One of the coolest parts of camp is that the camp creates video scrapbooks. Below are the links for our Woodleaf camp and Lost Canyon camp. This link will be good until next April, 2013.

Enjoy!!!

Lost Canyon

http://scrapbook.younglife.org/playlist/Lost-Canyon-Week-5

Woodleaf

http://scrapbook.younglife.org/playlist/Woodleaf-Week-5

-Dave

OC Capernaum at Woodleaf 2012

            OC Capernaum’s High Rollers took 18 students with special needs and 16 leaders to camp this year. After a 5:30am wakeup call on July 1^st, and a long car ride up to Northern California, we finally arrived at Woodleaf. Our Capernaum friends were thrilled to be there and could hardly wait for club that night. It never ceases to amaze me that of ALL the fun things to do at camp, the activity that our kids look forward to the most is Club – singing, dancing, playing games, and hearing someone talk about Jesus at the end of the night is what they anxiously wait for all day long. We did, however, find a way to occupy ourselves during the day by hanging out at Woodleaf’s heated pool, going on “The Blob”, conquering our fears at “The Tower”, scarfing down a few whirlies at the Sugar Barrel, venturing onto the giant swing, taking advantage of the waterslides, and testing our leader’s driving skills on the Ridge Runners (dune-buggies). Camp never fails to be a whirlwind of fun, emotion and laughter. But, in the midst of all the commotion, it is where friendships are built and it’s where many of our Capernaum friends discover that they can be accepted, loved and cared for by those around them. Watching our Capernaum friends come out of their shell, after realizing they are loved and wanted, is one of the biggest blessings any leader could experience.

One of our campers, Bret, started coming to Club only a few weeks before we went on summer break. The first time I met Bret he was quite, reserved, and seemed to have a desire to go unnoticed to the people around him. Dance parties are a huge part of Club in the Capernaum world; the only way Bret would take part in this activity during, was to dance in the corner, facing the wall so that “no one could see him” dancing. Bret’s time at camp was one that was a true joy to be apart of. Those who met Bret when he first came to Club were able to witness the change that took place while we were at camp. He became increasingly open and comfortable with the OC Capernaum family (some may argue that he was too comfortable, haha). Bret let us dance with him on Western Night, watch him run rampant at the camp carnival, and see him conquer the first level of “The Tower”. What a beautiful encouragement to see a kid, who didn’t even want to come to Club, enjoy himself at camp for 5 days!

            The Lord provided encouragement through Bret, and provided peace through my sweet friend Meagan. I have had the pleasure of knowing Meagan for almost 5 years. I met her when she was 15 and have had the joy of becoming close friends with her and her family over the years. Meagan has a severe case of Cerebral Palsy and is wheelchair bound.  Meagan, like many of our kids, needs more rest than the most people. The extra downtime that's needed for Meagan has become one of my favorite aspects of our friendship. At camp, Meagan and a few of our girls will sometimes head back to the cabin during free time to lie on our bunks and just have girl time. We’ll talk about our favorite part of camp, what we plan on getting at the Sugar Barrel later that day, and of course we talk about all the cute boys at camp that week. In the chaos of camp, this simple, restful fellowship has been one of the biggest blessings to me personally.

            Though Meagan has a sweet, gentle spirit, she does have some spunk in her. This year at camp, the girl’s cabin was right above the boy’s cabin. We had a balcony that hung over the deck of the boy’s cabin and when the boys walked out of their room, they had to pass underneath the girl’s balcony. The day before we left camp, I walked into the girls cabin to find Meagan and Bailey (another one of our very sweet and normally well-behaved Capernaum friends) pouring water on our guy leaders as they walked out of their cabin. The two girls giggled with the pleasure of knowing that they “got’m!” and the exaggerated reaction of our guy leaders made the girl’s laughter increase all the more. Walking into that room to the sight of these two sweet girls causing just a little bit of trouble was so precious! The little moments like that are what made camp such a blessing this year.

            Our Capernaum kids come to camp because of our cool, college-aged leaders and fun events that take place - the messy obstacle course, the big swing, the waterslides, the mud games, the 80° pool and “The Blob”. But for me, and many other leaders, the best part of camp is getting to see kids like Bret come out of their shell and make friends, or watching two sweet girls pull a prank, or simply hanging out in the cabin for some “girl talk” and fellowship. Thank you so much to those of you who support this ministry. It is so important that our friends with special needs are able to experience the same things every other “normal” high school student experiences. Everyone serving in this ministry would tell you what a blessing it is to hang out with these kids. Thanks to all those who make it happen!

 Our group!

 Caleb hangin by the pool

 Meagan getting ready for The Tower

Laura, Katy, Alysa and Ashley waiting to go on The Tower

  Shanel did it! Ready to jump off!

 Jack, on his way up

 There's Kyle, just hangin' out!

 Here is Bret on The Tower

 Campers and Leaders at Carnival Night

 Jason on Western Night

Jon with his leader, Isaac, at the last club

-Rachel Antoun