The kids were excited for several weeks before the trip to Castaway. For me the excitement didn't hit until we finally loaded up the bus and were on the road. It's hard for the excitement to kick in when you are worrying about camp fees, doctor forms, and if the bus will actually show up at the correct time and place. But once that was behind me, the infectious anticipation kicked in. Not even the daunting 18 hour bus ride nor the 1,026 miles that was ahead could squelch that. It was finally time to go to Castaway; we had worked so hard and getting kids to go, all for one reason, to give them “the best week of their lives.”
The bus ride went so smoothly. The drivers were absolutely the best I’ve ever had and we didn’t have any delays or issues. Before we knew it we were entering the gates of Young Life’s Castaway Club. You can feel the joy and enthusiasm of the kids as we pull in. They are welcomed with shouts and cheers by the work crew volunteers and are treated like royalty from the very second they get off the bus. The kids explode into a hundred different directions as soon as their bags are in the rooms. Some head to the zip-line, some to the boats for tubing and wakeboarding, and others to the beach to work off the long Wyoming winter and spring.
Next was dinner and then the first of seven clubs. This is what seals the deal for most kids. At club we sing and laugh and get to be goofy together. They also hear the first message from the speaker. He tells them about himself and where he is going to take them throughout the week, he introduces Jesus. They are blown away by club and are absolutely full of energy afterward.
Before bed we sit together in our cabins and reflect on the day, we call this Cabin Time. As leaders it is our job to guide the conversation. We help them process the Jesus story, we let them ask questions, we let them be skeptical and angry, and we let them wonder. The first night of conversation is mostly about there awe of how awesome and beautiful Castaway is. They can’t believe how well they are treated, some say, “this shouldn’t be called a camp, it should be called a resort!” The conversation isn’t deep, but that is okay, there will be time for that later in the week.
As the lights turned out on Day 1, I remembered why Young Life is so important and feel privileged to be a part of it.
Throughout the rest of the week they are constantly kept on their toes. They get to parasail and zip-line, dance and sing, laugh and cry. Surprise after surprise comes there way and after a couple days they are able to forget about some of the problems back home and they don’t miss their iPod or cell phone any more. They are able to just be. Essentially, they get to be teenagers again. They get a chance to be a kid in a world that is telling them to grow up too fast.
Somewhere between club, meals, and all the excitement walls start to break down and kids let us take a peek into their souls. We find out that there is immense pain in their lives. For a lot of them you would never guess the issues they face every day. They hide their pain well. We have kids that deal with every problem you could think of. Everything from alcoholic parents to hurting from the premature loss of a father. How do you answer questions like: Why would God allow this? or Why does my dad love alcohol more than me? Sometimes all you can do is weep with the weeping. As Donald Miller says, sometimes all we can do is “hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding.”
They are lost and confused. Lonely and hurting. Torn. Trapped. High school kids are so alive, you’d be hard pressed to find more life in another group of people. Yet, there is so much pain. Young Life has known this to be true for the last 67 years. This is why we do it, because of the pain. We can’t stand to see them separated from their Creator. This is why we spend countless hours walking alongside them. We treat them like royalty at camp so in some way, they may see how God’s love works. His love has no consideration for race or gender, for the deserving or undeserving, he is ready to show love to all. Hopefully our kids see and feel a little bit of this at camp. By the end of the week the kids have heard the beautiful message of Jesus and his cross. They get to hear that God loves them regardless of their past. They get to hear that they were made for this. Hopefully they’ve seen this through his followers as well. We let them know that following Jesus is not going to be a miracle band aid for all the bumps and bruises of life, in essence, life won’t necessarily get easier. But they will have freedom and they will have hope.
Some responded to this message of hope. You can see the hope of Jesus enter into them. Some are still unsure, still processing, still thinking. We let them know that we will continue to walk with them regardless. We are not there to convert. We are here to show love, to show Jesus, as it is only He who can affect souls.
As we return home I realize a lot has happened in the course of a week. I’m overjoyed at those who have found hope in Christ. I’m broken by those who are still lost and confused. I feel inadequate. I feel like I won’t be able to lead new believers well enough in their walk with Jesus. I feel like I have, in some way, failed those who have not made a decision to follow Christ. Have I tried hard enough? Did I explain it clear enough?
“We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue… He is not invisible
when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in
love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. I have seen that this week and
honestly, it has been simple: Take a broken girl, treat her like a famous
princess, give her the best seats in the house… Tell her something true when all
she's known are lies. Tell her God loves her. Tell her about forgiveness, the
possibility of freedom, tell her she was made to dance in white dresses. All
these things are true. We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the
many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play
the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break
in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers
bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called
home.” Jamie Tworkowski of twloha.com
I think Jamie says it very well. It doesn’t always make sense. It doesn’t always end with success. It doesn’t always feel rewarding. It doesn’t always feel worth it. But somewhere, deep inside, I know…….this is what I was made for.
Breath in Breath out,
Brandon
