Light in a Dark World

This summer was a holy invitation to take a front-row seat in the lives of many youth. And I have to say, in some places, it is utter darkness; some of it is almost too dark to comprehend. Jesus' words were ringing through my head:

"I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark…" (John 12:46).

The broken things in us need to come to the surface, from darkness into the light. When we talk with students about coping in healthy ways, being present with them as their past experiences erupt to the surface and showing them with our words and our own lives that God is making all things new, the Gospel is rolling out in real-time. There have been some amazing, although painful, moments of this happening. Here's what some students said this summer:

"I hate being me. Why, if there even is a God, did he make me like this?"

"Jenn, when you shared your story, you shared my story. How did you do it?"

"I'm proud of myself."

"I'm way more confident in myself than I was before."

"Maggie* and I were enemies forever before the trip, but now we're actually friends. We decided on the bus up here that we wouldn't be mean to each other, and it worked!" *name changed

It is an honour and a gift to walk with these students. May we continue to say 'yes' to God's invitation and be light in this dark world.

Youth Camp

"Hey, this is a safe place, and I’m right here with you. I’m not afraid of your tears or your questions. We’re in this together.”

These are the kinds of things we were able to say to students at youth camp. Conestoga Bible Camp holds a very special place in my life, and this summer, I spent a lot of time one-on-one with students who had a more difficult time at camp. Camp is FUN! Along with the fun, I’m amazed by the opportunities to be present with campers, speak the truth in challenging moments, and share life for a week. Some campers experienced being seen in their dark moments for the first time. Other campers had the time of their lives, and it was great reconnecting with students from Listowel. May God grow the seeds that were planted!

Muskoka Woods

We took 19 students from our junior high drop-in crew to Muskoka Woods for a week of camp, and I have to say, it was truly life-changing for some of them. We talked a lot about God making the broken things in our lives new, conquered fears, learned to cope in healthier ways, laughed a lot (also cried a lot), and some of these students, like youth camp, experienced being seen in their dark moments for the first time. Please pray for them!