So I leave for my very last summer camp here in a few hours (yes, I'm still awake at two in the morning and I have to wake up and get ready to leave around eight or so) and I have so many emotions running through my system right now. I'm so excited to see what this year will bring. This is the first time our church will be staying at the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort (yes, that is its real name) so I'm excited to see what they have to offer. Also the pastor that Jake hired to come preach is amazing. He taught our lessons last year and I loved it, I really felt myself growing closer to God. I'm also very excited for worship... I hear it should be pretty awesome and for me I love to worship God best through music (last year I even got to join the worship team up at camp and it was such an awesome experience). The Draper campus is coming down to camp with us and that should be fun too, last time we camped together was way fun and the laughs were endless. I am also so sad that I will have to let all of this go. After camp is over I will officially be graduating from the youth group.
This youth group has been a part of my life for about the past five or six years. I joined way back in 2007, when I was going into seventh grade. I have seen this youth group grow and transition its way from UTX (Under the Cross) to SURF (Students United in Redeeming Faith) I have seen several leaders throughout this group too. First was Cyndi and Orie who were phenomenal leaders and still people I look up to. Cyndi and Orie stepped down and Dallas and Greta stepped up to the plate. This was the time our church building was expanding and we were building the youth room above Big Springs and we were excited for a bigger space. We got our room and things were going smoothly... we even had our very first camp WWW (Walking Wisely Weekend) and we had started up the mid-week Bible study. Then something happened and Dallas and Greta had to step down and Jake took over. Thanks to Jake this youth group has turned into something amazing. He transformed the youth group at SMCC. I am so thankful for Jake and Marisa. The two of them have been such an amazing impact in my life these past few years as high school was winding down and college growing closer and closer. I honestly have no idea where I would be without them. I certainly wouldn't be volunteering to help with the High Tides (5-8 grade) at church.
As the end came near I thought about approaching Jake about becoming an intern for the youth group to one day become a youth leader myself. I still wasn't sure if that's what I really wanted though or if it was just a way for me to still be plugged into the youth group. Eventually I realized that because I wasn't super involved with the group once I started working maybe asking to be an intern was too outrageous and I should wait and see if that's something I'd still want to do in a year or so. I was still feeling like I needed to get involved with something... I just didn't know what. Then David approached me one Sunday and asked if I would be interested in helping out with High Tides. I accepted the offer. This is what I've been waiting for! I'll be working with an age group that I relate to (for some reason I connect better with younger teenage girls) and I'll be helping to guide them to Jesus. I only hope that I can help impact their lives the way Jake and Marisa have impacted mine.
This youth group has been a part of my life for about the past five or six years. I joined way back in 2007, when I was going into seventh grade. I have seen this youth group grow and transition its way from UTX (Under the Cross) to SURF (Students United in Redeeming Faith) I have seen several leaders throughout this group too. First was Cyndi and Orie who were phenomenal leaders and still people I look up to. Cyndi and Orie stepped down and Dallas and Greta stepped up to the plate. This was the time our church building was expanding and we were building the youth room above Big Springs and we were excited for a bigger space. We got our room and things were going smoothly... we even had our very first camp WWW (Walking Wisely Weekend) and we had started up the mid-week Bible study. Then something happened and Dallas and Greta had to step down and Jake took over. Thanks to Jake this youth group has turned into something amazing. He transformed the youth group at SMCC. I am so thankful for Jake and Marisa. The two of them have been such an amazing impact in my life these past few years as high school was winding down and college growing closer and closer. I honestly have no idea where I would be without them. I certainly wouldn't be volunteering to help with the High Tides (5-8 grade) at church.
As the end came near I thought about approaching Jake about becoming an intern for the youth group to one day become a youth leader myself. I still wasn't sure if that's what I really wanted though or if it was just a way for me to still be plugged into the youth group. Eventually I realized that because I wasn't super involved with the group once I started working maybe asking to be an intern was too outrageous and I should wait and see if that's something I'd still want to do in a year or so. I was still feeling like I needed to get involved with something... I just didn't know what. Then David approached me one Sunday and asked if I would be interested in helping out with High Tides. I accepted the offer. This is what I've been waiting for! I'll be working with an age group that I relate to (for some reason I connect better with younger teenage girls) and I'll be helping to guide them to Jesus. I only hope that I can help impact their lives the way Jake and Marisa have impacted mine.
Becca- I am so happy to read all of this. You are an amazing young woman and I'm excited to see how God is going to use you with High Tides!
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