James and Bailey
Another great installment on our friends from South Bay, California (Greater LA) serving in the mission!
Summer 2015 has been a monumental and life-altering time for my Capernaum friend Jimmy. A year ago, after returning from Capernaum week at Lost Canyon in July, he and I began to talk and dream about what serving on Summer Staff this summer could look like for him. Jimmy didn’t hesitate at the idea of spending more than a week at camp and serving others just fit who God has made him to be. Camp truly has been a highlight for Jimmy! He and I would discuss all the fun and adventures along with the many friends that we’ve met at camp every time he’d come to club. He has been our camp poster camper as he’s encouraged everyone to go and tells of the great times they’d have there.
Through Fall 2014 and early 2015 we’ve had many discussions about getting his heart and his mind ready to be gone from home for 26 days and wondering if the camp was willing to have him serve and what would they have him do. In February I began discussing with Oakbridge and the property staff there along with the Assignment team as to how they might find a place for Jimmy to serve. My prayer was that Oakbridge would be open to this as they had one of our other Capernaum boys serve the summer before and it was such an incredibly amazing experience for him. I prayed Jimmy could have the same experience. Over the next several
weeks we had many discussions about Jimmy serving and where his gifting would shine at camp along with whom we might find to serve as a buddy alongside him. It was concluded that he’d shine in working in the Sweet Break, the snack bar at Oakbridge. I put out a region wide need to find someone to serve as Jimmy’s buddy. After
2 months attempting a local search it was decided to look beyond our California borders. Jimmy’s buddy, Bailey came all the way from Jackson, Mississippi to serve in the Snack bar with him. The day we brought Jimmy to Oakbridge, I had introduced him to a few people upon arrival. He told them,” my name is James.” That was the first I had heard him call himself James and it felt he was taking everything very seriously.
James and Bailey, grew in the Lord, grew in friendship, in patience, and in community with one another and the rest of the Summer Staff. James took on an incredible amount of responsibility. He was the smoothie master at the Sweet Break, helped with the out door crew, ran a booth at the carnival, helped in the kitchen, and did so many more needed tasks as they arose. Periodically I’d checked in on him and I would hear how he was hoping that this experience would help him in getting a job once he went back home. He would
say that he felt he learned so much at Oakbridge that he could do so much more than he ever thought he could.
I recently learned that not long after James returned home he was able to get a job at a local car wash near his home. Although he’s not liking the heat and feels it’s not as much fun as what he did at camp, he’s learning to be grateful for what God has provided for him and that he can be a blessing to those around him. I get a weekly text or facebook message for him as he is looking forward to club starting back up in the Fall as his Young Life family is truly family for him.
Side Note: having gone to Lost Canyon
Summer 2015 has been a monumental and life-altering time for my Capernaum friend Jimmy. A year ago, after returning from Capernaum week at Lost Canyon in July, he and I began to talk and dream about what serving on Summer Staff this summer could look like for him. Jimmy didn’t hesitate at the idea of spending more than a week at camp and serving others just fit who God has made him to be. Camp truly has been a highlight for Jimmy! He and I would discuss all the fun and adventures along with the many friends that we’ve met at camp every time he’d come to club. He has been our camp poster camper as he’s encouraged everyone to go and tells of the great times they’d have there.
Through Fall 2014 and early 2015 we’ve had many discussions about getting his heart and his mind ready to be gone from home for 26 days and wondering if the camp was willing to have him serve and what would they have him do. In February I began discussing with Oakbridge and the property staff there along with the Assignment team as to how they might find a place for Jimmy to serve. My prayer was that Oakbridge would be open to this as they had one of our other Capernaum boys serve the summer before and it was such an incredibly amazing experience for him. I prayed Jimmy could have the same experience. Over the next several
James and Bailey, grew in the Lord, grew in friendship, in patience, and in community with one another and the rest of the Summer Staff. James took on an incredible amount of responsibility. He was the smoothie master at the Sweet Break, helped with the out door crew, ran a booth at the carnival, helped in the kitchen, and did so many more needed tasks as they arose. Periodically I’d checked in on him and I would hear how he was hoping that this experience would help him in getting a job once he went back home. He would
I recently learned that not long after James returned home he was able to get a job at a local car wash near his home. Although he’s not liking the heat and feels it’s not as much fun as what he did at camp, he’s learning to be grateful for what God has provided for him and that he can be a blessing to those around him. I get a weekly text or facebook message for him as he is looking forward to club starting back up in the Fall as his Young Life family is truly family for him.
Side Note: having gone to Lost Canyon
Capernaum camp a couple of summers, James would not ride the horses, he had a great fear. This summer, serving as a junior leader, with his confidence boost from all he did on Summer Staff and having
grown and learned to trust Jesus more, he rode the trail ride for the first time. Amen!
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