Thriving at Camp - To Be Continued at Home

Reggie had an amazing week at camp! He has been to other summer camps for kids with special needs, but had never experienced anything like Young Life camp! He felt very loved by his leaders and enjoyed those relationships. His mom said he has never been around adults that were so much fun; she added that he couldn't believe his leaders weren't teenagers themselves. As the week progressed, Reggie began to come out of his shell more and more. For example, during the first few clubs, he wanted to sit during the singing and dancing portion. By the end of the week, he was on his feet dancing with all the rest of us. I saw a visible transformation in his self confidence, and in his

comfort level with his leaders and friends.

Reggie especially liked hearing Lori speak during club. The illustrations she used really helped him to understand the messages about Jesus and God’s love. Once we returned home, Reggie’s mom told me that he's been talking with her about what he learned. She asked us for additional information for herself on what Lori talked about, because she wants to be able to help Reggie continue to process through what he heard. I let her know we would be starting Campaigners soon to continue the discussions we had at camp, and she was overjoyed.

At camp it is a gift to see our friends transformed by the freedom and love of the gospel and by the story of God’s love for us. We have the opportunity to watch our friends thrive in the midst of acceptance and adventure and truth. And then we experience the gift of continuing to thrive together because we know that our leaders continue to grow alongside their friends back at home too.