CHOSEN - that's a wrap...

Oh my goodness…CHOSEN year 1 is complete. Done. Behind me. I really cannot even believe it. Over the weekend my hooligans gathered for our final club for the 2014 / 2015 academic year. Next month we will spend the 3rd Saturday of the month together AT CAMP! WOOHOO! 3 whole days of laughter and craziness, games galore with more prizes than you can imagine including deliciousness like ring pops and sour patch kids, fun dips, pop rocks and nerd ropes in abundance, camp food, matching t-shirts, high ropes and low ropes and zip lines, stories and huddle times, and an EPIC variety show. Seriously camp is my favorite weekend of the summer.

BUT, back to CHOSEN. In September when we launched club, I remember being a jittery excited mess. I couldn’t wait to see our teens, but I also didn’t have any idea what we were in for. I didn’t know how many would come or if they would have a good time even if they showed up. Long story short, over the course of the year, we had 17 teens total that participated in club, one of whom will be joining us at camp for the very first time this summer and we are SO THRILLED to have him! He has absolutely become one of us! In our time together, we played a lot of games, made crafts, ate a lot of food and copious quantities of desserts, talked about some really heavy stuff, reminded each other often that we care and are here to support and encourage one another, celebrated holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays, grew up a lot, learned even more, and truly became the embodiment of this concept of family.

To say these teens own a special place in my heart would be an understatement. It hasn’t been perfect and there is so much we could do better. However, I see God’s faithfulness written on everything we have done and become. There is so much hope and potential for what is to come in year 2. My mind is literally spinning with ideas and possibilities. However, I think for today I will stop and simply sit in the gratitude for all He has done and allowed me to be part of. I would have NEVER guessed that I would be the Director of a club for foster kids at age 30. I had no idea this is what was coming and yet the Lord perfectly paved the road, crafted my heart, opened the doors, and flooded me with the love I needed to embrace every single teen. There is so much to come, but for a little while I want to simply reflect and give Him praise for the incredible gift and work He has done in my heart. What an honor to have space for these teens. The statistics are staggering and there is nothing I want more than to be a positive part of their stories - He has allowed me to be part of crafting a safe space for them - a place where their laughter resonates and they smile genuinely for hours. I have a feeling that the 3rd Saturday of the month will forever be a sacred and special part of my life - and I will forever praise Him for allowing me to be part of that world.