Malibu 2013

We are at Malibu!  We left Everett behind, projects around the house undone, floors needed to be swept, laundry in baskets, garbage to be emptied, a bag of baby carrots in the bottom of our fridge.  It was a little rough getting out of the house this time.  I didn’t want to leave those things, but I chose what was better. 

Sometimes you just have to get up and go.  Tasks are undone, but our family is in a great place.  I didn’t become the frantic “Momster”  this year ordering my minions around as I Swiffer the kitchen floor and scrub the shower stalls.  Just the opposite, actually.  We have spent some great time together paddle boarding, eating meals and just playing around.  I

We are excited, hopeful, a little disoriented but ready to get this show on the road.

We have been preparing our hearts and heads to do this for months!  But there have been a few changes with the staffing as a result of someone on the team needing to stay home and get surgery.  Some jobs were shifted, people added and adjustments made.  We feel like we are coming into an “A Team” scenario.  It’s just not the “A-Team” we thought we were having when we first planned.

One of the most exciting parts of this—and there are many—is that I (Tanya) get to serve as a head leader in Lori Hein’s absence along side Jeff.  This is a familiar role.  I’ve served as a head leader at Malibu several times before, but never WITH Jeff on my team.  Elizabeth Aagard, one of my favorite YL students of all time, is coming to watch Janna and Dietrich while I serve!  What a treat for Janna and Dietrich.  Please pray for all of us!

 First boat comes in today! 

 Please join us in prayer for this adventure. 

Home week

Guess who walked off the boat this week?  Our own students from Everett High, Cascade and Kamiak. In all, we have 100 leaders and campers here from home.  In addition, we have lots of leaders here we know from Northeast Seattle, Juanita, Redmond, Inglemoor, Lake Washington HS, Walla Walla, and still more from Tri Cities, CA.  Our good friend Casey Price has joined his sister's team and is now leading kids from Roosevelt HS in Seattle.  He is here, so it's a little like having your favorite brother get married, we've realized we have to share Casey. Just so long as he's happy.  :)

Jeff and I have been so giddy and excited to see our peeps. The day before they came we could hardly contain ourselves.  Lizzy (from JHS) and Katie Weir (from CHS) are both on work crew and they shared in our excitement.   A majority (about 60) of these 100 West Sno Co campers are from Katie's Cascade High School and she felt a strong sense of satisfaction after spending  a year as their student leader president back home.  Katie lugged their luggage off the boat, but then welcomed all of the campers on behalf of the entire Malibu work crew on the microphone during our first meal.  We are so proud of Katie and thankful for her service her at camp on Work Crew, but also for her leadership at home as the student leader president.

During free time, Jeff and I are catching up with the leaders, on what has been going on back home in the lives of kids since we've been gone...

One leader shared that some of the students have been using drugs this past month and are probably VERY disinterested in camp.  In fact, if they had not paid money months ago when they reserved their spots, they probably wouldn't be at camp today.  But they ARE here.  God can meet them where they are.  Please pray for these kids, both male and female kids are involved.

Jeff is holding up well.  This second wind is amazing for both of us.  We are really in our sweet spot with camp (which we LOVE) and home that has been brought to us.

Pray for the leaders:  Brie L (is feeling sick), Crystal, Walt, Bryan, Bob, Justin, Kylene, Annie, Nick, Brandon, Lauren.

All of the leaders are stretched this week. Kylene has been sick the past few weeks, pray that she heals completely.  Bob and Bryan are with new groups of guys they don't know well.  The CHS leaders have a HARD group of kids.

Lastly, I'm picking up a campaigner group from Cascade HS.  Some of the girls from my group are here with the CHS girls.  I don't know them very well.  I hope to connect with them in a meaningful way!  Pray for this connection.

Cascade HS kids in the pool on the first day.  They are the rowdiest group of the month for sure!

Gifts

Three days ago, the Malibu Princess took the 2nd week of campers away and dropped off another set of campers and leaders.  This is a great mix of kids from Gig Harbor, Tacoma, California, Bainbridge Island/ Bremerton and Spokane!  While the kids were getting off the boat, Janna asked, "Does the captain of the boat know Young Life?"  I did not know the answer.  She fired back, "does the captain of the boat know God? Does he know what he's bringing the kids to?"
I don't think the kids really know what they are in for when they get off the boat.  They have no idea of the fun, beauty, laughs, service and love they will learn about and experience while they are at Malibu.  Certainly, their leaders know, and that is what motivates them to get up early, get pied in the face, drenched with cold water and sometimes sleep on the floor.  The leaders know EXACTLY what they are getting into and why they are bringing their friends/campers.  For the campers, it's a surprise GIFT that they open up-- starting with day 1 of camp.  Day one is the exciting and fun bow.  As the week unfolds, they learn what the gift of life truly is that God offers them.

I'm studying James right now.  "Every good and perfect gift is from above" 1:16
All of the extras of camp, the things that make it excellent are not the real gift we are trying to give the campers, it's more the wrapping.  This week, we are on day 4 now, I'm going to focus on the real gift.  Jeff and the team are comfortable with the wrapping, their lines, costume changes, events, etc.  Now we can really focus and thank God for the GIFT... the reason the campers came that they are, at first, unaware of... and the driving motivation of the leaders, that they are completely aware of.

It is a wonderfully responsive and gracious group of campers.  They laugh at all the appropriate times and clap with appreciation!  This makes serving up this huge gift so much easier.

Prayer Requests:  It seems as though more and more kids are coming with mental illnesses.  Anxiety, Depression and maybe some boarder line personality disorders.  This really keeps our leaders distracted, and our assignment team busy helping the leaders lead kids who are not really well.  Pray that these kids would start to find healing here!  Pray that leaders would be able to work with the kids and that it wouldn't take away from other kids in the cabin.

The Father's Love

Here we are in week 2, day 3!
This week we have some familiar campers here at Malibu, students from Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Glacier Peak, Olympia, Puyallup, and the Wenatchee Valley (YIP, YIP).
It has been fun to see kids from our church and our friends kids here enjoying Malibu!  Please pray for these kids!  They have a lot going on in their lives.  They bring many hurts with them and after the first few days, they feel comfortable enough to share them with us and their leaders.

One amazing thing that happened on the last day of last camp was that our very own Lizzy Aagard, work crew girl from my JHS campaigner group, had the honor of sharing her testimony during the work crew presentation for the whole camp.  Campers and all were blessed to hear Lizzy talk about how there was NOTHING she could do to cause God to love her any less.  And NOTHING could keep her from the love of her heavenly Father.  She so freely and comfortably shared with the hundreds of people in the club room.  Jeff and I rejoiced with her and praised GOD for all he has done and brought her through.  What an honor to lead young ladies like Lizzy!

I am feeling a little disconnected from the spiritual things happening in the lives of campers because I spend so much time with the kids and Jeff is busy working on the details of the program. This is weird for us, but hopefully, we will feel a little more connected as we get the details worked out.

This is the entire work crew during the work crew presentation on the last night of camp.  Lizzy is in the very middle.

Janna puts make-up on Jeff for his club character, Kenny Winnerhart (find him on facebook).

Our kids are doing better and so I am.  Dietrich is more thankful, and acting like himself singing, and having a great time.  Thank you all for your prayers!

Day 3, Thankful ME

Deek with view of the inlet.

Janna and girls playing with berries on teeth.

It's Day 3 already!  We are expecting NOT so see Jeff much, but yesterday, on day 2, we were able to spend about 45 minutes with him at the pool and walking back to the cabin.  Of course Jeff asked if the pool counted as a shower!  We were very thankful for this time!

Jeff is working hard on details.  This is not his favorite, but there are so many here, he is pretty tired.  The campers are doing well and engaging. They laugh at Jeff and Tyler and Erin... at all the appropriate times and are saying their character lines with them already!  That is a great response.  Day 2 was a busy day with Jeff being involved in club, a mid day character appearance of the "villain" and his club rehearsals for the evening entertainment, "the Western Review". 

The Western review is a lot like He Haw.  Jeff and the speaker and program team dressed up in western attire.  Jeff and the musician, Ryan Long, played songs that everyone could sing to, and they told jokes.  Thankfully, the campers kept their impromptu jokes clean.  I kept Janna and Dietrich up for this late night event that ends in surprise ice cream sundae delivery by the summer staff.  We all had fun, but Dietrich expressed ingratitude.   

That leads to my prayer request.  Deek seems to be having a good time, but expresses his desire to go back to Everett.  Really?  It's only day 3.  He's in the most amazing place on Earth.  Swimming, playing air hockey, meeting people, talking about legos and star wars, playing with other kids, etc... is not enough.  Of course, it is difficult for me to tolerate, as I really value gratitude and thankfulness.  Pray for his little heart.  Pray for wisdom for me to know how to manage him!

Janna is doing excellent. She misses Twilight, her new little hamster, but is really enjoying playing with the other kids (there are 18 kids in all) and even forgets to have "love time" with me which leaves her kind of tearful at the end of the day!

The kids are independently moving about camp, and they don't think anything of it.  I am getting used to this independence.

We are settling in well.  I'm waiting with an heart and eyes to see what God will do in us and with the campers.  

Read, Aim...

Today is Monday! This is the first day of camp.  In 3 hours, 240 campers and leaders will arrive on the Malibu Princess, ready for the week of their lives.  Until then, an entire work crew (HS kids), summer staff (college age kids), property staff (Malibu staff who live here year round) assignment team (young life staff and key volunteers) are crazily getting ready for their arrival.  It is an incredible buzz!
Jeff is working with the other assignment team members and property staff to coordinate the details of the incredible welcome and opening festivities. He has been so busy since we arrived, he hasn't even showered.  Hopefully he will get to do that soon!  :)
The kids are busy playing with the other children of assignment team members (18 children in all).  Janna and the girls have a 'berry shop' where they pick berries, make juice or other treats and "sell" them to anyone who walks by. She is very interested in hanging out.
Deek has already cracked his plastic sword playing with other boys.
I have gotten to spend time teaching my online classes so that I can be free when the campers get here!

I think we are ready to go.

Please pray that the kids will let loose and have fun, laugh at the jokes Jeff and the program team has planned, and break down their walls to hear the incredible message!

Here we go!
Props, costumes, clothes, Toddy coffee brewing system, toys, craft supplies.... are all ready to go.  The kids are excited.
I am excited to leave because preparing is exhausting. Taking a class, teaching classes, etc., I am ready for a break! I think Jeff is also ready to get this show on the road!
It's the night before we leave for camp.  We will be attending a wedding in Bellingham tomorrow, then staying in Birch Bay for the night.  In the morning on Sunday we will head on up to Malibu!

Please pray for us as we make this transition!