Amazing Highlight God Sightings from Creekside, July 6-10!

This Creekside this week God moved mightily in middle school kids' lives, and mine. 

TOUGH NUTS TO CRACK

Young Life camp is open to all kids, and many kids come with little or no faith or 'appropriate behavior.' We had a rough group of kids from Issaquah. I was immediately drawn to them. After two days, some campers were on the verge of being sent home for their actions of bullying, disrespect and destructiveness. My team and I prayed for these kids, and leaned in to both redirect them, but also help them draw nearer to God. I gathered them for a reconciliation meeting at 11pm, with two groups of kids refusing to work out their conflict so I met with each group, separately. We talked about two options: own their part and resolve this, or continue to escalate and be sent home. The discussion led to exploring a 'third way.' One unruly boy said, "so what am I supposed to do if I get slapped in the face, just let him do it again?"  Another kid added: "wait, isn't that in the Bible somewhere?"  All the kids in unison started snapping their fingers and chanting "ooooooooohhhhhhh!"  I pointed out that they were touching upon a 'third way.' I asked if they knew where that quote of turning the other cheek came from. They did not. I asked if they know WHO said that famous quote. One finally inquired, "was it Jesus that said that?" I saw a Bible on their grotesquely messy cabin floor, and opened it up to Matthew. 5:38-42. They learned it was GOD who introduced the kingdom "third way" of the other cheek and the extra mile.  Their eyes were opened and they decided to invite the others in and they talked their conflict through, listened to each other's frustration, shared back with each other apologies for their harshness and agreed to start over. Wow. These kids did not even KNOW Jesus, yet were already being transformed by Him, by simply following His way. 

As the week went on, the connection with these guys deepened. They invited me in to share God stories, or as they requested: "Give us some 'lore.'"  I shared ways I've seen God move mightily in kids' lives. One of the hardest nuts to crack,  responded humbly, saying' "I want to seek and know God." 

In my stories, the kids and I discovered that I went to high school with and played on the tennis team with their dad, Anthony Stetler. And other kid, I knew his dad from playing basketball at the Everett YMCA. The bond grew, God moved in their hard hearts and by the end of the week, three kids showed up at the new believers experience to start a new relationship with Jesus. The commemorate this by writing their name on a 'tile' and placing it in the sluice box (a mining themed structure where gold is sorted through flowing water.)  Praise God for His light shining in our darkness, making ways where there were none. 

A SIMPLE YES!

Kaiden's leader, Brian, from Tri-Cites, sensed during cabin times that he was talking about God in an informational, impersonal way. Kaiden had been 'around' church and people who knew God. Brian's curiosity as to whether Kaiden had any personal relationship with God led to a convo on day 4.

“Do you know what it means to have a personal relationship with God?”

“Kind of. I think so.”

“Do you know what it means for someone to be a Lord?”

“Kind of. Like a king or a boss?”

"Exactly! Do you know what it means to ask God to be the Lord, or the King, of your life, where God has the first and final say to guide you?"

"No, I have never heard of that.”

“How would you feel about Him being that for you?”

“I’d really like that. How do I do it?"

 

Brian then helped Kaiden put words to what he wanted to pray. Kaiden opened his life up to God, and He moved in his heart for the first time, in a big way. A beaming smile of joy and gratitude was on full display for the rest of the trip. Praise God that we get to be a part of first steps with Jesus!

OVERHEARD IN CREEKSIDE... 

Overheard a leader and a kid finishing a one on one conversation.

Leader "Jesus chose you."

Kid: "Really?  Me?"  And he broke down crying.

Then they hugged and prayed. I have no context, but simply hearing that was powerful. 

IS GOD'S LOVE FOR ALL?

A large group of talented basketball players came and walked around like the owned the place. You could hear them constantly jabbing at each other of who is the greatest, who is 'trash' and blurting out excuses as to why they underperformed in that recent basketball game. I joined them a few times, I might have been the only one who actually passed the basketball in an entire game. They called me 'unc' (a Gen Z term meaning I am an old guy with 'cool uncle vibes.' I joined their leader, praying for them this week that they could get past their toughness, pride of themselves and deeply connect with God. By the end of the week, you could see their faces brighten, their tine lighten and fists un-tighten. 5 of the 8 kids started a relationship with God. One encounter was a Holy Spirit 'mic drop.' 

A tall, Latino baller of a young man from the cabin (far upper right in picture) agreed to do his one on one with his leader, who asked about his highlights of the week and about where he stands in terms of a relationship with God. The camper recapped his family faith history of growing up going to church, and then paused, appearing to start to choke up. He paused the conversation to go back to his cabin for something. A few moments later he returned, wearing a pair of Deion Sanders style, glamorous sunglasses. He resumed sharing, and recounted his own faith journey that had abruptly stopped in 2020, when his sister announced to her family and church that she was 'bi-sexual', it changed things for her family. Her church did not handle the news delicately, and the parents decided their family would no longer attend church. That was six years ago and the last he had talked about or considered God. Tears streamed down his 8th grade cheeks from behind the designer sunglasses. His leader asked how that impacted how he was hearing the good news of Jesus this week. He had been hearing how the love of Jesus, from the way he loved sinners, welcomed children and died on the cross for sin for us all, yet he could not 'get' if God's love really is for EVERYONE. His leader shared some verses and Jesus' own words on the cross clearly expressed that His love is for all, always inviting us, including him, his sister and family. And each of our responses to God's love is up to each of us. It sunk in to his heart, realizing that God had never withheld his love. Church people may have mishandled a nuanced conversation, but God's invitational love does not fail. That was enough for this young man to grasp, and he prayed right there to finally open the previously closed door his heart to God. Praying that his response to the good news that he is known, pursued and loved sends ripples of grace to his family. 

SECOND TIMES A CHARM

A kid from Everett-Mill Creek came to camp last after being diagnosed with cancer. While at camp, he could not come to terms with his question of 'if God really is loving and able, why do I have cancer?" He left Creekside with his door 'closed' to God. Over this past year, he has been through chemo, and during it all the treatments, he longed to return to Creekside and continue to press in to understand God's love and  plans. His doctor approved him coming to camp, and this year, while hearing a new speaker share God's good news, and processing it during the week, solitude and one on one with his leader, he decided to open up his heart and commit his life to Jesus. Praise God for sec
ond chances and even when its hard! 

STORM ON THE REZ

We had a group of native kids from LaConner, WA here this week (pictured here)

They arrived first and my first high five went to two kids; 'Stormy' and Noah (upper right in pic). Sometimes kids are aptly named, especially native kids. Stormy's dad just passed away a few months ago and he received a scholarship to be here. By the end of the second day, he wanted to go home. Life on the rez was more familiar for him. The constant cheering, the joy, constant energy and action was too much. His friend Noah, also from his tribe, stuck tightly with him and his leader Quentin who was raised  there too and now goes to CWU. We prayed that God would hold Stormy through the storm he was going through, and calm him from the inside. Day 3, Stormy locked in, as did his friend Noah, who got his hands on a bible and decided to start reading it from the beginning. After a few chapters in Genesis, I asked him what he was reading. He enthusiastically reported to me: "I'm in the Bible! I'm Noah!"  

The last night I visited their whole cabin and they were having a hard time settling down with extreme thirst and brought a backpack drink dispenser full of ice cold gatorade. You would have thought my their reaction I was bringing a kegger to a wild frat party. But while pouring them each refreshing cup, we got to acknowledge the amazing week that God brought these guys through and how glad we were that they all decided to stay, take in the whole week, find themselves in God's story and experience some healing and calming of their storms. Join me in continuing to pray for Stormy as he returns to the rez, carrying both loss and a vision of gain.