Our last week at Malibu, Rich Amaral and some prayers

Last week ended strong.  Say so was powerful and the kids were visibly changed from early in the week until the end. Now we are praying for our last week here.  Wenatchee, Kittitas HS, Northlake/Northshore, Lakewood/Steilacoom, Anderson Is, & Bellevue.  We could use some prayer. At game point during a bball game last night, our camp speaker Kent Williams got a broken nose.  Pray for him to recover!  Pray for the kids, especially ones on my heart from Lakewood, Woodinville, Wenatchee, Kittitas and Bothell to experience all Christ has to show them.

We have a lot of diversity amongst our campers this week. Kent mixed up his approach a bit and last night one of our South Tacoma schools walked back to the cabin and Jeffrey heard them saying 'now THAT talk was so LIT.' Kent shared how each of them have infinite value in Christ, no matter what their parents or people or our culture says about them.

A few personal sentiments to close up this entry.  The joke amongst our team this month has been that I am everyone's 'backup' for their assignment team role in case someone goes down. I've done program, camp director, speaker, and could pluck a few chords on guitar. My nickname here has been Rich Amaral. He was the all time most versatile player on the Seattle Mariner's roster. This morn, I was asked to step in to fill for Kent's role, hosting the 'Real Life' panel. And also I MC-ed the regatta event with KJ. Pray Kent bounces back to give the night 3 club talk!

Family wise, if I could describe the storyline for our family using meteorologically, I'd say it has been partially cloudy with some thunderstorms followed by a long, sunny stretch to finish our month here.

Dietrich has struggled intensely ever since we moved from Everett to Spokane.  Being here at Malibu has been his highlight of the year. It started rough with him punishing Tanya and I, withholding love, avoiding sitting with us, and refusing to spend any time with us. This was the thunderstorm. Even while shunning us, at least he enjoyed bonding with some other boys his age, including the Vollmers and his best friend Max Hein, who arrived for our last two weeks here.  It was a sad commentary that at the end of the third week, I (Jeff) had not spent a single time with him here. Finally, this streak ended with a round of frisbee golf, Dietrich's first ever attempt. He learned (he typically does not enjoy learning new things) to keep score and golf etiquette. He had great throws and topped it off with a drive for the ages on the 'pro tee' on hole 18, the most difficult, branch impeded, tee off of the course. He gave it an easy, straight toss and it glided all the way down the hill within a few feet of the post. The Heins, Vollmers and Tanya who witnessed it all cheered in disbelief and swarmed him like he just won the superbowl with a game winning field goal. He of course, was unphased and matter of fact about it. "So." We played 18 holes again today. Hopefully return home with a closer relationship than it has been the past 6 months.

Janna is flourishing here, loving to serve in varieties of ways at camp and playing with all the girls. Catching snakes with McKaden Hein and the boys (Max, D, Nolan Dow and others.)  Tanya is doing extremely well.  She has directed the 'Real Life' element, where 4 panelists share key parts of their story and journey of finding Christ.  She also has been teaching online summer school, exercising, being with kids and people here and whispering hints and wise suggestions into my ear to keep me at the top of my game as I serve.  We have our second paddle board date tomorrow, can''t wait!  Hoping that we have a few harbor seals be a third wheel on our date as we paddle the Princess Louisa Inlet.

In our last few days, pray for Kent, for closure, for my concerns back home with Young Life that I need to jump on right away, and ability to mentally and prayerfully switch my attention from 'all in' here to 'all in' back home with fam, a short post-Malibu vacation and our YL region.

Thanks!    -jeff h-