Passing the BaTanya

My (Jeff's) 3 weeks of speaking are concluded and now the baton is passed on to Tanya as camp speaker.  I love how seriously she prepares. Yet we both know it's all God's deal, we participate, and He does the real work.  Such a joy to see these teen moms arrive. Check out the scene of what it looked like when the girls arrived! https://youtu.be/Zczxc0quQ8s

Reflecting on last week, I had a message come in from my Young Life leader when I was in HS, who is still a friend, Joel Price.  His cousin's daughter came home from Creekside raving about the camp speaker who gave great talks and told amazing stories. One of the stories she told was the set up for the 'cross talk' where 'the speaker' did a super creative prom invite, complete with Hershey Kisses and notes. And how his YL leader taught him to ask in a way that shows you mean business.  Well, as Joel heard this story, he stunned 'Olivia' by saying 'I was Jeff's Young Life leader who helped him come up with that prom invite plan!'  Classic moment!

Tanya gave her first talk last night to the room full of teen moms with YoungLives.  So much prayer has covered this week.  So much celebration and joy has surrounded these girls coming to have the best week of their lives.  After copious amounts of preparation, Tanya Rodriquez-Huber gave the first club talk and felt the miraculous hand and favor of the Lord guiding her and giving his peace throughout the whole room.  Check it out! 
https://youtu.be/lkkDdSvK4nY

Dietrich has been great this whole time and yesterday came to the end of his limits.  He felt  depression beginning to cloud over him, leaking him of the joy he has had here.  When we were preparing to come, he asked if there was any way to NOT come, he was afraid he would feel this way.  At day 18 away from home, he broke down. I will likely take him home Tuesday and return to pick up the fam Thursday. Seems petty to not be able to make it two more days, but its a significant time for us to show him how committed we are to him, and a preventative way to steer as far from the depression that looms as we can.  When it comes to coming back to the depression clouds he faced for a year and a half, I find myself yelling, like on Monte Python movie: "Run away!  Run Away!  Pray for us in this.  For Tanya to have support for the last 2 days, and for Dietrich's looming depression to be curtailed.  He perked up know that we were even considering taking him "home" to Spokane. Which is comedic in its own way, since the depression first hit by making Spokane 'home.'  We as a family couldn't help to laugh amidst the tears last night.

Thank you!