TeenStreet Reflections

It is always a tough week for a cabin leader.  You're always on the go, always considering how things are impacting the continuity of your group, and always wondering how you might communicate the Gospel just that little bit better.

I'll admit I don't feel I did as well as a cabin leader as I have in the past.  I struggled to build relationships with the boys in my cabin.  I hadn't really met any of them before and found it hard to connect with them.  It was hard to motivate them to do much at all.  I feel the WEC camps of old had a much better structure to motivate cabin unity and action - maybe I just haven't found the right technique moving over to the TeenStreet camp structure.

Then halfway through I got sick... really sick! And my cabin had to function without me (since I was shaking and shivering under a mountain of blankets in my bed) and my co-leader had to take over all responsibilities. I think that really started to pull the group together - I had constant offers of help from all the boys, and when I finally got myself out of bed they were always there ready and willing to carry things or just help me get from one place to another.  They then started doing those things for each other as well, then conversations started going deeper and we were really able to nut out some of the issues facing 16 year old guys in the world today.

Then on the last day (seemingly from nowhere) came the motivation to perform a memory verse - the boys worked hard and that night I think we delivered the best verse of the camp.  Again I need to be honest and say I was quite surprised by this group of boys.

Maybe it had something to go with the messages given over the week. This idea that God will use us if we offer ourselves to him. That he's given us passions, and that it's those passions he will use for his work. They were good concepts.  I just don't know how well they were grounded to the Scripture we were using. Yet the message seemed to be received by the young people well so I pray it provides a harvest of Gospel work.

As far as dBay goes, I think it's too early to see the effect on our youth.  I know those who went had a great time, and over the next few weeks I'm hoping to catch up with each personally to see what God did in their life on camp, and how that's changed the way they look at things now they are back home.