God is just incredible. I just can't express to you how incredible He is. Words just won't describe. I went to the National Young Life conference, hoping for God to reveal His purpose, to confirm the plans in my heart for starting Young Life in Slave Lake. I hoped that through this conference - I would grow closer to Him, that I would become even more attuned to His heart for Slave Lake and that He would show me a clearer picture of what it takes to start Young Life in a new area.
One of the most stretching things that I encountered on this weekend was something that Jay and I had to process together. We had come to the conference with the Edmonton crowd - a great group of people who love God and love Young Life ministry. We came, excited to reconnect with Ontario Young Lifers - as it had only been 6 months since our time with them.
What we came to realize quickly is that we weren't really part of either of those groups - neither Edmonton nor Ontario. It hit us both quite hard and it was a pretty difficult realization. To go from being part of a team of leaders, of that support group, to this kind of pioneering adventure we have found ourselves on, kind of put us in a different category. Suddenly we realized, we were no longer 'Ontario' leaders. We were 'Slave Lake' leaders - just the two of us. There was no team of leaders, no fellow volunteers to give us that sense of community. We were starting essentially from scratch - just us two.
On one sense it was an emotionally draining feeling. I had to go out onto the balcony at one point because I just didn't want to cry in front of everyone. And yet, in the midst of the tough stuff, God was caring for us and drawing Jay and I closer. In that moment when I left to go outside, Jay knew exactly why I'd left. He understood exactly where I was coming from.
I gave myself a moment and then walked back inside, trying to hold back the tears.
I had just walked in the door, when I glanced over and saw Bonnie Rawling - a woman whom I had connected with during camp week last August. She asked if I was ok and I immediately indicated that I needed to go outside. When she asked what was wrong I began to explain to her that Jay and I were trying to start Young Life in Slave Lake and that we felt so alone in it all - that we just felt overwhelmed.
As soon as I mentioned Slave Lake, Bonnie's eyes lit up and she said, "Wait a minute! That's you guys? You're the ones starting Young Life in Slave Lake?!!"
Turns out a family friend of ours - Richard Muir - had contacted Bonnie a few months ago and asked her to contact us, to encourage us in our endeavours in SL. Bonnie had been quite busy with things and hadn't got around to it. She had never made the connection of who we were.
In that moment as we realized how perfectly God had orchestrated this moment - we were just blown away. Just then, Jay walked out to the balcony to join us. We shared with him what'd we just discovered and it was so incredible to see God so blatantly caring for us in His perfect timing. Jay and I talked some more with Bonnie about where we were at and she prayed with us and then we went back inside.
It was an emotional thing - this feeling that Jay and I were going through . And yet - God turned it around. He showed me how Jay and I understood each other in where we were at and what we were struggling with. He showed me Jay's strengths and how his strengths compliment my weaknesses and vice versa. I came away from this weekend so convinced that I was part of a good solid team - of Jay and I and that God knew exactly what He was doing in His perfect timing.
As hard as it is to grasp, we aren't a part of Young Life Ontario anymore. We surely have their support, their prayers, their encouragement and that truly means the world. But this desire - these plans that God has laid on our hearts to start Young Life in Slave Lake is a new path that we alone have to walk. We aren't a part of Young Life Edmonton either. We hope to be involved as much as we can, in being connected with their community, and learning from their examples, and yet starting YL in a small town like Slave Lake is an entirely different venture.
What I am convinced of is this - that God knows the ins and outs of Slave Lake. He knows the youth intimately - he knows their hearts and what they think of him. He knows just what'll it'll take to reach these kids and introduce them to Jesus. Jay and I may feel as though we are floundering on our own sometimes, but I know as long as we are surrendered to God - He will make incredible things happen. He is making incredible things happen in just the short time we've been here. And I just can't wait to see more!
One of the most stretching things that I encountered on this weekend was something that Jay and I had to process together. We had come to the conference with the Edmonton crowd - a great group of people who love God and love Young Life ministry. We came, excited to reconnect with Ontario Young Lifers - as it had only been 6 months since our time with them.
What we came to realize quickly is that we weren't really part of either of those groups - neither Edmonton nor Ontario. It hit us both quite hard and it was a pretty difficult realization. To go from being part of a team of leaders, of that support group, to this kind of pioneering adventure we have found ourselves on, kind of put us in a different category. Suddenly we realized, we were no longer 'Ontario' leaders. We were 'Slave Lake' leaders - just the two of us. There was no team of leaders, no fellow volunteers to give us that sense of community. We were starting essentially from scratch - just us two.
On one sense it was an emotionally draining feeling. I had to go out onto the balcony at one point because I just didn't want to cry in front of everyone. And yet, in the midst of the tough stuff, God was caring for us and drawing Jay and I closer. In that moment when I left to go outside, Jay knew exactly why I'd left. He understood exactly where I was coming from.
I gave myself a moment and then walked back inside, trying to hold back the tears.
I had just walked in the door, when I glanced over and saw Bonnie Rawling - a woman whom I had connected with during camp week last August. She asked if I was ok and I immediately indicated that I needed to go outside. When she asked what was wrong I began to explain to her that Jay and I were trying to start Young Life in Slave Lake and that we felt so alone in it all - that we just felt overwhelmed.
As soon as I mentioned Slave Lake, Bonnie's eyes lit up and she said, "Wait a minute! That's you guys? You're the ones starting Young Life in Slave Lake?!!"
Turns out a family friend of ours - Richard Muir - had contacted Bonnie a few months ago and asked her to contact us, to encourage us in our endeavours in SL. Bonnie had been quite busy with things and hadn't got around to it. She had never made the connection of who we were.
In that moment as we realized how perfectly God had orchestrated this moment - we were just blown away. Just then, Jay walked out to the balcony to join us. We shared with him what'd we just discovered and it was so incredible to see God so blatantly caring for us in His perfect timing. Jay and I talked some more with Bonnie about where we were at and she prayed with us and then we went back inside.
It was an emotional thing - this feeling that Jay and I were going through . And yet - God turned it around. He showed me how Jay and I understood each other in where we were at and what we were struggling with. He showed me Jay's strengths and how his strengths compliment my weaknesses and vice versa. I came away from this weekend so convinced that I was part of a good solid team - of Jay and I and that God knew exactly what He was doing in His perfect timing.
As hard as it is to grasp, we aren't a part of Young Life Ontario anymore. We surely have their support, their prayers, their encouragement and that truly means the world. But this desire - these plans that God has laid on our hearts to start Young Life in Slave Lake is a new path that we alone have to walk. We aren't a part of Young Life Edmonton either. We hope to be involved as much as we can, in being connected with their community, and learning from their examples, and yet starting YL in a small town like Slave Lake is an entirely different venture.
What I am convinced of is this - that God knows the ins and outs of Slave Lake. He knows the youth intimately - he knows their hearts and what they think of him. He knows just what'll it'll take to reach these kids and introduce them to Jesus. Jay and I may feel as though we are floundering on our own sometimes, but I know as long as we are surrendered to God - He will make incredible things happen. He is making incredible things happen in just the short time we've been here. And I just can't wait to see more!
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