Why I Love Junior Highers from Nebraska

What can I possibly say about this week? I wish I had the time and energy to blog every night this week because so much happened that I want to share with you all.

There was only one team this week, all the way from Nebraska, and all the students will be going into the 9^th grade. The vast majority of them had never been on a mission trip before. At first I was wary because I’ve worked with jr. highers before, and I know how crazy they are, and also because one of my teammates, Lindsey, was gone all week for grad. School stuff. But it turned out to be a fantastic week and a group of kids I will never forget.

My story really starts on Tuesday night. Usually, one of my jobs is to facilitate the evening gather portion of the day, which includes debrief, worship, and a lesson or sorts. But this group asked to be allowed to do their own thing. They made sure to invite us to join them, though. Monday, I fell asleep on the couch watching Salt, so I didn’t make it, but Tuesday I did. And it was unbelievable.

I had been talking to one of the leaders earlier in the week and he told me that he was surprised at how little the group had opened up and been vulnerable with each other. So going into Tuesday night’s session, I was expecting much of the same. But one of the girls I had grown close to, Emily, was sharing her testimony, so it was important to me that I come. (Each student shared a testimony or devotional of some sort during the week). She shared, and started to get teary eyed. The girls on the team embraced her when she was done. The next girl got up to share, and much of the same happened.

Then it was time for worship, and you could feel the Spirit moving. After that, Dan, their youth pastor, started to give the lesson. I almost skipped out at this point because I was tired and knew how long their sessions tended to go. But I felt the pull to stay. Dan asked how many people truly FELT like they were forgiven. Not whether or not they knew that they were, but if they felt it. A palpable weight fell over the room. A few kids piped up. “No.” The lesson continued and tears started to flow. Kids flocked to each other to comfort and love, all while realizing something new about God’s love and their perceptions of it.

Worship began again.

(Watch me do it in falsetto.

Yeah!)

——— That would be one of my roommates as I got up to order. We've been listening to a lot of Karmin. :) 

Anyway. Worship began again, and Dan invited people to get anointed if they felt like they were being called into new or increased relationship with the Lord. He also invited the kids to meet with an adult leader if they needed to for any reason. And in the next hour or so, almost everyone had been anointed. But it wasn’t just because everyone else was doing it. You could tell. There was not a dry eye in the house, save a few leaders and mine. Have you ever seen junior high boys be that vulnerable? Unabashedly crying and standing with one another?

One of them, Jake, had grown to trust me over the last two days, so he came up to me and asked if I would come with him. We went to the gym and sat down. He started to cry and told me that he didn’t expect to be changed on this trip, but he had been. We talked for a while about what he meant and how he’d take steps to make sure that he didn’t slip back into old ways when he got home. We hugged and prayed for each other. We went back and I got the chance to encourage a few of the girls from the team. The students wound up in a huddle, singing, praying, and swaying together.

And I got the chance to be a part of it. It was beautiful.

So that’s my heartwarming story of the week. I also went on a sudden adventure Thursday night. Charlie McDowell, of Dear Girls Above Me, tweeted that he was in Times Square with a signed copy of his book and a Barnes & Noble gift card. First one there gets it.

Guess who was the first one there? I convinced my roommates to hop on the 2 with me, and somehow we got their first. It was awesome. Then we went to Bryant Park to hang out on the grass for a while (a feeling we all miss here in the concrete jungle). I read the first chapter out loud to them, and we all laughed hysterically. Then we went up the street to Grand Central Station, admired it a while, and caught the 4 back up to Harlem. It was an unreal night, but that’s New York for you, right?

Thanks for all the well-wishes and prayers. They mean so much to me.