YL Training in Latin America

The wall of miracles At our Regional leader training in Costa Rica a few weeks ago, we took some to stop and think and share about the miracles God has worked in Young Life Latin America . We thought we might share for an hour or so, but we went for more than double that as the stories of Grace flowed. God providing leaders were there were none, more kids to camp than seemed remotely possible, lives that were lost now fully transformed, local churches involved, relationships healed, funding provided —and the list goes on. There have been hard times and are real challenges still to come, but sharing together were we’ve been blessed was a great reminder of how God has been providing. And it was a reminder that this is really His ministry and we’re in His hands reaching out to teenagers that He loves.   “A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, s...

Je Bondye ap gaden, Tout kote nou pase.... “God will watch over you wherever you go.” (A Creole worship song) Training Camp in Haiti “Scott, I am not good. Lilie—she lost our baby last night”. My friend Bouzy, a Young Life staff member in Haiti, had come to pick me up my final morning there. We had just finished a very successful training camp for volunteer leaders. We had over 150 leaders there and it was a really great camp, the camp helped leaders feel more called to ministry and more equipped to reach teenagers and help them grow in faith. It was a big success and we were celebrating. But the morning after camp Bouzy looked tired and broken and then he explained why. His wife Lilie had been 3 months pregnant, they had previously suffered two miscarriages but were hopeful this time would be different--and then the night after we returned from camp she began bleeding, a lot of bleeding…. I was reading through the book of Acts while in Haiti. In Acts, you can see over and o...

The River    What does abundant life look like? Ezekiel 47:1-12 is a passage our church focused on recently and it’s a beautiful vision of a river flowing from God’s temple bringing LIFE . The river deepens, trees flourish and bear bountiful fruit, fish of all kinds begin to thrive, the desert is transformed and even the Dead Sea becomes fresh and alive. It’s a truly miraculous picture of abundant life occurring because of God’s ‘living water’ . When I think about why Jenn and I are passionate about Young Life in Latin America, this vision really helps explain it. It’s because YL helps bring this living water to teenagers who otherwise are stuck in pretty life-less terrain.  Dennis, Mabel, Chaleo, Pepe and Daniel John DeVries has a wonderful perspective on what this passage means for us. He believes it points out that we are created to be rivers, not lakes. He says, “Salvation is not a possession we can get; it is a condition in which we are transformed to give.” ...

Acts 8:30-31: “Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” Dear Friends,              As summer ends and fall begins, it’s a real time of transition as schools start, new activities begin and the weather shifts in many parts of the world. Young Life has some natural beginnings now too--clubs that meet at schools are kicking off all over the world at this time of year.  Camp in Mexico   But the reality is a lot of that isn’t transition or new—it’s continuation with teens who had a life changing experience this summer.   Here’s a couple examples of what this continuation looks like in Latin America after a summer camp.   Yeoffrey , a leader in the Dominican Republic   went to visit one of the kids who came to camp a few days after returning ...

Dear Friends,   Thanks for all your help for us in Young Life Latin America. It’s been exciting to see YL ministry growing with teens in Latin America the last number of years and also around the world. Below you can see some of the huge growth that’s been occurring as YL has responded to the need for teens around the world to hear the gospel. That calling has resulted in ministry in over 90 countries today and more and more teens learning about Jesus from leaders who love them. I’ve been involved with YL internationally (as a volunteer and staff member) since 1996 and it’s a real joy to see how God has used this ministry to impact more and more teens. Thanks for your key role in helping this happen! The growth of Young Life Internationally          A transformed life     In 2008 Brookside CRC’s youth group visited the Dominican Republic for the first time. They worked hard to prepare Pico Escondido, the Young Life camp i...

Dear Friends,     The picture you see here is of my friend Noyo in Haiti. A recent visitor to Haiti wrote a great blog entry about Noyo and his experiences as Young Life leader in Haiti that you’ll be blessed to read. Click on  Scars  that tell of the good life   to read an amazing story of faithfulness, grace and a God-centered mission.      I’d love for you to be praying for the Haitian YL team especially this month.   Soon I’ll be spending 5 days in Haiti with Noyo and our Haitian leadership team as we’ll celebrate what God is doing through them and then evaluate and plan and pray about training more Haitian YL leaders. Pray God would give a lot of wisdom and insight into how to best support these amazing leaders. Right after that I’ll be in the Dominican Republic to get some time with key staff and be with a work team from Brookside CRC’s youth group. It’ll be a full and exciting month, thanks for praying for these trips an...

Dear Friends,           What comes to mind when you think of ‘ overflowing ’ ?    Maybe you think of streams and rivers in spring, or maybe you think of a cup spilling out when you overpour, or maybe another image comes to mind. I’m asking because Jenn and I’s time in Nicaragua before Easter made me think of this word often.            The first part of overflowing was the sheer number of people at the Young Life camp in Nicaragua ( called La Finca—‘the farm’ ).   La Finca was definitely filled to overflowing—we had 287 leaders at the property for 5 days, and the camp is really built to sleep 200 !     Almost all of the 287 were level 1 and 2 leaders—young potential leaders, mostly 17-23 year olds, who are in training to become Young Life leaders in their communities.        It’s not exactly ideal to have 287 people at...