Relationships Winter 2013

How one woman and Her former leader are LITERALLY sHaring life

Two CapernaumFrIenDS FInD THeIr waY

ClImbIng ForCHangeup mT. KIlImanjaro

winter 2013

a YoungLives KID’Snew DIreCTIon

IT DOES TAkE A “vILLAgE”!7

From the Presidentin Your own wordsYoung LiFe Litemission newsFrom the graPevinePassagesYoung LiFe sPoken here Parting shots

IN EvERY REL ATIONSHIPS

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contentswinter 2013

5 How generosity, God’s grace and genetics helped give the ultimate gift.

a matcH made in Heaven

alumni and friends awardsA closer look at this year’s honorees.

14 A leader offers his high-school friend a taste of the love of God.

tHe perfect meal

17 Young Life College in Munich, Germany.slowly scaling walls

every summer since 2007, friends of Young Life africa have ventured up mt. kilimanjaro to benefit kids. in 2012, 58 people

reached the summit of kilimanjaro which, at 19,341 feet, is the highest freestanding mountain in the world. the sign on the backpack explains how they do this … “Pamoja, Pamoja” (swahili for “together, together”). would you like a better view? Check out pages 11-12! (Photo by drew voyles)

ABOUT THE COvER

11 A look at how adults scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro benefits Young Life kids in Africa.

climb for cHange

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21 A testimony of how YoungLives changed the trajectory of a life.

not a statistic

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along their life journeys, two friends find their way with the help of a caring community.

IN EvERY REL ATIONSHIPS

“as for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. and pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. but the lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. we have confidence in the lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. may the lord direct your hearts into god’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

— The apostle paul, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

my mom and dad, especially after dad retired, had an intricate prayer routine. they would write the names of people they were praying for on index cards and each day take a specific number of these cards and pray faithfully. there were tuesday people, and wednesday people, and other cards with specific requests and they would work their way through the list. if they ever met you and said they’d pray for you, they would. and the strange thing is that they might lose contact with that person but that wouldn’t stop them from praying. on some cards, they had former college classmates of mine whom i had forgotten but they had not. did it really matter for them to go through this ritual each day or had mom and dad just found something they could do in the morning that gave them a sense of satisfaction like, “well, honey, we finished the list today. Let’s go have another cup of coffee.”

the apostle Paul said that what my parents did mattered tremendously. and what they were doing in their bedroom with those cards in a little town in the Pacific northwest made all the difference in the world and impacted eternity.

Paul said when people prayed for him, it enabled the rapid spread of the gospel (yes, he cared about growth by getting the word out as quickly as he could) and helped others to honor that gospel in their lives. he said others’ prayers were a major factor in his deliverance from wicked and evil people because wicked and evil people tried to derail what he was doing.

now if who Paul was and what Paul did with his life were impacted by the prayers of others, do we not think we can have the same experience when people pray for us and when we pray for them?

i’m going to ask you to pray for me. whenever you think about the mission of Young Life, will you please pray for me and the rest of the Young Life team that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you? You know, of course, that we are engaged in fulfilling what we believe is a god-given vision to impact two million kids a year. (this is twice the number of middle-school, high-school, and college students impacted three years ago.) that requires the rapid spread of the gospel. that means the word of god must take root and be honored by those who hear. we don’t have a chance to do that unless you and others pray. will you pray that these Young Life leaders (both volunteers and staff members) will be delivered from wicked and evil people and protected from the evil one as they live out the great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations?

when you drive by a school or see some kids walking into mcdonald’s, will you pray for them and those who are trying to share the gospel with them and their classmates? will you pray for your own kids and their friends? and, while you’re at it, why not enlist a group of people to pray daily for you and you do the same for them?

does prayer really matter? absolutely!Let us pray.

Denny RydbergYoung Life President

from the president

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Now if who Paul was and what Paul did

with his life were impacted by the

prayers of others, do we not think we can have the same

experience when people pray for us

and when we pray for them?”

— Denny Rydberg

does prayer really matter?

in your own wordsour readers sHare tHeir tHougHts

publisher/presidentDenny Rydberg

executive editorTerry Swenson

lead editorJeff Chesemore

coordinatorDonna McKenzie

copy editorJessica Williams

lead designerJason O’Hara

contributing photographerDrew Voyles

Young Life is a Charter Member of the Evangelical Council for

Financial Accountability.

younglife.orgP.O. Box 520

Colorado Springs, CO 80901

is a publication of Young Life, a mission devoted to introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.

If you’re receiving duplicate copies of Relationships or would like to switch over to the electronic version, please contact the Young Life Mission Assistance team at (877) 438-9572. We can also help you with the change of address or giving information.

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At church, I was approached after the service by Jim, one of the men who is simply a prayer warrior for folks. He pulled me aside and said, “I just wanted to tell you that last week I had the opportunity to pray with a woman who wanted to commit her life to the Lord.” Obviously, I was excited to share in his excitement and then he kept going with the story. He told me that the woman’s daughter had been attending our WyldLife club and made a commitment to follow Christ. Her daughter’s excitement has played a significant role in this mother wanting to hear more, coming to church and turning her life to Jesus. As tears flooded my eyes I was overwhelmed at how God is working in our small town in Northwest Montana; how He is changing people here, kids and adults, and how fortunate we are to play a small part in working together with others in our community to influence those around us. He truly has blessed us!

— Brett Bollweg, Young Life area director in Whitefish, Mont.

My name is Rosa Ines. I was born in the Gaza’s province, in a town named Manjacaze, on May 8, 1996. My dad abandoned us when I was little and I never had the chance to meet him. My mom remarried and had two children, my brothers.

I was born with a little vision and in 2003 completely lost my eyesight. In 2007, I had the opportunity to come to study at the blind institute in Beira. This was an important decision in my life because I learned to read and write. In my community and the rest of Mozambique, there is no school specializing in teaching the visually impaired so I have never been in school before.

Before participating in Young Life, I was an envious, spiteful person. Now I’m different. My life was changed as I became involved in Young Life at the end of 2010. One of my favorite things about our weekly meetings was the opportunity to learn the Word of God. I learned to forgive and ask for forgiveness.

What I like about Young Life is the people who are involved in it. They do a great job of teaching the Word of God in a simple way and we can ask any questions we may have. I also really enjoy the songs and games. I’m happy because Young Life doesn’t exclude the visually impaired and instead,

embraces us. My definition

of Young Life is a program that helps people who don’t believe in God to encounter Jesus. I would like to tell all of those people that don’t believe in God to approach and join Young Life so that their lives may be changed.

— Rosa, 16, Mozambique

young life liteSo you think you’ve been to the middle of nowhere. really? To get there, did you fly in, boat in on the Yukon river or ride in by dog sled in winter months when the high temperature can be 50 degrees below zero?

welcome to the middle of nowhere: galena, alaska, population 476. although no roads lead to galena, it is home to 35 local high-school students and 205 vocational boarding-school students from 60 villages across alaska attending galena interior Learning academy. kim kopp, galena area director, describes doing Young Life here. “there’s not even a mcdonald’s. there is a coffee shop, but it closes at 2:00 p.m.” (about an hour before sunset in december.) “Contact work here is challenging.” so kopp and her team of eight leaders find creative ways to connect with kids. For Prom 2012, that meant airlifting 1.3 tons of fun.

Prom in galena is the only formal dance all year. it’s attended by seniors, underclassmen and, until 10:00 p.m., galena residents. But the budget for this event, which keeps students safe and entertained all night long, had been stretched thin. there had been no dJ for years — just a playlist and an iPod. after Prom attendance had declined. so this year, galena Young Life surprised the community by flying in a dJ, a human hamster ball, inflatables and a mechanical bull.

that entertainment was preceded weeks before by the transport of an anchorage, alaska, church team with donated formal wear for the “galena Young Life Boutique.” the pilot making these fun runs is tim La Porte, owner-operator of iliamna air taxi. Years ago, after receiving a misdirected prayer email, he and his wife, nancy, invested in the mission. First with a donation, and then with the monthly gift of a 2,500-pound-capacity aircraft to use any way galena Young Life needed.

La Porte said, “i wasn’t sure about hauling these ladies, piles of dresses and all this girl-bop stuff, but later when i heard about the girls with traumatic problems who had given their lives to the Lord after a woman spoke to them about inner beauty, well, the Lord used it to get hold of me. i said, ‘ok, Lord, whatever you decide.’”

La Porte continued, “But i did laugh about the after Prom run. now i’m going to have to haul a load of bull?” La Porte makes these flights because Young Life’s outreach to hundreds of kids from remote regions of alaska is so rare. “i’ve been in aviation for 40 years and there is no way you could have the time or resources to fly to all these villages or even make contact with the kids once you did. it would be totally impossible to do what galena Young Life does so well,” he said.

kopp and her team have hosted other events for galena students, each concluding with a Christ-centered message. But there was no time for that during a celebration that ran from 1 to 6 a.m. with a Pilatus PC-12 waiting to fly out the rentals at 0800 hours. the conversation about Jesus would come later. For now, it was enough for students to know that god so loved alaskan kids that he sent a mechanical bull, a hamster ball and a bungee run that whosoever gathered in galena would experience the outlandish, extravagant love of a Father who knows the way to the middle of nowhere — and calls it home.

by stacy windaHl

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tHe way to tHe middle of nowHere

I’ve been in aviation for 40 years and there

is no way you could have the time or

resources to fly to all these villages or even

make contact with the kids once you did.

It would be totally impossible to do what

galena Young Life does so well.”

— Tim La Porte

Conquering the mechanical bull

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jackie Tyner was born to save a life. with o negative as her blood type — the universal donor — Tyner has always known she had the ability to help and heal when no one else could. what she didn’t know is that one day, that help would hit close to home and the life she saved would be a lifelong friend.

FaST FrIenDS, FIrm FaITHDawn Chase met Jackie Tyner in 1980, the first time the 16-year-old high-school junior ever attended a Young Life club in Tonawanda, N.Y. (near Buffalo).Chase, then 27, was a leader and not long after, became Tyner’s friend.

Tyner “instantly loved” Young Life. She immediately got involved and attended a Campaigners weekend where everything clicked.

“I had a strong faith, but I didn’t have the language for it,” Tyner remembered. “That weekend, it all came together for me, it all made sense. My relationship with God filled out through Young Life.”

When Tyner went to college, she became a volunteer leader. And Chase began to disciple her.

“We did a study on women of the Bible and met every week for several months,” said Chase, who was a high-school special education teacher. “I was 10 years older, but it didn’t matter. That’s where our friendship cemented.”

The pair continued to work with Young Life, serving on assignment together at Saranac while Tyner was in college.

In the summer of 1986, Tyner met Randy, her soon-to-be fiancé, while at Sailing Beyond in Malibu, British Columbia. When she brought Randy home to Buffalo, Chase was one of the first people he met. Later, when their son was born, Chase became his godmother.

“Our relationship kept going through the ups and downs of life,” Chase said. “We were encouraged in our faith by each other.”

Tyner said, “Dawn didn’t have her

own children, so she loved our kids and was always making the trip to see them. We didn’t make our relationship a priority, it just was. Dawn constantly stayed committed and incredibly supportive of me.”

SIDe-bY-SIDe THrougH SuFFerIngChase and Tyner stayed involved in Young Life through the years as well. The Tyners helped start Young Life in Queensbury, N.Y., and Chase was on Young Life committee in Buffalo. The pair did program for a women’s retreat at Saranac from 1995-2001; Randy wrote their skits.

Chase had always struggled with her health, but in 2001, found out she needed a double lung transplant. She received her lungs from a cadaver and the procedure was successful. The anti-rejection medication, however, had some serious side effects and two years ago, she was told she needed a new kidney.

Doctors gave her two options: get on the transplant list for a cadaver kidney. The problem was, there were 93,000 people in line ahead of her and the doctors didn’t think she would survive the wait. Or, get a kidney from a living donor. The recovery rate was faster and the success rate was better. But first, you had to find a match.

“When I told Jackie I needed a living donor transplant and what that meant,” Chase said, “she abruptly ended our (phone) conversation. It was so unlike her. She said, ‘Dawn, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back.’”

Tyner, knowing she was a universal blood donor, immediately turned to her husband and said, “I really think I need

How generosity, god’s grace and genetics helped give the ultimate gift.

by leslie strader

Jackie and Dawn in 1980

Jackie and husband Randy

Dawn and Jackie today

Dawn in pre-op

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to be tested to be the donor.” And Randy said, “Let’s pray about it right now.”

Five minutes later, Chase’s phone rang. It was Tyner: “It’s going to be me,” she said. “I’m going to do it.”

THe gIFT oF lIFeEmotions ran the gamut the next several months. Chase would call Tyner sobbing and say, “It’s not too late! You can change your mind!” while Tyner was “caring, but logical.”

Twelve people — including three cousins — offered to be a donor for Chase. After months of testing and praying and setbacks, Tyner emerged as the best match.

“It came down to, my blood didn’t fight as much with hers,” Tyner explained. “I never felt pressure, and I never worried. That was God. We truly believed if God still has work for Dawn to do, then this is what needs to happen.”

Chase added, “Our motto became, it’s God’s story. He knows how this ends. There are lessons He wants us to learn.”

The successful surgery took place May 2 at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. Chase had a few scary moments, but says today she “feels better than I have in a long time.”

Tyner has since hiked through the Adirondack mountains and traveled to Europe with Randy to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

“I’m no martyr. The decision wasn’t hard,” Tyner said. “Dawn needed something and I could help. The question is not really why would I do it, but why wouldn’t I? That’s what Young Life is about — what are you doing with your life?”

Chase wants to spend the rest of her days living the answer to that question. She volunteers with Unyts, an organ and tissue procurement organization in western New York, telling her story to community and school groups in her area.

“Young Life is still so much a part of what we do in our everyday lives,” Chase explained. “It affects everything you do. Once you do it, it never leaves you.”

Chase knows her life is a gift and cites Philippians 1:6 (“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”) as a clear promise to her from the Lord. She trusts He will show her what’s next.

“I wish there was a way to say thank you,” Chase said. “All I can do is the best I can to live the life God wants me to live. I’m looking for Him to give me direction. I’ve had more than one chance; I want to be faithful.”

Chase and Tyner’s long history is a blessing, and now — thanks to a sovereign combination of generosity, God’s grace and genetics — they have a future. Chase’s investment in Tyner more than 30 years ago has reaped the ultimate return: the gift of life, from a lifelong friend.

YO

UN

G L

IFE CASTAWAY C

LU

B

CELEBRATES

1963 2013years

Order CASTAWAY by sending $25 per book, plus $3 for shipping (total $28) to: Castaway Club, 51709 Co. Highway 31, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501. Your copy will be mailed

by early Dec. Questions? Contact Lori Nustad at (218) 532-2662 or

[email protected].

In 2013, Castaway Club will celebrate its 50th year. Jeff Munroe has written the incredible

story of these 50 years in this beautiful hardcover, photo-filled book.

Makes a great Christmas gift!

or helping in other ways, go to younglives.younglife.org or email [email protected]

Camp buckner-week 1: june 1-7........burnet, TexasCamp buckner-week 2: june 8-14.....burnet, Texasmichindoh: june 23-29...................Hillsdale, mich.washington Family ranch: july 12-18...antelope, ore.lost Canyon: july 14-20 .................williams, ariz.rockbridge: july 29-aug. 4..................goshen, Va.lake Champion: aug. 3-9...............glen Spey, n.Y.

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In the bible, the word “Capernaum” means “village of comfort.” It’s a fitting name for Young life’s ministry with kids with special needs. because of their disabilities, these kids often face even greater feelings of loneliness, lack of purpose and loss of direction than their typical peers. This is the story of two friends and the comforters god has placed in their lives to help them thrive amid their obstacles, not only through high school, but beyond.

CrY For Helpthe year 2000 was a hard time for rich and kathy gathro, a couple from arlington, va., who were struggling with an emotionally hurting child. their son, will, is unique. he has a phenomenal memory. he loves to be with people and cares about their needs. he also happens to have cerebral palsy, and being non-verbal, uses a speaking device to communicate.

in his middle-school years, will started to act out, as he struggled with the loneliness of his disability. “he didn’t have a lot of friends,” kathy remembered. “that’s one of the themes of special-needs kids. he has a great deal of what we call “eQ” or emotional intelligence. he would sob at night in his bed. we were totally depleted in energy, both physically and emotionally, in how to deal with him.

“one night rich and i knelt by our bed and prayed, ‘Lord please show up in this kid’s life. he’s always been drawn to you and now he’s turning in a different direction.’ his heart had always been bent toward the Lord and we were seeing that dissipate. we felt so broken.”

CallIngwithin a month of that prayer, the gathros heard a knock on their door. a good friend from church, Pam harmon, asked to speak with them.

“i’m thinking about a change in my life,” harmon said, “and i want to tell you about it, but promise not to laugh … i’m considering going on Young Life staff.”

“and of course i burst out laughing,” kathy remembered. “i said, ‘Young Life staff? You’re too old for that!’”

“well, have you ever heard of Capernaum?” harmon asked. when kathy replied “no,” harmon described the ministry to her.

kathy replied, “that’s fantastic. so many people would love this program and could be reached for Jesus.”

harmon wasn’t finished. “i thought i might start in virginia.”“virginia?” kathy asked. “why? You live on the maryland side of dC.” harmon said, “well, because will’s the only special-needs kid i really know well, and

i’d like to start with him.” kathy burst into tears. “i began to realize she was there for will and our family. this was god’s answer to our prayer!”

IT DOES TAKE A “VILLAGE”!by Jeff cHesemore

along their life journeys, two friends find their way with the help of a caring community.

The Cornerstone family today

Buddies, Will and David

Pam Harmon speaking at camp.

The gathro family

The greenwolds

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soon, harmon started one of the first two Young Life Capernaum clubs on the east coast in arlington. “i think there were 55 kids in will’s school and about 40 came to Young Life,” kathy said. “Pam blew the whistle and kids, families and others met Jesus. will found fellowship, encouragement and leadership. his whole life changed. Pam came — at that moment — as a gift from god.”

meanwhile, about a half hour north in rockville, md., the greenwold family was also discovering Capernaum. harmon wanted to start the ministry there, too, so she invited nancy greenwold and her son david to come on committee and she also invited david to arlington’s club. david has a spectrum of special needs including mental retardation, autism and cerebral palsy, which affects his fine motor skills and speech.

nancy and her husband, doug, took david to every club meeting and he loved being around harmon, new friends like will, and all the fun. soon montgomery County Capernaum was born and david attended every club faithfully. “it became the highlight of his week,” nancy said. “Capernaum was the thing he most looked forward to and what he’d talk about all week long.

“Later we realized the reason it was so fun was because the leaders were the most compassionate, loving people we’d ever seen. they exuded love for these kids like no other group did. they made david and every other kid feel like the most special person in the world.”

CampLike anyone their age, kids with special needs revel in their experience at Young Life camp, but will took his week at camp to a completely new level.

“i’ll never forget the first time will went to Lake Champion,” rich said. “when they returned, will couldn’t get off the bus, because he was exhausted.” “he didn’t sleep that week because he didn’t want to miss anything!” kathy added. “Four high-school kids carried him off the bus. they looked at us and said, ‘will had the best time of his life!’’’

“he must have made us watch that camp dvd 40 times!” rich laughed.

“that summer was magical,” kathy said. “it was the first time these kids ever had that much fun in their lives, without their parents orchestrating something.”

david, too, was experiencing new adventures. with his leaders’ encouragement, he started to see himself as a legitimate caregiver. he would push friends in wheelchairs and shepherd new people, particularly the younger kids, by opening doors and pointing them in the right direction.

harmon, seeing david’s growth, encouraged him to consider serving at camp. after successful shorter stints at Lake Champion and Crooked Creek, david spent an entire summer at rockbridge helping assist at the snack bar, climbing wall and ropes course.

when asked what he enjoyed most about his time at camp, david happily responded, “Being a horse wrangler at Crooked Creek and working on the ropes course at rockbridge.”

“we think we’re doing these kids a favor by letting them serve,” doug explained, “but people aren’t aware what comes back to them.” nancy added, “the staff had incredible things to say about david because he’s a happy guy, who’s always reaching out to people. People in tears would tell us what an impact he had on them. it was such a joy to see david have

I go to school at the Stratford Program. I do my homework every night. I went to the mall. I played sports, basketball and soccer and track and field with Special Olympics. I was staying home with my family because I didn’t have any friends that would invite me anywhere. I played Nintendo and watched TV all by myself. I like to go to Young Life club early so I can spend time with my friends. I went to camp last year in Glen Spey, N.Y., with my Young Life club and I am going on work crew this month. I am going to Yorktown High School in September. I went to training for work crew at Lake Champion. I am happy to speak to groups and fall retreats. Also I have a lot of friends at Yorktown. Kids from your community have things to do together. Young Life helps me to know Jesus better. I go to church. I pray twice a day. Last year in Egypt, I worked with the handicapped kids in an orphanage. It means a lot to me that Ryan tells me that God loves me. I got baptized on Dec. 22, 1996, because I love God.

Will Gathro, age 17

*In 2002, Will traveled to Colorado Springs to share his story with Young Life’s Board of Trustees. After sharing his testimony through his speaking device, the Board gave Will a standing ovation. The highlight of his time with them? “Staying at the Broadmoor!”

his own ministry for 10-11 weeks without us. that’s huge for the parents of a special-needs child. he didn’t want to come home at the end of the summer!”

“nancy and i were adult-guest hosts at rockbridge during their Capernaum week, where 150 kids with special needs came in with 150 buddies and staff,” doug said. “i’ve never seen a better glimpse into the kingdom of god than Capernaum week at camp. we both said, ‘this is the closest thing to heaven we’ve ever experienced.’”

CornerSTone ranCHas families of kids with special needs will tell you, there are certain life stages which can be especially difficult to navigate. “one is when they’re just past the kindergarten stage,” kathy said. “after that, is middle school when more decisions are being made. another is at 22 years when the school and state support ends and these kids can fall off the cliff.”

Cornerstone ranch was the dream of david and Cynthia heaton, a couple who recognized the looming cliff facing individuals with special needs. while serving on Capernaum staff in dallas, the heatons were constantly aware their friends faced a tenuous future after high school. god gave them a vision to provide their friends with a place to live where they could experience abundant life. they left Capernaum staff in 2003 to start a group home, where their

(continued on page 9)

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9

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friends could live in community with typical families, who would help care for them. By 2006, they’d built Cornerstone ranch on 42 acres of land in mckinney, texas.

doug schulte is the current program director at Cornerstone, where he, wife miranda, and their two daughters live with their friends. Like the heatons, the schultes have also transitioned from Capernaum staff to Cornerstone house parents.

“it’s a privilege to know the ministry we’re providing to the families,” schulte said. “we give them the security of knowing we’ll take care of their child like they would.”

on harmon’s recommendation, the greenwolds visited Cornerstone and listened to the heatons’ plans. “we sat there with tears running down our cheeks because it was exactly the vision we had for what david’s life should be,” nancy said.

david has been a resident there since the beginning. the greenwolds told the gathros about david’s love for Cornerstone and it wasn’t long before will joined his buddy in texas.

at Cornerstone, david and will have flourished in their gifts and abilities. “will is so smart and has the biggest servant’s heart,” schulte said. “he always zeroes in on someone if they’re lower functioning. will really is the leader of the house.

“meanwhile, david has a savant-like quality of unbelievable memory. when someone walks into the house, he asks about their family and remembers. they may not come back for 18 months, but when they do, he’ll ask about their cousins, neighbors and birthdays. it’s not just remembering facts, but genuine care behind the questions.”

and what does the woman who came alongside will and david 12 years ago think of the two men today?

“will helped me start Young Life Capernaum and i’m so proud of who he has become,” harmon said. “i’m so proud he loves Jesus, can live on his own with his friends in texas and for everything he’s involved in and the way he’s giving back to his community. and david has been one of my favorite friends, too, because he’s always in a good mood. david has served on summer staff several times and i still meet people at camps who remember their time with him. they remember his happy attitude, encouraging ways, diligence, and how he expected the best of his fellow summer staff and brought out the best in them.”

For will and david, it seems that while they’re no longer involved in Capernaum, they are still grateful recipients, and now gracious ministers, within the village of comfort.

For more information about Young Life Capernaum, please go to capernaum.younglife.org.

To learn more about Cornerstone Ranch which is in the beginning stages of breaking ground for a second home and activity center on their campus, please visit their website, cornerstone-ranch.com.

(continued from page 8)

say merry christmas with younglifestore.com

Stock up on this year’s custom Young life ornaments and other great Christmas gifts for

leaders, staff and friends.gift certificates available

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mission newsnew trustees

Young Life is governed by a Board of Trustees, whose ultimate responsibility is supporting the integrity and vision of the mission. The Young Life Board of Trustees recently welcomed two new trustees — J.D. Gibbs and Harold Melton, both of whom will serve on the Board for the next four years. To see more about our newest Trustees, read the full story online at younglife.org. Select “news” in the “Take me to” drop-down menu on the home page. J.D.

GibbsHarold Melton

In 2009, Relationships shared the story of Gip Gayle, a Young Life kid who miraculously survived being shot in a hunting accident. Gip’s story of faith and recovery is a great testimony to his family’s love, his Young Life leader Chuck Scott’s faithfulness and, of course, the Lord’s working. Gip’s mom, Beth, has written a book about their experience titled, And Then Came the Angels. The book is now available in stores and online.

new Book on giP gaYLe now avaiLaBLe

facebooK.com/younglife

twitter @younglife

“Being in Young Life has been one of the best choices I’ve ever made.”

— Jeremy McIver

“Excited about our first Young Life planning and prayer meeting in Huntsville, TX tonight. Please pray with us tonight at 6:30 p.m. as all of you prepare for your own club tonight. I thank the Lord for my years with Young Life and it looks like He is not through with me yet.”

— Andy Stem

“So cool! I stood up and “said so” at Frontier Ranch 36 years ago. Best week of my life and have never been the same since. Thank you Jesus for showing us your love through the ministry of Young Life.”

— Kirk Shockley

“Lord bless the children who heard the gospel through the ministry of @YoungLife tonight. Bring us into your life abundant.”

— Kyle Bomar@KBomar52v

“My little brother just texted me saying he went to his first Young Life tonight and loved it! Nothing makes me happier than that! @YoungLife

— Sam Clark@samuelfavors

Climb for ChangeSince 2007, a total of 12 trips and 201 people have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with young Life Africa Expeditions.

it would be accurate to say god has chosen

young life at this moment in history

to forever impact africa for Him. over the past five years, god has crafted an explosion of young

life across nearly 20 countries in africa.

one of these countries is tanzania, home of mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing

mountain in the world. each year,

groups from all over come together to

climb mt. Kilimanjaro to communicate what god is doing in africa

through young life. these trips, called

“climb for change,” also provide the

resources for african kids to have the same

experience you may have had ... attend a

young life camp, and encounter the hope and grace of Jesus.”

— Tom Ramey,Young Life

Africa Committee Tyler, Texas

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Climb for Change

visit the climb for change website (climbforchangeafrica.com), to learn more about climbing Kilimanjaro to help support young life camping in countries across africa.

contact africa’s regional coordinator with young life expeditions, drew voyles, for information about future trip opportunities ([email protected].)

worship tonight at sunset on the side of the mountain, at 13,000 feet with all 45 porters, and 11 climbers! we danced and sang in swahili and even a little in english. africans love to laugh, dance and sing. i could not stop the tears. i just could not stop thinking of heaven. there are more than 120 tribes in tanzania alone, and all i could think about in that moment was ‘every tribe and nation.’ the days were beautiful, the climb amazing, but the people are always the best part.”

— Susan Peterson,Young Life Board of Trustees / Young Life Africa Committee

Atlanta, Ga.

when we reached the summit of the roof of africa with our fellow climbers on a sun-drenched morning, the lord

showed us, once again, what it means to take one step at a time with Him. together, together. pamoja, pamoja.”

— John and Emily GriesbeckMemphis, Tenn.

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13

by JonatHan scHultz, director

ricHard and miriam grubbIn 1947, Miriam heard Jim Rayburn speak at a missionary conference in Philadelphia. Captured by this fresh approach to reach kids with the Gospel, Miriam began to attend Young Life and help with the music. “It was clear there was something very special about this new outreach to high-school kids,” she said. She later attended Wheaton College and met Richard, recently discharged from the Army. They have now been married more than 62 years.

Over those six decades, the Grubbs have continued to serve with Young Life. The couple has lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New England, serving on local area committees in each location. Their final move to Rhode Island in 1964 proved, in their own words, “to be a turning point with Young Life and in our own lives.” Upon hearing of the Grubbs’ desire to begin Young Life in Rhode Island, Tom Getman, the regional director in New England suggested they contact Mike and Barb Coleman, Marylanders who might be interested in this new venture. The Colemans agreed to move in with the Grubbs and, within a few months, club was going at Lincoln High School. For the next 10 years, while the Colemans planted clubs in Newport and Barrington, the Grubbs headed up the local committee and assisted with financial needs; their efforts indeed established Young Life in Rhode Island.

Though the Grubbs have stepped away from committee, they continue to serve in many other ways. Perhaps the greatest testament to their leadership is that the area continues to grow and reach more kids. Rhode Island area director Corenna Hoyt said, “The Grubbs’ heart for this ministry is tremendous. There are so many teenagers walking with Christ today who have passed from a place of despair to a place of hope because of their efforts.”

The Young life office of alumni and Friends is pleased to present two awards annually to deserving alumni. The Alumni service to Young Life Award goes to richard and miriam grubb, while the recipient of the Distinguished Young Life Alumni Award is bob goff. each of these recipients has exemplified the ideals of dedication to the mission. jonathan Schultz, alumni and Friends director, recently caught up with them to hear more of their stories. Here’s a little bit of what he learned.

to visit the alumni and friends website, join, update your information and reconnect with your young life friends, go to alumniandfriends.younglife.org.

bob goffBob Goff is an attorney, an adjunct professor at Pepperdine Law School and now the author of Love Does. He is also extremely grateful for the role the mission played in his life.

your first exposure to young life was through your leader, randy. what did you learn from him?I learned love doesn’t just ask us to agree with Jesus or give us a bunch of facts to memorize about Him. Instead, love knows just being with us is enough. It’s probably why God decided He would be called “Emanuel” in the Bible. “God with us.” Young Life people get that. Randy taught me that in the backward economy of Jesus, when love is most extravagantly given, it’s least wasted. Young Life understands the love Jesus talks about is an active one. It goes with us.

you met your wife through young life. How else did being a leader impact your life?I met Sweet Maria when we were Young Life leaders in San Diego. It was love at first sight for me but unfortunately, it took her years to warm up to me. What I learned about loving high-school kids in Young Life taught me a lot about how to love Maria during that

time. I walked onto many high-school campuses to show love to students who, at first, really didn’t pay any attention to me. It was a lot like pursuing Maria. She wasn’t mean about it and the kids weren’t either, they just didn’t feel about me the way I felt about them. I see now that God kept pursuing me the way I kept pursuing Maria — with creativity and expectation of a deeper relationship someday. That’s how I pursued Maria and how most of you pursue kids. We all lean into the hunch that someday the ones we love will love us the same way. God had the same hunch about us.

each chapter of Love Does begins with an insight. what would you say about young life?“Everyone wants to make a difference, but only a few people want to be different.” One thing that sets Young Life people apart is they act different because they want to be different. They know love doesn’t just think about Jesus — love does.

Miriam and Richard grubb

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Sometimes it’s a club talk. Sometimes it’s a club sandwich. heath sizick, an area director in west virginia, knows even a lunchtime conversation with a high-school kid can be eternally life changing.

after each club, students at elkins high school go to the local mcdonald’s. it was there sizick would engage in quick, friendly conversations with a student named ryan.

however, ryan wasn’t a club kid. a left-handed pitcher and first baseman on the elkins tigers’ sectional-winning baseball team, ryan was a restaurant employee. For him, the after-club hang-out at mcdonald’s meant rushing around taking the orders of his school friends.

“he was our cashier,” said sizick, who first met ryan at a bonfire after an elkins baseball game. “every time after club he’d get my sweet tea and sundae and my monopoly pieces. i just started talking to him.”

when ryan left his job, sizick started seeing him around a lot more often. ryan started hanging out more with his friend, James, who was in Campaigners. it came at a perfect time for ryan, who was going through a rough season in life. he was using the party scene to deal with the stress in his life.

“i realized that’s not what i wanted to do,” said ryan, who had started making his way to club and Campaigners. “i called heath up one day. we went and grabbed lunch, and i told him everything that was happening.”

ryan didn’t know it at the time, but that subway lunch with his Young Life leader would change the trajectory of his life.

sizick asked ryan a series of questions, trying to gauge ryan’s spiritual background. realizing his high-school friend had a pretty limited exposure to

the Bible, (ryan didn’t know the infant in nativity scenes was Jesus, nor did he understand why Christians celebrated easter), sizick gave his high-school friend a 10-minute overview of the Bible’s redemptive story.

“he basically broke down the Bible a little bit, starting with adam and eve,” ryan said.

From sizick’s viewpoint, he was wondering how much of scripture’s grand narrative a high-school kid could absorb in 10 minutes. sizick had gone from creation to the ascension, hitting the fall, the law, atonement, and other doctrines along the way.

the verse ecclesiastes 3:11 — where solomon proclaims god has set eternity in the hearts of men — helped sizick place his confidence in the gospel.

“in my mind, i’m thinking, ‘this is too much information,’” sizick said. “i felt the holy spirit speak to me and say, ‘he does understand this, because he was made to understand this.’ i relayed the same thing to ryan. ‘You understand this, because you were made to understand it.’”

sizick closed the meeting with ryan by explaining how to receive Christ’s offer of salvation and then praying for him. moments later, sizick received the call that is every Young Life leader’s favorite phone call to receive.

it was ryan on the line, explaining he had given his life to Christ.

ryan has gone from serving his high school after club, to serving the spiritual needs of the classmates before, during and after club. the pitcher best known for his change-up has been changed up by Christ.

“me and another girl at our school, we’re deputies [senior leaders] for Young Life at our school,” ryan said. “we talk about what we’re going to do at club. we try to help other people make that decision to follow Christ.”

tHe perfect mealby cHris lassiter

a leader offers his high-school friend a taste of the love of god.

Heath and Ryan Ryan with his Campaigner friends

In the fall of 2011 Cassie Furler, a volunteer leader for Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, received an important call from a mom in the area. “She talked about being concerned for her daughter,” Furler said, “and that one of her friends had told her to check out Young life. we talked for an hour about her daughter, mary Kate.” Furler was excited to find that mary Kate lived only blocks away from her. by the end of the conversation, it was obvious god was at work.

Furler wasted no time looking up mary kate on Facebook. she quickly discovered they had 60 friends in common and her two best friends had just started coming to club. “every monday for a month i’d text her two best friends and have them invite her to club. she finally gave in and came,” Furler explained with a smile. mary kate not only came, but was there the night Furler told the kids that if they ever needed a place to go to get away and hang out, they could come to her house. right away mary kate starting going to Furler’s to hang. “Little by little i got to know mary kate. we were both obsessed with sonic drinks and tyler Perry movies,” Furler laughed.

one night, a few weeks later, mary kate asked Furler a question. “would you still hang out with me if i wasn’t sure i believed in god?” Furler told her, “of course!” For the next year, mary kate continued going to Furler’s house at least twice a week.

a change was coming for mary kate. Furler remembered, “i invited mary kate and her mom to our church and they began a new journey. By the spring, mary kate was ready to fall in love with Jesus, and she did.” 

in 2012, mary kate was baptized at Furler’s church and shared her testimony with the congregation. she also went to camp and has been one of Furler’s biggest advocates for Young Life.

this past summer, mary kate wanted to be a counselor at a camp she had attended since she was little. after her application was turned down, Furler called to see if she could sign mary kate up for Young Life work crew training. “they said she could come to the last meeting, but more than likely she wouldn’t be able to be placed because it was so late in the process.” god surprised them both and opened the door for mary kate to do work crew at saranac village (Young Life’s camp in upstate new York).  

Furler said, “i can honestly say mary kate is one of my best friends and i couldn’t be more proud of her. it’s because of relationships like these, that after 12 years i keep chugging along on the Young Life train.”

Hanging witH mary Kateby eriKa Jay

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Mary kate and Cassie at Crooked Creek

Mary kate asked Furler a question. “Would you still hang out with me if I wasn’t sure I believed in god?”

Mary kate with Cassie’s daughter, Brynlie

age matters notby travis JoHnson

a family affairby emily parKer

For the mcginnis family, leading kids to Christ is a family affair. bob and randi mcginnis, their two grown daughters and their two sons-in-law all work and volunteer together for allegheny Valley Young life near pittsburgh, pa.

Bob, a self-proclaimed “second winder,” first worked for Young Life in the 1960s-’70s as student staff for two years and as full time staff for four. then, in 1995, when Bob was 47 years old, god called him back to the Young Life mission field.

“Young Life began to show up in a variety of ways,” Bob recalled. “it didn’t occur to me to step back into the mission.”

But now, at 65, Bob is still the area director of allegheny valley and plans to stick around for at least a few more years. Plus, he has the best support system — his family.

Both of Bob’s girls grew up in Young Life. Beth participated in club throughout high school and college, served on work crew, and worked as a camp intern. her younger sister, Bobbi, tagged along with dad on assignments and helped promote club once she started high school. Bob said many of the younger staff members looked up to his family

and hoped to raise their families in Young Life, too.

“they’re just like their dad; they have no problem being up front and all that jazz,” Bob said. “they just fell in love with the ministry. it’s really a blessing to randi and me.”

Both girls could not be happier working

with dad.“a lot of people say being a

Young Life leader is like leading with family, but to actually lead with family is such a blessing,” Beth said. “it was always my goal to be a leader, probably because of the way my mom and dad led — it just looked very attractive.”

Bobbi agreed with her older sister. “Personally, i think it’s a huge blessing because usually ministry takes you away from family,” she said. “it just made sense to do it together. working together grows you closer to god together.”

Bobbi is allegheny valley’s part-time administrator. her husband, nathan, leads with her at Freeport senior high school. Beth, and her husband, Jonathan, both volunteer as wyldLife leaders at highlands middle school.

“if you can’t recruit them, grow them,” Bob said with a laugh. “Both of the girls have had a tremendous impact on the way their dad does ministry. they have always wanted to encourage me to be better and keep with the times. and randi is a remarkable partner. the three of them have had an incredible impact on my life. i know i am a better area director because of my family.”

Two summers ago, Frank and Tina Herold arrived at windy gap as adult guests. when David johnson, then an associate area director for Young life in bradenton, Fla., found himself alone in charge of a cabin full of boys, Herold volunteered to help in any way he could.

“there’s times in your life when god just kind of knocks on your door,” herold said. the contrast in the cabin was apparent. herold was a white, 55-year-old businessman. the boys he was volunteering to host were african-american teens, all of whom came from the east side of Bradenton where gang violence broils amid enduring poverty.

“By the end of the week, he had built this great relationship with these guys,” Johnson said.

herold had the time of his life and together with his wife decided the fun shouldn’t have to end with camp. “they seemed to enjoy me and i certainly enjoyed them,” herold said. he told the kids that, when they got back to Bradenton, he wanted to invite them over to his house for a barbecue.

that one gesture turned into a weekly Campaigners group that has continued to thrive ever since. “we had no idea what we were doing,” herold said. “we just loved them, shared the Lord with them, and gave them a safe place to hang out.”

the herolds’ efforts infuse much-needed hope into a menacing environment. news of yet another shooting death among their peers reaches the group every six months or so, herold explained. 

“it’s changed who we are as a mission in Bradenton,” Johnson said. “[Frank and tina] really fell in love with who those kids were.”

over the last two years, the kids have become an extension of the herolds’ family. every wednesday night, they serve a big meal and have Campaigners before loading up and heading to club later that night. the herolds try to attend every one of the kids’ football games and track meets, and the effect has been life changing. the kids see their wednesday nights at mister Frank and mama t’s as the best part of the week.

“i was nervous as a cat,” herold recalled. “i couldn’t imagine that these high-school students would want to hang out with a 55-year-old man.” however, more kids from the east side of Bradenton find their way over to mister Frank and mama t’s every year. “if kids keep coming, we’ll keep doing it,” herold said. “it’s given real meaning to our lives.”

A family of leaders: Bob, Randi, Beth, Jonathan, Bobbi and Nathan.

“Mama T” and her friend, Marcus “Mr.Frank” with his new friends at Windy gap 16

when ryan Sandefur was growing up, Christianity seemed pretty straightforward, and irrelevant. “To me, faith was doing good things so I didn’t go to hell,” ryan said.

But halfway through high school, ryan and his friends started going to Young Life club, and discovered there is more to Jesus than he’d ever imagined. dave martin, now a regional director in europe, was his Young Life leader, and invited ryan to be in a discipleship group. “over the next two years, i really grew in my faith,” ryan said.

as a college student, ryan visited martin, who had moved to germany to do Young Life. “i just fell in love with germany,” ryan said. “i knew when i graduated i wanted to do Young Life there.”

almost four years ago, ryan and his wife, emily, moved to munich, germany’s third-largest city, to start Young Life College at munich university. they were committed to learning german and to understanding their new culture, which tends to be very secular and skeptical of evangelicals in particular. in germany, there is a state-supported church and also independent “free” churches, but only 2 to 5 percent of the population would describe themselves as Christ followers (and only 1 percent of the country’s university students would).

But the sandefurs also found that germans have a different approach to meeting new people and developing friendships. Finding other german Christians who understand the need to go where non-believing german students are to build bridges of friendship and faith has proven to be one of their most significant challenges.

“in america, we’ve got pretty low ‘outer walls,’” emily said. “we tell everything to a stranger. But we have high inner walls — we don’t like people to know who we really are. in germany, people have higher ‘outer walls,’” emily said. “even telling someone your name can seem too

by aimée KessicK

Young Life College in munich, germany

Editor’s Note: What follows is the fifth in a six-part series looking at the ministry of Young Life College at campuses across the United States and abroad.

Young Life College students enjoying an American ThanksgivingRyan and Emily Sandefur17

personal to them. It can take a really long time before someone can let you in. But once they do, you’ll find they are incredibly deep, caring and loyal, and often open to spiritual things.”

That’s why the Sandefurs and their growing team of German Young Life College volunteer leaders are hopeful that persistence in building meaningful relationships will make an eternal difference to Munich University students.

Seeking out students“With our team, we’ve been focusing on contact work,” Emily said. “We spend a lot of time finding students.” Because the university doesn’t really have the kind of traditional campus life characteristic of an American university, it’s hard to find a group of students congregating in a coffee shop or in a campus quad.

So, in addition to building friendships with other students right where they are — in dorms and in their classes, for example — the Sandefurs and the Young Life College leaders are always on the lookout for where to meet students. Thankfully, because clubs and organizations for the students aren’t officially connected to the university, anyone can join them — and that has been a huge blessing. Ryan is a member of the rock-climbing club, and some of the students he’s befriended will be joining him on a backpacking trip later this year. He’s hopeful that lots of casual conversations will pave the way to more spiritual ones on the trip.

“We want to become a part of students’ worlds and, along the way, single out ones we can go deeper with,” Ryan said.

Below the surfaceAnd even though it’s considered a little odd — or even counter-cultural — to show intentionality in getting to know someone, students like Heikö Knoerzer are receptive.

Almost three years ago, Ryan was with kids from Germany at Wilderness Ranch and Frontier Ranch, Young Life camps in Colorado. Heikö was a camper on the trip, and had an incredible week, but he did not

begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. It seems that God is still working on Heikö, largely through Ryan, and the rest of the Young Life College leaders.

“Heikö realizes that there’s more ‘meat’ to life than people are willing to talk about,” Ryan said. “But he’s drawn to all of us because we talk about those things.”

So does Martina Vogt, one of the Young Life College leaders, who met the Sandefurs at church. “Both of them were very open with us from the beginning, interested in us and welcomed us,” she said. “The fact that they asked us so many questions about our own lives attracted our attention.”

Earlier this year, the Sandefurs were attending a party, and a university student asked if he could practice his English with them to prepare for an oral exam the next day. He passed — but wanted to keep meeting. The word spread, and now the Sandefurs and a group of students meet at a restaurant each week for what they call the English Stammtisch – practicing English, but experiencing friendship.

And every time the Sandefurs host a party to celebrate an American holiday (Emily says German students love exclusively American celebrations), she can count on many of the friends from the dinner group to be there.

“God has given us an insane love for the German people,” Ryan said. “We want to communicate the Gospel with clarity and completeness to them. For some students, it may take three to four years before we can talk about any of this with them.”

So they’ve learned to be patient with the process of friendship and, in the meantime, continue to meet more students, train leaders, build a local committee and look forward to starting their first club. Even though ministry progress can seem slow at times, Emily said they’re “continually blown away by the small steps.”

And every step — an intentional conversation, a meal shared, a backpacking trip or a Fourth of July party in a Munich apartment — is helping students like Heikö and leaders like Martina discover that there is more to friendship, faith and Jesus Christ than they could ever imagine.

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COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP: Relationships with adults in the community are established and maintained for the purpose of prayer support, fundraising and stewardship of ministry.

TRAINED LEADERS: Adult and student leaders are recruited and trained to develop and lead a college ministry that is unique to their campus yet consistent with the mission and values of Young Life.

RELATIONALLY DRIVEN:Staff and leaders are engaging in contact work by pursuing

Key Components of a Vibrant Young Life College Ministry:

students in their environments — especially those with Young Life experience and their friends — (re)introducing them to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.

EFFECTIVE FUNDRAISING:A creative approach to fundraising that includes but is not limited to the traditional Young Life strategies.

INTENTIONALLY CONNECT TO LOCAL, REGIONAL AND MISSIONWIDE YOUNG LIFE WORK: Building relationships with existing Young Life staff and ministries is essential to creating a cohesive vision and viable minsitry/fund-raising plan, as well as maximizing opportunities to launch students back into the mission of Young Life and beyond.

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young life spoken herepassagesCliff anderson, longtime Young life staff, is with his Savior after a courageous battle with

cancer. He leaves behind a long and profound legacy of relational ministry through Young life.

Cliff first encountered Young Life when he was a teacher in a suburb of Chicago. visiting his first club with other teachers, he met the speaker, Bill starr (who would later become Young Life’s second president). soon after that meeting, he became a volunteer leader for the next eight years before becoming the area director in northern Chicago. he later served as regional director of the indiana/michigan region from 1978 to 1988.

in 1988 he came to Colorado springs to make the city a separate Young Life region. eventually his responsibilities turned more toward training. he became interim director for the institute of Youth ministry in 1993 and then training director of Continuing education. named vice president of training in 2000, Cliff remained in this post until his retirement in 2006.

JoHn clifford “cliff” andersonJune 6, 1940 - July 4, 2012

Jim sHeltonnov. 13, 1930 - aug. 1, 2012

Cliff’s achievements are many. he provided key leadership for many of Young Life’s specialized ministries — including Capernaum, YoungLives and wyldLife — and he helped develop the student Leadership Project for high-school students. Cliff served as chairman of the board for the dale house Project in Colorado springs, provided leadership in Young Life’s german Church Partnership, and was involved in an ongoing dialogue with the Catholic Church about best practices in youth ministry. he developed Young Life’s partnerships with many seminaries and was instrumental in establishing the Fuller seminary extension program in Colorado springs, where he taught classes as an adjunct professor.

“Cliff served until 2006 when he officially retired but, of course, unofficially did not. Since then, Cliff continued to be involved in a variety of ways as part-time staff and volunteer. He last was working on a history project lending his 50 years of experience to telling the Young Life story. He also provided a listening ear and served as a compassionate counselor to staff and volunteers. At our Service Center, I’d see Cliff pop into this office, then that one, talking with staff. Fifty years of service. A long obedience in the same direction. And I was privileged to walk with him for 19 of those 50 years.

“One of the questions on Cliff’s original Young Life employment application was: ‘How long do you anticipate working for the Young Life Campaign if accepted?’ His answer was, ‘Forever.’ Cliff Anderson fulfilled his contract. And because he did, Young Life and all of us will never be the same.”

— Denny Rydberg, president

jim Shelton, a legend in this mission who served on Young life staff for more than 40 years, passed

into the arms of jesus on aug. 1, 2012. His roles included area director in San jose, berkeley, and la Canada, Calif.; regional director in Southern California; running the Fuller Seminary/Young life Training Institute for a decade, and speaking 18 summers in a row while on assignment at malibu Club. after retiring from Young life, he served on the gold Coast and Central California regional committee, and trained staff and volunteer leaders in how to proclaim the gospel to kids. Shelton leaves behind his wife, anne, seven children, 14 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

“Jim Shelton had an uncommon appreciation for the Incarnation, and he could hardly talk about it without tears. He taught us to ‘have this attitude in yourselves that was

in Jesus Christ, who, though He was God did not cling to His privileged position, but emptied Himself ...’ The first training I ever had in proclaiming the Gospel was a day with Jim, sitting at a picnic table at Oakbridge. That was almost 25 years ago, and I can still remember the stories, the examples and the lessons he shared. He was one of the most powerful Gospel-tellers I have ever encountered, and most of anything that I do in sharing the good news stems from his influence over the years. Finally, Jim was a passionate San Francisco Giants fan, and it’s no surprise, because he was one ... a giant of a man.

— Scott Lisea, former Gold Coast regional director and current volunteer with Young Life in Santa Barbara, Calif. 

“Jim’s life touched and transformed our lives, and helped expand the kingdom of God. I get teary thinking of the foundational impact that Jim had on me, and on our 41 years of ministry, spawned by his Spirit-filled teaching and modeling. Not a day goes by that I don’t use the Incarnational, servant lifestyle Jim ingrained in us. He was such an inspiration to me. Jim was always a fan, of sports, and of you and me. He has now joined that crowd of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who are looking down on us, praying for us and cheering us on. ‘Lord, help me to live a life worthy of the love and time that Jim invested in me.’”

— Randy Giusta, senior area director, San Diego North Coast

“Uncle Cliffy” on stage

Jim Shelton in the Malibu Band in the ’60s

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young life spoken hereromania

young life’s mission in

How do you earn the right to be heard in a country where folks are incredibly suspicious of foreigners and especially missionaries? By loving and serving the community, we not only share the Gospel, but show its relevance for community development.

We have developed a thriving ministry (called IMPACT) that follows the core principles of Young Life. This has been the most successful youth movement in Romania (a challenging place for youth work). We started with one club in 2003 and now have 140 clubs — the largest movement in the country.

To help kids hear the Gospel in their own language and culture, we try, when possible, to share the good news through Orthodox leaders, given almost 90 percent of the culture is Orthodox.

To learn more about Young Life in Romania, go tonew-horizons.ro/donate-US/

iN 2012

285 seRviCe PROJeCTs BeNeFiTiNG

52,580140 2,592CLUBs

KiDs ACTiveLY PARTiCiPATiNG

CLUBs iN ROMANiA BY sTATe:

hunedoara.......21 CLuJ.....................36BuCaresti...........5timis.....................9mehedinti...........6Brasov................6neamt..................7iasi......................15vranCea.............4gaLati .................9CaLarasi ............9Constanta ........11

STAFF

Dana and Brandi Bates with their family

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YoungLives has had a huge impact on my life. I began my senior year of high school preparing not for college, but to be a mother. everyone knows the statistics about teen moms. Statistics show teen mothers are less likely to complete high school, much less attempt college, and therefore, more likely to live in poverty. without YoungLives being a part of my life, these statistics could have become my reality.

growing up in griffin, ga., my life was always busy with either church or school. through the busy days, i realized i had this void in my life that needed to be filled with acceptance and love. i started searching for something. i participated in every sport or activity possible to try to fill it. i quickly realized these were not satisfying or sustaining. i began trying to fill my life with guys, hoping they could give me love and acceptance. Being sexually active at the age of 16 did everything but give me the satisfaction i longed for.

Finally, my senior year arrived! i was accepted into my first choice for college with scholarships lined up for me. it was going to be a great year. three weeks before school started, however, i found out i was pregnant. my first thought was, “i can’t be a mother. now all my dreams will swiftly go down the drain.” not only was i still empty inside, but i now had to care for and love my baby, a love i knew nothing about.

one day i was eating lunch and in walked gina Ficklen. i recognized her from sports and Young Life but wasn’t sure why she sat down across from me. she began telling me about YoungLives. she explained it was only for teen moms and was going to be fun. she had won me over right then. oh, how i needed to be around others who knew what i was feeling and going through. and i so needed to have fun. (Little did i know gina would become my mentor and teach me about a man named Jesus who could fill my void with his love and acceptance!)

YoungLives club happened once a month and those days couldn’t come fast enough. i looked forward to being around my new friends and seeing how their babies had grown over the past month. gina, now my mentor, not only told me about Jesus and his forgiving love, but also lived it out. i knew someday i wanted to be a mentor to a girl who felt hopeless, and show her the hope and love that gina showed me. they invited me to a camp called sharptop Cove (Young Life’s camp in georgia). i had heard about it from Young Life friends, but was a bit skeptical. i went and it was beyond the best weekend of my life. i came home a new person because i had learned more about Jesus and rededicated my life to him.

at YoungLives, i felt accepted and loved. it gave me hope that i could finish high school, go to college and be the best mother for my sweet baby. i graduated my senior year with honors and a relationship with Jesus — a relationship, that if not for YoungLives, i would not have.

today i am married to the father of my two precious children. we’ve been married for three years and are youth leaders at our church. i’m now the YoungLives coordinator in griffin and get to help young ladies going through what i experienced. i can only hope i show them what gina showed me — Jesus and his unconditional love, a love i now know all about.  

without YoungLives, my life would not be the same. i would just be another statistic with no hope and no future.

a testimony of how

YoungLives changed the

trajectory of a life.

want to know more about our ministry to teenage moms? go to younglife.org and click on “YoungLives.”

nOT aStatisticStatistic

Younglives club happened once a month

and those days couldn’t come fast enough.”

— Lynsey Williams

by lynsey williams

Lynsey with girls at Camp Buckner in Texas

Jamarcus and Lynsey with daughters Emma (left) and Abigail

Lynsey with her mentor, gina (middle), and friend

22

parting shots

“on july 4, 2012, at windy gap, just before the field games, our camp staff along with our campers, leaders and Caitlin Carr’s camera were stopped in our tracks as airman Chris Horton walked across the field, holding the american flag. as andy osenga sang our national anthem, even the most hardened kids paused and gave their respect to our flag and this airman. Chris Horton gave up a year’s worth of air Force ‘leave days’ so he could serve on the ropes Crew this month at windy gap — all so he could be a part of this great gospel story to lost teenagers. my gosh, how blessed are we, to live where we do, rub shoulders with heroes, but mostly to serve a god, the King of Kings, who has already won the battle.”

— glen austell, area director, lubbock, Texas

1. Young life College students from arizona State university on a work project in the philippines.

2. Kids from portugal, Italy and morocco enjoy surf lessons in ericeira, portugal, at the very first Young life Surf Camp!

3. Young life o’ahu Discipleship Camp in molokai, Hawaii.

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