This summer we got the chance to take 15 kids from Ladera to Oakbridge, a Young Life camp, for a week. IT WAS AMAZING!
From being greeted by high school and college students that had given up a month to serve, to the pool, skate park, and dinning room, these kids got to experience the love of Jesus through the work crew and summer staff caring for and serving them... not to mention the camp speaker and the stories we got to hear each night at club.
Oakbridge was an adventure. We got to rock climb, sleep under a sky full of shooting stars, do the "leap of faith," shoot bows and arrows, do a high ropes course with a gnarly zip-line, play crazy messy games, go in a giant mud pit, and hear over and over again about how crazy Jesus is about each and every one of us.
One of the highlights was having the server from our meals come and share his testimony with us on the last night of camp. He was a shy 16 year old from Redando Beach, and our kids cheered for him and totally accepted him from the very first meal. He was so moved by our group that he asked his boss if he could share his story with us. It was truly a gift. He shared how Jesus had changed his life in high school, taking him from a shy withdrawn person to someone excited about life and ready to make new friends. He shared how Jesus had given him confidence, and helped him discover his talents in music. More importantly, he shared how Jesus had given him something to live for. It was a special time.
We will be going back to Oakbridge again next summer, as well as this November for winter camp!
