Insights from Jessica B

At the end of the week, Marty said it best, "It's like you just broke
up with a boyfriend/girlfriend. You invest, invest, invest, and then
it's gone." I think that sums up to the feelings that I felt when all
was said and done. I had given so much to those kids in the ways of
entertainment, love, and energy then they were gone. Some of those
girls had come to me with situations that they were facing and you
don't know what to do. God handed you this situation and you invest so
much emotion into trying to make them feel better. Then, they are gone
and you just pray that you made a difference in their lives. That you
made an impact, but you never know. This week also made me realize how
lucky I'm to have this job. Not only am I helping others, but I'm
learning about myself. You learn to treasure this moment, because you
will never be handed this again.

Love,
Jess

Beth's Growth Group

My stomach all in knots.

We’re about to start.

All the kids are about to come in.

And I’m just sitting here.

Trying not to think about all the pressure.

I volunteered to help with a growth group.

And now I’m freaking out.

These kids’ lives are in my hands.

I am supposed to help then with their walk with God.

What if I say the wrong things?

What if I don’t get “in” their thoughts?

All I can do is have faith in God.

God will lead me to say the right things.

God did lead me to say the right things.

The growth group that Zac and I led was a success!

It was amazing to watch these middle schools interact.

They might be a bit shy to start, but they did open up and share theirs real thoughts. They are at the age where they don’t know everything, but if they don’t understand they will just ask.

Even when you don’t think that you’ve touched them in anyway, they will surprise you. They will have a huge smile on their face when you walk in the door and then you look up and notice they wrote you a note on the blackboard. “We luv Sarah Beth and Zac!” That right there almost made me cry. I had been having a rough day when I look up and see that. It turned my whole day around. These middle schoolers are wonderful.

Then on the last day they asked Zac and I if we had Facebook because they wanted to add us as friends. I love the feeling of being loved. I have flaws and they know it, but they still welcome me just the same.

I really needed that love on Saturday. They changed my life. I see things differently, even though they are so young they really have a huge impact on your life if you just take the time to listen to them. They have shown me more how to live out God through everything in my life like they do each and every day.

Beth Frick

More from the Moon!

Summer at Lake J:

This summer was amazing for me. I bonded with people in a way that can never be broken, even by distance. I got to see the lives of kids changed every week, in very different ways. What amazed me the most this summer was how every group we had was unique and very different from the other, but God met every different need. He showed that He is truly the God of all peoples, every race, every culture, every
history. He showed me this summer that He is truly a God that knows each and every one of us to the core, and that if we just seek His will He will show us the way. When the youth groups left, the main comment I heard from youth leaders was that their kids hearts had been changed, and my prayer is that those hearts stayed changed when they got back home, and that they never lose what they found at the lake. This summer changed my life as a young adult because it allowed me to use my gifts and talents to worship God and
to share Him with others. God clearly showed me that He has blessed me with the gift of art so that I can use it to share Him with other people. The reason I am breathing is to love others, and to bring other close to God through artful expression. What I love about Lake Junaluska is that when you come there, you find strength, hope, and friendship, and you never leave as the same person you were when you got there!

A. Moon