Week at Windy Gap
Claire and I have been involved with Young Life in Central Virginia in one
capacity or another for the past four years. It all started when my partner, Tom Eppes,
convinced us to go to Family Camp at Young Life’s camp in Rockbridge County four
years ago. We had no idea what to expect. We were assured that there would be other
families from Lynchburg there that year, so we, apprehensively, agreed to go.
When we got there we realized that we had been misinformed on two accounts.
First, this place was not a camp – it was a resort for teenagers tucked away in the Blue
Ridge Mountains (more on that later) that Young Life graciously opened up to families at
the end of the summer so that they could experience a mere taste of what the camp offers
to teenagers during the rest of the summer. Secondly, there was no other family from
Lynchburg there – we were it, but it made no difference at all. We were welcomed in
true Young Life style. We were treated like we were their closest friends that they had
known for years. Being the only family from Lynchburg allowed us the rare privilege of
receiving a personal tour of the camp and an explanation of the ministry and the
philosophy of Young Life from Lynchburg’s Young Life area director, Allen Miller.
We’ve been hooked ever since! We are now serving in our third year on the Lynchburg
Area Adult Committee for Young Life.
Being involved with Young Life over the past few years has allowed us many
opportunities to see God at work in the lives of young people. Most of our exposure has
been to the young adult volunteer leaders. We have gotten to know these remarkable
young people and watch them pour their time, love and care into the lives of teenagers.
We have seen them get psyched up to serve at leadership meetings and retreats. These
young college kids spend eight to ten hours a week hanging out with high school kids just
to show them that they care about them. That’s on top of their own school
responsibilities and obligations! It blows my mind to see how much these folks love the
Lord and are willing to show it by loving on these often unlovable teenagers. Their
commitment gives me hope, because I know that the Lord is using them to change lives.
I’ve seen it first hand.
On June 22nd, my family arrived at Young Life Camp again. This time, however,
we were at Young Life’s camp in the mountains of North Carolina called Windy Gap.
Another change for us this time around is that we weren’t the only folks from the
Lynchburg area there – this time we were there with twenty-one area high school kids, 2
volunteer leaders, the Young Life area intern, and the Young Life area director from
Central Virginia. We were joined by over 375 other campers from places as close as
Tennessee and as far away as Wisconsin. I was on the trip to serve as the camp physician
for the week. Young Life allows the camp physician to bring his family and it put us up
in a very comfortable, well-appointed “chalet”. I was “on call” for the week to assist the
camp nurse with any health problems or injuries that occurred during the week.
Fortunately, there were no major injuries or problems, just some sprains, bumps and
bruises.
Each Young Life camp has an adult guest program for folks that want to learn
more about the ministry and to witness the ministry in action at camp for a week. We
were incorporated into this program. As such, we were given the opportunity to see
behind the scenes at camp. We were invited to all of the leader meetings where the camp
staff would let us all know what was going to be happening during the course of the
week. The program staff (who provided the entertainment) would let us know about new
characters and skits that we might see, while the speaker for the week would let us know
the focus of his upcoming talks and what he would be trying to convey to the kids about
the gospel. These meetings also were times of worship, praise and prayer as everyone
attending them were longing for the Holy Spirit to move through the camp and reach
their teenage friends. Through these meetings we witnessed the incredible time and
energy that these gifted and committed folks put into setting up a program that would just
blow the kids away.
These meetings also helped us to feel like we were part of the team. In classic
Young Life style, we were made to feel like we were part of the Young Life family. No
one was a stranger. We were loved and served from the moment we arrived. This
fostered in us a desire to be part of that same service as we reached out to kids and
encouraged the staff in all of their hard work. It really made me think that this was what
Heaven is supposed to be like – everyone loving and serving one another with joy in the
name of Christ. It’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before and I know that my
words fall short of truly describing it.
I’ve not even begun to tell you about what we watched in the teenagers that week.
You have somewhat of an idea of the people and efforts behind the scenes. As you could
imagine, it was an amazingly powerful thing to watch these efforts start to bear fruit. I
remember watching some of the kids getting off the buses the first day, exhausted from
hours on the bus, with looks of apprehension and incredulity as the work crew (high
school kids who volunteer to slave away at the camp unpaid for a month) formed a
gauntlet of cheers to greet them as they stumbled off the buses. The work crew then took
the campers’ luggage to their rooms for them as if they were guests in the finest hotel. I
don’t think they knew what hit them! The camp itself is visually shocking. The grounds
were perfectly groomed and beautifully landscaped. The property is completely
surrounded by pristine forests and mountains. The buildings were reminiscent of an
expensive mountain lodge retreat – not something you would expect at a “camp” for
teenagers. So, from the moment the kids step off the buses, they are made to feel special,
worthy and loved.
Their first few days are consumed with camp group activities such as the obstacle
course (run in the dark through the woods with the goal of the kids working together to
protect their leaders from such dangers as water balloons and swimming noodle
beatings), cabin volleyball tournament, and other various other field games. Every kid
participates and is given the opportunity to succeed. Then there were the “rides” such as
the Naskarts (go carts run on a racetrack), horseback riding through the mountains, the
ropes course, the climbing tower, the zip line, the blob, the water slide, and much more.
All of this is designed to give the kids the week of their lives.
However, we derived the greatest pleasure from observing Club each night.
Every evening after dinner, the campers would pour into the club room for about 90
minutes of amazing entertainment. The program crew put together some of the best
comedy I’ve ever seen – amateur or professional! Their skits were full of energy, music,
and some unbelievable choreography leaving everyone sore from laughter. The club
room would be full of 400 teenagers standing shoulder-to-shoulder cheering, laughing
and singing songs at the top of their lungs. All of their adolescent insecurities seemed to
absolutely melt away and they were able to just be kids without all of the pressures of
their teenage world. It was like a true return to innocence for many of them. Then all of
the mayhem would come to a complete stand still as the speaker for the week would
come out and begin. It was like Christ silencing the storm and the waves. The raucous,
rowdy cheering and singing of 400 teenagers instantly gave way to respectful, attentive
silence. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. There seemed to be a real hunger for what he
was going to say and they seemed to hang on every word. Steve Chesney, our speaker
for the week, did an amazing job of introducing the person of Jesus Christ, what our
relationship with God was intended to be, how our sin separates us from God, and the
magnitude of what Christ did to restore us to God. Steve spoke with a gentle, loving
spirit, but was also bold enough to address the gritty side of the world of teenagers,
confronting head-on the problems of sexual promiscuity, drug and alcohol use, and
broken family relationships. He relayed the message that everyone there working for the
kids understands that these problems exist in many of their lives, but that Christ did not
want to condemn them. He wanted to help them and so did the staff, leaders, and work
crew. The leaders and staff proved this to the kids by being available to talk to the kids,
one on one, about whatever questions and concerns they had. Many of them shared their
own past, personal struggles with drug use, alcohol use, sexual promiscuity, and broken
families during club to all 400 kids – talk about powerful stuff. These folks could
honestly say, “We know what you’re going through. We’ve been where you are, and
there is a better way. Let us show you.”
They did. The entire week was set up to do just that – to show them the “better
Way.” The many activities, the amazing surroundings reflecting the undeniable glory of
God’s creation, but mostly the love shown through their gifts of time, presence, and
willingness to listen and talk demonstrated to these young people God’s love for them
flowing through their leaders and the camp staff.
Many were convinced of their need for Him and desire to “come home” to Him.
After two different club talks, the kids were encouraged to go out into the camp and
spend 15 minutes alone, reflecting on the message of the cross and what it meant for
them. During this quiet time many of the kids turned their lives over to Christ. At the
very last club these kids are invited to stand as a group, give their names, and
acknowledge that they have made a commitment to Christ. Over 150 teenagers (seven
from Central Virginia) stood and acknowledged that they had accepted Christ during the
week. The Spirit was so thick in that room, you could cut it with a knife!
I could go on and on, but words will never adequately convey what we
experienced and witnessed. When the week was over, it was hard to imagine leaving that
atmosphere and coming back to the “unreal” world. As Steve said in his talks, the real
world (as God intended it) was more like camp – full of love, service, acceptance,
laughter, music, joy and completely permeated by the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that
everyone who experienced the “real world” of camp that week will be changed enough
by it to bring a part of it back to the “unreal world”, thus bringing it a little closer to what
God intended it to be. I know that will happen for some of those kids who will be forever
changed by their week at Windy Gap. I know that my family and I were blessed and
privileged to witness this week at Windy Gap and that we, too, have been changed by it.
I would encourage anyone that wants to experience a taste of what Young Life has to
offer the teenagers in our community to come to camp. Bring your family to Young
Life’s Family Vacation (aka. Family Camp) at Rockbridge Alum Springs this August, or
go to any one of the Young Life camps across the country as an adult guest. I can
promise that you will be forever changed by the experience.