Young Life Camping

Young Life summer camps are truly the best camps in the world for kids.  We take kids to pristine settings, away from distractions, and provide kids with an opportunity to hear about Jesus in a way that they understand. This summer we will be taking 40 kids to Washington Family Ranch in Oregon for "the best week of their lives." To help contribute to our camper scholarship fund and to see more about summer camp click here.   You can also read about the two amazing camping trips we took this last spring by visiting our blog at http://ylsitka.blogspot.com/

Young Life summer camp is really hard to describe and so we have attached a video that shows each of the camps we will be attending.  At each camp there are hundreds of volunteers who work behind the scenes to make sure that kids have the best week of their lives with their Young Life leaders and friends.   

This year we have around 80% of our students that need some type of scholarship support in order to go to camp. To help make camp happen for our middle school and high school kids from Sitka and around the state of Alaska - click the link below!  When directed: please select gift designation to a Young Life Ministry, click "Area Number" and type AK23 (no spaces), and finally & select "camp scholarship." Donate here - Sending Kids to Camp! 

The middle school camp we are going to from June 30-July 5th is called "Creekside" and is designed as a waterpark!

 The high school camp is called "Canyon" and has a high ropes course, basketball courts, rock climbing, mountain biking, go carts, a pool, and much more. We'll heading to this camp with our high school group from June 16th to June 23rd. 

2017 Spring Camping Trips 

   

This past month we had a chance to take 2 camping trips, (a guys trip and a girls trip) to a beautiful cabin 5 miles north of town.  Each weekend had beautiful weather and students had the opportunity study the Bible with their peers, to see northern lights, go swimming, go kayaking, make meals, and take have personal devotion times.  We also had the rare chance to eat herring eggs off kelp and for kids to go swimming in phosphorescence at night.   The guys went to a beach on another island, had a bonfire, and helped the owner remove lots of brush around the cabin.  The girls went on a hike, cooked, and enjoyed being  together and away from campus. There were 6 guys and 2 leaders for the boys trip and 4 leaders and 11 girls on the girls trip. These camping trips are always a highlight for all who are able to go. 



A Big Thank You

As part of the Sitka Young Life family - I just wanted to pass the following thank you.  This past Friday was graduation for MEHS and families from around the state came to town. One parent who I had never met, gave me a huge hug, looked me in the eyes and stated, "you don't know how much it means to me that you were here for my kids, thank you so much!" This family who was following Jesus was so relieved to know that people were investing in their two kids while they were 1,200 miles away from home.  So on behalf of these families, thank you for volunteering, donating time, contributing resources, and investing in the lives of so many around the state.  Click here to read more.

That same day I received a text from one of our senior girls who wanted to know if we would like to come and have dinner with their family.  Emily and I gladly accepted and when we got to the address they gave us we found 18 people from 4 generations, 6 of whom were cousins attending MEHS.  We were the only non-Native representation, and they were so grateful to have us in attendance. During the evening they served a huge meal, had wonderful food, sang 2 gospel songs and then asked if I would like to close their time together in prayer.

The Johnsons shared their song at Baccalaureate Service

Graduation week I also received a thoughtful text from a graduating senior that thanked me for conversation about faith that we had had the previous week- he said that our conversation really helped him feel like he was moving closer back to God. He was very thankful.

These encouraging interactions reveal just a part of God's work in our partnership in the ministry of Sitka Young Life.  

Emily with girls who have been involved in YL for all 4 years

So, thank you prayer team for meeting together weekly to pray, providing a strong foundation.  Thank you committee members for investing your time and energy helping plan events and turning them into a reality. Donors, thank you for being the means of the various resources that allow students to access Christ.  And thank you leaders and volunteer leaders for the hours of time you spend investing in relationships that might ultimately lead kids to a relationship with our Father.  To all involved, thank you for choosing to be a part of this team.  Love, Your Sitka Young Life Family 

Weekly Campaigners

Our weekly Bible study breakfasts, called campaigners, has been a highlight of the year.  We have 4 groups: a co-ed middles school group that meets twice a month, a co-ed Sitka High group that meets Friday mornings at the Voron's, a MEHS guys group that meets Tuesday mornings at Grace Harbor Church, and a MEHS girls group that meets in different people's homes.  We have been able have good food and been able to go deeper with the kids during these times.   Click HERE to read more and to see more pictures.

The above picture is of Danielle leading our girls group.  Danielle graduate last year and now attends Alaska Christian College and she came to visit us in Sitka during her spring break.  Below is a picture of our MEHS guys group and the last photo is another one of the girls group.  In the next three weeks both MEHS girls and guys groups will be taking separate camping trips where we will have fun together and study his word to word.

Winter Blast Report

Our February winter camp was a lot of fun and a huge success!  We had two evening lock-ins back to back: middle school with 35 kids, and high school with 55 kids. Each camp had 4  club meetings (with games, songs, and message), 3 cabin time reflections, 2 meals and a snack, 1 crazy gym time, and lots and lots of chances to build relationships and talk about Jesus.  To see pictures, videos and hear more, click HERE.

The weekend started of at 7pm Thursday night with the middle school camp.  Our wacky program team did goofy skits to start off a great club and followed by great cabin time reflection.  Next we headed off to Sitka's very own Ninja Warrior Gym combined Sitka gymnastics gym.  This was the perfect place for kids to bounce off walls as well as climb them. Our middle school kids were challenged to look at it means to let go of control of their lives and give control to God. It was a great time of fun, crazy games, and great conversations with kids and leaders. 

High School camp started at 7pm on Friday.  Most of the students were from Mt. Edgecumbe High School, and they all felt very comfortable.  Again we had 4 clubs times meeting together where our speaker shared about how giving control of our lives to God makes all the difference. In small groups kids really opened up and shared about fears and what they face back home.  The weekend was filled with impromptu Native singing and dancing, Native Youth Olympics, wiffle Ball and 5 star food. It was an 18 hour whirlwind- but it's absolutely amazing what can happen in such a short period.  Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

Winter Blast- Here we Come!

We have been looking forward to this weekend all year- Winter Blast! Sitka Young Life will host a middle school and a high school lock-in starting on Thursday, February 23^rd and then follow that with a lock-in for high school students Friday, February 24^th. These events are an amazing chance for kids to share experiences, make memories, build friendships and hear about Jesus. Camp is aimed at kids who would not come to church.  Please pray that God would speak through all of camp and especially during the club talks and our cabin times. We want to make camp available to all and we have found that many high school kids have a hard time paying.  To make winter camp accessible to all students we are not charging for kids to attend this event. Camp costs $50 per student, so if you would like join us in making camp available to all kids by making a donation please click HERE. For more details click HERE

Last year we had 45 middle school kids and 55 high school kids come to Winter Blast.  We flew up two people to come do program- which means- design and facilitate games and humor that breaks down walls, creates shared memories, and helps people bond.  This year we have the an all star crew of Young Life staff coming in from Anchorage and Fairbanks.  Our speaker this year is a former Young Life area director in Texas and now travels around speaking in public schools.  Each lock-in will have 4 times where we gather as a large group to gather for games and a message.  Following each message, students will have a chance to break into small cabin groups and talk about how the message applies to their own lives.  Camp is a great time where God really works.  Please pray for safety and that God really moves in the hearts of these kids.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta

Mt. Edgecumbe Highs School in Sitka has kids from 120 different communities all over Alaska. Our connection with kids at MEHS can impact communities state wide.  Part of my (Aaron)  job is to help rural communities start youth ministries.  Last week I visited Jason Bavilla (first Alaska Native on YL staff), in Tuntituliak (population 600) and then went to meet with 25 people in Bethel (population 6500) who are interested in helping to start Young Life.  The frozen land is pretty, the passionate people are encouraging, and the dream to reach every kid is God sized.  To see and read more click here

In Tuntutuliak I had a chance to visit an MEHS Graduate (class of 2007) and his wife and 2 kids.  Jason is the first Alaska Native on Young Life staff.  The pace of life is in the village is different and no roads or running water effect how people spend their time. Jason coaches middle school basketball  and knows every kid in the village. He plans on using his home to host Bible studies, and sleep overs. And wants to give kids the opportunity to go to camp. Highlights for me were spending time with the Bavillas, seeing him coach basketball, and eating moose, riding on his 4-wheeler, and going to hunt for fox. Jason's big dream is to help kids in his village understand that God really loves them personally and wants to have a relationship with them individually.  He wants to show them how to learn from the Bible and how to continue their faith when life gets hard. The picture above and below are from Tunt.

I met my friend Dale in Bethel as we met with a group of people who are interested in starting Young Life.  Bethel is the largest "hub" community in Alaska.  6,500 people live there and it services another 19,000 living in 50 surrounding villages. In 5 days we meet with many people who had a deep passion to bring the hope they have found in Christ to the youth in Bethel.  Many of these people are already involved in ministries but hope that Young Life can bring structure and organization to help coordinate outreach and discipleship. efforts, also bring training and support.




High lights of the trip for me were:  being able to meet such great people, the group interest meeting (the group from the photo), home-made pizza party interest meeting at the Byrnes's, a 15 mile snow machine ride down river to a Bible camp called Camp Hope, and participating in nightly traditional native steam baths with the men of the Fox family.  Dolena Fox graduated MEHS in 2014 and has been involved with Young Life since she first came to Mt. Edgecumbe.  It was during her time in Young Life that she started her relationship with God and since then she has always dreamed that Young Life would come to Bethel and plans on returning to help with youth ministry.  She wants all the kids from her home to experience the love and hope she has found through her relationship with God.

Ice road on the Kuskokwim River

Tundra by Camp Hope

Prayer Requests:

• Wisdom and timing for Bethel Young Life, pray also for more people to be interested in being involved in the support committee and a couple people in Bethel interested in coming on YL staff.
• For Sitka Young Life in recruiting more leaders, prayer team, committee, and donors.

First Sitka Capernum

Welcome to the first installment of the monthly Sitka Young Life Snapshot.  We will be sending a quick note and picture each month of something happening in ministry here in Sitka.

This semester Sitka Young Life volunteers have started Capernum Young Life- a ministry geared toward kids with special needs. Here is a picture of our awesome group during a Halloween costume night.  The group has meet four times and the excitement for students, parents, and leaders continues to grow.  This has got to be one of the best places to be on a Tuesday night!

Click here for prayer requests and 2017 camp information

Thank you for your support and prayers for Sitka Young Life,

Chris Voron   & Aaron Routon

To unsubscribe- please email us at sitkayounglife@gmail.com

Prayer Requests:

• Safety for students and leaders during Christmas holiday
• Aaron and Young Life team traveling to Bethel to help get Young Life started
• That kids draw close to God and get involved in church over the next few weeks
• Decisions and planning for winter camps.
• New leaders joining the team in January
• God's provision in finances for 2017

2017 Sitka Young Life Camp Dates

Winter Blast - February 24-27, 2017

JAM Girls Discipleship - TBA

High School Summer Camp - WFR Canyon (Oregon) June 16-23, 2017

Middle School Summer Camp - WFR Creekside (Oregon) June 30-July 5, 2017