Young Life. If you do not know what it is, let me enlighten you. Young Life is a Christian organization that teaches high school students about God. Every Monday, for me, my friends from school and the Young Life leaders (mentors) who brought us there, would get together in a big room and dance to some of the hottest jams. We’d watch a few skits (put three fingers up for Dale), have a couple of sing-alongs (wagon wheel is life), and at the end, we’d listen to one of the leaders read a scripture. That was my Monday night for two years.

I would have never discovered it if it was not for my Young Life leader. She pestered me at school until she finally convinced me to go to a Young Life camp during the summer. She helped me through my rough times and enjoyed the good times with me. She was always there when I needed a pick me up or just when I felt like going on a hike up to a fire tower. She led me to where I needed to be and she helped me figure out who I actually was. She gave me some forever friends, including her, and she gave me an excuse to dance around like an idiot and sing at the top of my lungs for two hours and not feel bad about it. The club room was like home to me

Young Life was my safe haven. My favorite part about Young Life was camp. Oh gosh, camp was so much fun. It’s “the best week of your life.” It is a week filled with games, skits, bangin’ food, and Jesus. I found myself at camp. I found the Lord at camp. We always went to this place called Carolina Point. Where the grass is always green and the Lord can always be seen. It was like paradise there. All of them are like that though and they are always the most beautiful at night when they have the lawn lights on.

Young Life saved my life. It opened up a new door for me and gave me a chance to be the person I was meant to be and I am beyond happy that that little curly headed blonde girl in Chaco’s pestered me.