Now back to my story. 

I went to YL all four years of my high school experience. Every Monday night from 7:47 PM until about 9:45 PM, you could find me at someone's house where YL would be held. Out of all the four years that YL was a part of my high school journey, I don't think I missed one. Scratch that, I think I maybe missed two. That's it. YL was my safe haven in high school, and missing it would make me really upset.

During January of my freshman year, we were getting a few new leaders, and one of them was Kelsey. I remember when she first walked in. She was quiet and reserved (later that changed). I went over to her and started to talk to her. We hit it off right off the bat.

My second semester of junior year is when we really started to get close. We'd get Starbucks after I would get out of school and we would just talk about life. That summer, we went to the beach, watched movies, helped at a car wash, got ice cream, and so many other fun adventures. It was so much fun because I knew that if my friends at school were not around, most likely Kelsey could be free. 

Senior year was when our friendship got even deeper. I was stressed with college applications and other things that year. Every Monday night when Kelsey would drive me home from Club or Campaigners, I would tell her the latest installment of everything that happened at school that day and the week before. Senior year was hard for me because I was trying to understand some things about myself that I just couldn't fully get yet. Knowing that she was there to listen was major. Sometimes I would start to get really upset and cry. She would be there for me. 

That year was also the year that I felt a calling to talk to Kelsey about Jesus. So, I made that a goal to better understand Him through her help. One on one. That takes us to February, three months before graduation.

One night, we had a sleepover at her apartment. We went to dinner, went ice skating, baked cookies, played a game with her roommates, and then watched a little bit of the movie Clueless. Clueless is about a girl in a prestigious high school and her efforts to make another student popular. My high school unfortunately mirrored that a little bit. Earlier that week, I had something happen in Biology that made me super upset, among other things. As the movie played, scenes started to remind me about school and I started to get really upset and sad. I remember Kelsey had to go get a drink of water, and when she came back, I asked if she wanted to talk.

So, for the next three hours, we had a pretty emotional convo about high school, and all of the ups and downs that come with it. I was bawling. That brought us into talking about Him. She told me that I am loved so much no matter what. I think she then told me about her Jesus journey. Through that entire night, I felt like I could say anything without judgement. The next morning, she took me to her church for worship. That was just what I needed. Then, a few weeks after I graduated high school, we had another sleepover! She is the coolest.

Now after high school and my freshman year of college, I am still super close with Kelsey. We now have once a month Bible studies and check in sessions over Google Hangouts. I live for those. She still teaches me so much, and her impact does not stop after we are both done with YoungLife.

To all of the current YL leaders out there, know that the impact you are making on the kids you lead is HUGE. They might not show it, but what you are doing for them is the best gift you can give, time.