Spot the toddler running happily through the big room as the youth is arriving and playing games before youth starts on Tuesday night
While we were on the field running around and playing a game, Q spotted the Monahan's outside playing and she very quickly wanted to go see them. She spends as much time as possible with that family! Dani was piggy backing her around and they were laughing like crazy. All three girls are so good with her and she adores them!
I love this youth room with all the couches and cool walls. But I love the kids that fill the space even more. Such a fun group of teenagers
Jen texted and asked if Q could come in and watch a show with the girls while we were finished with the youth - she was thrilled to have more time there!! A few minutes later she texts this picture of her and Sarah and said that Dani helped Q into a pair of her PJs because they wanted to have a sleepover haha! Cute little friends!!
So I can officially write this now - Jon got offered a full time job at Imadene so he has resigned his position at the church. We spent a while praying about it and talking it all over and it was very clearly the right choice. But it was not an easy choice. The church and its leadership has been SO good to us, and it is such an excellent place to work. They have cared for us, taught us, walked with us, and stretched us. We love this job. Jon is so good at it, and the youth group is really an incredible group of kids. Its wild to think about how we started with 4 students 4 years ago and God has grown this group into 30+ on a average Tuesday. Jon has been such an active part of the community, coaching basketball, serving breakfast Monday mornings at Project Breakfast, and just being around. We can't go anywhere in Chemainus or Crofton without Jon stopping to talk to a few different youth at least. God has used Jon and his gifts so clearly in the past few years to reach teenagers and teach them about His truth. But Wildside is his dream. We needed the church job when we left Imadene the first time - we were run down and needing a change, and it was the perfect fit for us. Despite being a very busy job, we found rest in doing it. It filled our souls and recharged us. It's hard to explain. We were just met with so much love from this church family and so much support from the leadership. It is so wild to look back now and see how we needed these past four years there to grow. It changed our perspective of ministry and how to balance work and family and how to seek after the Lord in all we do. Now, Jon is ready to head back into full time camp ministry, and Imadene is at a place where they are ready to hire him full time. It is good, very good. But we are still hesitant, because change is a tad scary. We knew we needed to tell our youth group before we told the congregation, so on Tuesday night Jon filled them in. There were a few tears and lots of silence. We kept it very upbeat and positive, reminding them that we are in no way leaving the church, and that we have no intention of disappearing from their lives, it will just look differently. Afterwards, this amazing teenager asked Jon if he could pray for him. Mark got up there and prayed for Jon in front of all of his peers and Jon was teary and it was a moment I will never ever forget. It is time for a new direction! We are excited and supportive of whoever they bring in next and to see what happens next with the youth in Chemainus and Crofton!
Playing at the Easson's the next morning - three cute girls playing in the little pool, having tea parties and eating cheese and fruit for snack
My wonderful new veggie pots! Q helped me plant them and has taken the job of watering very seriously. The smaller white pot is a tumbler tomato plant just for her, since Jon and I both greatly dislike tomatoes and she LOVES them. It makes her very happy to have her very "own" plant to take care of
Gorgeous Crofton. Love this place
Hot chocolate date with my favorite girl
Watering the plants before bed!
She stands on the landing and asks Jon to catch her, and she jumps the whole flight of stairs! It freaks me out a little, but she giggles a lot and Jon is confident that its fine. They are a bunch of crazies!
Finally going to the appointment that he cancelled twice before I made the appointment again and made him go. He has such a fear of the dentist! Might not be the most fun thing to do, but it is necessary! Way to face your fears Jon!
Love you guys! We know what that's like to tell teenagers news like that. It's never fun. But what we LOVE about our times in two different churches (and youth groups) is that we still carry those relationships with us in our current ministry roles and it's so wonderful. Even more than 10 years later from the first time we left a church youth group, many kids and families are still active in our lives. So proud of you guys, and SO EXCITED to have you at camp full time! xo
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