Passport 2012: Life Together

Some people say they can feel the presence of God the most at the beach, in the mountains or in a church. One of the most important places for me and the transformation of my own faith is located in at a small university in Wingate, North Carolina.

I got to go back to the same kids mission site I worked in 2009,
where some of the children even remembered me.

Passport Inc. has a youth camp that meets each year at Wingate University during the summer. I have had the chance to attend as a camper, bible study leader and chaperone at Passport's Wingate location.

I told a version of this what this place means to me and its importance to my own walk with God to the FBC Gainesville Youth on Thursday night last week at camp.

In the summer of 2009 I had the opportunity to work for Passport as a bible study leader (BSL). For those of you who know me and know the role of a BSL at camp, know that taking on this adventure was taking a step outside of my comfort zone.

On our way to one of the nightly parties.

For those of you who have never been to Passport and seen a BSL in action, they are the ones on stage leading games, dances and all-around acting a fool to keep campers laughing and spirits high, along with leading bible studies and directing mission sites for campers, the latter of which is much more up my alley.

Looking back, I can assure you it was the best summer I had in college. Not only did I learn a tremendous amount about my own faith, but relationships were formed that would last and pay dividends down the road.

That summer I met Chris Burns, the youth minister from First Baptist Church Gainesville and a good friend of my own youth minister, John Uldrick in my hometown of Rome, Georgia.

It was a brief meeting, as was all of my free time that summer. We talked for a few minutes and I did not think about it again for another two years, when I moved to Gainesville to attend Brenau University for my Masters in Occupational Therapy.

Burns leading church group devotions

To make a two-year-long story short, Burns asked me to go with the FBC Gainesville group as a chaperone last year. It was an introduction to the youth group of sorts, a chance to meet some of the students before I would work as a youth intern over the next school year. 

I shared on the last night of camp last year how I felt I was well on my way to becoming a part of this family.

Fast forward 365 days and I found myself back in the same room, with much of the same group, on the last night. I told the group how they, over the past year, have exemplified this year's theme and followed Jesus' call to live 'Life Together.'

I have attended everything from ballet concerts to basketball games as many of these youth and their families have welcomed me into their homes, and ultimately their lives.

Eating oranges... with the peel.

Because of these experiences -- and the fact that I am a male in an all-women's cohort at Brenau -- I would much rather spend a weekend with these youth than most others in Gainesville.

I am beyond thankful for my church family at FBC Gainesville and for the good fortune brought about because of a camp at a small university 30 miles east of Charlotte.

Another bonus to my week is I as able to take a old college friend, Kris Roberts, to camp for the first time as a chaperone with me. For an account of his experience here is the link to his blog.

FBC Gainesville chaperones

Kris and I got to drive the "Dale" bus all week long.

Demonstrating my low aptitude for double dutch.