Young Life/Young Lives

Young Life is a nation wide ministry that reaches out to adolescent teens all over with a vision to see every adolescent have the opportunity to meet Jesus Christ and follow Him. Teens are mentored and encouraged over the school year and in the summer all of the teens have the opportunity to attend Young Life camp.  I, Courtney, have been to camp 3 times with Young Lives and it is always the best week of my life!!! Young Lives is a part of Young Life. Our focus is teens, however, we focus on mentoring teens who are pregnant or mothering a child. 
This ministry has been rewarding and trying. When Carol asked me to step up and fill her position of the Young Lives director I was excited and a little nervous to have the opportunity to take over the ministry. I knew I would be leaving state soon and I wondered who God would bring along to step up when I left. I contiuned to pray and left that decision up to God. 
Meanwhile, I along with 3 other women prepared to take 10 girls and 9 babies to camp in Flagstaff, Arizona. 
Terry Harding was one of these women. She had just quite her prior job and this gave me a great opportunity to approach her and ask you to attend camp with me. Terry, 63 years old, jump on board without really knowing what she was getting herself into. She assumed she would be sleeping under the stars in a sleeping bag. Much to her surprise, camp was a wonderful experience with lots of fun to be had and air condition to sleep in. Terry at this point fell in love with the teens and the ministry and I begin to pray and ask if this was the women God had in mind for the Young Lives director. 
Camp was in July and after a lot of prayer and discussion, I am proud to say as of Jan 6, 2011. Terry Harding is the director of Young Lives. 
Terry, I love you and am very thankful for you and to God for preparing your heart for this great season.  
I am sad to have to step down, but I am blessed to have had the opportunity to be in an honored position! 
I am going to stay involved in Young Lives until we leave this March and I hope to join up with another Young Lives in Yakima, Washington.