Hundreds of students from our area encountered the love of Christ at camp.
Hundreds of students from our area encountered the love of Christ at camp.

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Harrisonburg/Rockingham harrisonburg.younglife.org

July/August 2017 Newsletter










Our last summer camp trip is off. Our Capernaum kids on their way and so full of joy! A true view of the kingdom!


What a summer we’ve had!  We are so grateful for your partnership in reaching kids in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.  Hundreds of students from our area encountered the love of Christ at Young Life camp this summer.  Many of them for the first time. We will send a few stories and quotes from camp trips in the upcomming monthly newsletters. Read this story from one of our leaders at Harrisonburg High School.

Camp Stories: Ezia - HHS

Over the course of this past school year, Ezia and I have formed a friendship that would be impossible outside of the power of Jesus Christ. I have tutored her in Algebra, refused to let her drive my car, bought her McDonalds a trillion times, and shared the love of Christ with her. I have prayed on my knees through tears for her to begin a relationship with Jesus. 

Because she loved fall weekend, she was determined to come to summer camp. When summer school threatened to prevent her from coming to camp, she said, “Miss, I’m skipping summer school. Ain’t nothin’ stopping me from camp.” 

Thankfully, Ezia did come to camp this summer (without skipping summer school). I was continually surprised by her reaction to camp. On the first night, all of the campers go through a pretty rigorous obstacle course (an event I felt certain Evia would HATE). At the end, she said to me, “Miss, we should do that obstacle course every night!” I was shocked.

Halfway through the week, our cabin went horseback riding. Ezia had been looking forward to it all week, constantly asking me when it would be our turn. When we arrived at the horses, Ezia took one look at the enormous wild animal facing her, and said, “Oh H*** no.” After much persuasion, I convinced her to ride. She mounted her horse, yelped as it started moving, and got in line with the rest of our cabin. Not even three minutes into the trail, I heard a scream, a thud, and “Ezia just fell off the horse.”

My heart dropped. Did she break her back? Would she be able to walk? Would she want to leave camp?  It turns out Ezia was fine. She got up, and we started back towards the horse barn to check out her injuries. As the EMT was wrapping up her ankle, Ezia said to me, “I want to go again.” I was floored, yet again. ARE YOU SERIOUS!? You just fell off a horse you were already terrified of!!!!! You would go again?

By the end of the week, Ezia had heard and was processing the problem of sin and the God-sized hole that is in her heart. She wrote down her thoughts: “Physically, I’m found. But through life I’m lost. I wanna be found and kept.” I asked Ezia if she wanted to begin a relationship with Jesus. She said yes. I explained to her the cost of following Jesus. I told her Jesus would want to change her heart, was she willing for that to happen? She said yes.  It was a week of risks after all.  

Ezia doesn’t understand all of the theology behind her sin and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. But here is what she does know: she knows that she was lost; that life on her own wasn’t working, and that Jesus can change all that. 

Ezia is still a sassy, 16-year-old girl. However, now she has been adopted into the family of God, and I cannot wait to see how she grows.

- Emily Reiflin HHS leader













We are so excited to welcome Caroline Heese to our staff team!  Caroline led at Pence Middle School while she attended JMU, and has served on Young Life College staff here for the last two years.  We are so excited as she steps into her new role as our Executive staff person for Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.  














We are also excited to welcome our new staff associate, Connor Williams (on the left)!  Connor just graduated from JMU, and will continue to lead at Turner Ashby HS where he’s been leading for the last 3 years.  

Upcomming Events

  • Tuesday, October 10: Annual Fundraising Banquet.
  • October 20-22: Fall weekend 

As we enter into the last two months of our fiscal year, would you consider a financial gift to help us across the finish line?  Click the button below if you would like to give.

CLICK TO GIVE

Prayer Needs:

  • Pray for the kids who have begun a relationship with Christ through camp this summer.
  • Pray for Julie Ilg as she has now moved to Ohio to be closer to her dad.
  • We feel so grateful to have both Caroline and Connor to the team, please pray as they begin their new roles.

PO Box 1433 | Harrisonburg, VA  22803 | 540 434 5806

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