Never Underestimate a Champion

It's interesting how just when you've started to become comfortable with something, you get pushed out of your comfort zone once again. After a few times of teaching Growth Journal and Bible Study during our nightly Team Time, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on how to do it. After our last trip, it seemed like building those deeper relationships with students and taking advantage of teachable moments was getting easier. I had almost gotten to the point where a lot of the things I was doing were very mechanical, and not as challenging as they had been.

And then came Team #6. An all boys team. Eleven high school boys, out of which nine are entering freshman year. Talk about a radical shift from the juniors and seniors we had been working with the past two trips. My first Growth Journal this week was a struggle, as I didn't think to change it so this new group would be able to relate. Conversations were, and still are, a struggle. My mind doesn't always think of topics that are especially interesting to high school boys. It's hard to go deep with them, because a lot of times they don't even know what they're thinking. Motivating and challenging them has been quite a challenge in itself. They have been quick to make excuses and slow to take responsibility. They lack the drive we've seen in some of our older students.

BUT.. it's been good. One of the ten leadership principles we talk about at LeaderTreks is "Never Underestimate a Champion." It's kind of the idea that people can do more than we sometimes give them credit for, and that we shouldn't give up on them. And that's definitely beginning to happen with this team. I'm learning not to give up on people, and to pour encouragement and challenge into them in order to motivate them to their full potential. Over the past few days, our students have slowly begun to recognize that they haven't been doing things to the best of their ability. They've become more honest in admitting when something isn't going well. Last night was an incredible turning point for all of them. They realized that they only had one day left on the worksite and at VBS to make a difference, and they took that to heart. When I got up to help with breakfast, I noticed that all the guys were up and already working on one of our work projects... an HOUR before breakfast was even ready. We usually start work at 9, and they were out there at 6:20! They finally worked enthusiastically and completed the work by the time devos started at 8. I was so impressed and so proud of them. Later today, their VBS was a TON better than it had been the previous days, and it seemed like several of the little kids were impacted by the love they received from our students. It will be interesting to watch how they continue to grow the next 4 days as we backpack and as they each have a turn leading us and keeping us from getting lost and getting to the campsite on time.

Tomorrow is our third and final backpacking trip this summer. It's weird to think that after four hikes, I may never see this same trail again. I've gotten used to some of the trail and know it pretty well. And I love it. I'm going to have to soak it in a lot these next 4 days, because I will definitely miss it.

If you could, please pray for energy and protection as we are backpacking, and that we would all be able to enjoy God's beautiful creation and grow even closer to Him.