NYWC '08: Monday

Monday was a 1/2 day at the National Youth Workers Convention. But it was just as full as the other days.

A lot of my day was spent tearing down the Resource Center and helping to turn it back into a big open room. This is always a sad part of the week for me, because it means that all of the youth workers are going back home.

This year, the tear down was different. I had a lot of last day conversations with people. I finally got to meet some youth workers for the first time in person - Josh Cook, for example. And it felt like I was leaving behind a lot more friends/family as I left.

In our morning staff breakfast meeting, we shared about what we were leaving with. There was a good amount of tears and laughs. It is always fun to hear how God has touched each person during the week, as we serve. And this year, there was some healing that took place. Other people received hope or assurance.

I was glad to be leaving, heading back home to see my family. But, a part of me wanted to stay at the convention (to stay on the mountain) with everyone else. I will truly miss everyone with whom I worked. I wish they could all come back home and at least live in the same area/town. But, that isn't how the Kingdom works, is it?

(Thanks to technology, it is easy than ever to stay in contact with my fellow volunteers, youth workers, and YS staff.)

I did not leave the National Youth Workers Convention with all of the answers I wanted. I did not leave with a clear plan of what the future holds. I did leave with more than I came with. I did leave with an assurance that as long as I'm following God and trusting Him, I am right where I need to be.