Young Life was thrilled to be able to invite seven teen-moms along with their children to JellyStone in Burleson, TX. We coordinated with the facility for supplies which included prizes. T-shirts and meals were provided to everyone who attended. We had several amazing teams(childcare team, set up team, and welcome team) who participated to ensure that this event was a hit. 2020 was a year of isolation and social distancing due to COVID-19. We appreciate all who came to join us this year in person. WHAT A BLESSING!

The event was so successful because of the diligent planning and prayers we sent to God about a month out of the event. All we needed to do was take our hands off and let God go to work. We all recognized that it was His plan to get us to camp and to work out all the details. Through our faith in God, He showed up in miraculous ways for our mothers their children and our teams. All prayers were answered and felt when we started to receive packages of donations. With these donations our moms could pack light, focus on camp and find serenity in prayer.

The Lord certainly went before us at our first stop, we parked to grab a bite at Babes in Burleson. The staff of Babe’s greeted the group with smiles and welcomed all of us into the dining area. We sat with our cabin groups much like we would if we were on Young Life property. Our Babe’s servers Christina and Ellie served us with enthusiasm and kindness. They were genuinely curious about who we were and what we had planned. Much like if we had been on Young Life property crew they happy to serve, answer questions and do their best to make our experience a memorable one. They were very supportive and patient with the babies and loved on them.

Upon check-in at JellyStone, our teen mothers were greeted by our childcare and welcome teams. Everyone received assistance to head into their cabins and settle in comfortably.

One of our teen mothers who was encouraged by another friend to join our organization in the middle of the pandemic, immediately felt welcomed. During cabin time she shared how she was extremely nervous about joiningthe camp in person. During the pandemic Young Life resumed clubs and campaigns through Zoom for the teen mothers. She continued to share that from the moment she got to camp, she felt like she was at HOME. What a great compliment and testament to who and what Young Life is all about.

Another teen mother joined us at the tail end of 2019 through her sister who had come to camp the summer of 2019 is such an example of John 1: 40-42: 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).

Many of our participating mothers missed personal connection with others. Even though Young Life remained online throughout the year and delivered packages to ourteen mothers twice a month, some shared, "this is so much better!" During this time of crisis, it is fair to say that many realizations and discoveries of personal strength were discovered. The need to be face to face and feel a connection with others taught all of us to take a gift like that for granted again. Our relationships grow and develop in a deeper way when we are pulled out of our comfort zone and away from distractions.

Many of our teen moms suffer from anxiety and the thoughts of the unknown future. Having to take care of a precious baby at such a young age can be very scary. As much as God got this camp to push through. He tested the strength of one of our teen mothers who was sure to give up and leave during the first night of camp. The Young Life teams got to witness how she pushed through and persevered in the end. She felt supported in her parenting decisions and more confident that she was doing a good job as a mom.

Young Life experienced another mother crying over her friend's salvation. There were prayers being sent with gratefulness to see beautiful hearts change in some of our mothers who came to us with no faith. When we witnessedone of our moms admit that she now believed in Jesus. We were filled with joy as this is the very essence of what we do every day in Young Life. She is going through a very difficult health crisis and she is leaning in to grow her faith.

Our mothers expressed such gratitude to have a group like ours. It is a place of safety for our teen mothers to share personal experiences with others who are experiencing the same things. Sometimes it is very difficult to get family or friends to relate. Watching these mothers’ curiosity about God and his creations leads us to realize how gracious and present our Lord is in everything that surrounds us.

There were so many sweet moments and so many activities that made our summer camp feel memorable in the Young Life way. We are so grateful to all of our donors, prayer partners, volunteers, mentor moms, and friends who support us in ways that are seen and unseen.

We could not have asked for more sweet moments growing closer to Christ.