Cave Creek at Crooked Creek

Laura and I have been living in Cave Creek for just over 2 years now. We like it a lot. It has grown on us. Like a fungus... ok, not like that. Maybe like body hair. You know, no matter how hard you try to stop it, it just keeps growing? Yea, probably like that.

Anyways, we got the privilege to take 10 kids to Young Life camp this year from Cave Creek. We also had great leaders with us. The blessings are hard to recap, but I hope you can sense the Lord in these pictures from our trip.


Cactus Shadows HS at Crooked Creek. 7 girls, 3 boys, 4 leaders. God is moving in CC.

Left to right: Joey, Sam, Alex, Marcus, Shelby (God is pursuing all these guys... pray.)

Marcus at Say So at the end of the week - "...Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..."

Emma (CC WL leader and campaigners girl) and Onusa (Exchange student from Thailand)

PV and Cave Creek Young Life at Crooked Creek Ranch - 91 kids and leaders! Wow!

A great week. A great calling. A great place to be. Keep praying for Cave Creek kids.

New Life is oh so great!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come." Getting to say that to my friend Marcus, after he decided that Jesus loved him more than anyone he had ever known before was a joy I can't describe.

Each night at Young Life camp we get to talk in a small group about life, pain, Jesus and where it all fits together. After hearing about Sin (Putting ourselves above others and God at any cost) Marcus heard about Jesus' great love for him by offering himself as a replacement for the cost of Sin in his life.

Marcus decided that he had a "few" questions that he wanted to answer... I put the word "few" in quotations because Marcus began asking questions about 11:45pm and I closed my eyes at about 2:15am. Marcus, myself and about 5 other Young Life leaders sat in a room in northern Colorado and read scripture after scripture and invited Jesus to reveal himself.

The next night came and Young Life club happened. The speaker, Glenn, invited us all to go spend some time with our creator. We sat nestled in the Rocky Mountains with the stars creating a roof no one could help but try to touch... After these 20 minutes, we returned to our room to have another small group time. I sat intentionally across from the door to be able to catch Marcus face when he walked in the room. He walked in and there was a glow about him... He walked over to me and asked "Hey Joe, before we start, can I say something to the whole group?" I knew what he wanted to say. I nodded and felt tears welling.

"Hey guys, just wanted to say that I think I am ready to give Jesus a try" he said. A few questions were asked and then Marcus chimed in again and said "I was looking at the stars and after I realized Jesus was real and that he loves me, I felt like the stars formed a smiley face...I know He is happy about me realizing this..."

Marcus and I joined 10 others this morning for our after camp campaigners. He came eager to learn, eager to ask and eager to share. I praise God for his love, compassion, pursuit and use of fools like me and others before me. Thank you Jesus.