Letter from Area Director

Area Director, Scottie Dancy, wrote to YL Kingsport's committee members today...

Hello friends,

 

I just got back from an incredible month at SharpTop. I had the great opportunity to lead 43 college students as they served high school campers. It was amazing to have a front row seat as kids from all over the world (there were kids from England and Norway come) hear and experience the gospel and be transformed by it. In Young Life, I am one of the first ones to say that it's not about the numbers, which I believe with all of my heart, but there were roughly 500 kids, that we know about, who began a relationship with Christ this summer!! That's just one month at one YL camp. There are three months at 20 YL camps where kids experienced the same week this summer! From that perspective, it's clear that God is using Young Life to change the world.

 

There are many highlights for me over the month, but I do have a favorite. I was asked to participate in Real Life, which is where 5 YL staff will tell their story from the perspective of when they were in high school. I was very reluctant to do it because I wasn't sure how kids would relate to my story. It seemed each week I had the opportunity to share the gospel through my story. Each week, kids would come up to those of us in Real Life and ask questions about our stories. The first week I met a kid named Nick, whom I called the 16 year old Scottie. It seemed that our stories were almost identical. That week I had a few conversations with Nick about life and trusting Christ. He gave his life to Christ. Another week, after the last Real Life, I was talking to a group of guys and a young lady was standing behind these guys and was very emotional. I thought she was waiting to talk to one of the girls in Real Life. When I got through talking to the guys, she approached me. She was so emotional that she couldn't speak. Her leader introduced her to me as Anna. She was from North Carolina. Anna asked me about my story and how I went from living for myself to living for God. I told her that it was allowing Christ to live in me. She said she wanted that. I was able to lead her to Christ right there! Glory to God that He chooses to use us in the lives of kids. Not just in Kingsport, but around the world!

 

As I come back from assignment, I am more energized and excited to be a part of this ministry and what God is doing through our efforts than ever before. I have heard of some of the incredible things happening here while I have been gone. Young Life participated for the first time ever in the Fun Fest parade- over 30 kids and leaders were involved! A Dodgeball tournament has been planned and kicked off! As of today, there are 37 table hosts that are confirmed for the banquet!!!! In the 10 years that I have been Area Director in Kingsport, we have never had that many. I don't want to seem greedy, but 50 is a realistic number for us to shoot for. Let's go after 50 table hosts! That's 13 more tables of people in our community that we can share our heart, story, and vision in reaching kids for Christ. That's also more kids that we can reach with the money that those tables will raise. Thank you for all of your hard work and your faithfulness to this ministry.

 

In Christ,

 

Scottie