My Timothy's (Jr. High Ministry)

I love all the kids that I come in contact with and minister to in the Jr. High Ministry at my church. I serve as a counselor there and now have a summer internship there and man, is it ever a blessing. Ya, its true. Sometimes, the kids get annoying - heck, I'm sure you remember when you were in middle school - but for all the immaturity, its so well worth it. I just got back from a Surfing/Camping trip where we took about 60 Jr. Highers down in a bus to San Diego to a YMCA camp site and pitched tents on the beach right on the shoreline. You can imagine, I'm sure what a handful 60 kids on a beach for a weekend can be when you dont get much sleep... What I'm sure you cant imagine is how rewarding it is. There is this one kid. His name is Luke and he is probably the most amazing young man I have ever met. We talked the last night at about 9pm on the shorline for about 2 hours about what is going on in his life. I wont go into it too much, but its intense. Whenever I talk to a junior higher to counsel him, a few things are involved. A) I have to approach them, B) I have to pull information out of them, C) I impart wisdom on them that they did not already know. However, with Luke, it wanst like that at all! In fact, it was the opposite of everything I had known before! He approached me and asked to talk, he talked most of the time and I just listened (what I only do with older people) and he knew exactly what was right, wrong, and what he had to do! I almost forgot that I was talking to a Jr. Higher at all! He had more wisdom (Godly wisdom) than most adults I know! It was one of the coolest experiences of my life. And then a while back, there was this kid Alex. Although he's not in the ministry anymore (he grew up), we still remain good friends. There was some stuff goin on with him so I sat him down to talk about it. That little thing turned into a HUGE thing! He broke down that he was faking his faith around church and that he didnt really have it...or care. He and I talked for a long time that night (about 3 hours) and he ended up deciding to live it for real. He was never the same. He is a godly young man who loves the Lord and bases all his decisions on what his King wants. He is even going to become a couselor in the Jr. High Minsitry soon to give back to the other kids! I am so blessed by not just these two - they are only examples. I am blessed every time I hang out with these kids. They are rowdy, loud, rude, goofy, awkward, and - at times - annoying... however, they are also supprisingly smart, caring, spiritually grounded, and open. I would not be the same without these kids and this ministry.