As some of you know, our family is in the process to love, mentor and serve teenagers in Italy and grow local Young Life leaders. This has been a long process that started more than a year ago and slowly but shortly is coming together. As I write this post I sit at a friends’ computer desk, in Rome Italy, we an incredible jet lag and only a few hours after the plane landed. This is our first, and perhaps only, scouting trip that my beautiful wife Tracy and I will take before moving our family by the end of this year.
My last paycheck with Young Life was back in December of 2006. By then we have been serving in Latin America for over ten years and things couldn’t be going much better in our ministry. But that 2006 year came with a mixed bag. While ministry was flourishing under local leadership our family life was shaken by a surprising event.
On New Years Eve I had the privilege of sharing with Jupiter First Church’s youth group on their annual Ski Trip. Personally this was a very important event for me for a couple of reasons a) it has been about six months since I last shared Scripture with teenagers and b) it was the first time that I was equally combining my Bible resources along side my Photography gear. Yeap, that made up for some h-e-a-v-y bags 
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
As part of my master’s education, I’m required to study alongside a group of students (cohort) in order to promote community. Up until this point all of our interactions have been over the internet – responding to posts, leaving comments, critiquing our work and the such. This past week however, we were all required to attend a class in Colorado Springs, CO and part of this class was to share our life’s story.
Let me say right off the bat that even though I have been around kids at schools, churches and games I am not a certified teacher, senior pastor, nor coach. Nonetheless I have had the privilege to observe how our kids react towards education, Christianity, and sports.
