2017 review

At the end of the year, I think and remember and look ahead. It's one of my favorite times of the year. I feel like if I don't reflect and process where I've been, I can't learn to go forward and learn and grow. For the past 4 years I've done Jennie Allen's DREAM GUIDE. It helps me remember and reflect and look forward. Then I fold it up and put it in my journal to look at through the year. The list below are highlights of 2017 as well as the hard life that happened. Some of it we have prayed for from a distance, and some we have walked through in the day-to-day with friends nearby. I don't want to forget them because it all matters. In no particular order:

beach, beach, beach 

camping at Wild Ridge

the Sizicks: YLC and great friends

Katie Cobb's journey & memorial service

Luke Granger 

Washington, DC
6th grade

Wild Ridge ECC

tae-kwon-do  

The Road Back to You

Newt's visit to WV

Fairmont girls

The Emotionally Healthy Woman

new job: regional admin (i love it!)

cross country

marriage retreat
memorial day weekend at the river

Woven

Saranac: the people, the team, the kids & work crew

The Quest 

better year for anxiety

7th grade bible

door falling off the van

our last oglebay

Beth Moore Simulcast

paying off the van

seeing growth in my kids

retainers

Rusty & Kaitlin's wedding

Bubba

choir

not making the basketball team

sophie growing out her bangs

Sam & Cooper

walking with friends through deep hardships: marriage & loss of parents

LaCrae

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma & Maria

Ted going to WyldLife

redeemed fall
solar eclipse
Sara making a blanket with Sophie
percussion
milkshakes at the poky dot
splash zone with friends
a white christmas
sergeant bear
beach playlist
theodore boone
YL 5K
ted's super bowl party
ben's clemson trip
cafe cimino
VA tech game

On the last Sunday of the year, our church doesn't have services. It's a gift to the staff and the volunteers. This morning instead of church, we sat down as a family and remembered the year together. Ted and Sophie each made their own Top 10(ish) list. Below are their lists in no particular order:

Ted:
sam and cooper
lecrea concert
saranac
carnegie science center (birthday & field trip)
beach
percussion
wild ridge
halloween
6th grade
cross country
washington, dc
superbowl party
5K

Sophie:
disney on ice
staying the night with maisie
seeing aunt sara
wild ridge
saranac
seeing the bergs
beach
poky dot
water park with underdonks
water park with kozels

I purge things from our house every August and December. It's tradition. Yesterday, Ben and I were cleaning out the basement. (After a round of cleaning out Sophie's room. That's a different animal for a different day!)  I came across boxes of bible studies and journals. The pictures represent the last 18+ years of my life. Do you know what else this represents? God's faithfulness. Those are full of questions, joy, hardships, blessings, gratitude, pain, grief,and growth. I flipped through some of them and cried over where I've been and all that God has done.  

 

2017 was a doozie of a year in too many ways to name.
Cheers to 2018!

with great graditude

I don't post a lot about Young Life on the old personal blog. In reality, it's not only both of our jobs, but our ministry and our passion. It's what we've invested over 20 years of our life into. It's what we believe we have been called to do and it's where we will stay until the Lord calls us somewhere else. Below is the year end e-newsletter we sent out today. I thought I would put it on here. If you're a friend or family or an alumni of our years leading YL and would love to give a year end gift (or a gift anytime really), we would be honored and blessed by your support. Thanks for helping us keep going, keep reaching more kids, keep impacting and leading the next generation. 

Laura

With Great Gratitude

At the end of the year, we look back with incredible gratitude. We never want to forget to stop, reflect where we have seen the Lord at work and spend time be thankful.

Young Life's mission statement is introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. WE CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU. WIthout the support of committee, prayer partners, donors and churches, we don't have the ability, manpower or resources to go where kids are, walk alongside them in life, share the love of Jesus Christ, and help them grow in their faith. It simply doesn't happen. THANK YOU! Thank you for another great year of ministry - of making a lasting impact on the Kingdom and helping kids walk in a better story that God has for them here and now.

Just a few of the things we are thankful for:

• Heath coming on as YL College Director
  
• a healthy 2016/2107 fiscal year
• our first annual 5K being a huge success!
  
• our biggest Fall Weekend trip ever - 185 kids & leaders
  
• taking over 325 different middle school, high school and college students to summer and weekend camps
• kids deciding to follow Christ
  
• families that have been impacted 
• starting our 8th high school ministry at Trinity Christian School
• countless times parents share appreciation for a YL or WyldLife leader being part of their child's life
  
• 25 high school and college students from Mountaineer Area who served a month at Young Life camp over the summer
• those who have opened their homes, garages and businesses to host club and campaigners
• God's safety and provision with thousands of miles being driven each week by leaders
  
• free office and meeting space at Wesley United Methodist Church
• school administrators who help with sports passes and support leaders

This is a small peak at all that God has done this year.

Thank you for another incredible year for Mountaineer Area Young Life in Mon, Marion & Taylor Counties.

If you would like to make a year-end gift to help continue the impact, please click the button below. Gifts given online via credit card can be processed for 2017 if given by December 31st at midnight EST.

With Deep Gratitude,

Ben Tuel & Heath Sizick

PS - Below are some of the other things we are very thankful for. We recently shared these on social media. Follow us if you don't already!

MAKE AN IMPACT HERE

YL, WYLDLIFE & YL COLLEGE LEADERS: The investment they make in the lives of kids is immeasurable. The majority of our leaders are college students. They have jobs and school and are are figuring out life. At the same time, they are taking the time to invest in, mentor and care for kids in a very important stage of life. We are grateful for the time, gifts and the love they show. 

DONORS AND BUSINESS SPONSORS: Did you know that Young Life, YL College & WyldLIfe are 100% supported by local people, businesses and churches? We have over 350 donors who give to Young Life. Ministry and all we do with kids really doesn't happen without your investment. Our business sponsors cover things like our Banquet and 5K expenses so the money we raise can go straight to ministry.

LOCAL CHURCHES help kids grow in their faith. Churches are vital places of community and growth for kids and leaders to continue in their faith. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel and reaching more kids! 

YL COMMITTEE: Adults in the community who support Young Life are the local committee. They help raise money, care for leaders, pray for the ministry and volunteer for things like serving pizza at WyldLife and letting us invade their homes for club and campaigners. Ministry doesn't happen without adults in the community who care about kids. 

 PRAYER PARTNERS: Prayer is vital to what happens in the area on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. If you would like to pray specifically, download the prayer card HERE.

 

KIDS: We have had the opportunity to walk alongside thousands of kids as we step into their worlds to simply love them right where they are, share Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.

annual blue & gold pic: 2017 edition

Every tradition we have was not intentionally started to be a tradition. I simply noticed we had done something a few years in a row and thought we should probably make it official.

Example #1: Our annual blue and gold picture. I do love it.

2005: Ted was 10 days old is was the first time we ever got to hold him.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

november 2017

So November....

Ben and I went to a marriage retreat at Trail West in Buena Vista, CO. It's a Young Life Family Camp that is AWESOME! I totally want to take our family there. It was a good long weekend to be away. It was marked with some great words and book ended a season we are thankful to close.

Being an early riser and then being in a different time zone, I was up every morning to watch the sunrise. I loved it. Total highlight.

Colorado is stunning.

Young Life's Trail West is about 15 minutes away. We went over there one day for a fun tour. It was snowy and muddy, but super cool to see and be there.

Meanwhile back in the great state of WV, Sophie walked a 5K with my mom . . .

and Ted went hunting for the first time with John Pap.

They also acquired these.

We had a late flight out of Denver so we got to see Kristin and meet sweet Nellie. Oh my gosh! What a blessing. I haven't seen Kristin in forever and Nellie was such a treat.

Love these girls so much!

We took a little walk to Coors Field.

And didn't play the slot machines in the airport in Las Vegas.

Our November regional meeting was at the Pocahontas County turkey farm. I have one of these suckers in my freezer right now.

Sophie had a choir preformance at Stepping Stones.

Ted pulled an all-nighter at the quad with some other guys. Spend the day on the couch.

Aunt Sara came to visit and taught Sophie some crocheting.

Ben made a trip to South Carolina to go to a Clemson game with Tanner, Maggie & the Clements.

Ted tried out for the middle school basketball team and didn't make it.

Fall Weekend this year was a huge blessing. 450 people at Jackson's Mill and 325 at Camp Caesar. We filled both camps. So proud of all that's happening in this state.

Biggest Mountaineer Area trip ever - 185 kids

A line of school buses and all that they represent gets me every time.

Sophie and I got to do some babysitting.

We put up the tree before Thanksgiving. I like doing that so we can come home from our travels and it's done. I love our tree. Any tradition I've ever started was unintentional. We started getting ornaments when we traveled and I get one for the kids each year that represents something important in their year. It is so fun to hang those ornaments every year for all of us. Almost every ornament on our tree has significance. Plus our fake tree is going on 10 years old and it still looks awesome! Worth the $85 we paid for it.

My favorite addition to the Christmas tree this year. If this means nothing to you, I'm sorry. Go watch Christmas Vacation right now and thank me when you're done.

I put this on here to document who put the star up this year so the other kid can put it up next year. Also, that star is the star we bought our first married Christmas for $.99 at Walmart. I'll never get a new one.

Just go see the movie Wonder. Do it. You'll be so glad you did. Ted and I went to see it when Ben and Soph went to see The Star. Both movies were great. But Wonder - everyone should read the book/watch the movie. Take your tissues and your kids.

It had been awhile since we'd seen the Kozels. This was a good night.

Listening to and reading Wonder. She wants to finish it before she watches the movie.

I didn't take many pictures at Thanksgiving, but I do love this one. We started talking euchre at Thanksgiving lunch and John Pap got the rule book out.

We celebrated Reed's 3rd birthday. He's such a neat kid.

We celebrated Ben's birthday, too.

Henry & Roxie wanted to help.

This kid.

On a whim, Joanna and I took the kids for a little field trip to Cabela's and to see the lights at Oglebay. Thanksgiving Break went out with a bang.