Young Life Update Part 1

WL-YL Ministry

The 2025–26 school year has finally come to a close. Since much of my discipleship group was made up of seniors, it was a special season of graduations, celebrations, and sending students into their next chapter. It has been a real gift to lead this group and continue meeting every Friday, getting to do life together through all the highs and lows of the year. There were also plenty of baseball games this Spring!

WyldLife was another highlight. Getting into the middle schools consistently each week always brings me joy, and it was especially fun to do it alongside our incredible team of WyldLife leaders. We brought our own kids to most WyldLife events, and it was fun watching them become part of the community. The middle schoolers seemed particularly loved seeing who could hold Lindy the longest and pulling clothespins off of Sam during "clothespin tag."

This spring we attended a late-nighter filled with chaos, laughter, and fun, and we wrapped up the year with a great end-of-year WyldLife party. It was another reminder of why we love this ministry so much.

Turkey

Meg and I had the opportunity to travel to Turkey for the Young Life Europe Division Conference. Meg still works a few hours a week with Young Life Europe and was invited to prepare the week's devotionals and give a club talk to more than 350 staff members. Together, we also had the privilege of offering spiritual direction to staff throughout the conference.

Before the conference, we spent a few days in Istanbul to celebrate our 10th Anniversary. Having visited before, it was fun to return and see places that were closed during our first trip. Overall, it was a wonderful nine days together—kid free—and a chance to enjoy a beautiful part of the world. (Shout out to "Papa and Kiki" for wrangling the kids!)

The conference was held near the ancient city of Ephesus, which neither of us had visited before. What a treat. Many consider Ephesus to be the best-preserved ancient Roman city in the world because it was abandoned after the harbor gradually silted up. Walking through its streets and imagining the footsteps of Paul was an incredible experience.

Home Life

As the weather has improved, we've been taking every opportunity to get outside. We decided to make our "second car" an e-bike that can carry both kids, and it has quickly become our preferred mode of transportation. .

We've become regulars at the local beaches, frequent visitors to the Everett Children's Museum (Sam still loves trains), and we've watched Lindy slowly begin taking her first steps. Parenting in this season is not for the faint of heart, but we're grateful for the joy that comes with it. Now that Lindy is weaned, Meg and I have also found it easier to sneak away for the occasional date night, which has been a gift.

Looking ahead to the summer, our whole family will spend three weeks at Malibu in July. I'll be serving as a Head Leader, helping support and care for the adult leaders who bring campers to camp. We're excited for another summer of adventure and ministry.

But that's not all—we have an exciting announcement coming in Part 2!