Life is full of amazing things that can give all sorts of wonderful feelings. However, what is hard to realize is that sometimes, this wonderful feeling will fade. When questioning how real something is to you, you have to ask yourself three things: how do you feel afterwards; does it love you back; and will it last forever? Over the week spent at Carolina Point, several high school students learned something that touched all of these with a strong “Yes!” They were gifted with learning about eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Led by Tom and Kristen Johnson, Karen Peck, Harley Hudson, Scott Stafford and Bo Brooks, this dream-team of Young Life leaders took on the ultimate task of taking 40 BOCO Young Life high school students to Carolina Point, located in the Appalachian mountains. The purpose of the trip was not only to allow these children the best week of their lives as advertised, but to also enrich their lives with the word.

“Young Life isn’t pushy,” Brooks said. “We’ll take you there to learn the word, but we want you to have fun as well. We love you regardless!”

Though they are all now deeply involved with Young Life, their lives weren’t always so. Karen Peck learned about Young Life while in college, while Bo Brooks started his adventure with Young Life in his thirties. Harley Hudson, Scott Stafford and Tom and Kristen Johnson have shared experiences with some of the children who attended Young Life camp recently. All are willing and happy to admit that they met Christ at their own Young Life camps.

“Jesus is fun. We just want people to know that,” Kristen Johnson said.

All walks of life attend camp, but with a uniting bond under Christ, you’re unlikely to notice who is rich and who is poor.

“Grace and acceptance can be found everywhere at Young Life. You start to find that birthright and wealth don’t matter anymore,” Karen Peck said.

Toward the end of the week, an activity with the Work Crew (teenagers on staff at Carolina Point) is held where one hears stories about how their lives were saved through Christ; such stories as a boy who grew up homeless and found Christ on a bus to visit his grandfather in Mexico touched on the idea that we are all equal under the love of Young Life camp. Redemption for many was found at camp that week, including a number of BOCO Young Life kids.

“Young Life showed me that I could have a personal relationship with Jesus. It gave me a caring adult in my life that I had no idea I would ever need, but I’m now so thankful to be able to share his love with teenagers who are like who I once was,” Kristen Johnson said when asked how Young Life has changed her.

Tom Johnson, leader of Beaufort County Young Life, added that “ … Young Life was the vehicle in which I found the most clear picture of Jesus. It gave me a better understanding for what God wants for me in my life. High school kids deserve the best with the pressure they’re put under. We want to make sure they’re given it.”

Beaufort County Young Life will be returning to Young Life camp next year.