worth it

*Names have been changed for the protection of students

When I got placed as a Young Life leader at Milan High School in December of my freshman year, I never would have imagined what God would do throughout my journey of leading over the next 3.5 years. To state the obvious, I didn’t expect to get moved to another another team, Pioneer YL, just a few months later. I didn’t expect to meet Alyssa, a shy girl at Christmas Club the following year who would quickly become my most consistent “Young Life girl.” I didn’t expect to spend the summer after my sophomore year interning at a Young Life camp in West Virginia, which allowed me to create a space for Young Life leaders from all over the country to bring THEIR friends to experience the gospel. And I certainly didn’t expect to be sitting next to Alyssa at a Easter service at my church just about a month ago.

But, if I have learned one thing from my time here at Michigan, it is that God rarely does what I expect. Leading Young Life in college has been a wild ride to say the least. It has been filled with unexpected moments, both sweet and challenging. As I’m sure all of our leaders would agree, it has often been difficult to show up in the midst of a busy schedule, impending exams, and a culture that values personal gain over the service of others. However, it has been worth it a million times over for the opportunity to show up in the lives of my friends at Pioneer. I feel extremely thankful that I’ve gotten to see, and be part of, what God is doing in the lives of young people here in Ann Arbor. For the first two years I led at Pioneer, we frequently had events where we did not know if a single Pioneer student would show up. This past semester, we have had over 10 Pioneer students show up every Monday night, even when Jeff and Erin were on parental leave.

After getting home from one of our final Pioneer YL events a few weeks ago— feeling slightly defeated that my friend Alyssa did not show up— I got a text from her. “It’s so sad that you’re moving. You're like an older sister to me.”

Cue the tears.

Any sacrifice I had to make for her, or for Young Life, in the last 3.5 years was instantly worth it in that moment. What a gift and honor it has been to walk alongside her, and other friends, as they navigate all that life is. Thank You, Jesus.

— Caitlin Boyd, Pioneer High School Leader