I am...

Photo by Jim Harvey

Caption: Angela West shown doing the luge with groupies (L-R) Trey White, Ren Fortier and John Koehler.



by Angela West

So, have you had a day where you just feel like TOTAL CRAP? Like everything you do just does not work out. I have! Yesterday was one of those days for me!

I knew it was going to be a busy day. Tuesdays are always crazy. We have club in Chesapeake, and I am always running around getting stuff done. But yesterday, things were a lot crazier than ever because I needed to answer questions for my internship interview. This application was not something that I wanted to do in ten minutes. It required time and my full attention.

I just really respect the opportunity of applying for the position. I spent most of my morning completing it. I would write something, read it, and then rewrite it. I was just having SO MUCH trouble writing. I did most of it, but I had to put it down and go run errands before club. Maybe it was a good thing to stop, so I could think.

So my aide and I went to Virginia Beach to go get a wireless microphone from friends. I only planned to stay a few minutes. But we hardly ever get to just sit and talk. I looked at the clock and an hour had passed by. They really lifted my spirit, and I laughed so much. When I left, I had to run to the store. On the way, I ran into a man who was in a not so good mood. I accidentally got in his way. I apologized over and over, but he didn’t want to listen. He just grumbled at me. I wanted to say, “I know how you feel.” But I didn’t and I left feeling bad.

I hurried back home to pick up things for the club talk then ran to church. I was excited about the club talk. I thought it was going to be a great message. I was going to talk about Jesus and how He washed the feet of the disciples. As the kids were coming in, I didn’t see the pizza. Tara had called and ordered them that morning. We called and asked WHY THEY WERE NOT THERE YET. They said someone had changed the order. What? We told them we had over thirty hungry people with disabilities and it was not fun. So we played the games. We played games until they could have been published in history books. Tara declared a pompom war at the end. That was so fun, but I think I ate a pompom. Yummy!

The pizza was still not there. I was like fine, I am going to do the talk. The wireless microphone decided it was not going to work. So I just used the regular microphone. The kids were fidgeted because they were starving. I gave the talk but the interactions I usually have with the kids, that I absolutely love, were not there. I could see some of the kids got it, but not the usual amount. I felt as if I was a big loser. Some of the parents said I did a really good job, and I was thinking uhhh no. Even though I know God’s Word is never void, I was just ashamed. This is my job, this is my passion in life, so why do I do bad sometimes?

I just wanted to go home and cry. I was done. But I had promised a friend I would hang out. So a group of us went to dinner. It was fun just to be with people that I love. But when my friend was driving me home, we talked about the Lord. He said, over the past weeks his life has changed. He said he sees Jesus in John, Tara, in the Capernaum kids, and me. He said he wants to be like Jesus. That ten minute conversation changed my day.

So wait…I am not useless. I am a friend. I am a teacher. I am Christ’s disciple. I am God’s daughter. I am covered by His grace!

Kevin

by Tara Criste


For almost a semester now we have had a Capernaum "buddy" named Kevin (on right in photo) coming to club. A buddy is someone who comes to club to be friends with kids with disabilities, but does not have the role of leader and all those responsibilities. He came the first time by a request of one of our existing leaders (they are friends outside of YL). Kevin came and came again to club every week even though it is almost 40 minutes away from where he lives.

Myself and other leaders began noticing how often he was coming and one time after club we all went out as leaders to Wendys. We got to know Kevin and he told us he grew up in the church, but he didn't have a lot to do with God and hadn't for a long time. He said he had many questions, but really loved club, the kids and the club talks.

All the leaders kept befriending and praying for him and we went out after club almost every week, talked, shared and built relationships. One of our leaders, Angela, who happens to be in a wheelchair, after getting to know Kevin and how much he was getting excited about hearing more about God, bought him a Bible in the NIV because all he had at home was KJV. Kevin was so thrilled with the gift and told us he began from Genesis and is still reading. Kevin is signed up for summer camp as an awesome buddy, he has built relationships with the kids and leaders. And he comes to all Capernaum events, even other clubs in Norfolk and excursions we do once a month.

The best part is Kevin told Angela, Jesus has changed his life and he is really understanding what a relationship with Christ is about. I describe him as a sponge and we are getting him plugged into a Bible study and finding him a mentor. Kevin has surpassed the common buddy role and comes to Jr leadership, leadership, plans games and skits for club and we are working and thinking about his first club talk eventually.

It is really great how in Capernaum we are not just reaching out to the kids with disabilities, but whoever shows up to club gets to hear the gospel. Parents, buddies, caretakers, kids, siblings, friends, etc. God is so good!

Nashville camp update

from Suzanne Williams
Capernaum's Southern Coordinator


hello friends-

we've returned from our camp trip and i can't thank you enough for praying for us while we were at windy gap! we had an incredible week, my mind is still reeling with the great memories that we got to share with our friends!

i have been asked a handful of times what my favorite part of the week was. that's a hard question when i got to watch my friends do the ropes course, zip line, screamer swing, water slide multiple times in a row, ride horses and drive the nascarts. it's also hard when i think about watching them make new friends, mingle around camp, get scared that the evil program character really is going to take over camp and then screaming for joy when the good guys win and participate in all camp activities. it's even harder when i think about the great questions that they asked about jesus, what everything that they heard means to their life and when i think about them having great conversations with others about jesus.

so it was hard to come up with my "favorite part", but i think i did it....

through all of my second favorite parts of the week i was reminded of the truth that god redeems our whole story. it's a truth that i have known, but like everything else, a good reminder is always needed. god spared nothing on reminding me this week.

i thought about how we often have names that describe us, from childhood on, whether they are true or not (scared, fat, ugly, peace maker, black sheep, skinny, etc). this week i watched a bunch of those names become false in my friends and watched them realize who god has truly made them to be....one of our friends thought she was deathly afraid of heights- this week she slept on the top bunk, did the ropes course and the zip line! another friend thought she was afraid of horses- this week she rode one, leaving her wheelchair in the stable! another friend was afraid of the water but he got in the hot tub! another thought that to be cool she had to act like someone different than who she really is- this week she learned how much people love her for exactly who she is and that she doesn't have to pretend anymore! one friend has grown up thinking that she has nothing to offer- this week she was a student helper and beautifully served all of her friends throughout the week! the list goes on....

i also decided to do something new this year, every night after we got everyone to bed, i would send an email out to the parents with a recap of our day and some pictures. it enabled the parents to process along the way with us, constantly amazed at what was happening. each update was quite simple, but the words and pictures seemed to communicate far more than i could've imagined. a couple of mom's said that they forwarded each email to everyone in their address book!!

not only did god use our week at windy gap to redeem parts of my friends stories, but he used it to redeems parts of their parents stories as well. some parents rested for the first time in years, some went out on a date (one for the first time in three years), some weeded their garden and enjoyed it....all rejoiced that their child was experiencing a week at camp with friends and adventure- a dream that many had given up on a long time ago.

god redeems and brings dreams back to the surface...and then makes them come true.
money back guarantee, that's what we promise. no one has asked, i don't think the ever will. nor will i.

suzanne

Randy

Hi my name isRandy. I go to young life capernaum. I have seizure.I really like going to church to see my friends . I always tell my mom hurry so we won"t be late. I love the pizza and the soda the singing and the games. I also love when we pray.I can"t wait to go to see my friends. I think my mom and i are going to camp again. Thank You John From Randy

A True Story About Helen Page

Typed by: Page

On November 19th 1983, the Lord told my parents that their about to have their first child and named her Helen Page. My dad rushed my mom to the hospital so at 8:11pm I was born. My dad's dad flew a airplane during the World War 2, my mom's dad was a Doctor during the same event, my dad's mom grew up during the Great Depression.

I had Down Syndrome since birth. Down Syndrome was discovered by Dr. Down. In my teenage and adult years I join Special Olympics swim team and half court basketball team. My interests are scrap ,art, horseback, swimming, basketball, dating with boys, doing computer games, safe internet sites, watching tv,
cooking, helping out.

Since my mom told me that Regina had formed Young Life Capernaum and I thought that it sounds like fun so I can make new friends witch I did. I felt sort of shy and nervous. once I start talking to new people I felt better. Ever since when I went to Young Life Club meeting I had the most fun in my life. On July 14th, 2005 I went to Rock camp for 1 week I had a blast of fun and favorites are club meetings, first night event, meeting new people and the best of all I accepted Christ.

I like to say," thank you" to John and everyone.


The End.

My first experience at summer camp

By John

This was my first time and experience at camp this summer at Rock bridge and I had a great time. I had a good time doing the obstacle course because all of the people cheering for me and doing the swing at the end of the ropes course.

I also had a good time in the pool even though I scraped my left foot on it try to get around and meeting other people who have disabilities and who are able-bodied. I also had a good time at club on Friday through Sunday even though I was supposed to be at the beach working for my band but I had faith in my dad that they would get through without me there.

I also had a good a good time at the swing with Rusty’s nephew Jake and his friend Keenan going with me on it and making sure that I do not get hurt and I am very thankful for that.

Rachel

Hello Everyone
This story might make you cried . On Aug 4 of 06 i was eating excited about surf camp! . So me and my mom got ready to go to Surf camp i learn how to Surf that was pretty cool . Then we went to Johns house for a party i won a t shirt ! .

Then John said the zip line is now open so everyone who wanted to go on the zip line went . Of course that was me the first time i went on the zip line was ok . But the 2 time i went on the zip line was not ok for me . I fell on my butt and broke my back it felt like someone came up to me and hit my really hard. So Pam Bolt called 911 and they came .

I saw my doctor at three in the morning at the hospile and said i was going to have to have surgery to reaper my back . I got really sacred so what do you do when your scared you pray to Jesus and ask him to help you . You know Jesus came down from Heaven and brote my Gramthoer and my dog how is dead now and Jesus shake me and said don't be afraid Rachel i am your light and i will help you thought this time . Then Jesus told my he had my grandmother and my dog wanted to see me so i said ok . My grandtmhor and my dog and Jesus state with me until my surge was over then they went back to Heaven .

________

This Is my story . by Rachel Yong Life .

What Is young life? it is a place for people with disabilities .
Almost every Wed we meat. at young life. We talk about Jesus Christ . I am going to CampRockBridge this summer it sound like FUN . I am going to push John into the lake. And I am sure John will do the same to me by pushing me into the lake. Sure John will probably were that mouth guard round his neck like always . Allen last night bet me in the pizza constants . Richard HAPPY BIRTHDAY .

P.S. O yea I did this story by my self with out anybody to help me.

Taylor and Capernaum

Hi,

My name is Taylor I have Down Sydrome and I am going to be twenty-five years old. I lived here about twenty years in Chesapeake, Va. I come from a huge family from my mom side of the family. I have five generations. From my dad side I have four aunts and four uncles and seven cousins.

My parents are divorced over seven years. This is really hard on me and my sister. We are three years apart in age. I never liked being in the center of it all. It tore me up and my sister too. I took it really bad. Nobody doesn't want to have this happened to them.

Capernum means a lot to me. You guys seem like a big family too me. I feel like I can talk to whoever there is. It's funny in a way. I'm about to cry just thinking about you all. This is too much for me. I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. I made friends with some of you. Some are very sweet and bittersweet. At least I know some of you like John and Tara and Rusty E.J. and Brooke and Derrick. He is so funny and makes me laugh too.

The younger one there. Erin is the coolest one and a very good listener. Stephanie and Kelsey too. Do I have to write this John? This subject is very touchy to write. I even like you John even if you do have Bipolar. I think I can work with you on that. Thanks. I do like Lea too. She is a good person to be friends with.

Taylor

Paul Story

I have Down syndrome born in maimi FL 1984
love form paul
young life capernaum john koechler is my hero every thurday
l want to go l wear a cowboy hat
l love the paryers we do together l love the bible
nale is somebody l to be like
l feel so happy with my friends at young life capernuam
lits like family and bothers l love nysnc songs and backstreetboys songs too
l love being my friends there is no place else better there on earth
l am move to assisi house
love paul and john

Robert F. “Skeeter” Powell

I was born at an early age. Mom and Dad were in the iron and steel business. Mom ironed.

I was really born in Eastern NC. Weeksville, NC to be exact. Dad was in the Navy stationed at a blimp base there. Mom had grown up in Elizabeth City, NC – coastal NC. My great granddad, Horatio Heath was a lighthouse keeper at Bodie Island Lighthouse and Currituck Lighthouse. My first year or so was spent in Sunbury, NC. Surely you know where Sunbury is. Outer Banks, Elizabeth City, Dismal Swamp, Sunbury coming in from the coast.

At about age two we moved to Greensboro, NC where dad had grown up. For all of the time I remember we lived at 612 Northridge St.

I grew up in a Christian home. Church was much a part of our lives til about Junior High. I think I had “fire insurance” early on but not a warm relationship with Jesus til later

In the spring of my ninth grade year Dan Komarnicki – the YL Area Director – came to a track meet I was in. That was the spring of 1960. We still keep in touch. The summer after my Junior year in high school I went to Frontier Ranch. Dan actually dropped us off and went to Trail West (Ahhhh, Dan had YL camping figured out) Roy McCassion was my counselor. He was everything I wanted to be athletically p- a two time All American at the U of Washington. Played in tow Rose Bowls. Captain of the team his Senior year. Dick Lowey, Bob Mitchell and Phil Mcdonald were the speaker and program team. Amazing. And yes I did give my life to Christ on the appropriate night.

My senior year I never went to club without a car load. President of our club. Didn’t miss a weekend camp or week of camp for the next 16 years.

In college (UNC CH) I played football and was a volunteer leader. The last two years I was on Student Staff. My academic senior year (I red shirted and had another year to play) we went to Notre Dame. I was on the kick off return team and got to play a lot at that position that game. Number 19’s knee got in the way of my kidney and my football career was over. I have only one kidney and was born that way. You knew something was freaky about me didn’t you. Well the good news is that the injury allowed me to help start a new club at Eastern Alamamce Consolidated High School in Mebane, NC. I could not have done that without the injury.

After college I went on YL staff. Two years in Atlanta in training then on the Greenville as the Area Director for 10 years. Martha Causey came to Greenville with me to be the area staff woman. Neat times. In 1979, according to my mother in law, I got a real job. It has been in different aspects of real estate so I don’t see how that made for a “real Job” Today I work for a large general contractor. I sell. Soon I’d like to retire from that and go back on YL staff in a Second Wind staff position and help out with Capernaum in Greenville, raise money for the local area and Capernaum locally and nationally, help Suzanne with stuff and any other Capernaum thing that would be helpful

Let’s go back to 1969. I met and married Cathie Skinner (Powell) 11-29-69. Cathie was a stewardess with Pan Am before we met. Was a computer programmer when we met and kept that up til 1998 with a break in there for two sons. Today she is involved in a ministry she started called The Anchorage. A ministry of Spiritual Direction and Retreats. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the ministry

Rob is married to Susie and has two daughters – Morgan (3 and a little bit) and Madelyn (8 months). Yes grandchildren. God’s blessing on those parentswho allow their own children to live. Rob is a dentist and Susie is a veterinarian.

Lars is getting married Memorial day weekend. Ashley will be Mrs Powell. Lars is a professor at U of Arkansas – Little Rock. Ashley works in the health insurance supplement business.

When Rob and Lars got to high school I started to work as a volunteer in a traditional club. After about 8-9 years Ben Brewer came to club in a power chair and the rest as they say is history. The next 9-10 years have been with a Capernaum club. And that has blessed my life. Taught me a bunch about life and love and living.

Is this enough?

Oh, we go to First Baptist of Greenville. We are one of those moderate Baptist churches. We broke away from the Southern Baptist convention – or maybe we were fired. Anyway the struggle is over in our denomination for a while. Cathie is on the personnel committee and sings in the choir. I help teach a 9th grade Sunday school class – my people .

My name is Brian Cooper.

My name is Brian Cooper. Everyone calls me Coop….this is my story (and I’m sticking to it!)

I was fortunate enough to be born into a Christian family. When I was growing up my parents never treated me any different than my older brother Sean, even though…physically we were VERY different. I was born with cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair.

My brother was a healthy athletic guy. I was taught to believe that God put me on this earth…into this family…for a reason. I was not really different any anyone else in God’s eyes. My dad always made things adaptable for me to be able to participate in life as best I could. I backpacked in the mountains on his back. I swam in the lake like a fish every summer and spent hours in the family’s ski boat in a especially strapped seat. My brother made a special adaptive table for me to be able to control video games for his middle school science fair. I was NORMAL…but I wasn’t. I was disabled and I knew it. But what I did NOT know is how important that would be to others I met as I grew older.

I was friendly and outgoing at school with a lot of friends both disabled and able bodied. I mainstreamed from 5th grade on into regular classrooms. In high school I realized that most other disabled kids hung around with just other disabled kids; never interacting with the able bodied kids. I thought this was odd because I always went to the ball games and movies with friends. I hung out at the Mall. They seemed to live in a kind of shell, going to school, hanging around each other only and repeating the same thing every day. These guys were my friends and I wanted to help them. What could I do?

I first met Skeeter Powell in High School. He was a Young Life leader for “regular young life kids”. He talked to me at school and I ended up going to a football game with him. We became friends. He took myself and a bunch of other kids to a Young Life camp, Windy Gap . I was hooked! Young Life was for me…Jesus was for me! I knew I had to get my other disabled friends to join us! I had to let them know that Jesus did not care about our disabilities!

In fact, Jesus works through me because I DO have CP and because I AM in a wheelchair. I could not truly identify with these kids if I did not feel their pain. Skeeter had become probably my best friend. He provided all the transportation for these kids and we soon had them going to the football games. We even tailgated sometimes! We became closer friends. Some of my able bodied friends joined us and even went with us to Windy Gap and on other trips to help out. When people see that you are loved and that you do love, that you have an inner peace and happiness they tend to want to know why! We were ready to tell them!!

I graduated from JL Mann High school in 1999 with my class. I attended leadership classes at Furman University and became a Young Life leader. I returned to my high school to volunteer working with the disabled classes. I am still there today doing both Young Life and helping the kids. They trust me and confide in me. Skeeter and I and some others hold Young Life Club once a month at the school. Our group, known as Capernaum Young Life has really grown.

I have been on summer staff at Windy Gap and Sharp Top. This past summer I had the privilege of being the first disabled Assigned Team member in the Southeast! I was assistant to Brett Rodgers,the summer staff coordinator. Kind of like a boss….my parents always said I loved giving orders! However, orders is not what I did…we were a close knit team! From the first day when he introduced me to the summer staff he told everyone I had a personal helper, but that EVERYONE would be helping me because we were all in this together. You know what? They all did॥ and it was great!

Over the years I have met a lot of people who have become great friends through Young Life. Together we have helped lead many teens and even a couple of adults to Jesus Christ!
God gave me abilities and an outgoing personality. My family and friends strengthened them. Now I am giving back! Praise the Lord for HE is good!

Coop Cooper
January 2008

To see this story in video form, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DLqbec5_D0

Drew Palmer’s Faith Story

I was quite surprised when Coop called my mom and asked if I would do a testimony at this gathering tonight about what Young Life has meant to me. For those that know me, you know why I was surprised. But for those that don’t, I am probably the guy that walks with a limp. I don’t really look like there is a disability in my life. So, I thank Capernaum; Coop, Skeeter, Travis, and CW, for looking past my disabilities.

I have never been asked to do anything close to this before so forgive me if I am extremely nervous. To answer your question of “why” I am nervous, you need to look at my definition of cerebral palsy. Coop, CW, Travis, and I all have Cerebral Palsy. Mine is considered mild, right side more than left and has given me speech apraxia. The 19 surgical procedures have kept me out of a wheelchair and speech therapy for all those years has left me with the vocabulary I have today. The connection between my nervous system and muscle control in my face has left me with an “out going” vocabulary of an 18 month old child. That is understandable to you but I know exactly what you are telling me. Can you tell I have had to listen to this explanation many times before? But, this is my speech and how I communicate within your world and mine. My world understands me better and every once in a while I get out something new, especially if it is sports related. Because I can’t speak like everyone else, the world tends to think I don’t understand and can’t do much. But, that is enough of the medical junk.

However, to understand what Young Life has meant to me, you kind of needed to know that stuff. When I am in a new situation (or any situation), I do not say much. I am shy as a result. I am trying to figure things out that you would not give a second thought. Where is the rest room? I can’t ask what I need to know.

Young Life has allowed me to be me. I have become self confident. I have come out of my shell with them whether they know it or not. They understand me. They will figure it out.

I have been able to enjoy singing. That takes my mom’s breath away. But, I just love to sing.

Coming out of my shell has meant so many things to me like …..

….knowing where everything is so there isn’t a need to ask
….knowing that people are friendlies and that I won’t get pushed around
….Knowing the people are my friends
….knowing that they and I have God in our hearts and souls, but then maybe it is all these things.

I found that I do not get as frustrated as I once did. I just keep trying to get the person to understand what I am trying to communicate. I am now able to express my love of sports. Whether it is saying “Score!” in soccer or teasing Skeeter about North Carolina. I have a strong sense of other’s abilities and help out wherever I can. And, I have learned that it is okay to have different friends for different things.

Many of you tonight who have grown up with a disability, especially our moms, have read and re-read Mothers of Handicapped Children, by the late Erma Bombeck. With a little poetic creativity on a section, I find the words that help me express what it has been like. “ I (that would be God) will permit Drew to see clearly the things that I see (that would be God again)…ignorance, cruelty, prejudice … and allow Drew to rise above them. Drew will never be alone. I (that would be Him again) I will be at Drew’s side every minute of every day of his life.”’

God has a different plan for me. It is different than yours. So far, I have learned a lot. And, I plan on continuing down the path He is setting for me. That is what Young Life Caperaum has allowed me to see.