Nathan Hollenbach is the new Young Life Intern at Loudoun Valley, starting in the fall of 2008. Nathan, a graduate of LVHS, has been a volunteer leader with Young Life for the past couple years. He is currently the LVHS cross country head coach and has been the track coach as well.

 

Bob: Tell us briefly about your past involvement with Young Life.

 

Nathan: Well I went to Young Life in High School because my sister’s cool (and hot) friends went and would take me with them. After they graduated there were some guys that I had become friends with through Young Life. They would give me rides and tell me how cool Club was when I wasn't there. They also got me involved in some small groups that had begun to form through Young Life and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). I didn't go to many Young Life things my senior year and didn't think about it again until I was a senior in College. A friend wanted to start Young Life at Juniata College (where I went) and had heard that I knew about Young Life. I have been a volunteer leader at Loudoun Valley for the last 3 years.

 

Bob: I kind of have the impression that your decision to become a Young Life intern was a somewhat long process . . that you were going back and forth in your own mind if this is what you wanted to do, or that this is what God wanted for you. Is that accurate, or not? Could you talk a bit about what triggered you to make this decision?

 

Nathan: I think that somehow I got the idea growing up that I would be a missionary at some point in my life. It was almost as if I thought that was expected of me. So when I was in college I kept my eyes open to the possibilities of being a full time missionary when I graduated, however in my senior year of college I got pretty scared of the idea of being totally committed to something. I felt like I was going towards something that was going to be fixed and finite and I didn't want that. I tried to run away from being spiritual and God, but that didn't work.

 

Bob: So then what happened?

 

Nathan: I began volunteering with Young Life at Valley in the winter of 2004-2005 and then left for an internship at Shenandoah National Park in March of 2005. It was a 16 week internship and at the end of it, I had to make the decision to pursue a career in Biology as I was in the internship or go back home to Young Life and I didn't know what. Obviously I chose to come home. When I came home I was fully committed to the work that Young Life was doing and I scheduled my work and life around Young Life and coaching (I coached Cross Country and Track at Valley starting in 2004). At that time the idea of being a missionary or working full time for a Christian organization returned to my mind. I pretty much threw any plan that I had out the window and was looking for some kind of direction. I believed that I was in the place that God wanted me to be, and I was wondering if it would be the truth the next day.  This last year I began seriously looking at full time jobs with Christian organizations, feeling like I could not go another year being a long-term substitute teacher (or any teacher of any kind). I was certain that it was time for me to have a new way to receive income and that I want to continue to reach out and build relationships with people around me. God had a spot for me and it took me a while to fit it.

Bob: What primarily has been the attraction to Young Life for you?

 

Nathan: I have been learning about how the Lord values and cherishes every individual, and I enjoy Young Life because I am asked to value and cherish people, particularly high school students, in the same way that the Lord does. It is fun!

 

Bob: You know Loudoun Valley, and much of Loudoun Valley knows you, so you interning at Valley should be a good fit for you and for Young Life. And you have been around YL at Valley for quite awhile. What two or three things are you wanting to either do a bit differently then before, or are anxious to dive into right away?

 

Nathan: There are many things that have been really good about Young Life at Loudoun Valley. The leadership and care for individual kids has been awesome to see. Because of that leadership, many things that have been set up over the last year have made it very easy for me to step into the role of leading at Valley. I am, and we are, really excited about the leaders that we have coming back to Valley and those that are stepping into bigger roles as leaders. Justin Coffee, Kasey Brooks and Alyssa Farah are all starting their first full year leading at Valley. I am excited to see the Lord work in their lives and through them.
 
Because I have been at Loudoun Valley as a teacher and a coach, I have relationships with people within the school and community that I am excited about asking to come along side Young Life.  Along with that I am excited to see the Young Life/Christian community grow. Over all I am excited.

Bob: Can you give us a glimpse of how you see these first several months of the school year playing out? What kind of timeline do you have for starting club, campaigners, or any of  the other YL work?
 
Nathan: Well I don't want Young Life to stop at any point so I have been happy to see and hear of Young Life leaders meeting with kids throughout this summer. In many ways I am eager to get into things but I am trying to wait for God's timing and not my own. We are looking to get Valley Campaigners going once again and looking at starting that around the second week of school. Club will begin in late September.

  

Bob: It's not like you will have the hurdle of making contacts as you start up at Valley, which for most leaders is probably the toughest thing they face. What are the areas of YL and ministry that scares you the most?

 

Nathan: I believe that as a creation of God I reflect God to other people, that to me is a great privilege but also very terrifying. God is so good and so loving and so perfect that it scares me to think that I am supposed to reflect that. Often I forget that He has already made it so that I reflect Him and that He would not have made me to do so if He didn't believe I was worth it and that I could.

 

Bob:  So any ideas going through your mind that you hope to see happen at club this year? Wake Up Young Life videos?  Skits? Characters?

 

Nathan:  I really am just excited to be with my friends and have fun. We will see what the Lord brings to mind and how we can best serve Him. I do love Wake up Young Life, so hopefully there will be more of that.

Bob:  How can people who might be reading this help you this year at Valley?

 

Nathan:  There are several ways to get involved and help.  The first that comes to mind is prayer. I would really enjoy putting together a group to pray with me and the other YL leaders, especially praying for the students at Loudoun Valley High School and that the Young Life leaders would be leading students to Christ. We always enjoy friends supporting the leaders that are in place at Valley through fellowship and prayer and with assistance in getting things ready for clubs and other activities.