Chris Martin, YL Open Door Committee Member and Parent
My daughter Dani has been going to Open Door for nearly 4 years now, and I’d like to share with you her story – and mine.   When she first started attending club, it was lots of fun, with tons of socializing,  a comfortable feeling among peers, and she loved the leaders. Then things started to change.  Don’t get me wrong; the social life & friends there were still wonderful, but more and more Dani would come away from “Club” quite somber and serious. I asked her what was wrong and she said “It’s about God, Dad – I don’t know WHAT to do about him!” She had TONS of questions!! 
Now I have to preface this whole story by telling you that before YL, Dani had sparse formal Christian practice or training to speak of - a little churchgoing, but not much else.  So talking about God wasn’t something she was used to doing.   And me talking back to her about it – let’s just say it was interesting - and sometimes really funny.  One time, she jumped in the car after an Open Door Club meeting and announced “Dad, I’m going to go get crucified just like Jesus.” Another time later, she morosely got in and after some prodding, said “Dad, how could they do that to God – put him on a cross and kill him like that? I hate them!”
Even though I did my best to explain things to her, the Open Door leaders were the best at doing that.  They could help her understand more than just the facts about Jesus, on why he was here and what he meant.  As time went on, I saw a remarkable change in my daughter. She became calmly more spiritual in her approach to almost everything.
She understands more deeply now the underlying reasons for many things that happen in life – like birth and death.  She had fretted for years about the death of her grandfather, but now she’s more philosophical and peaceful about it – she realizes Grandpa is there with Jesus and he’s happy.   She sees such wonderful things in her mind’s eye about God and shares them with everyone she knows.  She is full of joy about this knowledge, and it constantly inspires her to find things that relate to God, like turtles, babies, - even Barbie dolls.  She gives the greatest, and sometimes the longest, dinner graces you’ve ever heard.  Last month she was preparing to ask her public high school to let her speak at her graduation exercises next June (She likes to be prepared!).   She said, “I know, Dad – I’ll start off with a prayer!”
Now, I’ve told you all this to tell you the real reason I wrote this - it’s really about me.  All Dani’s love and fervor has reawakened the same feelings in me, long dormant since my late childhood.   Her spiritual joy has rubbed off on me, showing me how wonderful it is, once again, to live every day in the forgiving grace of God. To follow his will and work gleefully toward it, realizing its value as an end in itself, and as the key to my own contentment and happiness.  It’s the reason I volunteer for Open Door events and outings, because, selfishly, really, it gives me such a ton of joy to be around these people that I want to help in any way I can, who are helping our kids in every way they can.
Yes, Dani has taught me a new way to look at things, at my life, at God.  Thank you, my beautiful 18-year-old daughter with Down’s syndrome, for all that.  Thank you, Dear Lord, for gracing me with her care.  And thank you, Young Life, for opening that wonderful Door for her and letting me pass through it, too.

 

 

Chris Cotten, YL Open Door Leader
Wildhorse Canyon in central Oregon and Crooked Creek in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado: two weeks of camp that became absolute highlights of my summer.  Young Life advertises to its high school students that camp will be “the best week of your life!”  That slogan not only rings true for our students, but also for the leaders who get to go along too.  This summer, we had the amazing opportunity to be some of the leaders who took Open Door kids to both camps- Wildhorse Canyon in early July and Crooked Creek the first week of August.
Wildhorse Canyon is about a seven hour drive from Seattle, but every ounce of camp makes the long, long drive worth it.  Each day held the promise of unmatchable experiences with our kids, and we were reminded of God’s faithfulness as we  watched our Open Door kids do things they have never done before in a safe, loving, and supporting environment.  Day two of camp involved a morning hike up to the top of “Communication Hill” which is rigorous even for someone in good shape.  Watching one of our Shoreline girls, Denise, conquer that hill with the entire camp cheering her name is something that will not be forgotten.  It took her perhaps twice as long as everyone else, and by the time she got to the top she was about ready to fall over, but seeing her on the top of that mountain looking down at the trail she had climbed was more beautiful than the view below.  Denise was able to push herself in a way she never had before.  Her physical and mental limitations were pushed aside as her willpower and the support of those around her encouraged her to the top.  I asked her later how it felt to know she had hiked that far.  She told me, “I didn¹t think I was going to do it.  I didn¹t want to do it.  But God helped me.  He helped me because he loves me.”  Was the hike Denise’s favorite part of camp?  No.  In fact, she loved the horses and her afternoon naps the most.  But she (and the rest of us) came away from Wildhorse Canyon with an unmatchable experience from that day.  She learned that with God’s help, she can do anything- even climb a mountain.
That same spirit of adventure was evident in the mountains of Colorado. In August students from Young Life Open Door attended the second annual discipleship week held at Crooked Creek Camp, near Winter Park, Colorado. The week was a time for us to grow deeper in our faith through teaching, adventure and spending time together. Nick Palermo, the camp speaker, helped us understand that we all have gifts and an inherent worth to share with the world. Just as Christ loved us, we are to love and encourage our friends with our gifts and life. We had many opportunities to put that notion into practice throughout the week as we hiked, rode horses and traversed the ropes course with kids from all over the country. While the camp was comprised primarily of kids with some form of disability there was an attitude of “we can do anything!” that isn’t found at traditional camps. To see all the guys in a cabin lend a hand or a word of encouragement to help their friend who can’t walk make it across a wire stretched between the trees is an unforgettable sight. However, those situations paled in comparison to the times inside the cabin where we were able to come together, as brothers and sisters in Christ, and share the struggles that we face on a daily basis. At home so many of kids struggle in isolation, yet at Crooked Creek they are among peers who have faced those same struggles and found ways to overcome. As one of the camper’s pain kept him, and much of the cabin, awake one night the other campers never failed to get him anything he needed or shout out an “I hope you feel better!”, despite their lack of sleep. It is that Christ-like love that makes camp, and the time spent with these kids, one of the best weeks of your life.

 

 

Rich Bianchi, YL Open Door Committee Member and Parent
WOW! Where do you start to share one of the most amazing weeks of your life? Amazed as each day unfolded with its joys and challenges and now being blessed by the sweet memories of that special time. Being a parent of a child with special needs I know the joy of seeing that happy smile, warm hug and loving attitude but Crooked Creek Ranch and everyone there was showered with over 100 special needs campers that spread their kind of special love. To experience the quiet courage these campers have as they did the ropes course thrilled my soul. Kids that have a hard time walking on uneven ground going 45 feet in the air and walking on a wire as big as your little finger. I know it’s difficult--I tried it and my heart was pounding loudly. Campers were lifted out of their wheel chairs and had the thrill of going down the zip line high above the ground. You can imagine the shouts of encouragement and clapping as each one finished. Days were filled with horse back riding, the loge (like sleds), ridge runners (like go carts) and swimming. They did it all! What a privilege to be with our leaders-Chris, Chelsea, Danielle and Libby. What a fabulous group they are. The patience and joy they exhibit while working with the campers is awesome. Quiet times with God, cabin time and club time were special as hearts were opened, feelings shared and questions asked about God and life were discussed. Ruben, the main speaker, reminded the campers that they all had a function to do in the body of Christ and God didn’t make any mistakes. Each day I had opportunities to talk to the staff and workers and everyone remarked that all of them were talking about this being the best camp of the summer and many said the best camp they ever had. We might never know how many lives were changed because of  this week but I know that our campers let the sun/Son shine thru them into many peoples lives who had never experienced the joy of kids with disabilities before and their lives will never be the same.