Gathering Memories

Hello, friends! After sleeping from about 10 AM to 4 PM today, I am awake and somewhat recovered from the National Youth Gathering. I always like to write about my trips right after I return from them, so here you go - my favorite 2016 Gathering memories!

• Rediscovering New Orleans through the eyes of my teenagers - for example, riding the streetcar and hearing them talk about the beads stuck everywhere you look
• Getting caught in a rainstorm at the Audubon Zoo and laughing about how soaked we were
• Finding all of the elephant statues at the zoo (there were a lot for some reason)
• Introducing my group to beignets at Cafe du Monde
• My teenagers buying masks in the French Quarter
• Learning about a soldier named "Barney Old Coyote" at the WWII Museum
• One of my teenagers being so excited about the WWII Museum that we could have left him there the entire trip and he would have been perfectly happy
• Eating king cake at Mardi Gras World (one of our teenagers owes us a party)
• Going to Walgreens - you know you're becoming closer with your group of teenagers when they talk about feminine products with you :P
• Carrying seven backpacks back to my hotel like a boss
• Attempting to run over and hug Melissa while carrying seven backpacks
• One of my teenagers using physics to explain why a grandfather clock wasn't working at the Old Ursuline Convent
• Inventing a game called "Emergency Situation" with my teenagers
• Mass Events!!!! Singing, dancing, learning, laughing, and being inspired in Christ alone
• My adult leader guiding us through the crowd of 25,000 by holding up a duct taped silver, pink, and green sword (he became known as the "saber guy")
• (According to my teenagers) jumping 3 feet in the air and tackling Pastor Jay
• My teenagers taking lots of notes during Bible studies
• Seeing Young Adult Volunteers and having one of my teenagers high-five all of them
• Attending Pastor Jay's "Relax and be a Christian" session and feeling very relaxed afterwards
• My teenagers asking PJ if they could build a bonfire
• Melissa playing the "Emergency Situation" game with my teenagers
• My teenagers helping package food (total, the Gathering packed over 600,000 meals)
• All of my friends that I found at the Gathering: Jessica, Nicole, Keriann, Noelle, Bethany, Dr. Oberdeck, Stephanie, and probably lots of people I'm forgetting
• Talking to President Ferry from CUW
• Meeting a youth leader from Hungary 
• Watching the Skit Guys and learning what Goliath's wife would have sounded like
• Attending a fantastic "Tough Talks" session and learning how to apply coaching skills to youth ministry
• The final worship service - taking communion with 25,000 other people
• One of my youth, who is not confirmed yet, taking communion for the first time and making the most priceless face at the taste
• Receiving a pretty stellar Gathering banner
• Going to Hot Topic with some of my teenagers :P
• My teenagers explaining what they think New Orleans needs the most (help for the homeless and strong leadership)
• Reading Princess Bride on my Kindle on the bus
• Finally getting home and hugging all of my teenagers farewell
• Lastly... sleeping :P

So much happened, and no blog post could ever cover it all. But reliving the memories makes me smile and laugh and cry all at once. I learned so much about myself, my teenagers, and leadership. This experience was fantastic. I can't wait for Minneapolis in 2019!!