1. Campers and buddies do a dance routine at the talent show.
YOUNG LIFE CAPERNAUM
GREATER SEATTLE
P.O. Box 520
Colorado Spgs, CO 80901
P.O. BOX 55998 • SEATTLE, WA 98155-0998 • 206-361-1234
OPENDOOR.YOUNGLIFE.ORG
FALL 2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
• Meet a Leader and Friend,
P. 2
• Impact of Family Camp ...
an Answer to Prayer, P. 3
SHARING CAMP EXPERIENCE WITH SON WAS
A DREAM COME TRUE!
PRAYERS AND PRAISES
PRAYERS:
• More volunteer leaders.
• New students to sign up for our weekly clubs.
• Parents’ support and willingness to have their kids involved in
Young Life Capernaum.
• Our Bowl-A-Thon on November 6, to be a fun and successful
fundraising event.
PRAISES:
• Incredible Capernaum Family Camp
last June.
• Amazing summer camp at Malibu Club
last July.
• Nearly every kid at summer camp
committed or recommitted his or her
life to Christ.
Mom, April, with son DeShaun
at the climbing wall.
Latest News from
YOUNG LIFE CAPERNAUM
GREATER SEATTLE!
The girls have fun on the banana boat at Malibu Club!
My first thought of Capernaum Family Camp is to say, “Wow.” I can’t remember the
last time I was able to get away with our son Asa and relax, knowing that he was safe
and having fun in the company of friends who were mindful not only of his safety,
but also his fun and enjoyment. Capernaum Family Camp was a wonderful mixture
of fun and games, but also of paying attention to the special needs of the families
of children with disabilities. I’ve never had that experience; it was so refreshing and
relaxing.
For me, going to Young Life camp as a teenager changed my life, so Asa has been
hearing the stories about camp all of his life. To be able to share a Young Life camp
experience with him at his level was incredible and a dream come true.
The mixture of fun and games with the campers and volunteers, good conversations
among the adults, and the spiritual worship time was wonderful. As parents we tend
to always end up at things that are for our children but there’s no part in it for us.
However, Capernaum Family Camp provided a great balance of offerings for both.
As I share with friends and others about our experience at this camp, I encourage
people to really consider it for next year as a great time for their whole family to have
fun, relax and get refreshed.
Thanks to everyone who helped to put Capernaum Family Camp 2016 together!
By Darannie Waham
Garrett pies his mom, Debbie; Lynne
and mom, Tammy, watch in disbelief.
Magician Frank shows
Asa a magic trick.

2. For our leaders and campers who were at Young Life’s Malibu Club camp this summer, the
experience is hard to put into words. Saying it was “the best week of our lives” doesn’t do it
justice. Because of our camp hosts, the “Goat Busters,” the obstacle and ropes courses, the big
swing and zip line, and the many new friends we made,
it was nearly impossible to want to leave. One of our
campers, Danielle, had the chance to experience being
fully suspended in the air for the first time in her life on
the ropes course. Her fellow campers, leaders and camp
staff all cheered her on as she was hoisted 50 feet in the
air, smiling from ear to ear. This was just one of the many moments that turned this week of camp into
a lifelong memory. Another great moment occurred when several high-schoolers from other areas played
“Duck, Duck, Goose” with our campers. It was so fun and touching to watch; it was a moment in which
joyous laughter rang throughout camp from this simple game that brought everyone together! Seeing
this provided affirmation of how important it is for all of us to be in relationship with one another.
Jordan has been a leader with our
Shoreline Club for one year. Before
that, he served as a Young Life
student leader since his sophomore
year at Kamiak High School. “It
blows my mind to look at my life
then and look at my life now. I have
grown tremendously through my
involvement in Young Life. Most
significantly, I’ve learned to be wholly dependent on the Lord.”
He became involved in Young Life because of the leaders in his life who
radically changed the way he perceived the world and introduced him to a living,
breathing and loving God; he felt a profound calling to do the same for others.
“This ministry is so unique because it meets kids where they are and says, ‘I
don’t care what you say, what you’re doing, or what you believe, I’m going to
walk alongside you and love on you regardless.’”
Jordan’s favorite memory as a Capernaum leader is last spring’s prom; it was
one of the most incredible nights of his life. “I remember walking in and seeing
the dance floor packed with our friends. They were having the time of their
lives! There were no comparisons, no judgement or fear about busting a move
on the dance floor. It was unfiltered, unapologetic JOY. I remember walking out
of the event that evening thinking that this was way more fun than my prom!”
When he’s not at Young Life club or events, Jordan is a student at Seattle
Pacific University where he is majoring in Business Administration and serving
as a resident assistant for his dorm.
Hometown: Mukilteo, Washington
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip
Favorite Movie: The Sandlot
Favorite Music: l Iove anything that sounds like John Mayer,
John Mark McMillan, or Amos Lee.
Favorite Activity: Playing basketball
Jack started coming to our Shoreline Club about four
years ago when he was a student at Shorewood
High School; he’s currently in the second year of his
transition program at Shoreline Community College.
He attends Young Life because it helps get him out
of the house and away from electronics and allows
him to do fun activities with friends. About club
he says, “The best thing is seeing all the kids — my
friends and leaders.” This past summer Jack went
to Family Camp with his dad and to Malibu Club
camp as a student helper. His favorite memory from
Malibu was getting to learn how to water ski!
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite TV Show: Dog the Bounty Hunter
Favorite Music: I’m a Queensrÿche addict!
Favorite Activity: Playing music on my guitar
or drums
HALLOWEEN PARTY
Joyous Laughter Rang Throughout Camp!
The group at Malibu.
UN — BELIEVABLE! This is how I would describe our
first-ever Young Life Capernaum Family Camp. We had
14 families and 43 volunteers for a total of 82 people in
attendance; they came from all over, including Federal
Way, Seattle, Shoreline, Lynnwood, Everett and Anacortes!
Thanks to Warm Beach Camp in Stanwood, Washington,
we were able to provide this event in close proximity to
families and local churches.
I have to say that in the last 25 years of being on Young
Life staff, Capernaum Family Camp is by far one of the
top things I have ever been a part of. The impact it had
on families and young people with disabilities was deep
and truly an answer to prayer. Families had only positive
things to say about camp. When I interviewed parents and
asked them to share a word that described Family Camp,
words like awesome, spectacular, connecting, acceptance,
and Christ-centered were just some of the ones I heard.
Families felt loved, cared for and connected to community in ways that many of them have not had
the opportunity to experience.
One of our biggest goals was to help our families get connected to local churches. By bringing in
volunteers from nearby congregations, we hoped to help families build relationships and get plugged
into churches in their community. We
definitely saw this take place at Family
Camp. One mom shared that she and her
daughter previously were not involved with
a church, but at Family Camp she found a
church community to belong to. She couldn’t
wait to start going to that church on Sundays
and continue the relationships that began
at camp. Another mom was excited that
teens from a local church youth group were
serving as buddies; she wants to get her son
involved in that group now that he knows
some of the kids. A few families that were
not yet involved in Young Life in their local
areas are now looking for ways to get involved. Parents also talked about how they could continue
meeting and supporting one another after Family Camp was over. We’re hoping our quarterly parent
support group during the school year will help serve that purpose.
I am overwhelmed with how successful and positive Capernaum Family Camp was, not only for the
parents and kids, but also for our volunteer buddies. We had a large number of folks who had never
volunteered with Young Life or worked with kids with disabilities; they expressed interest in getting
involved during the school year. Family Camp was a great way to introduce people to Young Life
and begin developing new leaders and possible donors. We’re excited to see how God will use this
experience in their lives as they return to their local churches and communities.
October 31
7-8:30 p.m.
University Presbyterian
Church (Seattle)
CHRISTMAS PARTY
December 3
7–8:30 p.m.
University Presbyterian
Church (Seattle)
Danielle is ready for lift off on
the ropes course!
Let us know if you’d like to help at any of these events,
or if you’d like to make a pledge or be a sponsor for our
Bowl-A-Thon. Contact us by phone or email, or with
the enclosed envelope.
BOWL-A-THON
November 6
1-4 p.m.
Kenmore Lanes (Kenmore)
Parents and buddies are already asking when camp will be
next summer. We have it scheduled for June 24-27, 2017. I
am really thrilled to see what Young Life Capernaum Family
Camp could mean for our mission as we reach out to and
include kids with disabilities. I know for me and everyone
involved this year, it was truly life-changing.
If you would like to volunteer and/or help support next year’s
Family Camp, please let us know using the enclosed envelope
or by calling or emailing our office.
Mike with his parents, James and Mary, at the sunset
worship time
“I HAVE GROWN TREMENDOUSLY THROUGH MY
INVOLVEMENT IN YOUNG LIFE.”
Meet a Leader: Jordan Bettencourt
“THE BEST THING IS SEEING ALL THE KIDS.”
Meet a Young Life Friend: Jack
IMPACT OF FAMILY CAMP … AN ANSWER
TO PRAYER
Jack (right) and his dad, John,
at Family Camp.
Macho Mandy and Mullet Man enlist Matthew’s help on a skit.
Alex and Taylor welcome Anna to Family Camp.
Sarah and mom, Elizabeth, enjoy a moment together.
Clyde’s Corner
UPCOMING EVENTS