Five years ago I began something that at the time I didn’t even realize was the beginning of something. But as anyone who’s known me in the last few years can tell you, it’s become a big part of my life. Awana (it’s a church program) has pretty much always been a part of my life, but this is about more than a program. It’s about a specific group of students that have made a big impact on my life.

They’re all about to start college within the next week or so, and this past weekend was the final Awana event they’ll ever attend as students. I figured it was time to dig up some old pictures of them to celebrate the end of this era.

So let’s take a walk down memory lane…

It all started one year at camp when I had this group of girls in my cabin:

And then I decided it would be fun to work with them throughout the year, so I decided to give being a junior high leader a shot.

And then I certainly wasn’t going to let that group of kids move up to high school without me. And thus, they became “my kids”. But first, do you want to see some pictures of how absolutely adorable they looked back in junior high? Of course you do. It’s crazy how young they look in these pictures!

And then they were freshman and we were going to Chicago for Summit and they were just excited to be in highschool….

And then time started flying…

And then it was time for their senior year…

A year where lots of shenanigans took place

Only five of them were able to make it to camp their last year, but it was still a great final year. Everyone from across the state who graduated this year is pretty spectacular, so it was a special year all the way around.

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In conclusion

I thought I’d be really sad to get to this point in time, but right now I’m just excited to see where life takes them. I’m sad that I won’t get to see them on a regular basis anymore, but I also know that I’ll probably never lose contact with any of them. Plus my life has experienced quite a few changes in the last year that I wasn’t expecting, and I’m guessing that more changes are going to be happening, so right now I’m just excited that I was able to be around for this group’s entire high school experience.

To “my kids”: It’s been a good run guys! I’ll be praying for you as you start this new stage of life and I look forward to the coffee dates where I’ll get to hear about what God is doing in your lives! And I’m pretty sure I’ll still be calling you “my kids” even when you’re 30, so just be prepared for that.