Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

I know a lot of parents that put up a lot of money for their kids to do a lot of "church affiliated activities." What I think a lot of people don't know is just how much it all means and just how different kids can be from their stereotypical age groups. I have been fortunate enough to attend the Chapel of the Cross for almost 18 years now and I have had the privilege of meeting people that otherwise, I would never have known existed. EYC or Episcopal Youth Community (if you have a thing against abbreviations) has made a lot of this possible. Picturing my life without the people I have met through EYC and the Chapel of the Cross seems impossible since most of them have watched me grow up or have grown up with me. Many of us have been through a large variety of situations together and have seen each other at our best and our 50-other sides. Mission trips have probably made for the best conditions to become close with other members. I know many people have heard tales from the mission trips and how everyone learned about "blah blah blah," but if you only knew what a small fraction of the whole story that is . . . . I cannot put into words everything I feel I have walked away with from my first mission trip, let alone the others. To work side by side with people from your youth group and maybe three or four other youth groups from other parts of the world and form bonds with those people is unlike anything I have ever known. It isn't just the bond that's formed, it's everything that happens to create it - whether that's seeing something you've only seen in movies, read in books, learned about in school, or maybe just finding out you had more in common with someone than you ever suspected. A mission trip for me is the perfect recipe for a time that I will never forget; I will always remember the people who were with me through it all, and the same goes for EYC. I wish more people knew just how amazing everyone is, from our youth leaders who defy the common definition of adults by displaying an unprecedented amount of humor and understanding, to the youth group members who display more insight and compassion than many would expect. If it hadn't been for my parents pushing me out the door and forcing me to go to my first EYC night, I am convinced I would be nowhere close to the person I am today. As I said before, I really can't put it all into words and this really is only a small fraction of everything EYC has to offer. So for those of you with kids, I hope you do the same favor my parents did for me and push if you have to because the things they learn, the people they meet, and the bonds they form will stick with them for life.

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