My Co-Leaders Are My Home Boiz

I'm leaving for Spain tomorrow.  Oh yeah, that application I handed in about 6 months ago was a real hit with the OU study abroad board!  I'm gone for 5 weeks...when you think about it, that's really not a lot of time at all.  5 weeks will go by so quickly, and before I know it, I'll be back in my little nook, hangin' out with my family and eating way too much Mighty Taco.  My 5 week excursion is just the opposite of what two of my very best friends are doing this summer (one of them tomorrow too, actually).  They're movin' out - and stayin' out.

Margaret and Brian are (were?.. no. forever are) my co-leaders at Nelsonville-York High School, where we lead YoungLife.  Over the past two years of being their friend and over a year of being their co, they've taught me more about life than I ever thought I would get in all four years of college.  They can make me laugh and aren't afraid to wipe my tears.  They've been such a huge part of my college life that I really can't even stand the idea of them leaving and growing up to be all successful and adult-like.  But I guess I'll have to get over that.

I met Margaret my very first day of college.  I remember I liked her right off the bat because she was as short as me.  And her name was Margaret.  It wasn't long before I realized that the feisty and spunky personality that hid inside Margaret was never really hiding.  It was always on the surface ready to make an appearance, although it probably wasn't until after I started leading with her last year that I got to experience it for myself.  One time I made some playful but snarky comment to her and after I had turned away from her, laughing at how funny I was, I felt a zing up my neck.  It was then I realized she had punched me in the spine.  Like I said.  Feisty.

Margaret is always fun to be around, but she's the most fun at about 2 o'clock in the morning.  That's when she's hungry for Union Street Diner food and really really giddy.  So naturally, it wasn't uncommon to be at Union Street Diner on a Saturday at 2am and be really really giddy with her.

One of my favorite memories with her was one Monday night when she gave a really kick-ass club talk (can I say ass and club talk in the same sentence?) and on the way home through smartphone technology, saw that our high school kids were blowing up facebook and twitter talking about how great her talk was.  When we got back to campus we all just got out of the car, hugged in a circle, and cried.  Man.  I seriously loved that night.

Margaret loved to talk to me about her life, and I loved to listen.  We had so many great talks, just her and me, on the way to the high school or to a sporting event.  Some days it was quiet, and those were nice too.  She has the most comfortable car I've ever been in.  I fell asleep too many times to count on the way to and from Nelsonville.  There are pictures, unfortunately, to prove it.

Margaret taught me to not take things for granted.  To make the most of my time at OU.  She taught me about confrontation and that speaking your mind is almost never a bad thing - if you say something wrong, people will get over it if they really love you.  She taught me perseverance in leading and a few of the million aspects of the power of prayer.  She reminds me to never put God in a box.  He's way bigger than we think he is and can do way more than we could ever imagine.  She's taught me most of these things without even knowing it.

Margaret's moving to Des Moines, Iowa tomorrow to work with newspaper design.  She's super artsy and talented.  I can't wait to see what God's gonna throw her way next.

I also met Brian on my first day in Athens.  Everyone called him BK for short because his last name is awesome and begins with a K and ends with assouf.  I forget who introduced us, but I remember it was awkward after they did.  BK is one awkward dude.  And everyone loves him for it.  I especially do.  BK told me he liked my shoes.  I liked his beard, but I don't think I told him that.

One time Brian and our friend Maeve took me to the ER because I was having some major tummy issues.  He did so much for me that night.  He even stayed with me in the room where they ask you all the awkward questions about how long ago your last period was.  We played with the doctors toys to pass the time.  I remember him laughing at how loopy I was getting after the medicine started to kick in.  I was laughing too.  He was good at making me laugh.

One time he stayed up all Friday night and Saturday so he could act in our 48 Hour Shootout video.  He didn't have to.  But he did.

One time he and I "broke into" the skit closet at Rockbridge during leader weekend and put on dinosaur costumes and danced around on scooters in front of our friends.

And more than one time, we enjoyed hot apple cider on his roof, prayer sessions, making spaghetti (the most recent time was for a YoungLife club where we made 29 pounds of it in one day...I just like to brag), worshiping at 180, and lots and lots of laughs.

My favorite thing about BK being my co-leader was that I got to watch him interact with high school kids and witness the overflow of love he has constantly pouring out of him.  Oh, and I loved watching him in skits (or being in them with him).  He can do the best accent for about .4 seconds of a skit, and it somehow just always manages to fall right back into his Ohio twang.  And he was always funny.  Which somehow managed to make things awkward?  Which made things funnier.

BK taught me how to do ministry for high school kids and not for any other reason.  He taught me what it takes to have a focus like that.  He taught me that it's fun to explore and go on spontaneous adventures.  That you don't always have to do things by the books.  He taught me how important a prayer life is and he knows how to challenge me in my walk with the Lord.  He is an amazing example of how a Christ-centered man should treat people.  BK loves everyone.  Everyone loves BK.

Brian is moving to San Francisco, California, to do web developing for a company called Imgur.  He's a freaking computer genius.  And this is a really great opportunity for him.  I can't wait to see what the Lord has got in store for him.

Those are my cos, awesome in every little way.  I'm gonna miss them like a sandbox misses sand.  Never gonna say goodbye.  Just see ya laterskies.

Shameless plug:

 The company Brian is working for is a website, imgur.com.  Go check it out.