June 28th

Blog post June 27, 2011

One week ago, a group of 16 regional Religious and Cultural Vice Presidents arrived at Kutz Camp for their first round of training on the RCVP trip. They came with minds ready to be pushed, ideas ready to be dreamed up, and spirituality that was about to be challenged.

I had been on two of my own RCVP trips, and was well familiar with what it was like. I knew how I had felt, and I wanted to recreate those same feelings for the network that I could now officially call mine.

I must admit that I was nervous. I dreaded the thought of screwing up, having my network not like me, or not being able to provide the same benefits to them that I had been given. It turns out that these fears were unnecessary.

Within the first few hours, the group instantly formed a deep and meaningful connection. We weren’t just gathering to hang out or chill; we were coming together to do holy work, and to become closer as the teen spiritual leaders of our movement.

After an RCVP trip that was most definitely the best that I could have remembered, we headed into Mechina apprehensive about what we were going to do about staying together. It is easy to stay close when we are the only 17 people on camp. When there are 130 others, it can become more difficult. Again, these issues were averted, because of the tight bonds that we had already formed. I have never seen a group get as close as the RCVP family became in such a short time.

When I led services on Friday evening, the family sat in the front row. Each one of them took in the experience and saw what I was doing that they liked, what I was doing that they would change, and what I was doing that they had questions about. They made the service even more meaningful for me, which was just another of many times when they moved my spirituality levels up several notches.

As we head into the year as a network, I cannot stop repeating the same phrase: “We will accomplish great things.” I hope that, over our terms, we each can have a profound impact on our regions, nations, and movement, so as to better create the end goal that we are so constantly grappling for. I am excited to see the extent to which we can make a difference in the lives of our participants.

Our job is to push others to reach their maximum height. I was pushed this weekend to reach farther than I have ever done before. If the regional RCVPs were able to push me as far as they did, I can only imagine where they will push their own regions.

May it be God’s will.